Sewing

Patterns, Techniques, Articles, Blogs, and other resources to learn how to sew

Easy Baby Bib Tutorial with Free Pattern

by

Easy Baby Bib Tutorial with Free Pattern

Baby bibs are a go-to sewing project for baby shower gifts!  They’re quick to sew and you can always find a cute fabric to make them from.  And it doesn’t matter how many bibs a baby has, they can always use another!  Sew Simple Home has a free sewing pattern you can use to make an easy baby bib.  The instructions are easy to follow so even a beginner sewist can make an adorable baby bib.  Go to Sew Simple Home for the tutorial and free pattern.

Quilting cotton is an easy choice for making baby bibs, but you can also use flannel, minky, or terry cloth if you want a softer or more absorbent bib.  And for a bib with a wipe-clean surface, use a laminated fabric or a PUL fabric.  A bit of hook and loop tape will make an easy closure for this baby bib.

If you’re looking for more things to sew for a baby shower gift, here are some other good ideas:

Burp Cloth – This baby burp cloth by Mary Martha Mama has a nice contour shape that helps it fit nicely around your neck.  Quilting cotton or flannel works nicely for the front, while a terry cloth backing gives absorbency.  Go to Mary Martha Mama for a free sewing pattern for a contoured burp cloth.

Baby Blanket – Just like bibs, a new parent can always use another baby blanket!  Adventures of a DIY Mom shows how you can sew a baby blanket with a self-binding border.  A self-binding border is a quick way to bind the edges that creates a clean finish.

Baby Hat –While baby hats have a practical purpose in keeping baby’s head warm, they also just look so cute!  Sweet Red Poppy has a free pattern to sew the cutest double knot baby hat.  It’s made from a knit fabric so it will stretchy easily to fit snug around baby’s head.  Get the free pattern from Sweet Red Poppy.

[photo credit: Sew Simple Home]

13 Adorable Baby Bibs to Sew

Sewing pattern: Upcycled bibs from outgrown baby clothes

Sewing Tutorial: Placemat bibs

Tutorial: Patchwork baby bibs from upcycled fabrics

Have you read?

My Great Fabric Flea Market Experiment – Should You Sell Your Fabric Stash?

You know that moment when you open your fabric cupboard and it groans at you? Yeah. That was me last month. After years of cheerful hoarding (“Ooh, this linen will be perfect for… something!”), I’d reached critical mass. My stash had officially become a fire hazard and my husband said no more fabric. 

So I did something radical: I loaded up my car with unloved fabric and took it to the local flea market. No fancy booth, no display—just me, my boot (trunk for my US friends), and a handwritten sign that said “FABRIC – MAKE ME AN OFFER.”

What followed was equal parts hilarious, heartwarming, and mildly chaotic.

The Good, The Bad & The “Wait, What?” Moments

The Bargain Hunters

Within minutes, a woman in a neon pink sunhat descended on my car like a fabric-hungry hawk.

Her: “Is this silk?” (Holding up very obviously cheap polyester)
Me: “Uh… no?”
Her: “I’ll give you 50p.”
Me: “Sold.”

Turns out she makes carnival costumes and needed “anything shiny.” Godspeed, glitter queen.

The Emotional Connection

One lady nearly teared up over a scrap of 90s Laura Ashley floral.

Her: “My mum made my wedding dress from this exact print!”
Me: “Take it. It’s yours.”
Her: “But I don’t even sew!”
Me: “Then frame it and yell at it occasionally like it’s your mother-in-law.”

She left cackling. Mission accomplished.

The Unexpected Haggler

A very serious 8-year-old approached with a £1 coin and the negotiating skills of a Wall Street broker.

Him: “I need fabric for my guinea pig’s birthday party.”
Me: “That’s… specific.”
Him: “He likes blue.”

Obviously I gave him ALL my blue scraps plus a ribbon for the guest of honor. Best sale of the day.

The Surprising Joy of Letting Go

Here’s what shocked me: I didn’t miss a single piece. Not the “I might use this” chiffon. Not the “too nice to cut” Japanese cotton. Watching people light up as they found their perfect project fabric? That was the real dopamine hit.

  • The quilting club ladies who squabbled over my batiks like seagulls over chips
  • The art student thrilled to find cheap muslin for her sculpture project
  • The retired tailor who tutted at my folding skills but bought 5m of wool “for teaching the grandkids”

Every piece went to someone who’d actually use it—no more guilt-tripping me from the depths of my stash cupboard.

 

What I Learned (So You Can Do It Too)

  1. Price Everything at “Please Just Take It” Levels
    • My pricing strategy: “Would I rather have £3 or closet space?”
  2. Embrace the Chaos
    • Let people rummage. Half the fun was watching two strangers bond over the same floral cotton.
  3. Bring Backup
    • Shoutout to my friend who brought a flask of tea and periodically hissed “That’s vintage, charge more!” like my fabric pimp.
  4. Take Pictures
    • For every sad “I never used this” moment, I got three “look how happy this makes someone” moments. Worth it.

The Aftermath

My car is lighter. My sewing room breathes easier. And somewhere out there, a guinea pig is living his best blue-fabric-life.

Will I stop buying fabric altogether? Don’t be ridiculous. But now I ask: “Will I love this enough to keep it forever, or is this a future flea market treasure for someone else?”

Your Turn:

  • Could you sell your stash, or does the thought make you hyperventilate?
  • What’s the weirdest fabric purchase you’ve ever made? (I once bought 10m of glow-in-the-dark satin. Why? No one knows.)
  • Should I make this a yearly tradition?

Spill your stash confessions below – and if you’re local, watch out for my boot sale sequel: “Notions I Bought For Hypothetical Projects” coming this autumn…

(P.S. For those asking – yes, the guinea pig’s party was a success. He wore the ribbon as a cape.)