How to Sew very Absorbent Homemade Bibs

Author: Geym

Jul. 08, 2024

How to Sew very Absorbent Homemade Bibs

My first son never spit up. And I mean never. Before having kids, I always wondered why these moms always made their babies wear such tacky bibs around their neck at almost all times. Even after having my first baby, I still didn&#;t understand.

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Then my dear sweet Cole came along.

He spit up all the time. All the time. I changed his clothes multiple times a day, and I changed my clothes multiple times a day. We were always covered in spit up. I wondered why I ever fed him milk. It all just seemed to come right back out.

I had lots of bibs, and Kristi sent me more bibs. I made some bibs too.

I made some bibs out of the endless supply of adorable cotton fabric found at my local fabric store. There are so many, so very many, adorable fabric patterns just perfect for bibs.  I soon realized, though, that some bibs were way more absorbent than others.

Cotton fabric is really not the most absorbent, in my amateur opinion. The bibs that worked the best for us were always a jersey knit type fabric.

These bibs below took a few tries. When you start working with different mediums of fabric, things get a bit tricky. These bibs were no different. The first two I made were not so pretty. But then I think I figured everything out.

These bibs are extra absorbent because the fronts are jersey knit, the middle is micro fiber terry cloth, and the backs are cotton. The jersey is quick to absorb. The thick terry cloth soaks up extra amounts of liquid. The cotton on the back keeps the baby&#;s shirt dry (for a small time.) The cotton will eventually, though, absorb the liquid and soak through to the baby.

Supplies:
Jersey Knit fabric for front
Terry cloth for middle
Cotton fabric for back
Snaps & snap pliers (See this post for instructions)
Basic sewing supplies (sewing machine, pins, cutting mat, rotary cutter, scissors, etc.)

Where do I recommend buying jersey knit fabric? I found two sources with a great selection.

Fabric.com has the largest selection I could find. Last time I checked, though, you had to purchase a minimum of a yard of fabric. If you are doing small projects, a yard is sometimes not needed.

I have also ordered jersey knit from Two Dreams Fabric Shop on Etsy. You can order down to a quarter yard for smaller projects like this one. Shipping is free with a purchase of $35, but if you don&#;t spend $35, shipping is quite high.

So&#;pros and cons of each source. If you know of any other great sources for jersey knit fabric, be sure to let me know in the comments!

How to sew a homemade (super absorbent) baby&#;s bib.

1. Find a bib you like and use it to create a template. I traced a bib I liked onto a piece of cardstock paper.

When you cut your template out, I encourage you to fold your card stock in half. Cut it like you would a snowflake or heart to ensure your template is perfectly symmetrical. This will solve lots of problems if your bib is the same size and has the same curves on both sides.

2. Next, you will need to cut all three layers of your bib using the template. This can be done a number of ways. I used the template and first cut the cotton backing. Then I used the cotton backing as a template to cut the other layers. It was easier that way because I could pin the backing to the other fabrics.

Here is my cotton backing all cut out. I held the template flat on top and used my rotary cutter. I went slowly carefully around the perimeter of the template.

Then I stacked the terry cloth and jersey knit fabric together. Both face up. I pinned the cotton backing on top face down. After ensuring there weren&#;t any creases or ripples, I pinned the cotton backing down. I pinned thoroughly.

Here is another picture of my stack. Terry cloth face up. Knit face up. Cotton backing face down.

Using the pinned cotton backing, cut out the terry cloth and knit. I did a rough cut. I will trim the terry cloth and knit more accurately after I have sewn the three layers together. Cutting roughly gives a little extra room if some of the fabrics shift.

Remember, any time you are working with and mixing different mediums of fabric, take your time, go slowly, and leave a little room for error.

3. Starting at the top of the neck of the bib, begin sewing around the perimeter of your bib. See below where I stopped and started.

Until you are comfortable with curves, go slow and take your time. Around sharp curves, I tend to sew one or two stitches, raise the presser foot a bit, and rotate the bib ever so slightly. Then sew one or two stitches, raise the presser foot a bit, and rotate just a bit more. This makes for a nice and even round curve.

4. Trim closely to your stitching. The bib will be reinforced once you flip it right side out. I don&#;t think you are compromising quality by trimming so closely to the stitching since it will be reinforced on the other side.

I leave a little extra knit near the top there on the left. That&#;s where the opening has been left for turning the bib right side out. Eventually I will tuck that fabric in to sew it shut. It&#;s easier for me to get a clean tuck if I have ample fabric for tucking.

5. Using the small hole you left at the top, turn your bib right side out. This process gets a bit finicky, and it may seem the hole is too small, but it will work. Gently tug and pull the entire bib through the small hole you left.

Learn from my mistake: I highly recommend leaving the hole at the top of the neck of the bib. On the first two bibs I made, I left the hole at the bottom. Knit fabric is very unforgiving. After turning my bib right side out and sewing around the perimeter, I kept ending up with bunching.

Look at the below picture. I could never get the bib to look perfect when I left the hole at the bottom. Even though it is more difficult to turn it right side out using the neck of the bib, it makes for a cleaner finish.

You can see the imperfections where I had to tuck the fabric. Then when I sewed around the perimeter, I ended up with bunching and gathering that I didn&#;t like. I think all that was solved when I left the top of the neck open for turning right side out.

6. Okay, so your bib is right side out now. Tuck the fabric in where you left the hole, and sew slowly around the perimeter of your bib. This will seal up the hole and give your bib a nice finished look.

