Free Bib Pattern

Lets face it, keeping baby faces clean is a full time job. Keeping their clothes clean doesn't have to be though. OK, maybe that's not true, cleaning baby clothes is definitely a full time job; but keeping drool and food off of them can be a bit easier. That's where bibs come in.

Baby bibs are really a necessity when it comes to making supplies for our little ones. They can be pretty expensive to purchase, but when you make them yourself, they can cost next to nothing!

Lets get started.

To begin making baby bibs, you'll need to make a plan. 

Which bibs do you need to make? What phase is your baby in and going to be in soon? Take a look at the checklist below to see what you need to have in your bib arsenal.

• The Drool Bib
• 0-6 months (for when your baby is in the drooling phase)
• The Cereal Bib
• 4-8 months (for when your baby is starting baby food)
• The Shoulder Snap Bib
• 4-8 months (similar to the cereal bib, but snap is on the shoulder)
• The Dinner Bib
• 5 months - 4 years (for when your child is eating solid foods)
• The Spaghetti Bib
• 4 months - 4 years (A large bib with a snapping pocket for messy meals)

Joy is modeling the Cereal bib

How many bibs do I need to have?

This is a real question that really depends on a few factors. 

First factor is your individual baby. If your baby is a drooler, and you make drool bibs, you might get away with having only one per day. But if your baby drools excessively, you'll want to change the bib 4-5 times a day. 

Second factor is how often are you washing? If you wash your baby's clothing and bedding separately from the rest of the family's, then you might only wash it once a week. In that case, you'll need more bibs than if you wash them with the rest of the family's laundry. 

What's someone to do who doesn't have a baby yet? 

I'd start with making 3 of each type of bib. Once the baby comes, you'll get a better idea of what your needs are. When you reach the stage where you want the baby to start using bibs, you'll have a desire and time to do something at your sewing machine. Don't feel like you need to rush to get it all done before the baby arrives.

5 baby bibs that coordinate make a great baby gift!

How to make baby bibs as a gift?

Making baby bibs as a gift is easy and fun! For a gift, I usually make one of each type. That's a bundle of 5 bibs that goes from birth to 4 years old. If you make the bibs in coordinating colors and fabrics, it is a pleasure to give the gift, and even more of a pleasure to open!

So how do I make a baby bib?

I have a sewing pattern for the baby bibs here. 

If you want even more of a visual, I have free bib making class with two of my daughters while we made a few of these bibs. View the free bib video below.

Don't forget to get the printable bib sewing pattern for the template and the step by step tutorial.

Happy sewing!

Reversible Baby Romper Tutorial

Recently I was asked to design a reversible baby romper for baby boys. Cute baby boy clothes are hard to find patterns for, so I decided that I was up for the challenge. Elijah is still leary of modeling for me, but I did snap a few adorable pictures of this process so I hope you enjoy it!

The first thing that I did was start with my shorts pattern and my reversible jumper pattern. I wanted something that fit as great as the jumper did on the bodice, but with the great fitting shorts as well. After almost an entire day of adjusting pattern pieces and finagling ideas, I finally had my design. It couldn't be more perfect! I needed it to have a large range of sizes, so you'll find this one in sizes newborn to 36 months.

A partial screen shot of my pattern in the design program

I knew that I didn't want the typical romper design which had a seam up the front. I wanted something with a bodice that one could embroider on, or have a cute contrasting fabric. I also knew that I wanted this pattern to be used with woven fabrics, so it had to fit perfectly.

So after I made the initial romper, I was hooked! It's just beautiful  handsome and fits like a dream!
I even made a tutorial video to go with it! You can find the video here:
https://mammacandoit.com/pages/how-to-sew-a-romper

Once the pattern was made, I sent it to the person who originally requested the design. She gave me great tips on what I could do to improve the pattern as well as a beautiful picture of her first one that she is putting in her etsy shop!

Aren't these adorable?!!?!

Today, after edits, I am finally posting the final pattern and have it available on my website. You can find it here: Reversible Baby Romper Pattern

Overall, this project was really fun and I would love to do another one that someone has for me! Special requests are so much fun!

