Tuesday, November 27, 2012

totally drool worthy

if you invite me to a baby shower now, you will be sure to receive at least one "Bapron." 

a friend of mine is expecting and i wanted to make something cute. so i came across the pattern at Craftiness is not Optional for a baby bib/apron: a "bapron." i set out to find some cute fabric and came across this super soft dotted fleece. originally i was thinking a small stripe, but i think the dots on the tutorial sunk into my subconscious and i ended up buying dots!

front

back


i love love love this pattern. and on my rating scale that's the most "loves" you get. that's like 5 stars. 

a couple notes… i decided to just use store bought bias tape to save time, but… if you pick a light colored bias tape and your fabric is darker… and you're a bit OCD, then you might run into a little issue. the way they fold bias tape in (i used extra wide double fold) the two folded sides do not meet up exactly in the center. there's a tiny gap. which is perfectly good in some cases, but in this case that means i could kinda see through that part of the bias tape and the darker fabric showed through. i didn't like it. i wanted a nice solid yellow (this is "lemon ice") all the way around the edges. so i went back to the iron and ironed the folded edges in just a touch more so that they met up exactly in the middle and there was no show through. kind of annoying. but much happier in the end.

more on ironing and bias tape…it helped a ton to realize the shape of the curve you will be putting your bias tape around, concave or convex. (if you have trouble remembering which is which, concave curves inward like a cave.) so the armholes and neckline are concave. the bottom edge is convex. iron your bias tape for each of these areas into the curved shape (concave or convex) that matches the area the bias tape will be applied too. i read this somewhere. and i'm glad i somehow remembered it at a time when it was very helpful!

also i didn't have any fray check, so i just stitched back and forth on the end of the tie before knotting it. i used the same fabric for the front and the back, but you could use different fabrics. it's pretty much reversible, both sides are finished. in between the 2 layers of fabric, i used some medium weight interfacing. it's such a great pattern. very smart. i love how the bias tape overlaps to leave everything looking very finished. my husband said "you could buy that in a store." which is a huge compliment.

oh one more thing, go very slow on the parts where you're going over 2 pieces of bias tape on the corners. i just used the hand crank on the side on those parts. it's a lot of layers to go through. but just do it slowly and you'll be golden. i also figured out a trick for lining up the bias tape with my machine's foot so that i got a nice even line of stitching close to the edge. it might be "duh" to most of you. but if anyone is curious or doesn't know how to get an nice even line of stitching close to the edge i can take a photo of how i lined it up. I did get a close up shot, so you can admire the nice lines of stitching.


are you drooling over this pattern yet?  well, pretty soon a baby will be drooling all over it. literally. oh and did i mention it's a free pattern? should i have started the post with that info? check it out: Craftiness is not Optional


and if you're not into baby stuff, i'll get back to doing my usual selfish sewing soon. ok a few more baby posts. and then some christmas gifts. and then back to myself. and no, i have not fixed the neckline of my knit top yet. i haven't even ripped it out yet. it's just hanging there glaring at me while i sew cute little baby things.





13 comments:

  1. wow! I need one like that!


    www.studentswife.com

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    1. It didn't even take that long to make! You could do it and i bet you could measure it to fit your son perfectly. Maybe if I make a few more I'll host a giveaway for one.

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  2. Oh it looks darling! Thanks for the link to the pattern. I may just make a few for upcoming baby showers...I've been to three showers and I am going to three more soon, it seems like everyone is having a baby this year!

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    1. Thanks! I highly recommend this pattern, perfect for baby showers! Well, I haven't been able to test the fit on an actual baby yet, but it sure looks cute!

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    2. I couldn't find the link. could you help me with this?

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    3. Hi Jan! Click on the link in the second to last paragraph of the blog post where it says "Craftiness is not optional" and it should take you to the web page or copy and paste this link into your browser http://www.craftinessisnotoptional.com/2011/05/bapron-tutorial.html
      Hope that helps!!

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  3. I made a few of these last year for newborn presents and you're right - the pattern is great, it's so easy (and quick) to sew up and looks really cute! They make brilliant baby shower or new baby gifts. I'm sure I'll be making more of these for my now-pregnant friends over the next few months! Love your fabric and colour choices.

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    1. It was pretty fast to sew up! I'd love to see what fabrics you use, so be sure to post pictures on your blog when you make some!

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    2. I've got a photo or two on there from last year (you'll have to scroll through to October 2011!) - I only used cotton rather than flannel but think next time I make I'll definitely use fleece or flannel to make it more luxurious.

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  4. Bias tape is my sewing nemesis--I am quite amazed by how good yours looks! I guess it's not really my nemesis, we get along well enough for me to use bias strips here and there, but I normally don't care for projects with an entire binding like this, because I can't get it to look nice enough. I would love to see the picture of how you lined it up, as any tips would help!

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    1. Next time I make one ill take photos and post more tips on the bias tape binding!

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  5. just to update the website you linked to now charges for the PDF file that should be free

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    1. Thanks for the update! It does appear that it is no longer free. It's a cute pattern so I guess it was smart of her to cash in on it? $6 isn't too pricey, but I can understand why people would be a little upset since it was free before.

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Thanks for reading! I welcome any advice, insights, witty remarks, snarky comebacks, commiserations or just a quick hello. I'd love to check out your blog as well, so let me know where you're posting. Happy sewing!