Basic Burp Cloth Tutorial

I hope everyone had a super weekend. 

I know I did.

It just

went

too

fast.

Sigh.....

But I did do some

 web surfing this weekend.

I happened upon Lemon Tree Creations and a great post by

Erin

about Burp Cloths. 

She did a great job describing her process.

Burp cloths can be tricky and she asked for

some seasoned seamstresses to give some additional

tips to sewing a burp cloth.

I attempted to post a comment and really

did not feel like I had done a clear enough job.

So, she inspired me to put together

 this little tutorial. 

 So, this tute is dedicated to Erin at Lemon Tree Creations and all

those out there that would appreciate some additional tips.

Erin, you rock! 

Thanks for the wonderful tutorial.

Hopefully, I can only add to what you have already explained.

 You will need:

*prefolded, prewashed and dried cloth diaper

*100% cotton fabric, about 20"x8.5" (this is pretty generous)

*matching thread

*poster board, about 18.5" x 4.5"

*walking foot (not required, but very helpful)

*spray starch

*iron

*pins

First, I want to stress the importance of

prewashing and drying

both the fabric and the diaper. 

Cotton is an ideal

fabric for burp cloths because of its absorbt quality

and softness agains

baby's skin.

For more about cotton, look here for

my article about cotton.

Washing and drying will preshrink the fabric.

The last thing you want is to wash such a labor of love

only to find that the cotton has shrunk and you have a puckered mess.

Yuck!

So, don't be tempted to skip this step.

However,

the diaper is going to feel limp and poorly shaped,

not ideal if you want a

 nice,

 neat

finished product.

That's when I pull out the spray starch and my iron.

Iron the diaper with a light spray of starch

and shape it into a nice square.

This will give you a really nice base to work with. 

The diaper weave is rather loose

and can shift

so

easily

that anything you can do

to keep that shifting from happening

will be

worth

the

extra

effort.

Cut an 8.5" x 20" piece of fashion fabric. 

Press and lightly starch this also.

Previously,

I cut a template out of poster board measuring

20"x8.5"

This is large enough to give me lots of

wiggle room

as I'm fitting the panel of fabric on

diapers that can

vary a tad in size.

With the fashion fabric wrong side up,

center the poster board template

on the fashion fabric.

Using the iron,

press up the long sides along

the template on both sides. 

This will help you create

an even, neat panel of fabric.

Fold up the ends in the same manner with one end

without

a permanent crease just yet.

This one end will be your

"adjusting"

end.

When you have made the proper length adjustment,

you can press that end.

Now for the corners. 

Diagonally

 fold a corner of the fabric

onto the template.

Fold the side fold and top folds

 onto the corner so you have a nice

sharp corner.

This picture probably illustrates better

what I'm trying to say.

You will have nice points on all four corners.

Flip it over,

center it on the diaper

and pin down

adjusting

the

placement

of the diaper as you go.

One one end,

you will see an overhang of fabric.

Pin mark this,

take it to the ironing board and press the

end to the proper adjustment to fit.

Go back and pin the fabric all back on the diaper

making sure it is

positioned the way you want it. 

Don't

be

afraid

to

use

pins.

They will help control the fabrics and

hold them in the correct

position of sewing.

Now, here's my secret weapon. 

My walking foot.

I do hope that you have one and use it. 

If you don't

you are really missing out.

If you don't have one,

get one to fit your machine

and use it.

You will be glad you did.

 A walking foot helps to feed both layers of fabric

 under the pressure foot

more evenly

 and there won't be that

"slide"

between layers that can cause

puckers,

difference in layer lengths,

stretching of fabrics and such.

When you are working with diapers and their loose weave,

this will be a lifesaver.

Load the walking foot according to your machine's instructions.

And begin to sew. 

Go

SLOW! 

You just can't rush a walking foot

or a project that you want to turn out especially nice.

Take care to stitch fairly close

to the edge of fabric evenly.

Slowing down gives you the

control you need to do this.

Make sure to do a pivot at each corner

and go all the way around

the square. 

 Do a small backstitch.

 Go back to the ironing board and press the diaper and fabric

flat

and

smooth

again. 

 I don't know that you can see

really clearly, but one side of the diaper is pressed in the picture above

and one side isn't. 

Can you see the difference? 

Pressing makes a great presentation and makes you

work look

professional.

So, lets review. 

*Press with a light coat of starch. 

*Use a template to help create a straight, even panel

*Pin, pin, pin.

*Use a walking foot if you possibly can

*Take your time and SLOW DOWN!

* Press, press, press

 These little hints will make your burp cloths

look perfessional.

Etsy ready!

Gift ready!

Great!

 Sew Happy,

Suzie

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