Nicole Mallalieu is a designer-patternmaker and a rather obsessed crafty type. She designs sewing patterns and her business specialises in the patterns and supplies to make purses, handbags and hats. Nicole is dedicated to teaching people to become better and more confident with their sewing skills, while they make fun, fashionable things they’ll want to wear and use. Her book You Sew, Girl! (ABC Books/HarperCollins) is dedicated to the same cause.
Quite a few new babies have arrived in my circle of friends and family in the last month or so, and I’ve been trying to think of gifts that are not my usual hats and bibs. I think my friends and family have seen enough bibs and hats from me. So…. it’s time to expand the repertoire a bit ….although I struggle to get away from using a bias tape maker, quilt basting spray and a tailors awl, it seems. (I find them to be my most-used baby-gift-making tools).
Casting my mind back to the early months of motherhood, I remembered all the weird and wonderful places I was caught without a place to change baby’s nappy (diaper). It’s always good to have a ready-made soft surface to lay baby on, and even better if it can carry spare nappies and wipes, and be machine washable, to boot. I wish I’d been organised enough at the time, to have made something like this for myself!
I made this one using a quilting fabric (Candy Shop by Michael Miller fabrics) and some chenille fabric, simply because they toned in nicely together. You could equally use a towel instead of chenille and/or oilcloth instead of the quilting fabric. You could also carefully measure the pocket divisions to fit specific sized objects (like lotion, a box of wipes, a folded cloth nappy or change-mat liner etc).
I plan to give this one to a new family member, complete with the basic ‘kit’ for a few nappy-changes… with possibly a bib… and a hat.
Download the detailed 4 page PDF with instructions right here.
{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
A beautiful gift! Maybe I’ll go have another baby so I can score one… ;-)
Love it! Another thing to add to my list of things to make. I know a few people with babies too.
Oooo I really like that! And I could definitely use one of those sometimes, trying to get the diapers, wipes, desitin, and changing mat out all at once is always a feat in the back seat of my car!
Am now making baby gifts for friends of daughter (who is mother to two precious girls). I get requests for my crocheted blankets, but try to mix things up. This is a perfect way to personalize the gift to the nursery style/design for on the go. Love It!!
That’s Brilliant – thanks Nikki!
Creative! Love it! I’ll have a niece & I’ll make one. Thank you so much for the share.
I made one of these today and it’s SO cute, but I need some better pics of what to do with the ends of the binding after sewing them on. My ends look all scraggely :(
I have enjoyed all types of sewing and really love the tutorial on the baby changing pad. Thanks for sharing, you are appreciated. I have a great grand child that will be here in two months and will make this to go along with the quilt I am doing.
Happy Holidays Shirley
Oooh, I’ve been looking for something just like this–going to make it for a baby shower next month! Thanks so much for a great tutorial!
I have a friends daughter who just had a baby. She seems to have everything that she needs, so I still haven’t made a gift yet. Now this is the Perfect Baby Gift. Thank you so very much for sharing the tutorial. Huggles