Simple Baby Bib Tutorial

This is (hopefully) an easy to follow tutorial on how to make a simple baby bib, a project suitable for a beginner. I'd love to hear if you try one out, they are fun and easy to make and so very useful. I decided to use a bib as my first tutorial post to coincide with a bib giveaway I am holding on my facebook page, which will be drawn on Tuesday 3rd May. Here is the link,  good luck! Otherwise, have fun making one if you give it a go, and don't forget to let me know! 

What you'll need: 

• a bib to use as a pattern
• two pieces of coordinating fabric a bit larger than your bib. I have used a printed cotton for the front and white flanelette for the back. 
• small square of Velcro
• scissors, pins, tailors chalk (or a pencil) and some matching thread

Step 1 - After ironing your fabric, place your bib on top of one of your fabric pieces. To make sure your bib will be symmetrical it is a good idea to fold your fabric in half first, also fold the bib in half and line up the bib fold with the fabric fold. Draw around the outline of the bib with tailors chalk or a pencil, leaving a 1cm gap all the way around for the seam allowance. 

Step 2 - cut out along the line you have just drawn.

Step 3 - Unfold your bib shaped peice and pin face down to the 'right side' of your top fabric. Right sides will be together.

Step 4 - Sew straight stitch almost all the way around, leaving an opening about 10 cm long on the side, as shown in the image above.

Step 5 - Turn inside out through the section you have left open on the side.

Step 6 - Iron the bib flat, making sure that the edges are turned in and even where you have left a gap.

Step 7 - Topstitch - Stitch all the way around the outside very close to the edge. I use the edge of the foot as a guide, and set the needle to the right hand side using the dial at the top of my machine to make sure it is even.

Step 8 - neaten the loose threads by tying a simple double knot and trimming close to the fabric

Step 9 - Pin the velcro tabs - one on the front, the other on the back.

Step 10 - Sew the velcro tabs on very close to the edges, then neaten as you just did with the topstitching.

Step 11 - There is no step 11, you have finished, and now have a very cute new bib! 

Mail!

I'm not planning on making my blog all about fabric, but I had a big surprise in the mail today! This beautiful selection of vitenge and kanga arrived from a very good friend of mine. We became friends when we volunteered together for an eco-friendly childrens village called food water shelter in Tanzania. She had recently returned to Tanzania for a short visit, so I asked (begged) her to bring back some fabric for me so it wasn't really a surprise, but I wasn't expecting it today! It was so exciting opening the parcel, and even more exciting when I seen how beautiful and bright the fabrics are. I really love them, now I just have to decide what to do with them.

Inspiration

 

Well this is my very first blog for my new obsession, the things I make and sell under the name Kanga Creative. This is a pic of the fabric that was my inspiration for starting to sew again, a pile of Tanzanian fabrics  sitting on my kitchen table just waiting for me to do something with them. I hope to be posting about my creations, fabrics, maybe some basic sewing tips and tutorials, and also random ramblings about things going on in my life as a mama to a 6 month old baby boy.