Sep 4, 2009

Making an Adult Bib








A good friend is someone who not only gives you a free pattern, but a working model of an adult sized bib and gives it just in time for a Frugal Friday idea! Perfect for my almost completely housebound MIL who can only walk (using a walker) with a lot of pain. So, many meals are prepared and served to her as she sits in her favorite chair in the living room.

As any of you who has ever tried to watch TV and eat at the same time knows something almost always spills and often you end up ruining a nice or even favorite piece of clothing. Time to protect and defend the elderly with a 'senior' bib!

And as someone who is almost ready for a working model for myself, I know this will not only be appreciated for its feminine look but unlike a typical adult bib, or the use of a kitchen towel upon one's front but for its practicality. It's simply made of a few pieces of fabric, a simple pattern and a little trim. And it can be opened and closed with a simple velcro closure in the back.

And furthermore, it's actually two patterns in one! One side of the pattern is a ladie's version with a round collar, and the other side, a typical pointed-end gentleman's collar. Add a bow or a little ribbon for the lady (and perhaps a few decorative buttons) and a nice homemade bow tie for the man.

Enlarge photo and notice the approximate sizing for all widths about 16", length about 29" and the choice of rounded or pointed collars shown. For the body, you create your own pattern in an elongated curved shape as shown. You want it long enough to go down onto the abdomen, wide enough to cover someone's front size with a neck opening large enough to be comfortable, but not gaping. Enlarge all photos and the rulings on the mat will help you create your own 'to size' pattern.

Cut out a duplicate front and back section out of fabric #1 and a collar from fabric #2 ...using a round collar section for a woman and the pointed collar section for a man. The collar section is folded and place on the fabric's fold and only the side you want is traced and cut-out around.

Sew right sides together, leaving an opening for turning. Top stitch around edges (adding eyelet trim previously, if desired) Trim with buttons or bows and stitch on a little velcro closure...one to each side section, one up on top, one under( on the opposite side.)

As I leave this morning, to drive DH to an unexpected trip to an oral surgeon (for a painfully impacted wisdom tooth) and wisdom tooth removal surgery at 7:40 am today, I'm wondering if there's still enough time to make him a quick gentleman's version.

And if he doesn't want to wear it, I may especially after fitting in all of those ice packs, milkshakes, bowls of soup, and ice cream I'm going to be serving in the middle of an already busy schedule!

                                           Just cut down a man or woman' shirt!

Added into my plans for working at the State Fair all day tomorrow in our Mid-Valley Quilt Guild's demonstration booth, I suspect I'll be either frothing at the mouth or drooling before the day's end, not to mention that I can never, ever eat without spilling something. 

And if I'm wearing white or something brand new, or I'm out in public...well, it's guaranteed!

So, it's an absolute given that one of these might just need to fit into my life at least for private usage ;)

Until then, thanks to 'Friday' for a great gift idea and blog post for my 'Frugal Friday Freebie' pattern give-away. And if you didn't catch this, my friend's name who gave me the bib and the pattern is truly "Friday"! Practically perfect in every way!

Other versions with collars and without!





 


Want it even longer?

 



Note:

I used cotton fabrics. Some of them have a thin layer of flannel or cotton quilt batting inside, some don't.

They all worked well and food was kept off her clothes.  For extra messy foods or lots of spills, I'd use terry cloth, two layers or even a single layer of a re-purposed bath or hand towel, hemmed with bias tape around neck and  extending out for ties.

Just about anything works really. Fabric needs to be washable of course!

Here is a pdf with measurements:

Adult Bib also known as a clothing protector PDF print off longer version

Free to Use Pattern

Please try these and remember pdf files download onto your computer desktop automatically. 

They should be under your 'Download' file under documents but sometimes we all get our settings mixed up. 

Search for files beginning with the large bib, class bib, or Michele Bilyeus bibs.

But I relisted them at bottom using files from my quilt guild which also used my files only in their own format. Hoping theirs work better than my originals!

 Best of luck to you and enjoy! 

Click purple links below they will auto download for you!  

 Adult Bib 
                                                       
Large Bib    

                                         
Michele Bilyeu Page to use When teaching.   Bib                                                                 
Adult Bib Pattern.pdf


And just for fun: Make your own fabric pattern weights:



I just cut a variety of squares or rectangle shapes from doubled fabric, sew 3 sides together on wrong side of fabric (leaving a small opening for turning and filling), then turn right side out, fill with dried beans etc.(I use a little funnel for this) and hand stitch the opening closed.


Michele Bilyeu Creates *With Heart and Hands*: My Tutorial Link Lists: By Themes

25 comments:

Paula, the quilter said...

