Give Thanks December, Week 2

December 8:
     I am so thankful for a new sewing machine that helps me bust out a ton of new products, and items to sell, give as gifts, or just to try.

December 9:
     Thankful that these paper piecing patterns I made of birds, are working out perfectly and the fabric and colors are looking amazing together.

December 10:
     I am so thankful to hangout with one of my best friends and see her pregnant belly and wonderful and amazingly adorable kids. Thanks Kim for making time for us, I am so blessed to have you as a friend.

December 11:
     Thankful and amazed at what wonderful people I have in my life. One of my friends sent me a TULA and not just any tula, a toddler one in the fabric that I have been eye balling for weeks! I cried when I opened it and I can not thank her enough. THANK YOU SARAH!!!! (yes, she has the same name as me).

December 12:
     I am so thankful that I have two adorable nieces to spoil, I mean, come on, how do you not love that face?

December 13:
      I love sewing, and when friends or family members ask for my help I am so honored and thankful that they ask me. I love to show my brothers, girlfriend, Tiffany, anything and everything I can while I am here.

December 14:
     I love trying new sewing items, and thankful that my friend Erin thought of me when she needed a set of garters for a friend who is getting married soon. They turned out great.

Give Thanks,
Sarah

Tula Cover Tutorial by guest writer: Brita Denton

All our babywearing mamas wanted a quick tutorial on how to cover a tula with unique, different or stylish fabric. Brita offered to make a quick tutorial, with a few photos along the way, for all of us to enjoy. If you end up using this tutorial, be sure to show off your before and after photos, as we love to see all our other mamas DIY projects. 

Now time to get to that awesome tutorial we promised you... enjoy!

Step 1: Trace out your tula onto a piece of paper. Making sure you mark where the straps come out of.

Step 2: Lay the trace out over one piece of lining and the piece you want on the reverse (so your second choice fabric as this will be reversible). Pin together and cut out leaving enough around room around for the seam and to turn out (what I left seemed perfect)


Step 3: Now do the same for your main fabric and lining but this time you need to add extra for the tabs on the side and bottom where you will apply the Velcro to join the two pieces together. I have folded the tabs over to show the lining so you can see what I mean. I just guessed this bit. Wide enough to put a piece of Velcro and the length of the gaps between where the straps join. 

Step 4: Now sew the pieces together. The main piece with its lining, and the reverse side with its lining. Make sure the right sides are together. Then turn them inside out and stitch around the edge to keep in place.

Step 5: Join the top of your pieces together along the top. Make sure you mark where to stop sewing so it isn't joined where the shoulder straps come out. Put the two right sides facing each other to sew.
Check how the size is before adding anything else.

Step 6: Now line the two pieces together to put the Velcro on. Pin in place and check it over the tula and with a child in if you can. This picture shows where the Velcro is in the lining of the reverse fabric and the Velcro goes on the tabs on the good side of your main fabric and folds in to attach.

Here it is finished.

 
No you can't access the pocket or hood but you could add a hood to go on top. I didn't bother as my toddler never naps.
This covers all parts of the tula except a tiny bit at he buckles on the waist and I also made suck pads, twice the normal length, to cover most of the shoulder straps.

Excuse the 7 year old model. My usual model was out with daddy.

Thank you to Brita for sharing this quick tutorial. I hope all our babywearing mamas love it!

Babywear In Style (or a New Style),
Sarah (and Brita)

Give Thanks October, Week 3

October 15:
     Today I had to make a run to my favorite craft store to buy fabric for a client, that craft store is the ONLY place I know that sells a childhood candy I just love. Thankful that today, after a long day and week, I was able to grab myself a bag of those candies. YUM!

October 16:
     Thankful that I finally finished these Christmas blocks, and I now can send them out to swap! YAY!

October 17:
     Today I got to try a new sewing project. I have made car seat strap covers before, so those are nothing new, but the Tula/Ergo strap covers/suck pads are. I am thankful that a friend let me try them out, and make her some (she gave me all the material), and hopefully she loves them!

Tula/Ergo suck pads

Carseat strap covers

October 18:
     I am so thankful for such an open and loving/caring group of wonderful woman (and men) who are willing to come out and share in our baby wearing/cloth diapering love! Its a great thing. I am finally feeling more at home here in Norther California.

