Probably the #4 question I'm often asked is, "do you still make your carseat covers? And can I buy one?"
You know, I first started making infant carseat covers when Lucy was a baby because the factory cover was a rough itchy fabric that was causing eczema flair-ups on the back of her head. Poor girl. There had to be a softer (and more stylin) option for her. I researched patterns and even bought a couple but was disappointed because the covers turned out to be big and bulky and too ruffly (with tons of elastic all the way around). I wanted a tailored look, something that fit my carseat perfectly and looked like it actually came with the seat. And so, I just took my current carseat cover apart and made my first custom cover:
And then the fun caught on with family, friends, and of course for baby Owen. And I was busy making covers left and right:
Lately, however, time constraints have kept me from taking custom orders like I used to. And I hate to tell you guys NO when you email! I just knew there had to be someone out there who was doing something similar, where I could refer you....
And finally one day, I found her. And.......she does it better than me.
So.....do you need an Infant Carseat Cover?!Please meet my new best friend:
Little Birdie Studio does amazing Custom Carseat Covers and for a wonderful price. She is an artist by nature and also specializes in Graphic Design. Go check out her SHOP for all the details.And one day, when I get my FAQs tab in order, Little Birdie Studio will be in there!!
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37 comments:
i kinda just want to make one now...seems fun. have you shared your pattern? i am a newbie to your blog (and i must say it is one of my new faves! i am a new mommy, so i am finding all kinds of goodness out here in the blogsphere!)
Sorry, I don't have a pattern or tutorial for the carseat covers.
What material did you use to make yours?
Mia, I like you am interested in making my own, I am thinking we could pull our own car seat covers off(like you can when you wash them), and try and copy the sections to make our own pattern :)
you can wash them???? like i said: newbie. :)
I am attempting to make my own (for a toddler seat). Last night I made the pattern and cut the fabric. It's like a stinking puzzle at this point- we'll see if I can get it together today.
LOVE this option. And since you know that I'm just dreaming of being a sewer when I grow up it's nice to have a shop to go to :) Though I'm not sure I'll need one for awhile but when I do....!
just to let everyone know, car seat manufacturers do not allow any after market products and these will void your warranty.
I have to say those are super cute car seat covers but I couldn't afford to spend $100 on a cover, myself. I know there are some that can and that is great! Saves yourself some burdens. I also think you just might be able to pull off making one yourself. It would be tedious; lots of sizing, lots of mistakes I'm assuming, evolve batting, stuffing, and good quality cotton if I where making one. At the end I would probally have lost my mind. I am also a little bit of a newbie myself so the only way I would attempt to make one is if we accidentally got pregnant again, which we don't ever plan to. So happy sewing and great job little birdie, it's nice to have the option of changing it up sometimes :)
Thats amazing Dana! that you did all of those! Do you remenber when the first time I e-mailed you too, asking how you do it? Now I followed your guidelines and sdgestions and I do too make them now. And do customs as well in my shop. Actually just now I am awaiting for customer`s own fabric that she wants me to make one for her. All thanks to you. Now I can say I also make them :)
I like her studio name :) (My photo company is called Little Bird Photography.)
I'm really interested in that green and brown fabric, where is it from? your carseat covers are amazing....both of you guys! :)
Have to agree with one of the other comments, $100 seems pretty steep to me and my tight little wallet. But they are cute.
I really can't remember where I got the fabric and I've looked online for a designer name and can't find one!
SORRY guys!
$100 is actually a very reasonable price for the amount of time that goes into a custom made carseat cover. It takes many hours, some coordinating with the client, and there's the cost of fabric as well.
But by all means, tackling your own carseat cover is a very worthy project! It's quite fun!
I don't have a tutorial or pattern for it. Just look at your current cover as your pattern or guide. good luck!
Sadly there is no way in the world we would ever be able to afford one of these... SUPER cute though! And it's got me thinking about making my own...
My daughter's current car seat was second hand and the cover is decidedly boyish and rather worn out...
Onward creative Mama! LOL
I don't mean to be the bearer of bad news...
but...
anything not factory installed that you attach to your carseat - like these covers, the snuggy things around the straps, the zip-up blankets - anything attached to the carseat voids the warranty. So, if you were in an accident, or had a mishap of sorts - you wouldn't be able to get a replacement seat, insurance wouldn't cover your baby, etc...just an FYI. I've taken a couple of classes on carseat safety and just thought I'd pass on the info.