Recycle a t-shirt into a baby shirt

It's so close to summer. My Elijah has been proving to be a terror on his wardrobe. This child wants to play hard so I need to make him some clothes that won't break my heart if he ruins them.

My inner "freak out" is usually associated with expensive clothing, or clothes that take me a while to make. So I am combating that by making him shorts and cut offs out of t-shirts! In fact, I found a new way to whip out my baby cut off t-shirt even faster by recycling the binding of the existing t-shirt. I even made a video for you. :)

**Please know that my tutorial in the baby cut off tank top pattern DOES show you how to properly attach binding to the neckline, as well as finish any edges. This video is simply a pattern adaption to whip out my sweetheart some play clothes. 

Maternity tank pattern designing process

Today I had a fun time working on a new maternity tank top pattern. It's really coming along! I love the bodice fit and neckline. Here's a picture that I took on the mannequin.

This fabric that I got was on the clearance rack for $3 per yard. This maternity tank uses less than a yard of fabric to make! Yes....I am totally making some maternity tops for $3 a piece! There's still quite a bit left over to make some sleeves for a baby outfit. More on that later. :)

Since I'm expecting at the end of the summer season, I know that I will be needing some tank tops. 

Even in the winter, a maternity tank top is my number one 'must have' in the pregnancy wardrobe. I love that I can layer them, so when the hot flashes are too much, I can easily cool off - and I like that I can layer a cardigan over them without too much bulk. And who wants to buy maternity cardigans? I'll just use my own, thank you!

But for summer - I need tank tops during pregnancy. Period. I love to work in the garden without the irritating sleeves getting in the way. I want to be inside and outside without feeling like I need to shed clothing. I want to feel normal - and normal is NOT a tent...AKA maternity shirt.

My biggest issue with ANY maternity shirt, is the length. They are never long enough, especially at the end of my pregnancies. This maternity shirt pattern will be long enough to cover all tummies, from beginning to the end of the pregnancy. I want it to look classy enough for church, yet comfortable enough to lounge around in.

A big thing that I want this maternity shirt pattern to be - NORMAL in the back. I don't want my backside to look pregnant! I plan on rouching the shirt in the front only! It will give a smooth, classic look to the back, yet will allow for growing baby bellies in the front. I can't wait!

Overall, I like the design of this maternity shirt pattern, but I am going to take it in a bit on the sides to make it a little more fitted. I also want to make the straps less wide (although the wide straps are very cute!). I'm hoping that I will have an adorable and perfected design for a maternity tank top pattern very soon!

What do you think? If you could design your very very own, what would you want? Length, appropriate neckline that covers the "extra pregnancy" cleavage? Plenty of length in front, 'un-tent' style....you name it! I want to hear about it!

Long sleeve baby dress pattern - just in time for winter!

Can a long sleeve baby dress pattern save your baby from freezing at the holidays? Yes it can! 

There is nothing that is more irritating than walking around the stores or sewing pattern isle while looking for a Christmas dress for my baby. Seriously, don't clothing manufacturers know that it is WINTER time? Yes, baby arms are cute, but they are much cuter when they aren't blue. Does anyone actually take the cardigan off of their baby at Christmas time? Or the undershirt? I think not. Yet, I am still finding mostly short sleeves or sleeveless Christmas baby dress patterns.

If you would like to skip reading about my design process 

of the long sleeve baby dress pattern, please click here.

After deep thought and a smidge of frustration, I decided that I wanted to make a new baby dress pattern so that my baby would have something decent to wear this holiday season. There were many options that I considered with the a-line baby dress pattern, but the main focus was long sleeves. I knew that if this dress was a hit, that I would want to have short sleeves too, so I added those as well to the design. I completely omitted the thought of having the dress be sleeveless. If I have people who ask about it though, I might make a knit sleeveless dress in the summertime.

