This month's Tutorial Contest had several winners. The theme was fabric, and I just couldn't choose. One of the winning entries was from Jessie of Designs By Jessie. Jessie makes a variety of brilliant creations, including fabric covers for your scratchy, uncomfortable camera strap. (Jessie's camera straps are now limited edition - when they're gone, they're gone!)

As one of the top entrants, Jessie has won free advertising for one month on this blog, and her original tutorial is published below. Jessie's excellent photography skills make this tutorial easy to follow. I will certainly be making a few of these for various babies I know that are soon to be born. Check out Jessie's shop and blog!

Jessie's Original Tutorial:
As promised I put together a little tutorial for the burp cloths I made last week. They were dead simple, and seriously... I think It took me longer to buy the flannel. If I was smarter and better prepared I would have bought it online. There is a much larger selection online then in any of the stores I went to. The mom to be, her baby colors were pink and green, so I really wanted to stick to those colors. 

What you need:
1/2 yard of each color (which ever colors you choose) I bought 1/2 yard of the solids, and 1 1/2 yards of the Prints, and 3 yards of the white and hot pink. Remember I also made a blanket so you only need about a half a yard.
Free online pattern that you can find Here.
Cutting Mat
Rotary Cutter
Pins
Fabric Scissors
Fabric Pen
Ruler
Sewing stick pins.

Directions: Print out your pattern, tape it together, and measure it. This one is a little bit more than 8 inches wide. I also noticed that I could fit two of these patterns on the fabric if I measured selvage edge to selvage edge

Carefully measure out your 9 inches.

Make your cut.

Place your pattern on the flannel with the wrong sides facing out. If you left your fabric in half like I did, you will have the right sides already facing each other in the middle.

With your fabric marker, trace your pattern.

With Scissors, cut out the shape. As you are working with your fabric doubled up, take care to cut them carefully keeping the fabric together. It doesn't have to be perfect, but it also shouldn't be way off.

See. .. you have cut 2 at the same time!

Here is a better look at what it looks like after tracing.
At that point I then traced all my fabric to get it out of the way.

See? All cut out. Now comes the fun..

If you are using a mix of fabrics, start matching them up. Right Sides together.

Pin around your edges.

Then start to sew. I used a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Sew 90% around making sure to leave an opening about 2 inches.*TIP* After several of these were finished, I found it was much easier to leave the opening in the center where it curves in. Instead of at the bottom.

Find your opening and push it right side out. Shape it out.

Iron it flat to set your seams. Careful to push the fabric all the way out to maintain the shape.

Carefully finger tuck the opening following the earlier seam allowance then Iron down to set.

Top stitch around the whole thing. I used a 1/4 inch seam allowance, to make sure I was sewing over the selvage on the inside. It gives it stability on the edges to help maintain its shape after multiple washings.

All Finished!!!

This was really one of those projects that the crowd goes wild for at the Shower. It's unique, and handmade. You can also dress these up a bit more and add some Ric rack around the edging..If you have an embroidery machine you can monogram them. You can make them square, or design your own shape. Its all up to you!

Additional tips from Daogreer Earth Works:
Before you turn your shape right side out, clip along your seam allowance on the curves like the diagram above. This will allow your seam allowance to lay flat inside your burp cloth.