Crafternoon: Burp Rags

I love making homemade gifts for baby showers and one of my favorite things to make are burp rags.  You really can never have enough.  Baby B goes through at least 4 a day so we keep a large stock on hand to help with all of the messes.  The great thing about making your own is being able to choose a cute fabric that reflects the personality of the mama you are making them for.

So, today I will be showing you how I make burp rags.

Materials"
1/4 yard of flannel (this will make 2 burp rags)
1/4 yard of terry cloth or minky fabric  (I like using both, depending on my mood)
scissors
thread
straight pins
sewing machine
ruler
a chopstick (no, we are not eating Chinese food)

The steps:

First measure and cut your fabric to 8x15" rectangles.  I like to cut the terry cloth or minky slightly larger since they both have a tendency to move while sewing.  After the fabric is cut, pin it to keep it in place with right sides facing each other.

Next, I start with one of the short sides, about 2/3rds of the way down.  I stitch a few stitches and then back stitch to reinforce the seam.  I start at this point because I will be leaving a hole in the seam so that I may flip the fabric right-side out.

Start sewing, leaving a 1/4" seam allowance, going all of the way around the burp rag.

Once you have sewn around the whole burp rag, use your scissors to trim the edges.  Be careful to not get too close to the seam.

Now it is time for the chopstick!  Flip the fabric right-side out and use the chopstick to gently push out your corners.

Now, starting on the end with the hole, start top-stitching around the edge, again leaving a 1/4 inch seam allowance.  Make sure the hole is now sealed.  Once again, as you start and finish sewing around the edge, back-stitch to reinforce the stitch.  

There you go!  Easy peasy and now you have a cute, personalized gift for a mama and her babe