It’s baby shower season and I’m sewing up some new baby gifts this week. Today I’m going to show you how to sew burp cloths with appliques.

Supplies Needed

• a 15.5 X 8.5 inch rectangle of woven cotton fabric
• a different fabric that you will cut shapes out of for the appliques
• a 15.5 X 8.5 inch rectangle of terry cloth
• Heat N Bond Ultrahold
• fusible interfacing (optional, depending on your fabric choices)
• sewing pins or sewing clips
• sewing machine
• scissors and/or rotary cutting set

How to Sew Burp Cloths with Appliques

Prepare Your Fabrics

Wash and dry your fabrics. Iron the woven cottons. Cut out a 15.5 X 8.5 inch rectangle out of your main woven cotton fabric that you want to be the “background” of the burp cloth if you will.

Prepare Your Appliques

Identify what part of your fabric you want to cut out to be the applique. Then cut out a piece that’s a little bigger than the design you want. For example, I was cutting out flowers so I roughly cut out around the flower but not right on the edge.

Now you need to figure out if you will need to add the fusible interfacing. Look at the picture below. For the bottom flower I did not add the fusible interfacing before bonding and you can see the stripes through the flower. If the colors of the fabric for your applique are light and the main background fabric is dark then you will have the same problem.

If you look at the top flower I have 2 layers of fusible interfacing behind it to show how it will help with this issue. So if you have this same problem then you will need to add a layer or two of lightweight fusible interfacing to make your applique more opaque.

Follow the package instructions for how to apply the fusible interfacing. There are all different kinds so I don’t want to give you the wrong instructions.

Here’s the front and back of my flower applique after I applied the 2 layers of fusible interfacing.

Apply the Heat N Bond Ultrahold

Apply the Heat N Bond Ultrahold to the back of your piece. Lay your piece of fabric on top of the shiny side of the Ultrahold and cut it out to match the shape.

Then flip it over so that you iron on the paper side. I followed the iron settings on the back of the package but because of adding the fusible interfacing I held the iron on for extra time.

Cut out the shape of the applique.

Then peel off the paper from the back.

Apply Your Applique

Figure out where you want to put your applique on the front fabric of your burp cloth. Keep in mind that you don’t want to put your appliques within a 1/2 inch of the edges because that part of the fabric will not be seen on the finished burp cloth.

Sew Your Applique

So you actually do not have to sew your applique on when you use Heat N Bond Ultrahold. I did for this project because I felt like with adding in the fusible interfacing that it might need it. If you did not add in the fusible interfacing then feel free to skip this step!

I did a really simple little stitch around because I like the shabby-chic kind of look but feel free to do a more polished satin stitch around or even hand sew your appliques down.

Attach the Burp Cloth Pieces

Now the front of your burp cloth is finished. Lay down your terry cloth. Lay the front of your burp cloth down with the right side down. Trim the terrycloth so that it matches the shape of your top piece of fabric.

Pin or clip the fabrics together. Then sew around the outside edge, sewing 1/2 inch from the edge, but leave about 4 inches unsewn on one side (but not at a corner edge!)

Turn Right Side Out

Clip the 4 corners of your burp cloth by cutting one line across the corner edge. This will make the corners lay nice and flat once you turn the burp cloth right side out.

Next use the hole that you left in the side to turn the burp cloth right side out. Use something like a corner turner or a pencil to push the corners out so that they can lay nice and flat.

Topstitch

Once you have it turned right side out it will be all lumpy. Give it a good pressing with your iron. Then topstitch all the way around the outside edge of your burp cloth, sewing 1/4 inch from the edge. Trim your strings and you’re all done!

That’s it! Once you’ve made one it goes so much more quickly when you know what you’re doing. I like to make up a few to give as a coordinated set at a baby shower along with something else that’s practical.

What do you like to give for baby shower gifts? Let me know in the comments below and be sure to let me know if you try the tutorial as well!

More Ways to Learn How to Sew Burp Cloths