I wanted a dress that was fitted around the bodice, and flared out below the waist. I also knew that I wanted something longer than the average baby dress. I think it's interesting that dresses in the store are sleeveless AND too short. Leggings and tights are cute, but the main attraction should be the dress, so lets cover a bit more leg.

I had been working with knit fabrics a lot lately so I thought it would be fun to have a knit baby dress. You usually see woven dresses this time of year, so this would change up the norm a bit. Not only that, but when I started to imagine a neckline for this dress, I loved the idea of doing a pull-over style that had no buttons, zippers or snaps. In fact, you could almost call this dress a t-shirt baby dress (although a bit fancier).

Lets get started in the design process.

The first thing that did with this pattern was visit my onesie pattern and fitted shirt pattern. I pulled a great neckline from them and also my superb sleeve length. 

Then I looked at my baby jumper pattern to nab the length from, but quickly decided that it wasn't long enough for this long sleeve baby dress design. I love the baby jumper pattern, but it is meant to be worn with leggings and ruffled diaper covers. I wanted a dress that I could put on my baby over top of winter tights without worry about the crotch seams showing. So I made the length longer and made the width a tad wider. The length of the new long sleeve baby dress is about knee length on most babies.

A word about sleeve length. 

I love the length of my baby dress sleeves. Recently, I put a store bought shirt on Claire and she wore it to church. The whole time that she was wearing the shirt, I had to keep pulling the sleeves down because they were too short. Many people at church ask me each week if Claire's outfits are homemade (which they usually are), so I had to make sure to tell people that the shirt was NOT homemade. I was a bit embarrassed that she was wearing something that fit so terribly.

Moving on.

The hem of the long sleeve baby dress couldn't be easier or neater. Simply fold, press and sew.

A word about stitches. 

I have been reading a lot of tutorials that talk about using a double needle while sewing knits. It is a great idea. I did mention that in my tutorial in a few places. However, a standard zig-zag stitch works great. If you prefer the look of a single line, try to use an elastic stitch (which I also mention in the tutorial). I also love using my serger and use it for most of my knit projects, so I also included in the tutorial where would be appropriate to use the serger if you had one available.

Long sleeve baby dress pattern sizes.

The sizes in this pattern are so versatile. They are accurately sized from newborns up to 36 months based on current U.S. clothing size trends (in English, this means that the pattern is the same size as your baby's store bought clothes sizes). The reason that I say they are versatile is because of the 'knit factor'. Because knits are so stretchy and giving, your baby can wear the long sleeve baby dress for multiple sizes. Your baby can typically wear a size below and a size above their current size when working with this pattern. It has the flexibility to allow you to extend your baby's wardrobe for longer periods.

I really liked making this sewing pattern. 

It was the end of my Emma Collection (other than the free flower headband patterns that I still need to do) that I have been working on recently. Sometimes I am sad to be done with a project as I am having so much fun with it, but this one was not the case. I was very glad to be done and ready to give it to my customers. I have had multiple requests for an a-line baby dress pattern that featured long sleeves, so this was perfect for those that asked as well as for multiple mammas who are making holiday dresses for their little ones.

Soon to be added to the Emma collection will be free patterns of the flowers that I used for Claire's headbands. Isn't she a beautiful model?

Thank you for joining me to read about my design process for the long sleeve baby dress pattern. I hope that it inspires you to be creative! Check out the long sleeve baby dress pattern now!

Easy Peasy Onesie pattern - a new design

A while back I had designed a onesie pattern. It has lapped shoulders and is a perfect fit. It's super easy to understand the binding instructions so even a beginner can figure it out. It has printable pattern pieces for every baby size that there is! Starting at a tiny newborn size up to 36 months, this onesie pattern has it all for anyone who wants to make their baby a new outfit.
I love making my baby onesies out of recycled fabric: from used tshirts to scraps that I would normally throw away. In fact, This onesie is still my favorite from when I first started making them:

Isn't the girraff simply adorable? Someone had given me this shirt as a "hand-me-down" for an older child. I almost tossed it to the donation box. I don't toss anything now. I wish this one still fit my chunky monkey.

