I love babies. I love baby cheeks, baby eyes, tiny little baby toes, and their sweet little baby smell. I have three babies of my own (though none of them like to be referred to as babies anymore), and I’m content with our decision not to have any more. But, I always get excited when a friend or relative announces they have a new baby on the way because that means I not only get to hold, smell and admire a new little life, I get to make things – baby things!

When my oldest was born, wayyyy back in 1998, baby stuff was not all that attractive – or maybe it was just because I was young and couldn’t afford boutique shopping. All I know is the baby items from those days seemed to be in mostly blue and pink pastels and covered in teddy bears. It didn’t matter what you thought of teddy bears, you could scarcely find a baby-related item (blanket, outfit, bib, etc.) without a bombardment of teddy bears emblazoned upon it. And while I can see the correlation between babies and teddy bears, the juvenile prints seemed a tad over-the-top to me.

Thankfully, more modern prints have taken hold, and no longer are we stuck choosing between blue or pink for everything baby-related. Better yet, you can choose to have teddy bears, if that’s your thing, but you can also find things in bold prints and colors that are a far cry from the pastel-plastered past.

A friend of mine recently painted her unborn son’s nursery a color called Silver Fox. It was a light, cool gray. I have to admit, I was giddy when she said the nursery was going to be in a woodlands theme. Aside from making me think of a certain song my 12-year-old (and everyone else who listens to pop) had on repeat for months in the not-so-distant-past, the paint color instantly reminded me of some adorable fox printed flannel fabric I had previously admired at my local craft store. It combines one of my favorite colors (an earthy burnt orange) with one of my favorite patterns – paisley!

There’s also an adorable cotton print in the same fabric collection (Magic Moon Little Fox, if you’re looking to buy some of your own) that includes bicycles and geometric trees. I searched a little for some complimentary fabric, and instantly fell in love with a light aqua quatrefoil cotton print. A light aqua terrycloth is the perfect pairing for projects that need a little more absorption, and I used a more bold geometric print in orange, blue, brown, and yellow for items that may be more prone to get dirty with use.

Here’s a fun (and super easy) project to try with your favorite fabric finds. Alone or paired with a baby bath set, these are perfect for a baby shower gift.

Baby Washcloths

Supplies:

• Flannel fabric – 6 x 6 inch square for each washcloth (a fat quarter should give you enough material for 9 washcloths)
• Terrycloth – same amount as your flannel fabric
• Rotary cutter and cutting mat (not necessary, but immensely simplifies this project)
• Large grid ruler (or regular ruler)
• Sewing machine, thread, and other notions

What to do:

1. Cut your fabrics into 6 x 6 inch squares. If using a rotary cutter, you can typically cut through two layers of fabric with no trouble at all, making it even easier to get your material cut. If not, use a marker to draw 6 x 6 inch grids on your material and cut out with scissors.
2. Pin right sides of material together (my terrycloth looks pretty well the same on both sides, so if you can’t tell, it’s okay – just make sure your flannel print is right-side-in).
3. Sew around the outside edges of each square sandwich using a 1/4-inch seam allowance, leaving a 2 or 3-inch opening on one side.
4. Clip the corners (you’re just cutting a small triangle from each corner close to the stitching, but be careful not to cut the stitch) and using the opening, turn the fabric right-side-out.
5. Finger press or iron the opening closed after pushing in the excess fabric, and iron each square individually, lining up the edges of fabric. (If you don’t iron, pin your fabric squares to line up the edges of your fabric and pin your opening closed.)
6. Sew a top-stitch around the edges of the squares (as close to the edge as possible – typically about 1/8-inch), being sure to sew the opening closed. Don’t forget to back-stitch at the beginning and end of your stitching to lock in the threads and prevent unraveling.

You did it! You can roll up the washcloths or stack them up and tie with a pretty ribbon for gifting. These are the perfect size for washing little people (I still use them when bathing my 5-year-old) and the flannel provides a softer side for gentle areas, while the terrycloth offers a little more loop for removing the dirt and grime little ones seem to attract.

Here are some of the other items I made for the baby shower…