Burpees

About ten years ago I was on Oprah and she surprised me with videos from my good friends ( and co-stars at the time) T.R Knight and Justin Chambers. I loved every second of both videos but was slightly embarrassed by Justin telling millions of viewers that I could burp like a truck driver. The truth is…I can. For years I blamed my noxious behavior on IBS. Though I did suffer from it, it was not the reason I burp like a “truck driver”. There are a couple of reasons why I indulge this bad habit.  One, I grew up with big brothers and impressing them was high on my list of daily goals. Nothing impresses teenage boys more than gross bodily functions. Two, I’m of the mind that it’s better out than in. To be clear I’m talking only about burping, my theory does not apply to functions below the waist. This is especially true for infants. All of us mom’s know how important a big juicy belch is after our baby is done with their feeding. It’s so important that some of us even cheer once it happens. Ok, maybe I’m the only one who cheers, but hey, I know how good it feels! Which is why burp cloths are a necessity for the new mother. Thankfully my burps do not include anything other than air; but, with a baby…well, trust me, you need a burp cloth.

I whipped up a stack of these classic looking Oxford Burp Cloths for my SIL in about an hour using my serger. The pattern calls for hemming them but like I said in an earlier post, why hem if you can serge? Especially when you’re making something as utilitarian as burp cloths!

I chose a subtle yellow and a chambray blue stripe as my colors. I love the nautical vibe the two create together.

I did run into a little fabric slippage when trying to serge the oxford and the flannel together and ended up with about three cloths that were not as tidy and neat looking as I hoped. I then went on to make it worse by washing them. Of course burp cloths need to be machine washable and these are. The mistake I made was by not pre washing the fabric before I serged it. The flannel shrunk a bit but the oxford did not. Now I had usable, but non too pretty burp cloths. I cut them apart and started over which resulted in three slightly smaller cloths that I decided were perfect for the diaper bag.

Too much of the oxford and not enough of the flannel created this mess.
Oh, why did I not pre wash?!

I’m all about craft projects that are useful, beautiful and EASY. These serged burp cloths are all three, as long as you pre wash the fabric before you begin!

A slightly smaller set that are great for life on the go!

The end result of starting over. I think they turned out pretty cute and I’m even wondering if they could be used as wash cloths…

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10 Comments

  • Tiffany

    How funny! Trying to impress brothers… I had one brother, but I know what you mean. I’m really starting to think about getting a serger. You seem to like the brand that you purchased. I had the same thought about if these would work for washcloths. These would make cute cloths for small household tasks and would look cute rolled up in a basket. I might make some and add some natural cleaners in pretty bottles as a gift set. Thanks for this craft idea. I hope you post more throughout the summer.

    June 2, 2016 at 10:17 am Reply
  • Stephanie

    They look great!

    June 2, 2016 at 7:59 pm Reply
  • Alex

    Those look great and sound simple enough to make. I have not ventured into the whole sewing thing, but I do have a machine in my closet still in the box! These would be great gifts for all the people I know having babies! I think I’ll teach myself about the serger.

    June 23, 2016 at 5:19 pm Reply
  • Danielle Schamer

    Getting a handmedown serger and have no idea how to use it but oh so excited to play! This will have to be one of my first projects! Simple and easy. I’m on the hunt for some farmhouse style fabric at a relatively competitive price. Where do you get your fabrics? I adore your color choices and these are the type of fabric prints I’m looking for 🙂

    June 24, 2016 at 1:11 pm Reply
  • Jessica

    I always wanted to be able to burp words, or at least the alphabet…just can’t do it Bummer! I really like your blog btw. ☺️ Greetings from Germany Jess

    July 5, 2016 at 4:49 pm Reply
  • Jane Musters

    First things first. You are darling and this blog is such a sweet treat to be able to view when I have some down time. I am interested in a serger. Was the learning curve hard? Do you recommend a specific one? My littlest leaves me for Kindergarten in the fall and while bitter sweet I am excited to have some more time for my creative crafty side, although I’ll honestly just make things for my kids because I will miss them so much that I will sew and serge with tears! j/k

    July 19, 2016 at 5:44 am Reply
  • kristyn smith

    I love that you are a fellow sewer! I love that you seem real. I am sure you could buy these but I love that you make them and like me, see the fun and special-ness…(not a word but I got stuck)…in making these. Thank you for this blog, I just love it

    July 23, 2016 at 2:26 am Reply
  • Heidi LeRoy

    I have to admit. I am slightly addicted to your blog and your ideas in general. I am trying to space out reading all your posts so that I don’t get through them too fast. I LOVE these burp cloths. I have no use for a burp cloth at the time being but would love to cut back on all these paper towels! I try to recycle but I feel like my paper towel usage kind of offsets my recycling lol. Thanks again for another fun read!

    August 22, 2016 at 9:08 pm Reply
  • Sue

    Had to smile at the impressing brothers bit, my daughter is the youngest in the family with 3 older brothers and can burp the alphabet thanks to her grandad! As you can imagine, it all turns into a competition when all are at home, even though she’s now 25. Love your burpee cloths, I make these too wish I’d had them when mine were little

    August 24, 2016 at 1:13 pm Reply
  • Tracey

    Excitement – that is why you didn’ t prewash! When that creative drive hits waiting for fabric to wash and dry feels like a form of crafting torture. 🙂

    August 30, 2016 at 8:34 am Reply
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