With my baby growing rapidly I need to make a few more onesies to fit her....and I have figured out some short cuts to make them sew up even faster! Although the fit of the onesie is still spot on, I have changed it to suit my needs a little better. The new design does NOT use lapped shoulders, it simply slips over the head like a t-shirt. I love that. It never fails that when you put a beautiful outfit on a baby that a shoulder pokes out here and there. With the new onesie design, the shoulders are covered. Woot!
The new design also has faster binding instructions! I will still probably put the approximate measurements of the binding in the tutorial, but I want this pattern to be a "whip it out" kind of design. So instead of measuring, I'll teach you how to put the binding on lickety split!
Of course the new design will have short sleeves, long sleeves and tank top styles available. I love using a long sleeve onesie under baby jumpers in the winter. Super oober cute! Check out the baby jumper pattern for a complete outfit!
This new design will still cover the tubby rolls enough that you can use a onesie as an entire outfit on a hot day. It's like a fitted baby romper. :)
Overall, the new easy onesie pattern is going to rock. I can't wait to get it out for you!
If you like lapped shoulders and want to sew up my original onesie pattern design, feel free to check it out! I will still use and love the original. Especially for newborn babies who absolutely need the lapped shoulder style!
I like using onesies for anything. I use them as an outfit with a pair of pants (get the baby pants pattern here) or as an undershirt on a newborn. Like I mentioned already, it's great to use a onesie as a baby romper in the summer. Make a stash for your little one today out of quality recycled fabrics!

Baby Pants Pattern - nb-24 months - Cloth & disposable sizes!

I'm just going to take a minute to talk about my baby pants pattern. It rocks. Not only does it sport multiple sizes, but there are two versions! One version is for cloth diaper wearers and another is for disposable wearers. To download the baby pants pattern, Click here.

Printable sizes included are:
NB
0-3 Month
3-6 Month
6-12 Month
12-18 Month
18-24 Month

So out of all the baby pants patterns out there, why would you want to spend $5 to get mine? I'll outline the list below.

1. My baby pants tutorial is incredibly easy to follow.
2. My baby pants pattern is perfectly sized for newborn sizes up to 24 months. No guessing or measuring. 
3. This baby pants pattern has special sizes for cloth diapers or disposable diapers!
4. My baby pants pattern has real elastic measurements. No measuring (during naptime) required! :)
5. This baby pants pattern has optional directions to make pockets & a cuffed hem.
6. This baby pants tutorial has directions to use a serger OR a sewing machine. 

Ok, no more outline. lets get to the facts.

1. My baby pants tutorial is incredibly easy to follow

Here is an example snapshot. This says enough I think. Super easy directions with very explicit description with each image. Even the index is easy to maneuver through.:

2. My baby pants pattern is perfectly sized

If you have been sewing very long (especially baby patterns), then you know that baby patterns are absolutely NOT sized correctly. However, I have taken special care to be sure that all of my patterns are sized for real babies. Perfectly. This pattern is no exception. 

3. Cloth or disposable diapers?

Along with each pattern being incredibly shaped for a real baby, I also have it designed for two different specifications. One is for a cloth diapered baby (a bit more bulk) and one is for disposable diapered baby. The difference.....COMFY or SLIM versions. :) You are going to love this! 

4. Real elastic measurements

I'm not going to lie....to see what I was up against, I bought a pants pattern online. Do you know what I found? I discovered that I needed to measure my baby's waist to determine the size! Yeah...since I'm doing this project at nap time, and you are too....I think it's best that I have accurate size measurements in my pattern & tutorial. I do....they are the conventional waist sizes that you dress your baby in on a regular basis!

5. Optional Pockets or Cuff

Does a newborn baby NEED pockets on her pants? Nope...but they are dang cute! So is the cuff! I just wanted to give you the option of a bit more flair. Don't worry, if you are looking for ruffles...I'll be posting another pants pattern within the next few weeks with a ruffled butt & leg. You'll love it. But for now, the cuff rocks my socks!

