Ladies,
I just found out that a co-worker of mine and his wife are expecting their first child.
I don't have kids but would love to use this as an excuse to make some cool, useable things for baby and mom and dad!
I will make a quilt but what other things do new parents to be need for a baby?
Please help with any suggestions.
I can Machine Embroider as well and am looking at cute baby designs...
Onesies, what are these, where do I get em and how many...
Bibs...how many?
Burp cloths...do they really use these?
Any help would be appreciatted? Bottles? Gift Cards? Help!!!!
Thanks,
Kirsten
[email protected]

Bibs work well when they start to eat. Burp Cloths are necessary! I go through at least 2 or 3 a day! Onesies are t shirt type things with snaps around the diaper area so it won't fall off or anything. They are great. You can get these anywhere (Wal-mart, Target). They sell them in a package, usually like 4 or 5 for $10. Honestly, a gift card is the best because they can go get whatever they need that they didn't get off their registry. I love homemade gifts the best! Hope I helped!

Changing pad is a must. Along with a Dipper/all perpuse bag. So when they go out with the little one.

Thanks for all the help.
I think I have a few months to get some things together.
Kirsten

Babies live in sleepers for the first six months of their little lives. They are always appreciated. Don't get anything too small, I wouldn't get anything smaller than 6 months.(the onesies are nice but if you live in a really warm climate otherwise they need something more)

Sometimes, I buy an outfit that is 18-24 months in size because by then it seems like all the shower gifts are too small! Moms always seem to appreciate that.....

A quilt made by you is the nicest gift possible! You are so sweet to spend the time making one, it will be most appreciated and loved. :lol:

Get some Sleep Sacks. They are great because they are safer than putting a blanket in the crib. You could get solid color ones and embroider cute things on them.

https://www.halosleep.com/products/detail/20/100_cotton_sleepsack%E2%84%A2_wearable_blanket/15/100_cotton_sleepsack%E2%84%A2_wearable_blanket_-_prints_solids/]https://www.halosleep.com/products/d...prints_solids/[/url]

Since your a sewer, you could just make stuff instead of buy. The pattern companies have baby accessory patterns.

Honestly, I HATED burp cloths... They were WAY TOO SMALL. Then, a friend received some at a shower... One of the craftier ladies in her group had taken pre-fold diapers (Target, Wal-Mart, Babies R Us all sell them) and embroidered cute little baby designs on them. They were big enough, and super-absorbent (wonderful for those babies with a 3-cloth-a-day habit!)
Bibs are great, and Hobby Lobby sells some that can be machine embroidered.
Onesies are a staple of every baby wardrobe! Like someone else said, all stores that carry baby things carry them, and they're fairly inexpensive. Embroidered, they are a wonderful gift.
(I also do a fair amount of machine embroidery, and I love it!)

I bought a heap of hand towels that I found were a bit narrower then normal and embroidered on one end for burp cloths

the suggestion to buy a few bigger items in larger sizes - especially things like the onesies and sleepers is an excellent idea. The babies usually grow SO FAST!

Also, last time I looked, the onesies came in short sleeves and long sleeves.
But it's been a while since I've looked.

For a baby shower gift, I would usually get a small laundry basket, some Dreft, some disposable diapers and wipes - and then depending on how much more money I wanted to spend, some more diapers in a larger size, and baby clothes hangers. Then I put the stuff in a large trash bag and tied it with pretty ribbons.

Usually didn't get much in the line of "oh, how cute" comments at the shower, but I did get comments later from the Mom on how useful this was

http://tipnut.com/50-free-projects-for-baby/ has lots of free baby stuff patterns

My favorite baby gift to give is a hooded towel. The ones found in stores are almost always made from stretch terry which isn't very absorbent. Everyone I've given one to has loved them. Here's a few links.

http://patchyapple.wordpress.com/200...hooded-towels/ I make them using this method for young babies. Rather than using binding I just serge the edges. I also machine embroider a cute design on the hood.

