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.

Minky Baby Hat

Yesterday was cold, really cold and windy - yuck. Gross weather for a walk, but we walked nonetheless. Our outing pressed the need for a new hat for Baby A. She's outgrown the many mini hats I knitted before she was born, leaving us with two light cotton options. Not good choices for freezing temperatures. So I endeavored to make a quick, warm hat out of super soft minky.

This pattern creates a double thick hat so that the soft right side of the fabric is against baby's head.  Even taking pictures for the tutorial, I only spent an hour on this project - perfect for last minute baby shower gifts or a quick evening sewing fix. This hat will fit an average 3 month old. If you want to adjust it for an infant, only change the width. You can always roll the brim more. For an older child, increase the width and length.

You will need:
At least 1/4 yard of minky or some other stretchy fabric - fleece, jersey, interlock, etc... Don't forget to iron first!
Coordinating thread
Sewing machine with zig zag stitch capabalities
Basic sewing supplies - scissors, iron, pins
Baby hat for use as pattern. I explain how to make a pattern if you don't have a baby hat.

Start by folding your fabric in half length wise. Then situate the baby hat on the fabric 3" from the fold. I didn't want the top knot, so I rounded off the top when I traced the hat.

Trace the hat extending the line from the side down to the edge of the fold. Cut out your fabric with 1/2" seam allowance. Repeat, creating two long oval pieces once unfolded. You can use your first cut piece as a pattern for the second as seen here:

If you don't have a baby hat, don't despair.  The basic shape can be created by drawing two parallel lines, 5" long and 9" apart, starting at the fold of the fabric. Connect the two lines with a half circle. The half circle can be drawn freehand or with a compass set at a radius of 4.5". Cut along the line; these measurements includes your seam allowance.

Next, lay the pieces flat and pin right sides together.

Minky is reputed as a difficult fabric to work with because it's slippery, stretchy and dense. In my experience, it needs two things: a sharp needle and lots of pins. Pin the fool out of this fabric. I practically basted mine with pins. If the fabric is pulling or snagging, you probably need a new needle. I don't suggest a ball point needle as this fabric is somewhat difficult to puncture.


Using your 1/2" seam allowance, sew the two pieces together, leaving a 1" opening.

Remove the pins and turn the fabric right side out, pulling it through the opening. Close up the opening then iron flat.

Not seeing a hat yet? Watch this. Use your hand to tuck the "prettier" curved end into the other (one of my curved pieces held the flat seam from the opening).

Iron flat. Pin the two rounded edges together then stitch around the top edge, picking up both layers of the hat. By doing so, you hold the two layers of the hat together.

Using a zigzag stitch, sew a flat seam around the bottom edge of your hat. The zigzag is important so the hat can stretch around baby's head.

Turn the hat right side out, roll the brim, and Ta Da! your hat is finished. 

If you want to embellish it, remember a few things. The brim is turned, so you need to add the embellishment to the inside bottom edge. It will show when you roll the brim. Also, if you use a static feature like ribbon, only add it to the front. Otherwise, your hat won't stretch around baby's head.

Baby A was pleased to model for us.