Messy Kid Bib...Sorta

How many of you have messy eaters at your house? Right. And how many of you actually use bibs? Right. I was one of those mamas who felt like bibs didn't really work. You know, they only protect that little bit of shirt underneath the bib, and sometimes baby even manages to get food there too. So I would either strip the babe down and let her/him eat in a diaper or just sigh and throw their clothes into the hamper (like six times a day).

Ok, well now I have three kids, so that doesn't really work anymore (if it ever did!). Enter the solution: the Messy Kid Bib from Little things to Sew. Large enough to cover the whole front of the baby! Now we're talking! I liked it right away.

However, I couldn't resist making a few changes to the pattern based on past experience, and lack of a few components.

First off I didn't have any velcro handy, which I wouldn't have used anyway. I can understand why parents like velcro on bibs (easy on) but in this house it also proves to be a minor problem (easy off!). The bibs with velcro tabs never stay on for long (we're talking seconds here). So I knew I wanted to go old school and used small snap on the first bib. When that also proved no match for a determined baby, I switched to buttons, which work like a charm.

And then there was the pocket. I know that they are supposed to collect stray bits of food, but at this stage in her life, Norah isn't about to be so limited. She's a thrower, so food ends up everywhere, rendering that cute little pocket useless. (A dog, on the other hand, would be a great asset around here.)

Ok then.

Next up: iron-on vinyl. Way cool. And although I'll probably use it for some other project, I decided against it here. Basically I figured it would be easier to just throw the bibs into the wash with the kitchen towels. I can completely see the argument against this plan, however, so feel free to pipe up and change my mind.

And finally, the super adorable binding. That I definitely would have done, but I was too impatient to make my own and didn't have anything cute on hand. So there you go.

She's still a messy kid, but at least her clothes are kept clean just that little bit longer.

Happy sewing!