Homemade Baby Stuff

I started on the collection of baby stuff I want to make for my friend. She is having a baby girl and wanted a fairly gender neutral baby room. She lives in Boston and the baby will be born in October. I am thinking she needs some warm items for her first winter. So I pulled out the flannel to go shopping for more flannel. I started to cut samples and realized that I had about 10 yards of this awesome zigzag flannel (I got it 75% off when the local Jo-ann's closed). I determined it was gender neutral enough with the blue flannel. I ran with it. I am pretty certain she will think I have lost my mind. Its okay she did a long time ago. I am rather broke for the summer so I figured I should use up what I have. So here we go...

This is about the 8th baby sensory ball I have made. I love them, they are super easy to make, wash up well and look expensive. My mom purchased the pattern for me years ago when everyone my age started popping their babes out. I have remade the template for the two pieces but, lost the directions. I always seem to be able to make one after thinking I wont remember how. This one is 2/3 sewn together. I will say I dont think Ive ever made an all flannel one, and I dont love it. It came out really bumpy on the seams. Still learning on the 8th try.

This one came from Pinterest land. I don't spend any time with infants, but the few times I do, I get spit up on. I saw a similar design and looked at the tutorial and adjusted it to what I had on hand. I know I have seen some sad looking burp cloths in stores. I wanted super thick and absorbent pad with a shoulder cut out. I had white wash cloths I got at wally world in a huge pack with colors for a few dollars for ever ago and made travel toothbrush holders. I needed to use those up. I sewed two together and liked the size and then cut batting the same size and two pieces of flannel with a 1 inch allowance. I stacked them in the following order: batting, washcloths with seam down, backing flannel face up, top flannel face down. Pin all side then lay a plate down in the center and cut a semicircle. Stich edge closed twice by using and 3/4 seam allowance and leave a 2" opening on your longest side. 

Before flipping right side out, I trimmed the corners and excessive batting and washcloth from edges and snipped the inner curve so it would flip smoothly. 

I made two and plan to finish them by topstitching and basic quilting. Love them and hope to make a "Daddy" set, because I found more wash cloths I had stashed away. Only if I can find Celtics, Patriots or Red Sox fabric in the Pacific Northwest.