Pimp My Stoller

We have HUGE doll stroller fans in our house, and I am not just talking about Evie. My boys love racing around the house with the strollers pretending they are transformers. When they are up they are cars, when they are folded down they are motorcycles and much to my dismay they are often folded and lifted and made to be missal launchers. This is usually okay with me because thanks to Grandma and a neighbors garage sale we now have a dolly stroller for each child hence no squabbling or at least minimized amounts. This weekend we had a tragedy though. One of the strollers seats ripped, pretty bad actually. This has happened before and I usually just mend it up but this time I had an idea. Now I am not a huge fan of licensed merchandise. Don't get me wrong we have plenty of it in our house because the boys LOVE wearing it but that doesn't mean I like it :) I want Evie to love princesses as much as the next mommy but I also thought it would be fun for her "boutique" Bonjour Evette dolly to have a matching on e of a kind stroller. Evie's original stroller was just a 10 dollar one from a toy store in Jakarta that had 3 of the Disney princesses on it. I tired it on the second stroller that Grandma sent from Italy and it fit that one perfectly as well so I think it will probably work for all simple doll strollers. I am sure I am not the first to do this but I love how it turned out so I had to share it.

Evie was a fan... okay so she didn't really notice a difference.

But I am sure Evette felt good rollin' in style

Of course we had to stop every now and then to eat some rocks

Evie is doning one of her new spring outfits and looked so comfy and cool.

I made it in a soft pink from organic cotton and off white lace trim this weekend and am in LOVE. I am toying with the idea of making a pattern available but this is also one of the outfits I might make and sell at the Beehive Bazaar so I kinda don't know if I should release it?

The locals were out in mass as it was a weekend. They got a kick out of Evie pushing her stroller. I had to get a picture of Evie and this little girl who wanted to sit by her.

There is a pattern available for this nifty stroller seat though and it is soooo easy. Even if you have never sewn before you can totally make this I promise. I wouldn't have been able to make it if it weren't for a package I received from Jana at Weekend Vintage if you are looking for great vintage patterns she is a wonderful resource. She sent me some of her gorgeous twill tape and vintage patterns that I am dying to sew.

You could absolutely use store purchased bias tape but I love the texture the twill tape provides.
Wanna take a stroll?

What you need

1/2 yard fabric

1/2 yard interfacing or backing fabric (you can also just use more of your main fabric)

1 yard binding or twill tape

2 little lengths of elastic

Straight Pins

Sewing Machine

Scissors

The Pattern which can be found HERE

Once you have printed out your pattern tape pieces A and B together. Then cut out that pattern piece. You should now have two pattern pieces. Cut out 1 of each from your main fabric. 

Now cut 1 of each out of light to medium interfacing. I don't have anymore interfacing so I just cut out 1 of each from a mid-weight blue fabric that I had and it worked great.  Once you have your four pieces cut out stack them wrong sides together. 

First we are going to work with the smaller piece. I pinned my all the way around so that the pieces wouldn't slide

Fold over once the little tabs that are on both sides (they sort of stick out). Sew this in place. Then fold up the raw edge across the bottom and sew across. When you are done it should look like this:

Now fold it again at about 2 inches. 

But this time when you begin sewing start about an inch and a half in. It is really important to back and forth here as this is the spot it usually breaks. Sew across stopping an inch and a half from the other side, back-and-forthing again. 

Now set this piece aside and we will work with your bigger piece. Again I pinned it a tich so it wouldn't move. This is only because when I am sewing layers like this I always seem to end up with excess fabric on the other side, but then again I have been told I can be a bull in a china shop so maybe it is because I push my fabric through sometimes ha! Either way once you have line them up wrong sides together grab your twill tape or your bais tape. I ironed my twill tape in half before using it and this made the process a lot easier. once ready you:

Once everything is pinned topstitch all the way around making sure every now and then that you are getting all the layers. 

When you are done it should look like this:

Now we are going to sew the two pieces together. With right sides together:

You will really need to work with the fabric and it will fold up above where you pin. Pin all the way across and when you are done it should look like this:

Now sew along the raw edges. When done on the right side you should have something resembling this:

Flip it over so the underside is facing you. Take another length of your twill tape and fold it over the seam you just made and pin all the way across. Tuck under both ends before sewing so you have a finished edge. 

Once pinned topstitch across removing pins as you sew. (I have lost count how many needles I have broken by sewing over pins so don't feel bad it if happens :)) You are all done! Slide the elastic over the handles and the little pockets over the sticky outy part (technical term) and voila a new cute stroller seat!

See? Totally easy. On a complete tangent Evie is a big time thumb sucker. 

I have been thinking about when I should stop it. I has a huge thumb sucker and remember people asking me "what flavor is your thumb sweetheart?" I want to stop her before it gets to be a REALLY bad habit but at the same time I want it to be available for our crazy flight back to the states to visit this spring. Do any of you have thumb suckers? How did you stop them or did you?