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Another baby sewing project from the Lotta Jansdotter “Simple Sewing for Baby” book that caught my interest was the wipeable baby bibs made with oilcloth or laminated cotton fabric.  However, I didn’t have any oilcloth or laminated cotton fabric on hand so I thought I would search online to see if I could order a small piece to try out first.  Turns out that 1/2 a yard was the smallest amount I could get but by the time you added shipping, it was like paying double for it.  Ho hum.  Well, maybe that idea will have to be put to rest until I can figure out if there’s a local fabric store that carries oilcloth.

Then the very next day, I was strolling through Target and stumbled upon this super cute tablecloth with utensils all over it.  I thought, “This is a little too noisy for our table,” and then started to walk away when I realized that wait!  It’s got a slick surface on top.  <Turn package over>  What?  It’s wipeable, you don’t have to wash it to clean it?  Hmmm … this just might work!

In the end, I was able to make 5 baby bibs and one 30″ x 44″ splash mat / mess mat out of the one tablecloth that was about $8 after tax.  Not too shabby, eh?  I will have to say that the polyester backside made it a little difficult to sew together (I did a front and back to the bibs so both side were wipeable) because it would shift at times so there were some little bits of puckering here and there.  I used adhesive velcro squares for the connecting pieces.

A quick note about the splash mat – truthfully, I made it because I was tired of making the same bibs!  So I trimmed the leftover rectangle and folded it in half, then sewed up all four sides.  I made a little strap and sewed it onto one of the edges so that I velcro it closed when not in use, making it easier to transport around.

The tablecloth material is super light weight and dries quickly by hanging it over the shower on a hanger.

Next time I’ll definitely try making the bibs out of oilcloth and/or the laminated cotton fabric.  Stay tuned for the results!