Monster Bib {Pattern & Tutorial}

Hi all! After the great response on my girly baby bib post I decided to make a tutorial for my newest bib design. The monster bib.

I love how they turned out and hope you do too.

So let's get started.

Supplies needed-

• Pattern (download here: Page 1 | Page 2)
• Fabric (2 coordinating fabrics plus scraps of black and white for pupils, eyes, and teeth)
• Batting (optional)
• Fabric for backing (flannel, fleece, chenille, minky, etc...)
• Wonder Under
• Writing utensil for tracing 
• Scissors
• Thread
• Iron/Ironing board 
• Sewing machine
• Snaps or velcro

Download and cut out your pattern. Overlap the top section of the bib on the dotted line of the bottom section of the bib and tape the two pieces together. Iron your fabrics. Cut your main fabric 12" x 10.5" and the fabric that will be below the teeth to 4" x 10.5".

Trace the four circles (the eyes) and the teeth onto the smooth side of your Wonder Under. Cut around each piece of the Wonder Under leaving a little extra "negative space" and iron them rough side down onto your fabrics following the directions on the back of the package. If you are using felt like I did for the pupils, make sure you use a barrier between the iron and the felt (like a scrap of cotton fabric) or you can scorch the felt and cause it to melt.

I've had a couple of readers mention they dislike applique and find it difficult to get the paper off. The Wonder Under can be a pain to work with. Here is what I've learned to make it a bit easier to get the backing off without causing the edges to fray.

So, we left a bit of negative space before ironing the Wonder Under onto the fabric. Before you start to cut out around your shape, lift one side of the Wonder Under and peel it away from the fabric exposing the adhesive underneath. Set it back down and then cut around your shape. Now you already have an edge to help you pull off the backing without picking at the corner trying to get a start. You then rip it off fast like you would a band-aid.

Place the teeth onto the top of your 4" x 10.5" piece of fabric and iron it down. Sew around the perimeter (I forgot this step until later). Layout your main fabric front (the 12" x 10.5") face up. Line up the mouth with your teeth closest to the bottom as shown above. Fabrics should be right sides together. With a 1/4-inch seam allowance, sew the two together and then press.

Fold fabric right sides together in half longways. Line up the bib pattern on the inside crease and trace the bib onto the back (obviously, make sure to keep the teeth towards the bottom of the pattern). This will make placing the eyes in the correct position easier. Take the Wonder Under backing off the eyeballs, iron them down, and then sew around the perimeter. Repeat with the pupils. Instead of back-stitching, pull the front threads to the back and tie a knot.

Now we are ready to assemble our bib. Trace and cut out your bib pattern on your batting and your fabric for the backing (in my case, this is minky). Sandwich them together as follows: on bottom your minky right side up, then your monster face right-side towards the minky, followed by your batting on top of that. If you are not using batting, it's just the two fabrics right-sides together. Pin them together and sew a 1/4-inch seam around the bib, leaving a small opening for turning at the bottom.

Cut notches around your bib making sure not to cut your stitches. Then turn the bib right-side out using a chopstick or other blunt-tipped tool. Iron your monster flat, folding in the fabric from your opening and pinning it to close it up. Top stitch around the edge of the entire bib to finish it off. Now all you have left to do is attach snaps or velcro and you're finished!

Finished bib measures 8.5" wide by 13" tall. 

I think the one I made for the tutorial turned out looking more like a dragon. :) See how versatile this fabulous pattern is?

Drop me a line if you have any questions!