Today when I woke up I decided that, no matter what else needed to be done, I was going to sew today! Last week I spent some time cutting my scraps of flannel into two of my favourite scrap-busters: baby bibs and flannel wash cloths. The fruits of my labour today can be seen in the picture to your left (hmmm…it really doesn’t look like much for a day’s work – except that I did get sidetracked by laundry, a few internet searches, and cooking and cleaning up a big dinner….). Not having babies of my own, I like to keep these on hand for quick baby shower gifts (usually accompanying a handmade quilt, toy, book or outfit). It was a good time to get these done because I have two baby showers coming up in November and the second is a very special one. Every year the ladies in my small group (about 10 woman from my church who gather together once a week to learn, talk, pray and support each other) host a baby shower for mothers in need. Leading up to the big day we collect as many baby items as possible (like diapers, clothes, books, small toys, as well as a few things for the Moms too!) and then on the big night (Nov. 16 this year) we gather together and package everything into gift bags. The bags are then distributed to families in our area through Early Intervention. It’s fun for us and a great help to Moms in our community who are struggling to support their families. I still have quite a few things I want to make – but today was a good start! And…while I was making all of these things, I thought I would put together a tutorial for making baby wash cloths. It’s actually very simple (a beginner could definitely make these and if you have been sewing a while you probably don’t need to read this tutorial) and I have had good reviews from the moms I have made these for so far. It is also a great way to use up smaller pieces of cotton flannelette.
Cotton Wash Cloth Tutorial
Materials: Two 8-inch squares of cotton flannel, thread, sewing machine
Place the squares right-sides together and sew along the edges with a 1/4 inch seam. Leave about 2 – 3 inches along one side un-sewn for turning. (Hint for new sewers: When you are sewing and reach a corner, leave the needle down, raise the presser foot, and pivot the fabric into position for sewing the next side. Lower the presser foot and continue sewing.)
Clip the corners close to the stitching. Turn right-side out and press, turning the raw edges under on the un-stitched section.
Top-stitch (sew close to the edge) around all 4 sides. That’s it! Your wash cloth is finished.
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