As a new parent, there are lots of things to figure out, so much to learn and adjust to – functioning on severely reduced sleep being the big one and having another human being hanging on you at all times a close second. There are so many things you think you need, or you’re made to feel like you do. You prepare for the arrival, and then there are things that you could really use but are harder to come by for various reasons. One of those key items is a good burp cloth.
My daughter is a spitter-upper, to put it nicely. It’s hard to count on much of a routine with small babies but one constant is – there will be up-chucking. And from that came one of my biggest frustrations…finding a good burp cloth. A burp cloth is a must-have unless you want to do tons of laundry, yours and theirs. And what I could find fell under one of three categories:
(1) Useful but ugly - i.e. cloth diapers or hand towels
(2) Expensive - it’s hard to justify $30 for three cloths that a kid is gonna puke on
(3) Useless crap - might also fall under expensive, usually made out of some material that just can't do the job
In my quest for a useful, attractive, and affordable burp cloth, I decided to design my own. I started with cheap but ugly, cloth diapers, because we have a tight budget. They’re quite absorbent and durable. I avoided the full sized ones, which make you feel like you’re wearing a smock. And we all know that after pregnancy, anything resembling “baggy and frumpy” is a big bummer. I went for the infant size, which fits well over the shoulder. The “diaper” look seemed to stand out more on this smaller size, with its green seaming, and that didn't make me feel too hip. Now I’m not a fashionista or anything but I’d like to feel a little pulled together, if at all possible from time to time. Since the burp cloth was now one of my staples, fast becoming a part of my wardrobe, this was bumming me out a bit.
I bought a "cute" brand out of necessity, having gone to a trendy baby store and forgetting to pack anything useful for the soon to come, unavoidable spit up. It’s hard to remember all the things you need when leaving the house with a little one in tow. Some days I was lucky to remember to change out of my slippers before being half way down the block on my way somewhere! Anyway, this brand of burp cloth, while simple and cute-ish, was narrow and kept slipping off my shoulder. That landed it in the third category: didn’t serve its purpose - resulting in more laundry to do. I went back to the boring diapers, because at least they were effective.
Then, when my daughter was about six months old, with some new, found free time of a half and hour or so here and there – which seems like days after caring for a newborn – I started a sewing project. I covered a few throw pillows with fabric I had to spruce things up around the house. I have some sewing skills, passed down from my mother and grandmother. Something I really enjoy, and can do in snippets of time. Satisfied with my mini makeover, I noticed there were some leftover scraps of lovely fabric.
And that is when it occurred to me: Why not trim out those diapers and make some burp cloths that aren't so frumpy? I was delighted with my results and decided to make some for my friends who had babies. They loved them and encouraged me to consider making them to sell, as we had all experienced the need for a useful, attractive, affordable burp cloth. And here we are – Spitrz – burp cloths that are effective, reasonably priced and look pretty nice to boot.
I’ve compiled an inventory of lovely fabrics and am selling them for $7 each or 3 for $20. For now you can select from designs in: black, brown, green, blue, yellow, red/pinks, or kiddie fabrics. They come pre-washed and can go in the dryer on high. I can be reached with inquiries at spitrzburpcloths@gmail.com or for images of the fabrics and burp cloths I have pre-made.
Thanks for taking the time.
Kiera
