How to make a Birdseye Ribbon Bib.

Here's a project that will coordinate perfectly with the ribbon burp cloth set you may have made from our last tutorial. We make these little infant bibs completely from scratch to coordinate with our ribbon burp cloth sets. They are perfect for an embroidered name, and look great in pictures.

What you will need:

• white birdseye fabric, less than half a yard. Make sure to prewash your fabric before cutting.
• one 8 inch length of ribbon
• white thread and thread to match ribbon
• two sets of snaps
• ruler or quilter's ruler
• rotary cutter, or scissors will work fine as well

Step 1: Create and cut your pattern. You will need to determine your desired bib shape before you begin. We created our own pattern based on a fairly rectangular design. Many people use a much rounder design for their bib. The design is completely up to you.

To give you an idea of size, our finished bib is approximately 7 inches wide by 11 inches tall with a neck opening diameter of 4 inches when lying flat with no overlap. This size works well for infants, yet is still large enough for young toddlers as well. Remember when designing your pattern that you will need to add seam allowance to your pattern. We work with a half inch seam allowance on most of the bib with a 1/4 inch around the neck. It won't matter how much your seam allowance is as long as you calculate it in. I've created my pattern on a piece of thin cardboard because I cut out a lot of bibs. If you are only making one, you can easily use paper to make your pattern. Once you are satisfied with the shape and size, you will need to cut out the pieces of birdseye. You will need 4 pieces of birdseye in your basic pattern shape. I cut at least two layers of birdseye at a time using my rotary cutter to go around the outside of my pattern. Then I trace the neck opening onto one piece and use scissors to cut through all 4 layers to finish the shape. If you don't have a rotary cutter or don't like using them, you can do this whole step just as easily with scissors.

Step 2: Place and sew the ribbon. Choose two of the 4 layers you cut in step one and lay them down right side up. You will have to look carefully at the birdseye, but it does have a right and wrong side. Lay your ribbon across the bib and line it up where you would like it to be. For our pattern we place it 2 inches up from the bottom of our bib. Pin the ribbon in place and then sew down both long edges to secure it. If you are using grosgrain ribbon, you can use the tiny ridge on the edges of the ribbon as a guide to keep your sewing line straight. Make sure you are using thread to match your ribbon.

Step 3: Sew all layers together. Now that your ribbon is secure, take the remaining two layers of birdseye and lay them right side down on top of the pieces you just sewed (which is now the front of your bib). Pin the layers together and sew around the entire shape with your desired seam allowance using white thread. Make sure to leave an opening about 2 inches long on the edge to turn the bib.

Step 4:Trim and clip and turn. Trim around the ends of the straps so the seams won't be bulky once you turn since the curve is so intense. Clip all curved edges on the bib, making sure not to clip the seam. Then, reaching through the opening you left, carefully turn the bib right side out. Use a long object with a curved edge (like the eraser end of a pencil) to push the curved edges all the way out.

Step 5: Topstitch. Iron the bib if needed to smooth out the curves. Make sure not to iron the ribbon, as the heat may damage it. Make sure the edges of the opening are turned under and ironed so that they leave a smooth edge with the rest of the bib. Topstitch around the entire bib 1/8 inch from the edge. The topstitching will secure your opening so that no hand-stitching is required, give the bib a finished look, and help to reinforce the seams.

Step 6: Add snaps. You can add any kind of snaps you'd like. We use metal snaps from Snapsourcebecause they are quick and easy to put on and are tested to be safe for baby's clothing. We use two sets of snaps because that gives two neck sizes for the bib. You will place the tops of both sets of snaps in one strap about an inch and a half apart. Then place the bottoms in the other strap. Just make sure as you are placing the last snap that you check the placement by overlapping the straps to make sure they are lined up correctly. After attaching your snaps using the manufacturer's instructions, always test them to make sure they snap and unsnap easily.

Step 7: Finish the bib. The bib is now finished except for embroidery. It can be used as is, or have a name added using an embroidery machine. Be sure to check out the Pink Polka Dot Personalized Infant Bib as well as our other infant bibs on our website.