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I recommend using the same technique I explained above for going around curves. Go slowly. Go one or two stitches, lift your presser foot, and every so slightly rotate the bib.

7. Add the snaps to the bib. You can also try using velcro if you already have that on hand. We tried two different kinds of snaps when making these bibs. We encountered a few frustrations with the snaps and ended up using some baby boutique snaps and pliers.

Here is the finished bib!

Leave me some links to your favorite tutorials for bibs! I am always on the hunt for trying new little projects for the babies in my life.

Click here if you&#;d like to download a template that I used for this bib!

(Please note that this post contains affiliate links.)

The Best Fabrics To Use For Making Homemade Baby Bibs

If you&#;re looking for high-quality baby bibs made with fabric you like, homemade baby bibs might be perfect for you. You can customize your bibs to meet your baby&#;s needs. You can make the most basic bib around or have fun creating bibs that match your baby&#;s clothes. Who doesn&#;t love an extra adorable baby? 

But what fabric should you use to make your baby bibs? How much fabric will you need to purchase? And where should you get your fabric? 

These are all questions you&#;ll need answers to before you start sewing. You&#;re in the right place for the answers! Stay tuned to learn more about the best fabrics for making homemade baby bibs. 

Fabric Considerations 

The whole purpose of the bib is to catch food and drink so your baby&#;s clothes don&#;t get dirty. Having a bib with lackluster absorbency defeats the purpose. A bib that&#;s difficult to clean just adds to your list of chores. 

Choose A Soft Fabric

First, you&#;ll want to choose a fabric that is soft, absorbent, and easy to clean. Above all else, you want your baby to be comfortable, which means using a softer material. The absorbency and easy-to-clean qualities are essential, but it&#;s also a treat to have something nice and easy to use. 

Waterproof Fabrics

If your baby is a messy eater, but you want your bib to be indestructible &#; or waterproof &#; consider polyurethane laminate. Trust us, splurging on this waterproof feature has added benefits and will make your life easier. 

Polyurethane laminate is one of the most popular waterproofing options that exist. It will exponentially increase your bib&#;s absorbency and give it a longer life. PUL is also soft enough for your baby&#;s skin. The great thing about PUL is that it can be applied to just about any fabric, including nylon, polyester, cotton, microfiber, bamboo, etc. 

No Toxins or Chemicals

If you&#;re worried about keeping your baby away from harmful chemicals or toxic finishes, rest assured that there are non-toxic options for waterproofing your baby&#;s bibs. 

Anyone caring for a baby knows how much attention they require. That&#;s why it&#;s so important to have a fabric that&#;s easy to clean. Washing on a cold cycle and letting a bib air dry isn&#;t practical or feasible. You&#;ll want to throw bibs in the laundry without worrying about them. 

Bib Layers You Need

Regardless of what kind of bibs you want to use, you should consider four different options for your average three-layer bib: stay dry, absorbent, waterproof, and all-in-one. Let&#;s look at the top fabrics for each layer. 

Stay Dry Layers

You&#;ll want a moisture-wicking fabric for your baby&#;s bibs, which is exactly what our Stay Dry fabrics are for. This layer will wick moisture away from your baby and back into the atmosphere. 

Our top five Stay Dry layer recommendations are:

Absorbent Layers

Absorbent layers are also super important because of all the food that will land on your baby&#;s bib. You need a layer that will absorb as much as possible to keep your baby&#;s clothes clean while they eat. Our top recommendations include:

Waterproof Layers

It&#;s a no-brainer that a waterproof layer is super helpful, especially when your baby is drinking. You&#;ll want a waterproof layer for maximum protection for your baby.

Your top five waterproof layer options include:

All-In-One Absorbent + Waterproof Layers

If you want a two-in-one layer to cut down on how much fabric you use or how much sewing there is, an all-in-one layer that combines absorbency and waterproof qualities is perfect for you. 

So, what&#;s the difference between separate absorbing and waterproof layers vs. an all-in-one layer? You end up saving production time by using the all-in-one layer plus you might not make all your bibs the same way, so purchasing separate layers might make more sense. 

Either way, here are our recommendations for the best all-in-one fabrics:

How Much Fabric to Buy

Once you decide what fabric(s) to use for your baby bibs, your next question is probably how much fabric you should buy for your homemade baby bibs. That depends on how many bibs you plan to make. 

Here are the average dimensions you&#;ll want for each baby bib:

  • 10.75 inches from top to bottom

  • 8.5 inches from side to side

  • 11 inches around the neck

You want each bib to fit around your baby&#;s neck comfortably but snugly enough to protect their clothes from spills. You&#;ll want the bib to be wide enough and long enough to protect your baby&#;s clothes before the high chair does the rest of the work. 

Get Your Homemade Baby Bib Fabric from Wazoodle Fabrics. 

Making homemade baby bibs is a great alternative to store-bought options that won&#;t hold up for long. If you&#;re going to sew your baby&#;s bibs, get your fabric from Wazoodle Fabrics. Our Stay Dry, Absorbent, Waterproof, and All-In-One Fabrics are sure to provide you with everything you need to make high-quality bibs that will outlive your baby&#;s need for them. 

We offer so many options that you might struggle to decide which fabrics to select. We offer 4x4 swatches of our fabrics if you want to sample them before deciding what fabric will be best for your baby. 

Do you have questions? Do you need help? Don&#;t hesitate to reach out to us. We can answer your questions and help you pick the right fabric for your baby&#;s needs. You&#;ll have the perfect baby bibs in no time for a dry parent with unstained clothes and a dry, happy baby with a full tummy. 

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