anyone have patterns for adult bibs?

Question

My uncle Jobber Weatherfeild has come to live with us and meal time is a mess. I need bibs for him or out he goes.

Answer 1

If he eats like a wolverine there is only so much you can do. Lay a plastic drop cloth on the floor around his chair,split an oversize sweatshirt up the back and add a little velcro tab at the top to secure. When he slips it on, it will look like an ordinary shirt and will have built-in napkins( sleeves) but he can make as big a mess as he wants...all you have to do is undo the velcro,pull the shirt off inside out and pop in the washer for next time. Lay in a big supply so your wife won't have to do a wash as often.

Answer 2

The idea of an open-backed oversize sweatshirt is good, especially for this time of year. Another common pattern is to take a kitchen towel and cut nice fabric the same size. Cut two pieces of the fabric. Put the fabric pieces together with the right sides together, then put the towel behind one piece, so you have three layers: fabric, fabric, towel. Pin them in place. Use the edge of a cereal bowl to trace a "scoop" for the neck on one end. Cut this out. Sew the whole thing together along the edges, but leave about 6" open at the bottom. Put your hand up inside this hole, between the two fabric layers; turn it right-side out. You'll now have fabric, towel, fabric. Sew the bottom opening shut. Sew ties onto the edges of the neck scoop. Voila! One adult bib.

I have another pattern that I used for my former boss -- he had a severe stroke and his wife was also older and really couldn't be dressing him three more times a day just because he insisted on feeding himself. He wore 'dining shirts.' Because he did not want to wear a real bib, I made these that worked like bibs but did not look like bibs. I can send you the pattern I came up with for those if you email me. I can't describe it well enough. I'll have to draw it with a pen on paper. Then it really will make sense. Click on the name under my not-a-real-avatar over there to email me.