There is a part of my anatomy that is quite ample and catches spillage. I usually wear my apron to the table. Maybe I should convert your pattern to an apron. How cute that would be!

Scrappy quilter said...

Now that is one great bib. I think I'll try making it later in the fall. I definitely need it and it would make a great gift for my mom. Thanks for the pattern.

Shelina (formerly known as Shasta) said...

I tend to feed my clothes too. Don't want them to go hungry! I should make one or more of these too.

Stephanie D said...

I think I need this; my daughter says my best color is macaroni and cheese.

doni said...

Hope your day at the fair goes as well as ours did! We were there last Wednesday - make neck and helmet coolies for the troops and had lots of fun!

doni @ windy Oregon coast

Unknown said...

Hi everyone! I love this site, asking anyone out there on how to make an adult bib with some kind of protector in case my mom should spill hot coffee on herself. Used to sew and haven't for about 30 years now, so I'm starting from scratch (kind of). Thank you Esther
MiafrHeavn1@aol.com

Terry said...

My sincere thanks to you, Michele , our mom needed some adult bids and your pattern fits her needs to the T. Thanks you so much for genorosity. God Bless you and your family. Terry

Chris said...

Such a great post! My grandmother is 103 years old and uses a bib at every meal. We never have enough! The collar is adorable. I'm going to make her some for Christmas. Thank you again. :)

Anonymous said...

My disabled daughter always wears a bib. I am thinking of making some for our Easter Seals of West Georgia that she attends. Theirs are in really sad shape at this time. Thanks for the ideas. Susan

Daniel said...

How wonderful.I have a cousin who's severely handicapped he drools constantly He gets around on his hands dragging his body behind him. He also uses a wheel chair and she uses a stair lift to get him in bed.He's a wonderful little man of 25 years.He's paralyzed from his chest down,his grandmother is rearing him she keeps a large handkerchief around his neck to catch all the drool.Thanks for sharing this pattern.I'll have my Mom make him one.There's so many things handicap people can use in their lives and this is a great one.

Oksue said...

Thanks so much for sharing this pattern. I plan on making some for our local nursing home.

Grammieto2 said...

thank you so much for your pdf, a friend has recruited me to make several for a group of her friends but i didn't have a clue as the measurements required. i found this great bingo fabric as thats where they wanted them for, lol. i'm sure she will get a charge out of them.

Barb said...

Thanks so much for this pattern...

Unknown said...

May I ask you what kind of fabric do you use? Thanks for sharing.

Unknown said...

What kind of fabric is used for these? Thanks for sharing

Michele Bilyeu said...

Shannon,

I used cotton fabrics. Some of them have a thin layer of flannel or cotton quilt batting inside, some don't.

They all worked well and food was kept off her clothes. For extra messy foods or lots of spills, I'd use terry cloth..two layers...or even a single layer of a re-purposed bath or hand towel, hemmed with bias tape around neck and extending out for ties.

Just about anything works really. Fabric needs to be washable of course!

Michele

Lanetta said...

I hate the term "bib" when referencing for an adult! I use the phrase "Wearable Napkin" and just made two for an upcoming road trip with my 88 year young mom! I certainly need one as well while driving and eating tacos! ;)

Unknown said...

I have a group at my church and would like this pattern as another sewing charitable project, I can't open the above pattern, can you send it to me?
Lucy Woods
lucyw10@sbcglobal.net

Michele Bilyeu said...

Lucy this is not a PDF pattern that you download. It is a tutorial that I made for free to share with others on how I make my own adult bibs. Print photo of pattern and write in measurements you figure out from photos. In order to make a pattern you would look at the photo I include where the bib is laid out on a cutting board that is measured in inches. From that you can tell how long and how wide it is to get an idea for drawing your own pattern. Even a big piece of psoet..even like gift wrap or newsprint can work as pattern paper.

Confused said...

I tried to download your bib pattern several times, but it said there were too many directs and it couldn't find it. Could you please help? My sister has Alzheimer's and this would work really well for her.

Michele Bilyeu said...

Confused: Please try these and remember pdf files download onto your computer desktop automatically. They should be under your 'Download' file under documents but sometimes we all get our setting mixed up. Search for files beginning with the large bib, class bib, or Michele Bilyeus bibs. But I relisted them at bottom of post once more to make sure they worked. Best of luck to you and enjoy!

Nena said...

Michele, I love the little peter pan collared bib and want to make one but "Pin pattern to fabric with center on fold line" huh?

Nena said...

Where is the peter pan collar template?

Unknown said...

Thank you for the free download. Your generosity in posting this free design helps the families of handicap individuals.

Sandra Regina Rosa said...

Lindos seus trabalhos😍