Day Three of the Simple Sewing for Baby Book Review

Day Three of the Simple Sewing for Baby Book Review

Our next project also comes from Jansdotter’s Going Out. Chapter. Today we are going to make a changing pad for your newly organized diaper bag. As an Auntie, I have learned that you can’t have too many changing pads. Recently, while babysitting, I managed to go through three of them in one outing. That’s right. Luckily, I tend to over pack. Better to be safe than sorry, that’s my motto. And once you see how easy these changing pads are to make, you’ll have plenty too. Because you’ll want to keep making them. So let’s begin!

Materials Needed:

-3/4 yard of cotton fabric for the lining

-3/4 yard of medium weight fabric for the exterior

-Very thin polyester batting (29” x 20”)

-13” (1” wide) Ribbon or twill tape

-3” of Velcro

-Matching thread

-Fabric marker

We will begin by cutting our fabric. Cut a 20” x 29” rectangular piece from each of your fabrics for the lining and the exterior. The cut a piece of batting the same size as well. So you should have three separate pieces measuring 20” x 29” of your lining, exterior, and batting.

Time to assemble our changing pad. Using your ruler and fabric marker, you are going to mark the lines to quilt the batting to you lining. On the right side of your cotton fabric, start ½” from one end of the fabric’s long end. Mark a vertical line from top to bottom. Continue marking lines every 3 ½” till you reach the end of the fabric.

Pin your batting to the wrong side of the lining.

Machine baste them together using a ¼” seam allowance. Next turn your piece right side up, so you can view the lines you marked earlier. Machine stitch along the quilting lines and backstitch at the beginning and end.

Pull apart your Velcro piece. Place one piece of Velcro to one end of your ribbon, about ½” from the end. Pin it in place. Machine stitch around all four edges to secure it in place.

Now flip your ribbon over. On the opposite end, fold the end of the ribbon up ½” and press it with an iron. With the folded part facing you, pin the other piece of Velcro ¼” from the end.

Secure the Velcro in place with a machine stitch around all the edges.

At this point, you should have a piece of ribbon with Velcro on both sides of it at each end. It should look like this when you have finished.

Back to your fabric. Measure 14 ½” down one of the long edges. Slide your Velcro in between the two pieces of fabric. The Velcro near the raw edge should face away from the batting layer. Match the raw edge of your ribbon with the raw edges of the fabric. Pin it in place.

Place your two fabrics together with wrong sides facing out. Match up the edges as best you ca. Pin them together.

Machine stitch around the edges using a ½” seam allowance and backstitch at each end. Leave a 6” opening to turn your changing pad right side out.

Turn your pad right side out and press it flat with the iron. Fold under and press the seam allowance at the 6” opening.

Topstitch all around the edges of your changing pad using a ¼” seam allowance. Backstitch at each end.

Once you’re admiring your work, it’s time to fold up your new changing pad. With your lining facing up and your ribbon on top, fold the right and left sides inward toward the center of the pad making them overlap. Beginning at the side opposite the ribbon, roll your pad up. Then secure your ribbon abound it and fasten the Velcro.

Believe it or not....you’re finished! Go put that pad in your diaper bag. You now officially have a back up changing pad. Pretty cool, right?

Tomorrow I will be posting my review of Simple Sewing for Baby. Our first book review week is almost finished. We will be concluding the review with a fun themed project on Friday. We’re going to be making a little matching set for bath time. That’s right, you’re going to learn how to make your own washcloths and a hooded towel for baby. So get ready……

Enjoy!