A Simple Project: Burp Cloths from Fabric Scraps

After tackling the #@%$#%@ bassinet cover, I decided to do some smaller projects that would involve stash busting and actually trying out something from Pinterest.  As you can imagine, I have a 'board' of items for Poppyseed.  I thought I'd start small and try my hand at burp cloths.  I have tons of fabric in increments under a yard - fat quarters that I liked or scraps from garments I've made, so I decided to start with that.  I did have to pick up some 'absorbent' material for the base of the burp cloths, but generally everything else was already from my collection.

I found a few burp cloth tutorials, but I liked the version from Made the best.  It was for burp cloth gift sets.  It was perfect for the fabrics that I had lying around and was so easy to do.  This might become a go-to gift item for the future.  Aside from the prep (mainly washing and pressing the fabrics), I got to the point where it only took about 10-15 minutes per cloth.  More on the shorter side if I did them production-line style.

I picked up a yard of terry cloth fabric, on sale at JoAnn's (again, using the rest of my Christmas gift card).  I had four different prints and had enough terry cloth to make 8 burp cloths (2 in each print) and some washcloths with the leftovers.



I cut the fabric into 10x18 pieces (approx, some where slightly smaller depending on what I had on hand).  I smoothed them out, right sides together, with corresponding terry cloth pieces then pinned them in place.  I then stitched them close to the edge, leaving an opening to flip them.  After trimming the corners, I flipped the pieces, once again smoothing and pinning in place.  I then top stitched the cloths, closing up the opening in the process.  I also did as the tutorial recommended and stitched two lines through the cloth, to act as folding lines.  Fold the burp cloth in thirds and voila!



As I mentioned, I made 8 burp cloths - 2 in each pattern.  I absolutely love how they turned out!

I also had a little extra terry cloth so I cut them into four pieces, about 10x6 each.  I also had a tiny bit of leftover gingham from the bassinet cover so I cut it into corresponding pieces.  I had exactly enough to make four washcloths.  I just serged the edges and voila!  All four took maybe 5 minutes to make.

 

I'm loving these little crafts!  I might try to make my own nursing cover next.  I have my eyes on yet another tutorial from Pinterest.  I think I have enough of a scrap fabric left, and I have some boning on hand... so we'll see!  My back aches a little from working over the sewing table so much, but I think it may also be partially because I haven't been used to doing that in a while.

I actually wouldn't mind making more of the burp cloths, maybe next time with a softer fabric than the terry?  But to be honest, I don't know how many you need and 8 seems like a good amount.  We'll see - I might find some other tutorials for little projects for my shelf of scrap fabrics.

Oh, and when I'm not working on the sewing machine, I have been stitching away on a cross-stitch project.  A Christmas stocking for Poppyseed.  I've been working on it since the beginning of December and am trying to get as much done before he arrives.  I would love to have it finished by then, but we'll see.  Otherwise, he may not get it till his 5th Christmas ;)