Why my Christmas presents will be late...

My Christmas gifts are going to be late this year. I mean the 2013 gifts. My family pushed back the gift giving until our visit in February. Sounded like plenty of time, even for the make-it-all-from-scratcher's. I was feeling confident. Until the new car seat arrived.

We need to bump everyone up in the car seat department. For sizing purposes. Gwennan and Carrick both sit above the highest belt position. Afton's current car seat is a Britax - it could comfortably hold a 15 year old. Nevertheless, everyone is moving up.

The giant amazon box arrives with the new booster seat. Bright pink with 2 cup/treasure/discarded hair bow holders. Every little girls dream seat. And did I mention that she gets to use the grown up seat belt?

And what do we have to offer Afton?

The two year old cosco with its stained, crumby seat and faded flowers. She didn't seem to mind, but Daddy and I felt sorry for the Hand-me-down Kid.

Afton and I made a trip through the scrap bag. Lo and behold, we found her "favorite, most beautiful fabric I ever wanted."

Minky dot.

Yeah, I was curse smiling.

Reasons to use minky dot on a car seat cover:

1. Your three year old has a fit of trembling joy over soft and pink and polka dot

2. It's super stain resistant

3. It's synthetic, so it should withstand the test of wiggling, squirming three year old bum

Reasons never to use minky dot for anything. Ever!

1. It stretches unpredictably making is hard to cut, hard to iron, hard to pin, hard to sew, etc...

2. It melts onto your iron in a stinky pink goo if you're two clicks too hot

3. The dots flatten under your sewing machine foot so that the pieces you sized and cut is not the same piece you actually sew down.

Reason 1 under the pro's is really all that matters. At any rate, one of two things will happen: this project will come out great, producing an ecstatic three year old, or I'll throw it down I frustration and start over. And I'll have a still ecstatic three year old. Fortunately, A is a generally grateful soul.

And if you're waiting for your Christmas presents... You might get to wait a little longer.

Happy Momma'ing!!

Katie

A sewing note - This project is for an intermediate, confident seamstress {aka, top of my abilities}, since you have to tear apart the existing car seat cover, making your seat useless until you finish. Have a back up seat or nowhere pressing to go. If anyone is interested, here's the tutorial I found most helpful. This tutorial is for an infant seat cover, but the same method works for any seat cover. If recovering a booster, you will need a small piece of foam rubber for the seat cushion. I used an old camping mat.

An immediate update {I started the project and post a few days ago} - The car seat cover was a success. Afton was thrilled with her soft pink seat. Everything lined up as it should. I would definitely do this again.