Magical Burp Cloths

No, magical burp cloths don't keep your baby from drooling and spitting up but from what I hear, burp cloths made from cloth diapers are the next best thing since sliced bread.  They rate second only to the Bumbo - in which I have received an energetic and heartfelt testimonial each time a mother (or more often, a grandmother) mentions this amazing chair for 3-month-olds to me (the more I read about the Bumbo the more I think that you have to be really careful with these, though - not for every baby and you have to watch them carefully that they don't arch out of them.  I am not advocating the Bumbo, just saying that lots of moms are telling me how great it is - totally depends on the baby).I received a package of these magical cloth diapers at a baby shower, specifically for the purpose of using them as super-absorbent burp cloths.  However, since I do know how to sew - even though I have given up on my quilting projects since I started my scrapbook and design business - I decided to embellish them for Cole (but let's face it - the cute factor is all for me since he won't care one way or the other what they look like).  In the process, I made a girl-batch for my sister-in-law Crystal, who is having her fourth baby at the end of April.

They are easy to do if you have a sewing machine - even you novice seamstresses can whip these up in no time.  I am sure that many of you have seen these before and possibly made them in the past.  For those of you who want more info, here are instructions of how I created them.  Try it.  Make them for yourself or a lucky new mother-to-be in your life.  They are a piece of cake.

WHAT YOU NEED

• flat, pre-folded cloth diapers (I found mine at Target)
• non-wired, satin or grosgrain ribbon (I like it to be 3/4" - 1" wide) - you'll need 2 lengths per diaper
• sewing machine

1. You can either wash the diapers before you sew the ribbon or after.  If you wash them after the ribbon is stitched then the ribbon will pucker a little and create a little gathered look.  If you wash them before, the ribbon will be more smooth.  Both ways are cute so you get to decide what you like best.  You will need less ribbon if you stitch it after the diaper has been washed and shrunk.
2. After trying  a couple, I decided I liked two ribbon strips going down the length of the diaper.  You can sew the ribbon to the edges, along the short or long sides, whatever.
3. Fold over the end of your ribbon about 1/4" and line it up with the diaper edge.  Pin in place if necessary.
4. Sew along one edge of the ribbon - all the way down the length of the diaper until you get about 2" from the bottom.
5. Trim the ribbon at the bottom so that you have enough to fold about 1/4" up under the ribbon then continue stitching.  Trim threads at the beginning and end.
6. Repeat the stitching line along the other edge of the ribbon.
7. Add another ribbon symmetrical to the first along the other side of the diaper to create two ribbon rows.

That's all there is to it!  If you chose to wash the diaper after you attached the ribbon then do that now and you will love the gathered effect it takes on.  Trust me, once you have created one you will be able to cruise through a whole batch.These make fabulous baby gifts - they are personal but practical and actually easy to create.  I now have a stash of diapers and ribbon on hand just for this purpose because they are so simple to put together but are raved about by anyone who uses them.Happy Stitching!