October 19:
     Potty training has not been easy in this house, but I am thankful that my son is getting back in to it. Crossing my fingers that he wants to potty train, and be a big boy!

October 20:
     So thankful I finished the boys Halloween costumes. Totally was worried I would be up sewing them the night before Halloween!

October 21:
     I am so thankful that my neighbors let us watch their little dog, Porsha, while they are on vacation; Porsha makes my day just that much better. She cuddles with me, and wants me to love on her, and when I stop she licks me and pretty much makes me love on her some more. I miss having dogs, and I am so lucky to have Porsha in my house, she is a loving, caring, and sweet little dog.

Give Thanks,
Sarah

DIY Baby/Toddler Carrier

My first son was very independent and never wanted to be held or picked up much. He was walking at 9 months and hasn't stopped since. So, when I had my second child, I was shocked at how much he loved to sit with me, cuddle with me, and wanted me to hold him. I finally got tired of picking him up and only having one hand to do everything else. It was time to look into some type of carrier.

I research every carrier I could think of, and studied how they looked, were made, the style, and the measurements. I finally decided on how to make one. I told my husband I needed to head out this weekend and look for some large and small buckles for the carrier. He mentioned he had an old military backpack that I could use the buckles, straps, and anything else I wanted off it. I was wondering what he meant, but then he brought it to me and I saw clearly what he was thinking.

I seam ripped the shoulder straps off the back pack, and even removed the waist belt buckle off it as well. I then did the following:


I cut out 2 panels of fabric (large enough to hold my 1 year old and 2 year old), you might need to do some measuring of the kids from shoulder to under their bums. Add a few extra inches to the bottom so the waist buckle can connect to. I simply measured the waist buckle and added that many inches onto my two fabric panels.

I then place both shoulder straps inside the two fabric panels. Both fabric panels were right sides together. I then serged the shoulder straps and the top of the fabric panels together. I then had something like this:

I then serged around the lower half on both sides (again right sides together) and the bottom. Leaving two holes on the sides where your shoulder straps will attach (under your arm pit).

I then took the waist buckle (which, once it was removed was actually two pieces), I needed to sew the waist pieces together. I used a zig zag stitch back and forth a few times, to piece the waist buckle together. I tested it out by pulling on both ends with my own strength. It held, so I continued on.

This is a close up view:

Of course, no one wants to see that hot mess; so I took some left over military fabric and covered it up.

I then placed it on the outside of the carrier and pinned it to the fabric panels.

Again using zig zag stitches I attached the waist buckle to the carriers main fabric panels. I again went over the waist buckle SEVERAL times with my zig zag stitch. I did enough passes to break a needle!

I then tried it on, and pinned the shoulder straps under my arms where I wanted them to rest.

I then zig zag stitched them inside the open holes I had on each side. I folded the fabric inside to leave a nice clean edge.

I then had the carrier! Almost done!!

After I tried it on and put the kids in it, I grabbed a small buckle off the backpack (which had about 100 buckles), and attached them on the shoulder straps (along my chest area). The shoulder straps already had hooks for the buckle pieces to loop through, you might have to make some or simply loop them around the shoulder straps and sew them on.

I also re-enforced the connection where the shoulder straps meet with the top of the two fabric panels. I only serged the inside, so I went along the edge and added more zig zag stitches to help keep the kiddos safe.

It even worked as a front carrier when little man needed extra snuggles.

Yes I went hiking with it!

He passed out!

At a party, and he needed a nap! (NOTE the zig zags on the shoulder straps where they are inserted into the two fabric panels... re-enforced).

My two year old after being crazy upset and cranky in target, I strapped him in and he fell asleep instantly!

In the end I spent $3 total to make this carrier. I used the straps and buckles from the old backpack, I used an old military blouse (from my husband) to make the military panel, I had the mink on hand from a previous project, and the $3 was spent on buying matching THREAD!!! Yep, I could have easily skipped that purchase but felt it would make the carrier just that much more professional looking!

I have been stopped several times while out wearing it, and have been asked where I purchased the carrier. Once I informed them that I simply made it, most of them said I needed to sell them. I am instead, posting the tutorial. Hopefully then, someone will be able to spend less then $5 on a carrier.

Good Luck and Share Your DIY Carriers,
Sarah