6. Conventional machine or serger

This tutorial has instructions for a conventional sewing machine or a serger. If you have a zig-zag stitch, you can do everything that the serger does according to my directions. If not - don't worry! These steps are optional!

Overall, I think you will be incredibly pleased with this baby pants pattern. It is very easy to follow and you'll get a perfect pair of baby pants the first time. Even if you are a first time sewer. 

For whatever reason, if you are dissatisfied with this pattern, I have 100% refund guarantee  You'll love this pattern or your money back. 

I just know it's going to be a 'go to' pattern for you. Go ahead and download the basic baby pants pattern today!

Diaper Cover Patterns - Read before you buy anything

Understanding how diaper cover patterns are constructed will help you choose which pattern to use.

When shopping for a baby diaper cover pattern, whether free or paid for, you are going to want to consider how it is constructed before you do anything. This is about fancy diaper covers, not cloth diaper covers.
Below is the low-down on diaper cover patterns & tutorials to take the guess work out for you so that you don't waste time or money.
If you want to skip all the reading and check out my diaper cover pattern, go for it! You won't be disappointed!

Types of Diaper Covers and ways that they are constructed:

• Cloth diaper covers

• These are used to cover a cloth diaper to make it waterproof. This is not the type of diaper cover that I am discussing today.
  

• Single layer diaper covers

• Sewing in elastic
• Can be made with elastic touching and pinching the baby's skin
• Bias Tape Elastic Casing
• Diaper covers can be made by using biased tape as a casing for elastic around the legs and waist. This keeps the elastic off of the skin but can be a pain to work with so I would call it intermediate level sewing. By using bias tape, the leg of the diaper cover will come down a bit more then typically desired.
• Fold over elastic casing:
• Diaper cover patterns frequently are made this way, but it is a bit tricky. In a nutshell, you fold over the raw edge inward and sew a casing for elastic in the waist and legs. I personally don't prefer this way because  I like things to match up when I sew them....and the leg holes DO NOT match up when folding over the casing.
• Using FOE elastic
• very few diaper covers use FOE (fold over elastic) as a binding. This is a neat idea, but there are limited colors of FOE that would match fabrics that you might be using.
  

• Lined diaper covers

• The diaper cover pattern that I have is made this way. I use a lining to create elastic casings. This way, most seams are completely hidden as well as the elastic. Everything matches up properly everytime so you don't have to worry about tearing out stitches.

But what about ruffled diaper cover patterns?
These are also constructed in a few ways. 

• Ruffles

• Diaper cover patterns often will be for ruffle diaper covers. These are SO cute! But what happens if you need to make a diaper cover for a boy? Do you HAVE to add ruffles?
• Many instructions will have a multi-pieced tutorial for ruffled diaper covers that do not include instructions to make a regular, UN-ruffled diaper cover.
• My pattern and tutorial includes both! The Ruffle diaper cover & the regular diaper cover.

• Types of ruffles
• There are the type of ruffle that is ruffled on the top and frilly at the hem
• There are the type of ruffle that is ruffled in the center and frilly at two hems.
• My diaper cover pattern has a ruffle that is on the top

• Serger rolled hem or Sewing machine hems

• Before you purchase a pattern, you need to make sure there is directions for the machine that you have. For example, many people only have a sewing machine and not a serger - those people need a pattern that is geared toward sewing machines. Otherwise the directions for the ruffle will keep you guessing.
• My pattern has directions for both serger & sewing machine instructions so you can use either!

   

Elastic measurements - do they exist or do you have to guess?

• Measure it yourself or Guess

• It is VERY common in diaper cover patterns that are circulating around the internet for the author to say "measure the waist" and use that measurement. While that might be good, what about if you are making the diaper cover for a gift? Or what if you are making the diaper covers for your unborn baby...or even a few sizes up? This doesn't make any sense to me.

• Wrong elastic measurements

• It is also very common for elastic measurements to be COMPLETELY OFF! Whoever thought that a nb waist is 18-20" is out of their mind. Yet I frequently have customers who tell me of their previous experience with these HUGE elastic measurements.
  

