The greatest bibs!

I think this is my new favorite thing to make for baby showers! I mean who doesn't need good, sturdy, washable bibs? The fact that they're too cute just makes it better! They're kind of labor intensive, but there's SO much room to just let my creativity wander! These were a little tougher for me because they're for a boy, and being the girl mom that I am I think everything needs ribbons and sparkles and flowers! To further challenge myself I didn't want to buy any fabric. These were made 1oo% with things I had on hand. It took some digging, but I found this material at the bottom of my scraps tote.

*I really like this one, but the next time I make it I'll definitely square it up better!

I made a few for myself first to see how well they held up. The first night we used these we had lasagna, then it sat in a laundry basket for a few days. I was sure it was done for, but when I pulled it out of the dryer I couldn't believe it, not a spot on it! I've had mine for 4 months and I use them several times a day and they all still look like new! I just love how the denim makes it so sturdy and they hold their shape really well which means better shirt coverage. :)

*This was supposed to be a basket weave design, but it didn't work out quite how I envisioned it, so I cut the extra denim and made it just lines. And there I go again with the squaring! I think my eyes are crooked, maybe that's why I can't get anything straight! :)

If you want to make your own it's super simple! Just get a bib you already have that you like the shape of and trace it onto butcher paper. If you don't have a bib handy you can find them in abundance at the dollar store. I usually iron two pieces of butcher paper shiny sides together. It makes good pattern paper since it's not flimsy when it's double weight. I also fold my pattern in half and even it up after it's cut out so it's symmetrical.

Using your pattern trace it onto your choice of fabric. I used stuff I found in the remnants bin and a few pairs of Jared's jeans that he had worn out for mine. I can get 5 or 6 bibs out of one leg if I go over the top of the seam like I did in the picture below. Makes the sewing part a little tricky, but just add a small pleat here and there. It gives it character as my wise crafting mother would say.

* This one I actually goofed up! I didn't mean to sew the smaller stars on backwards! After I had cut it out and realized what I had done I needed a way to make the stars stand out more so I did a running stitch all the way around it. Then I added a few more in red to fill in the blank areas. Next time I'll print off a pattern so the stars aren't so wonky. Then again it kinda adds character, right mom? :)
Cut out leaving about 1/4" around your tracing line. Decorate the front however you would like. I've done ribbon, applique and reverse applique, and some hand stitching. This is where your creativity can give into it's wanderlust.

*One thing I learned making these is when you do reverse applique you need to make your design 1/8-1/4" bigger than you want it to be once it's finished. I didn't think about the seam allowance when I was cutting these out. Good thing it turned out decent!

Once you're done with the front pin the pieces right sides together matching your tracing line on front and back pieces as you go. Sew all the way around leaving a 2-3" opening on the bottom. Trim seam allowance except for in the opening. You'll need the extra there for when you press and sew it closed. Turn and press. Top stitch about 1/8" in all the way around starting at the bottom opening.

I then add buttons because my kids haven't yet figured out how to get them off, but if you want yours to be more baby friendly You could do ties, Velcro or snaps. I don't know how to do snaps, but I've heard you can get them at most craft stores and they're not too tough to put on.

These bibs are definitely worth the effort! I'm no longer ashamed to take bibs along with us when we go out to eat. Feel free to email me if you want to make these and have any questions!

EDIT: I realized that I had posted the following bibs on the website and not the blog so I thought I would post them here also so you can see another option with the design. These were the first set I made.