I often get asked what fabrics are good for backing bibs, burp cloths and other similar items. Minky fabric, or printed cotton both work really well for the top layer of a bib. But when it comes to fabric for backing bibs, what should you choose?

Fabric choices

Parents use bibs on their babies for feeding, keeping clothes clean and to deal with teething babies who tend to dribble a lot. For this reason, the bib needs to be absorbent and easy to wash and take care of. It should also be made of a fabric that won’t irritate a babies delicate skin. Many of our fabrics are ideal for this, although some are better than others. Our microfibre terry fabric is very absorbent and quick drying. I would suggest that as it can irritate if directly against the skin it should only be used if covered by other fabrics, as a hidden inner fabric. If you wish to make a bib or burp cloth like this, then you can use microfleece as the backing fabric. This is a nice and soft fabric, although it is not absorbent itself.

Fabric for backing bibs

We stock two fabrics at minkylicious that are ideal for backing bibs and burp cloths. Our bamboo fleece is lovely and soft and also very absorbent. The only down side to this fabric is that it can be a little slow to dry. It is quite a thick fabric, so it will depend on how thick your top fabric is that you are using. Our other choice is cotton terry fabric. Cotton terry is soft and absorbent and is what your bathroom towels are probably made out of. It is also really easy to wash and take care of. People have been using terry to back bibs and burp cloths for many years, but it can be quite hard to get hold of in New Zealand. We have recently started stocking it in white here.

What fabrics do you like to use for making bibs with? Let us know in the comments below or on our facebook page.

Related posts:

Choosing fabric for baby bibs Which absorbent fabric? Making cloth menstrual pads Caring for minky fabric