Burps and Blankets

Two projects also destined for my nephew is this simple granny square blanket. The colours were chosen by my sister before she knew she was having a boy. The pink and purple add a nice balance to the zingy green so it looks colourful but not too girly!

The second project is more of a practical nature. The one thing any parent will say is that you can’t have too many muslin cloths. Babies burp, throw up, wee, dribble and generally leak all over themselves the furnishings and you! The muslin is apparently a must have in the parental toolkit helping to keep your clothes slightly drier and smelling fresher. The muslins on sale are absorbent but struck me as being a bit thin so I made some designer burp cloths.

As you can see in the photo they are the simplest sewing project ever! Take a square (can be any shape) of cotton (I used half a fat quarter for the snails one but anything will do – up cycled clothes and duvets for instance. The Size and shape of the cloths can be varied as you wished just keep in mind the ultimate function. Cut a second shape out of a fleecy or flannel fabric. The cotton layer helps jazz the cloths up and provides a good starter surface whereas the flannel provides some grip to keep it on the parents shoulder and helps give a bit more absorbency.  Put right sides together and sew right the way around leaving a small hole to turn it out. Turn right side out and iron flat. Then to finish simply top stitch round the border. The top stitching gives a nice finish and helps the burp cloth keep its shape through multiple washings.