One of the baby gifts I loved receiving, is a taggie blanket. Or as I call it a taggie clutch since it is perfect for a baby to hold on to and slobber on.
A sweet baby girl is days, moments, seconds away from making her appearance in this world and I just can't wait to meet her! Maybe by the time this post publishes she has arrived... as I know her mom hopes! Dear friends of ours are having their first child (shout out to you Mandy at Madipidy http://www.mandipidy.com/)
and it is a girl! Yay for girls! Being a mom of four girls and one baby boy... I miss all those fun baby girl things! So I sure had fun making this little taggie clutch for baby Abigail!
My Caitlin Joy picked out this cute doll that just so happens to be named Joy!
The taggie is made with a square of minky fabric and a square of flannel. I used different ribbons around the edges. On the opposite sides of the taggie clutch the ribbons are in reverse order of kind.
Baby Abigail is so loved by so many! Congratulations to a wonderful family! Our love and prayers are with you!
Boring cloth diapers turned adorable burp cloths is the continued subject of this post.
In my previous post I stated if you have a sewing machine and can sew in a straight line, then this is the project for you. So very simple, cute and fun. They make for great gifts too!
All you need: Cloth Diapers (you can find them at Babies R' Us or even Target) Minky Fabric or Flannel Fabric Coordinating Thread Sewing Machine Ribbon (optional) Piece of paper for pattern Scissors Straight Pins
Cut a piece of paper 7"x9" for your pattern.
Fold fabric in half, placing pattern (7" side) at the fold. Cut around your pattern. Lay your fabric on your diaper cloth and pin around the edges. (If you are adding ribbon pin the ribbon at the same time you pin the fabric to the diaper cloth.)
Now time to sew. If you are using ribbon I suggest a straight stitch (both side edges of the ribbon are to be sewn). If not adding ribbon you could use a zigzag stitch or a straight stitch. Another hint if using ribbon, cut ribbon long enough to hang over the edge of the diaper cloth. Sew the ribbon thoroughly at the end of the cloth so it does not fray. Then cut the remainder of the ribbon off once sewn.
This could not be more simple for completely darling Burp Cloths.
Another great use I have found for these cloths with my kids has been when they have a cold. When the inevitable runny nose occurs for my little ones, we use these soft burpies to wipe cute noses. I prefer my little ones to carry around a burp cloth than a soggy tissue. I also am not a fan of tissues in bed with my kids, so our solution has been burp cloths. They have loved it! It actually brings them comfort to lay down to nap or bed with a burp cloth, when their nose is runny or stuffy.
A ribbon edge instead of ruffle ribbon as seen in my previous post.
Or just minky and flannel fabric in a rectangle pattern.
Tip on buying fabric...
I always look for bolts of fabric that are at the end... not much left on them. Most fabric stores love getting rid of the ends of bolts for great reduced prices! When you take your fabric to be cut, ask what price they will give you if you take all of it. I love getting fabric for a steal of a deal!
Darling burp clothes are one of my favorite things for baby. Whether you bottle feed or nurse your baby you have to burp your baby. Those little bubbles in baby's tummy have to be patted out into what sometimes ends up coming out in more than just a burp if you know what I mean. Why not have a soft and cute burp cloth for baby hanging over your shoulder?
When I was pregnant with my youngest daughter I turned some regular cloth diapers into cozy, soft minky burpies. Now you can find these all over the Internet it seems... some at prices that astonish me. Oh the price we pay for CUTE!
If you have a sewing machine and can sew in a straight line, then there is nothing preventing you from making your own like I did. The ones pictured here are for a friend who is having a baby girl, no worries my baby boy will not be subjected to pink burpies!
Before we jump into the simple diaper cloth burpie (I will do in my next post), let's walk through how I made the smaller ruffled, minky and flannel burp cloth. I first cut out my flannel and minky fabrics in a rounded shape. I used a burp cloth I had for a pattern, but you could cut one out of paper to the shape and size you desire.
I then pinned the ruffle first to my flannel fabric, since the ruffle I chose was being folded in half. It seemed easier for me to get the ruffle on one piece and then both pieces of fabric later.
Hint: You could make this more simply by adding Ric Rack instead of a more challenging ruffle ribbon like this one.
I then pinned the minky fabric using the same pins in the flannel. I am sure this is probably the hard way of doing it, but it was what I found to be best in my very limited sewing knowledge.
Pinned and ready to be sewn together.
All done! Ready for a most adorable baby girl! Burp away baby!
I can not claim to be a sewer but I am a proud owner of a sewing machine. I do enjoy zipping around a piece of fabric now and again. Though I can not boast in my work I can confess I have fun trying. I grew up with a mom who is an amazing sewer and quilter at that! I know the look of a beautiful stitch, perfect corners and amazing craftsmanship when I see it. Knowing all of this has kept me from the confidence of just trying my hand at much when it comes to sewing. As well as the need to even try... why when mom could do a fabulous job for me? Now that I am miles away from mom, I decided why not just try to create a blanket for my sweet baby boy? Who needs perfect when I could just have fun in the process? Perfect was FAR from accomplished but fun and satisfaction was most definitely achieved.
A very basic border of minky fabric squares with a center of flannel fabric. The back is a solid piece of blue minky fabric. I then tied the center with embroidery thread to keep the middle from sliding around as well as adding a bit of fun.
Though I will not be winning any awards on this one, I did get "wows" and "awe" from my adoring fans... my kids! I even have orders piling up to make more... oh the sweet support of my children.
I hope this encourages you to just try whatever it is you have been hesitant, but wanting to do, because the lack of perfection will be present. I am so glad I did. It is only for the courage of mistakes that lead us to masterpieces!
