Molly's Sketchbook: Oxford Burp Cloths

As all of you more experienced moms know, it’s not the adorable dresses or precious quilts or hand knit sweaters that you actually need. No, the real must-haves are more mundane. Things like diapers, onesies, and burp cloths. This last item came as a complete surprise to me. Turns out, this whole baby thing is a bit messier than I had imagined!

Having stocked up on more linen bloomers than burp cloths, I found myself seriously empty handed! Luckily, just around the time I made this realization, Purl Soho received a new collection of beautiful Robert Kaufman Oxford fabric. Backed with absorbent cotton flannel, the Oxford is perfectly soft, sturdy, and pretty, just what I needed for a set of burp cloths that would be as special as all of those dresses hanging in Lupe’s closet!

Our Oxford Fat Quarter Bundle contains the entire line of subtle stripes and soft solids. With a reference to classic menswear and in a palette of petal soft colors, I love that all together these fabrics look sophisticated and baby at the same time. Plus, each bundle contains enough fabric to make 20 Oxford Burp Cloths! I plan to keep my favorites and then have the rest on hand for quick baby shower gifts. Maybe I can save a few new moms from the mess I found myself in!

Materials

To make up to twenty 14-inch X 18-inch burp cloths:

• An Oxford Fat Quarter Bundle. You will need one fat quarter per burp cloth. If you'd like to use yardage instead of fat quarters you will get 2 cloths per 1/2-yard.
• 5 yards of white flannel. If you'd like to make less than 20 cloths you will get 2 cloths per 1/2-yard.
• 100% cotton thread in color 1006

You will also need a pencil, tailors chalk, or a fabric marker and a coffee mug.

Cutting 

Cut the flannel and one of the fat quarters into rectangles 14 1/2-inches X 18 1/2-inches. If you cut them at the same time they will be exactly the same size.

Lay the Oxford on top of the flannel so that all the edges match. Again, if you cut them at the same time they will already be on top of one another- easy!

The corners of these burp cloths are rounded. Push a coffee cup up against the corner on the inside of the rectangles and trace around the curve of the coffee cup with your fabric marker.

Do this around all four corners.

Pin the two layers together and cut the marked curves around the corners.

Sewing

Sew around all four sides with a 1/4-inch seam allowance leaving a 2-inch unsewn gap on one side. 

Cut three notches into the seam allowances around the curves as shown above.

Turn the piece right sides out though the gap and press it flat.

Pin the two layers together around all four sides thus pinning the gap closed. 

Edge stitch around the edges with a 1/8-inch seam allowance thus closing the unsewn gap.

You're all done!