I'm back! My recent hiatus was due to having family in town. My in-laws came in from China, then my side of the family came to town too. It was a blast. For a short while we had 8 people sleeping in our tiny 2 bedroom apartment. I would not recommend that long term, but for such a short time it was nice to be so close.
In other news my latest project has been for the Relief Society. I've been given a calling in the Compassionate Service Committee (coordinates assistance for anyone in the ward boundaries with any special need). Specifically I've been asked to look after the mothers with new babies!
One of the things we've wanted to do in the committee is give each new baby a little gift. We've been making little sets with burp cloths and sensory crinkle toys.
The burp cloths are super simple. I'm just going to give quick instructions assuming you already know how to sew. If you have any questions or if anything is not clear leave a comment and I'll get back to you asap.
For a set of 3 burp cloths you will need approx 1/2 yard fabric. These make small travel sized burp cloths. I recommend flannel, minky, terry or something else soft and absorbent.
- Prewash and dry the fabric on the settings you intend to use for the finished burp cloth.
- Cut a rectangle of approximately 8.5" x 13.5" out of the top fabric and one of bottom fabric You should be able to get 3 rectangles out of 1/4 yard fabric Save the scraps. I made the crinkle tows out of scraps.
- Place 2 rectangles right sides together.
- Sew around leaving a gap of about 2". I found it easiest to leave this gap in the middle of one of the longer sides.
- Trim the corners.
- Turn right side out.
- Iron or finger press the edges, pay special attention to the corners.
- Sew around at 1/4" to give it a nice crisp look.
For the crinkle toy you will need:
5"x5" square of crinkle material. I used a worn out space saver bag.
8-12 pieces of ribbon cut to 4".
2 squares 5"x5" of fabric. I made these from scraps leftover from the burp cloths so they'd match the sets. If the scraps are too small you can piece them together for a mini quilt look. It's super cute.
Assembly is very similar to the burp cloth with a few exceptions.
5"x5" square of crinkle material. I used a worn out space saver bag.
8-12 pieces of ribbon cut to 4".
2 squares 5"x5" of fabric. I made these from scraps leftover from the burp cloths so they'd match the sets. If the scraps are too small you can piece them together for a mini quilt look. It's super cute.
Assembly is very similar to the burp cloth with a few exceptions.
- Fold ribbon pieces in half and place on right side of one square. The fold should be towards the middle and the loose ends sticking out. Pin in place. I recommend 2-3 loops per side depending on the width of the ribbon.
- (optional, but useful) Baste around to attach loops to thew fabric square.
- Place 2 squares right sides together.
- Place the crinkle material on top.
- Sew around leaving a gap.
- Trim the corners. Turn right side out. Make sure the loops are outside and the crinkle material is on the inside.
- Iron or finger press the edges, pay special attention to the corners and ribbons. Sew around at 1/4" to give it a nice crisp look.
Enjoy!
