Monday, January 17, 2011

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.
_MG_1903_3003
Evie was a fan... okay so she didn't really notice a difference.
_MG_1886_2986
But I am sure Evette felt good rollin' in style
_MG_1899_2999
Of course we had to stop every now and then to eat some rocks
_MG_1892_2992
Evie is doning one of her new spring outfits and looked so comfy and cool.
_MG_1919_3019proof
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?
_MG_1912_3012proof
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.
_MG_1928_3028
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.
_MG_1864_2967
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. 
strollercover
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. 
_MG_1863_2966
First we are going to work with the smaller piece. I pinned my all the way around so that the pieces wouldn't slide
_MG_1857_2960
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:
_MG_1858_2961
Now fold it again at about 2 inches. 
_MG_1859_2962
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. 
_MG_1860_2963
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:
Untitled-1
_MG_1872_2975
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:
_MG_1876_2977
Now we are going to sew the two pieces together. With right sides together:
stroller123
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:
stroller3
Now sew along the raw edges. When done on the right side you should have something resembling this:
_MG_1882_2983
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. 
_MG_1883_2984
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!
_MG_1903_3003
See? Totally easy. On a complete tangent Evie is a big time thumb sucker. 
_MG_1910_3010proof
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? 

14 comments:

  1. Love the doll stroller pimpin'! We have 2 that could definitely use it.

    As for thumb sucking, all 4 of mine sucked their thumbs. The oldest 2 quit at age 3 after a brief talk on how big girls and boys don't suck their thumbs (plus a little bribe). Worked like a charm! As for the younger 2...5 and 3 1/2 and still sucking away no matter what bribes I offer. I hate to break out the bitter nail polish but that might end up being the solution. Good luck!

    ReplyDelete
  2. WIsh I had done this a few YEARS ago! We have two tattered strollers, but my girls are sort of out of that phase (sad). Maybe I should make it and after this boy is born I can try for another girl? (ha ha ha ha!!! I don't think Barrett would find that funny).

    I LOVE her outfit. Love it. Also...Luke is a finger sucker. With my dad being an orthodontist I'm always asking about it. His response is always, "Of course it's not ideal, but don't stress until they're four. That's when it really starts to effect things."

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ohhhh....pattern PLEASE!!!! That outfit is so adorable, and I can picture all of my kids running around in it this summer!!

    And PS - any chance we can get the ruffled bolero out of you too? I am sure I can figure it out, but still...can't hurt to ask! Lol

    ReplyDelete
  4. Okay I seriously LOVE that outfit! It is adorable!

    ReplyDelete
  5. very cute!

    i have a thumb sucker. She just turned two. I'm not worried about breaking the habbit any time soon. For her it's a security thing. She only does it when she's upset, tired, nervous or bored. (ok... mayyybeee all the time =P)
    She'll stop on her own when she is ready. Eventually.

    ReplyDelete
  6. i used to be a thumb sucker. i think i stopped when i was like 9 or 10...and i'm almost 16 now!
    she'll get over it. my mom got me a bitty baby so i would stop...but then i started again so she took it away. by the time i got it back, i didn't really play with it!
    love the stroller cover...my mum made one, too!

    ReplyDelete
  7. I think this is my favorite tut of yours! And so funny, bc it's so simple!

    My 3.5yo is a thumb sucker. I really want to break the habit, but my husband is living across the country for work right now. I think as soon as we are all back together we might work on it...

    ReplyDelete
  8. That outfit is amazing. Perhaps you could sell the pattern?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Charge for the pattern. I love it!
    Love the doll stroller too, very cute!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Wow! First, what a cutie-patootie your litte girl is! Mine isn't a thumb sucker, but a co-worker just told me about a thumb-sucking stopper nail polish that is not harmful but tastes terrible, she used it with her little boy and he stopped immediately. Secondly, what a great idea, the stroller looks like a million bucks with your pimped seat! And last but not least, I think if you haven't run across it already, you would love all the free projects and other sewing stuff posted at www.WeAllSew.com - so check it out!

    ReplyDelete
  11. My son broke his best friends stroller (just a tiny bit that can be hemmed but her mommy doesn't sew). This will be perfect as an "I am sorry" gift.

    ReplyDelete
  12. Thanks for the pattern! I just finished fixing my nephew's stroller. The new seat is in an adorable Alexander Henry brown fabric. I love it and Henry will too.

    ReplyDelete
  13. I just made this for my little girl's stroller and it is darling! Thank you so much for sharing your wonderful patterns. I also made the Lady's Apron a couple of weeks ago and am enjoying wearing it. Thank you again!

    ReplyDelete

Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger...