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

https://www.with-heart-and-hands.com/p/my-own-free-patterns-tutorials-and.html