Baby Bib Sewing Group Project

A couple of months ago the Relief Society President had handed me a bib and asked if we could reproduce it so she would have gifts for the new babies being born in the Ward. I immediatly saw this as a first project for begining sewer's. I remember that in my first Apperal Construction class in the 6th Grade, the teacher handed us pieces of papers that had square's and circles, starting on the outside and deminishing inward, we would put paper in the machine and stitch without thread (the machine needle would make hole's) on the line. We would only get an A if none of the holes where outside of the line drawn on the paper.


So I saw this project as a way to teach that exercise. There are two short straight segments but lots of circles, to teach the needle placement and the control and feeding of the fabric.

I put together a pattern with detailed directions and photographs. (click here access the free pattern)


We had our first meeting on Thursday Nov, 20th. One of the one's that showed up was my little sister (Monica) and Taryn. They were great we had fun. Taryn brought a bag of M & M's - Anyone can bribe me with Chocolate anytime. Both had sewn some already, so they new the machine's and we didn't need to start there - so we started straight into the project, and I then just pointed out how I did things.

Tip One: You can use 'Bed Risers' to raise any table to a good cutting height.

Tip Two: I explained to them how I pin the fabric onto the material. I lay one hand down on the pattern/fabric next to where I'm going to pin - to keep the fabric flat, then about a half inch away from the edge of the cutting line of the pattern, I pin down and then back up. Making sure that the pins are all laying horizontal to the bottom of the pattern. We didn't have corners, but the pins at a corner should be pinned in diagonally. (I don't remember where I learned this or why you pin this way but I'll go find my handy dandy notebook "Reader's Digest Complete Guide to Sewing" and see if it explains why)

Tip Three: Cutting - When you cut the fabric, (for Right handed people) the pattern should be to the left (inside) of your scissors. And be sure to put your hand down on the pattern/fabric as you go. (again this is how I was taught and I'm sure there is a reason why but at this point I don't remember that part anymore)

We then experimented with Sewing Machine Needle positions, and fabric placement guides, to get good seams, as they were going to do lots of curves, and pivot corners.

It went great, Now to move on to the seams, right and wrong side of fabrics, and grainlines and pattern placements. I'll have to come up with a good easy project that teaches that.

Thank you Monica and Taryn for showing up. And Thank you Terri, for sewing the bibs at home so that we would have more to donate to Lisa.



PS: I'm a member of 'The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' I have added links to some terms that may not be readily known - I hope they help in the definition of the terms - Or you can ask me, I'd be more than willing to explain.