Make you own baby bibs

These little numbers have been coming off the sewing machine at a rapid pace the last few weeks, and have made a nice addition to gifts for new bubs, baby showers, as well as being on hand in the nappy bag. So here is my first attempt at an online tutorial, though they are pretty foolproof (if they were not we wouldn't be having this conversation).

You will need:

• Patterned cotton fabric (about 20cm x 30cm pieces of two different but colour matched fabrics, washed dried and ironed)
• Plain flannelette (sized as above, one piece per bib)
• Bib template (you can draw you own, or I used the one available from New Idea, but I cut the tips of the straps 3mm wider all around and cut the neck about 3mm bigger also)

Cut out three even copies of the template: one from the flannelette, and one from each of the different fabrics (this is for a reversible bib, if you want just one fabric on the front do two layers of flannelette). If you want them to match up nicely, you could pin all the layers together and cut the template from there.

Sandwich the fabric together, with all edges aligned. If you are making the reversible bib place the two patterned fabrics on the top two layers with patterned faces towards each other top fabric face down, second layer face up).

Leaving a 5cm opening at the bottom of the bib, machine sew around them outer edge (about a 5mm seam allowance).

Turn the bib right way out by pulling it through the opening. You may like to snip around the inner seams on the curves at about 1cm intervals to prevent puckering. You might also poke a pencil end in to the bib ends to get them out completely. Once right way out, iron the bib and hand sew the opening closed.

To finish the bib, sew a small piece of velcro to each end of the neck straps (make sure the two pieces meet up)

Now you are finished! Easy as that.

The template I used fits a little baby, so you may like to enlarge the template so you get more use out of your bib, or so they will fit a bigger baby. I have also made some with oilcloth/ plastic coated cotton as the top layer so you can wipe it clean, and it worked just as well.

What do you think of the bibs, Ruby? 

Ummm....

I love them!