Baby Gifts Tutorial

These were three of my favorite (and most used) presents I received when I had Dean. I just looked at the gifts given to me and tried to figure out a way to recreate them myself. I don't have any "patterns". I can't even tell you if it's the "right" way to do these. I've made 3 sets of these now, and they seem to work fine the way I'm doing them. Hopefully the directions are easy enough to follow. I almost hate to call this a tutorial because it's just cutting and sewing (somewhat) straight lines...

For a matching blanket, 2 burp rags, and a tag blanket you will need total:
2 pieces of coordinating flannel fabric each 1 1/2 yards (Here are some combos in my stash)

2 new pre-fold cloth diapers (can just get these from any mega mart. While Gerber cloth diapers aren't good for diapers, they're just fine for burp rags.)
4-5 types of ribbon, different widths and colors to match the fabric
Small piece of low loft batting (about the size of a notebook or a little larger)
Safety pins or straight pins

Handy but not essential items:
Rotary cutter
Self-Healing cutting mat

Big enough to wrap baby Blanket

1. Cut the two pieces of fabric to 1 1/4 yards.
2. Pin front side of fabric together.
3. Sew all sides together with a straight stitch leaving a small opening on the last side. I usually use 5/8 in. seam because I never can get the 2 fabrics exactly the same size. That allows for some errors in cutting. I'm sure you can use a smaller seam size, though.
4. Flip right side out and hand stitch the opening closed with a slip stitch.
5. Iron the seams flat and do a decorative stitch for a "binding". (I use a squiggle stitch because it's more forgiving than some if you're not even with your pedal and not a super straight seamstress.)
   

You're done! Because there's no batting you don't have to tie or anything.

Matching Burp Rags
Take two cloth diapers. Cut two rectangles of the left over fabric a little wider and slightly shorter than the middle padded strip of the diapers. Pin onto the diaper. Sew with a tight zig zag stitch and essentially applique the fabric on.

Tag blanket
Cut the remaining coordinating fabric into rectangles a little larger than a note book
Cut the various sized and patterned ribbons into 3 inch strips. (I used about 4 ribbon pieces of 5-6 types of ribbon. How close you want them and how big your square is will affect the exact number.)
Cut a piece of low-loft batting slightly smaller than the fabric.

On the patterned side of one of the fabrics, evenly space the pre-cut ribbons. Fold them in half and safety pin them to the right side of the fabric. The edge of the ribbon will be on the edge or the fabric. (You can use straight pins, but they're a big pain when you have to flip it right side out. Trust me.)

Place the coordinating piece of fabric on top of the ribbon pinned fabric, right side in.

Pin the batting on top. (I didn't have a full piece of batting this last time I made it, so I sewed some scraps I had together...)

Sew a straight stitch around the perimeter, leaving an opening on the last side to flip right side out. I almost always have to hand sew 1 ribbon when I slip stitch it closed.

Unpin all the safety pins. Do the same stitch as the blanket to make the binding.

Because this has batting, it needs some sort of "tie." I put my zig zag setting on the smallest and tightest stitch for this. I just do little "beads" of as short front and reverse stitch, stitching randomly spaced around the blanket.

Tie together all cutesy like and you have a nice gift for a baby shower!