Burp Cloth and Onesie Gift Set (a tutorial)

This guest post is part of the Welcome Baby Tutorial Series!

Our next guest blogger is Chrissy of Sew Lux Fabric & Gifts.  Not only do Chrissy and her mom have a great fabric shop {and of course, I love that she works with her mom!}, but she also blogs lots of fun and easy projects on the Sew Lux Fabric Blog.  And she's got a great one for us today, a great baby shower gift of a burp cloth and personalized onesie.  So make sure you check out the great fabric selection, and stop by her blog to say hello too, and thanks Chrissy for sharing with us!

Hi everyone!  My name is Chrissy and I co-own a little fabric shop, Sew Lux Fabric, with my mom and I blog here.  I was so excited when Jennie contacted me about participating in this tutorial series.  Of course, I agreed to help and am happy to share two quick projects with you today.  So, let's get started making this cute little gift set that includes a flannel burp cloth and personalized onesie.

First up, the flannel burp cloth.  You'll need one 1/2 yard of flannel (18 in x 44 in).  For this project, I am using the super soft Ruby Quirky Aqua Flannel. 

The first step is to trim off the selvages and straighten up the long edges.

Next, starting on an 18" wide edge, fold over one edge 4.5 inches (wrong sides together).  I used my ruler to make sure I was straight with my fold.

Press the fold and pin the folded section down to hold it in place.

Now, place the flannel wrong side down and fold the pinned edge up 8 inches. (Right sides will be together.) Use your ruler to check the length.

Pin along the edges on both sides.

Next, measure 4 inches above the first folded edge, again using your ruler as a guide.

Bring the fabric over the ruler.  Carefully remove the ruler so you keep your folded section nice and even. Press the fold.

Make sure to overlap the section that is folded up from the bottom with the section folded over from the top.  Trim the excess fabric away, leaving a 1/2 to 1 inch overlap beyond the folded edge.

Pin all the way up both sides.

Next, stitch the sides closed.  I used a 1/2 inch inseam here. Make sure to backstitch at the beginning and the end.

Clip the corners.  Be careful not to clip the seam stitches. :-)

Now, you are ready to turn your burp cloth right sides out.

Carefully push the corners out.  (I like to use a bone folder from my papercrafting supplies - it isn't sharp so I know I am not going to tear through a seam. :-) Press the edges well.

Pin all the way around again. :-)

Topstitch around the outside edge.  I used a 1/4 inseam and switched to my 1/4 foot on my machine.

Once you are done topstitching the outer edges, pin the flap down to keep it in place.

And then topstitch the flap down. 

Next, measure the distance from the outer edge to the flap topstitching.  (Mine was about 4.25".)

Using the measurement you just took, mark the other side of the burp cloth with a disappearing ink pen. (My line is kind of hard to see in this picture, but the marker is pointing to it.)  Your lines should be the same distance from both outer edges. Pin along the line to keep things in place.

Stitch along the line.  (I switched back to a clear foot for this as it makes it a little easier to see where I am going. :-)

You're all finished!  A soft and cuddly burp cloth.

Now, let's make the personalized onesie! You'll need a onesie, a 4" square of lightweight fusible interfacing, a 4" square of fabric, FrayCheck, fusible web tape, and coordinating thread.

The first step is to create your pattern.  You can print a letter out or draw your own.  I prefer to draw my own.  I first drew two lines with my ruler 3.25 inches apart and then sketched out my letter with a pencil.  Once I was happy with my letter, I went over the outline with a marker. Trace the pattern onto the WRONG (bumpy) side of a piece of lightweight fusible interfacing. 

Fuse the interfacing to the back of a piece of fabric. Bumpy side and wrong side of fabric together! I am using Ruby Swoon Aqua.  Note - your pattern should be backwards when looking at the wrong side of the fabric.  It will be correct from the front.

Cut out the pattern and FrayCheck the edges.  (FrayChecking the edges is optional, but I always do this as I think it keeps the edges nicer longer.)

Position the letter on a onesie or shirt and tack it down with some fusible web tape.  You may want to hold up the shirt to make sure you got it on there straight.  Just sayin' ;-)  Adjust if needed.

Whenever I machine applique, I always adjust my stitch length.  The photo below shows the regular/default setting for the zig zag stitch on my machine.  It also shows how I prefer the stitches when I machine applique.  I shorten the stitch length and density ... of course, this is personal preference.  (Click on the photo to enlarge.)

Ok, let's stitch it to the shirt. Take it slow and keep the needle in the down position.  Pivot often being careful not to stretch the shirt. I like to use a clear foot so I can see where I am going.  On a tiny little onesie, this can get a little tricky keeping the rest of the shirt out of the way, but just take your time.  :-)

When you are done, clip the threads and press.  Cute, right?!  :-)

Now you have a fun little gift set for the next new baby in your world. 

I want to thank Jennie again for having me guest post today.  I am so excited for Jennie and her family's new precious little addition ... congrats y'all!  :-)

I hope that you all enjoyed my project tutorials.  I'd love for you to stop by and visit me sometime and join in our Sew Lux Stitch & Share Challenges.

Happy Sewing! :-)

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