High Chair Cover Tutorial: Maybe....

 

Little Miss's highchair needed a new cover!  Doggie had torn it all up and it was a mess.  At first I was going to just sew a new cover for over the one that is already there, but I decided to just make a new one.  So I bought some pink PUL fabric from my favorite fabric store when it was on sale.  (And guess what?  When I went to buy it I was told it was on clearance!  So it was even cheaper, love that.)  I didn't use a pattern or anything, I literally set the old one on top of the fabric and cut it out.  I cut two pieces, and I made it a little bigger in order to leave room for sewing and any errors I was bound to make.

 

 

That looks good, don't you think?

 

Next, I cut out some batting for the middle. Little Miss wanted to help.

 

 

The back of the original cover had this little, well I guess not really that little, pocket I guess it would be called.  However, it went over the top of the chair to help hold the cover in place.  See?

 

 

So I think I will just copy that and see if I can make it work.  I basically cut two pieces that appeared about the same size of the old one and then sewed them with rights sides together leaving a small opening to turn it right side out.  I eventually had this. Grrr, it is not very even.  I hate that.  I had difficulty attaching it to the cover.  I couldn't figure out how to do it right sides together because the curves were different ways.  I don't know, I ended up just sewing it on wrong sides together and then top stitched around the whole cover so it didn't look weird.

 

 

I also cut a total of 4 straps to use to tie the cover down over the highchair.  I folded them in half and sewed them right sides together.   Sew, sew, sewing away!

 

 

I then sewed them turned them right side out and attached them to the main cover part. 

 

Oh crap, I forgot to tell you about sewing together the actual cover part didn't I?  (Wow I kind of suck at writing tutorials.  Oh well think of it as just an inspiration that you are not crazy when you do all sorts of weird stuff when you sew!)  Anyhow.  I sewed it right sides together with the batting in there too and turned them right side out.  I got kind of annoyed because the sides were not even.  Apparently I was so annoyed I didn't want to take a picture.  So I had to like cut some extra off on one side and re sew it.  That is what I get for sewing without a pattern.   

 

 

At some point during this whole process Grumpy came down and was talking to me about something.  Apparently he was moving his hand around trying to describe whatever it was....  Clearly he didn't realize I was in the middle of inventing an awesome pattern to make your own highchair cover.  I have no idea what he was telling me.  Something weird and unimportant I'm sure.  Love you, Grumpy. (Kiss face)

 

 

 

And I don't want to leave out Cheetah Boy.  He was helping too.

 

 

(Sigh)  I can never just get something done.  I think I put poor Doggie outside, so I only had 3 children to deal with....

 

Anyway, it all turned out ok I think.  Little Miss seems to like it.

 

 

 

Um, yeah this was NOT very good directions.  But basically this is to inspire you to just copy something that you need to replace and make a new one!  I don't know. Sorry guys I'm having some writer's block, and I wanted to write up something for you.  I still love you! Please don't leave me.

 

Kisses~

 

Super Easy Kid's Reversible Cape

I am going to try my hand at this tutorial business.  However, I'm not that good at it, so sorry.  You have been warned. 

I am really not that creative. (Shocker huh??)  I can find stuff online and make them, although I always end up not following the directions fully and it doesn't turn out well.  However, I am not that great at original creative type stuff.  But this idea is pretty cool.  I am sure I'm not the first one to think of it, but I didn't see it anywhere!  I just made it.  So here is my tutorial for a super easy reversible kid's cape!

You will need 1 yard of two different fabrics.  Whatever colors your child would like a cape out of.  And actually you need like 1 1/8 yard of one fabric to make the collar piece.  Or you can just use a scarp of another fabric you have around.  You will also need about an inch or two of Velcro.  I chose blue and green to make a cape for Cheetah Boy.

 

First off sew the two fabric pieces right sides together.  Be sure to leave an opening to turn it right side out.  You know what I mean.

 

Unless you are a super perfect sewer you will want to cut off the extra fabric before you turn it right side out.  And if you are like me your children will want to get in the way.... er help.

 

Next, turn it inside out!  Lovely.

 

Iron the edges so they are all nice and flat.  And actually my iron is broken, so it isn't even on in this picture, and I didn't iron mine.  However, it will work nicer if you do.

 

Ok, now you want to sew around the edges.  I think this is called top stitching?  Maybe.  I don't know, but hopefully you know what I mean.   Make sure to fold under the hole where you had turned it right side out....

 

 

Once again, they children will help.  Or start crying because it's lunch time and they are hungry (sigh).

  

 

If you are lucky though, you will walk upstairs and see that the 6 year old just took out the trash all on his own!  What?!?!  I have no idea, but it was pretty awesome.

 

 

Ok, after you have fed the children, put the little one down for a nap and turned on a movie for the older child, you can get back to work.  You want to cut out a rectangle for the collar.  I don't know how big, like 6 inches by 14 or something. Obviously, mine was not a very good cutting job. 

 

 

You will want to fold the collar piece in half, right sides together and sew it, leaving the sides open.  Next turn that right side out and iron it flat.  Sorry, I forgot to take a picture of that part.  Then you will want to lay the cape on the floor and find which side has the messiest sewing.  You can cover that side up with the collar!  Or you  can base it one if you want the cape longer or wider.  Whatever.  I messed up here, so I will put the collar there.

 

 

Next you want to gather the side of the cape that will have the collar.  I hate this part; it's difficult.  And then fold the collar piece over the gathered spot.  Gah, does that make sense?!?!  You also want the collar piece to hang over about 1.5 inches past the cape on each side.  Here you can see in the second picture.

 

You want it to hang over to put the Velcro on it there.  Or I guess you don't have to!  You do want to cover up all the messy gather part will the collar.  So it's pretty... or handsome.  Next, sew on the Velcro pieces on the overhanging collar pieces!  I like Velcro better then using ties because it's easier for little kids, and then you don't have to worry about them accidently tying it too tight or something!! 

 

 

Afterward make sure to clip your threads for cleaner sewing!!!  (As my mom always told me in her mom voice when she tried to teach me to sew when I was younger.)  And actually you are supposed to do this as you are sewing, not wait until the end, but I always wait until the end.  My mom would be so disappointed in me.  Not really, love you Mom!

 

 

It is all done.  After giving it to your child, or grandchild, or maybe you made it for yourself, take some fun super-hero-or-whatever-they-wanna-be pictures! 

 

They will probably ware it for about 5 minutes and then throw it on the floor.  (sigh)  But it was super easy right?  Ok it SHOULD be easy, but I suck at giving directions huh?  Sorry.  And they will go back and play with it more!  I promise.

 

 

There you have it!  Also, you are not allowed to change anything about this pattern.  You must do it exactly like I said. Or else. 

 

Kidding, you could put like a letter on it or something!  You will want to do that first, before you sew the sides together in the first step so you don't see the sewing on the other side.  Or if you don't want it to be reversible then it doesn't really matter!!

 

Hope you liked it!!

 

Kisses~

 

What colors will yours be?

 

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