• Real elastic measurements

• My pattern gives REAL elastic measurements. If your baby is a bit larger then most, then by all means measure and use that measurement. If you are like me, you are sewing at naptime though and require the measurements on hand.

Lastly, my take on the diaper cover pattern options

By now you have probably seen that I obviously have my own design. :) I hope you try it. I have 100% money back guaruntee with my patterns...because I know you'll love it if you use it.
Since you are searching for a diaper cover pattern, just use mine. You'll love it - and you'll especially love how it looks, fits and feels on your baby. The best Diaper Cover Pattern ever is just a click away.

Crib Sheet Pattern - Perfect fit this time!

Recently I wanted to make crib sheets for my baby. I tried different patterns and not one of them fit right. So of course I decided to take matters into my own hands and make a crib sheet sewing pattern for myself and my customers. Of course crib sheets double as toddler bed sheets. But what about a toddler bed flat sheet? You got it! I have also made a toddler bed sheet pattern that includes fitted and flat sheets.
Want to check it out? See my Crib Sheet Pattern and let me know what you think!

This pattern fits all standard crib mattresses. A standard crib mattress is 51-52" x 27.5" x 5-6". Measure your mattress - I bet you have a standard size.

This crib sheet pattern comes with directions to make crib sheets out of many types of fabric. I have quite a few fabric ideas on the tutorial. Don't worry though...I won't make you find some outrageously wide fabric - it uses regular widths! You can make a crib sheet with standard 44/45" wide designer fabrics, broadcloth, flannel or even 60" wide minky or fleece fabric.

Speaking of fleece: Have you ever heard of sewing FLEECE CRIB SHEETS? Oh...these are the most wonderful thing. They are not only incredibly soft, but fleece crib sheets draw moisture away from your baby's face. This helps to keep tears, spit up, or drool off of your baby's cheeks so that rashes don't appear. As a mom of 6, I have had my fair share of rashes and fleece sheets were the only thing that kept them dry. Use this crib sheet sewing pattern to make fleece crib sheets for your baby!

Are you in a financial crunch with a baby coming due soon...or are you trying to save money by making your own crib sheets? If making crib sheets cheaply is what you are going for, I have a few money saving tips in the tutorial as well! Heck, you can match your decor too with these money saving tips! These tips not only help you save money, but give you great ideas on how to recycle things that you wouldn't have thought of otherwise. Almost all of my patterns have 'budget friendly' ideas which include cheap places to buy fabric for the project, where to get fabric for free, where to get fabric to recycle..etc. The thing that irritates me most about sewing things for myself is that sometimes it can cost more then buying...so I like to find ways to stay considerate of mine and my customers budgets. Use this crib sheet sewing pattern to save yourself some money!

I don't require my customers to do any 'figuring' with any of my patterns. The measurements & directions are laid out very clearly so there isn't any guessing. All of my patterns, including this crib sheet pattern, also come with step by step directions with VERY clear images on how to do that step. Each step has AT LEAST one image. You don't need to guess or spend time trying to figure something out...I have it figured out for you.

This pattern & tutorial comes with a printable pattern piece. All of my tutorials and patterns are pdf files which can be printed on a home printer using standard 8.5 x 11" paper. The pattern pieces require NO SCALING as they are already made to size. 

This crib sheet pattern is incredibly easy! Try it today!

Pregnancy support belt - make a sewing pattern?

Lately I've been wondering about pregnancy support belts. I've looked for sewing patterns online and I can't find any...so I think I should make a pregnancy support belt pattern!
As my comfort in this pregnancy decreases, I am finding that I would LOVE to have an 'extra set of hands' holding my belly up. I think a pregnancy support belt is my ticket to comfort. Maybe.
I've looked at some versions online that are for sale and they look like more of a CONTRAPTION then a support....not to mention they are EXPENSIVE! Holy moly!
I think that a pregnancy support belt might be the only way I could stay on my feet for longer periods of time, and I also think it would be a great way to help hold up the maternity pants (I can't keep them up no matter what I do!).
Any thoughts on this?