I've also made hooded towels for toddlers using this method. http://www.butterick.com/bhc/pages/a...wels/towel.htm
I've used a hand towel for the hood rather than two waschcloths because it usually costs less than two washcloths. You could modify this idea and make it smaller for a new baby.

This is a pic of one I made recently. I stitched a strip of cute fabric on each edge of the towel and on the hood.

Onesies are little outfits like tshirts that snap in the crotch area. This is wonderful so that the shirts and sweaters don't pull up leaving that precious skin open to the elements.

When I was sewing machine shopping I found this http://www.oksewingandvacuum.com/elnapro.htm It is a free pattern for how to make onesies, even though it says Elna you can make it on any machine, just scroll down a bit till you see it.

When I was pregnant with dd I searched and searched for these. I didn't like the styles of the month and finally found nicely made ones at an outlet store. They had little embroideries just below the center of the neckline little baby animals and said things like "daddy and me" "I love my mommy" The thread on the sleeves matched the embroidery. I just loved them. They were perfect for wearing out, wearing in, or layering with.

One thing I made for mine was really cushy pads made for changing diapers on the floor.

Here's some machine emb appliqued burps I made, if this will help you any. My neice loved them for her newborn son.

sewnsewer2, your burp pads are adorable! Did you make them from diapers?

Sewnsewer2!!!
Those are fantastic and look like something I would like to do!!!
Do you have the directions? Any help or tips!
Thanks to everyone!!!
Kirsten
[email protected]

Thanks, here's how I made them:

**WASH DIAPERS & flannel 1st to allow shrinkage**

scrap of flannel, cloth diapers (I got mine at Wal-Mart)

Hoop sprayed tearaway stabilizer and lay the diaper on top with a piece of WSS (water soluble stabilizer) on top of the diaper. (if you don't, your design will sink into the diaper)

Then stitch your design and remove the stabilizers.

Next, cut a piece of flannel the width of the diaper plus 5/8" seam allowance (it may need some adjusting).

Sew 1 long side and the 2 short sides together RST, to form a pocket, then turn. Place the end of the diaper in the pocket you just made, fold the raw edges under 1/2" and stitch with a zig zag or decorative stitch.

Afterwards, wash again to remove any stabilizer.

Here's a few more

Pardon a stupid question....
But...I can go to Walmart and find "cloth diapers"?
In the Baby section?
Hey...I don't have kids so help me out....pleaase....
K

Yes, they usually come in a package of 6 or 12. I believe Gerber makes some.

Sewnsewer2 - those are adorable. You gave me some ideas!!!! Thanks!

You're welcome MelissaK.

Yes KO24, MelissaK is right. They are in the baby section and come in a package of 6. They look really flat and yucky until you wash them and then they fluff up and look real nice.

You could add all kinds of embellishments including ric-rack too.

Let me know if you need any help, ok?

I'm going to have to get some of these things and start experimenting...
This is going to be too fun.
Thanks again everyone
Kirsten

Coming in kind of late, but my favorite gifts was some embroidered cloth diapers (to be used as burp cloths). Cloth diapers make the best burp clothes and I loved how personal they were.

The mom to be will love it!

Why my daughter was born, a friend of my MIL's made her some flannel burp cloths. They were wonderful and useful, plus it was touching that she actually made them herself.

You may also try a taggie blanket -- a small rectangle of flannel or fleece with loops of ribbon around it for the baby to play with/chew on. You can go to taggies.com to get some inspiration.

I just made bibs using a pattern from http://poopockets.com/free/bibs/bibs.htm I used the flannel covered waterproof fabric, got it at Joanns not sure of real name and used flannel for the front material. I didn't put the pocket on my bibs because I hated to clean them out. I also bought terry cloth and flannel to make the small bibs for drooling. The drool bibs were life savers for me when my kids were teething. Have fun.