Wish it wasn't true cause these are adorable!!
Wow she IS good!!!!
Barb, that can't be true because the carseat companies sell carseat covers, and we(the consumer have to put them on. Britax, graco, eddie bauer etc. I think what you're talking about is in reference to things like cupholders, toys that strap onto the carry handle, mirrors and other attachments.
Dana is right, I can see working on something like that for a good week, maybe someone else with more expierence could whip it out in hours but it definately is not over priced. I just finished 2 bean bag covers and it took me a week, working on it constantly. I think this also would take a good week so the price is very reasonable if you can afford it.
Juls, Barb is right. You can replace the cover with a new cover by the same manufacturer as your seat, but not one made by another vendor/company. While it may seem silly that they are being over protective it is Your child and they have done extensive testing with the type of cover that comes standard with your seat.
The covers that come with your seat are also flame resistant and I am sure the people making the aftermarket covers are not using this type of fabric.
While the covers are super cute I would not be willing to use one because I know if something bad happened because of it I would never be able to live with myself. Safety to me is more important with this issue.
Just wanted to let you know I highlighted your blog on my blog.
Check it out at www.twiddle-thumbs.com
anisa
Hi Dana,
Your car seat covers are beautiful!
Gotta say that I wouldn't make one for anything LESS than $100. Not that I actually can or have tried, I mean. People often don't realize the amount of man/woman-hours that go into a project - many people just think of the cost of fabric/materials. Folks who sew will probably appreciate the work that goes into making something like this, and consequently be willing to pay something close to what it's actually worth. I'm guessing there it took a lot of tweaking to get them to fit perfectly, and that's something that can't be done through a tutorial. If ever you think of sharing a pattern, sell it. You are absolutely worth it.
Mia, yes you absolutely can take the carseat cover off to wash ;) You unclip the baby belt from the back of the seat & the cover should come off. I wash mine every few months, mine is a convertable type seat
Dana, this is a great idea! I wish I was applying creativity to all areas of my life back when I needed one of these!
I will definately keep it in mind next time round or for friends! :)
If you just Google "Infant car seat cover pattern" you will find plenty of free ones online. Plus I've seen Simplicity/McCalls patterns for sale in craft stores :) Just thought I'd help out those who can't afford to buy one :)
LOL!! did i inspire this post?? dually noted.
Those are so cute! Oh goodness! I wish I could sew like tha! Wow!
Yes, there are many patterns out there. I bought a couple of them years ago but was disappointed because the cover ends up being big and bulky. I wanted a more tailored look that fit my carseat perfectly. That's why you should use your current carseat cover as your pattern. Or if you don't feel like sewing, a custom cover is a very nice option.
I can't believe my car seat is now famous!!! I still love it to pieces! thanks Dana!
p.s. Loving Celebrate the Boy!
I bought a VERY good tutorial off etsy. Don't know if it's the same lady or not (?) I also got the toddler seat recovering tutorial. How cute we could make these things!!!
Use your digital camera to take pictures of the peices as you disassemble them though!! Comes in super handy.
Sam
Hi Dana, thanks for the posting and thanks to all for the kind words about the seat covers! For those of you who can't afford the price, I take apart the original seat cover and use the same padding to make a pattern and build the new one. The instructions on Etsy are very helpful. It does take a lot of hours to create the seat but it is worth it.
Also, we were recently in a car accident and the insurance company replaced my daughter's car seat no questions asked even though it had the cover that I made.
Happy sewing!
Man, wish you did have a pattern for these...guess I will just have to buy one from your friend. She is so talented! Thanks for sharing.
I was wondering about the safety of these?? Do you use flame retardant materials, etc?? How do you know you aren't doing something that would be risky in an accident?? These are super cute, don't get me wrong, but it scares me a bit...I'd hate to be in an accident where my kid burned up because I wanted a cute cover...
Thanks Dana for the motivation to sew a car seat cover for my friend. I was soooo happy with the finshed product and have just blogged about it xxx Steph
You do great work on your covers :) Very pretty !
I bought a pattern off the internet and it came out like 50 page of pattern pieces alone..
I couldn't get the jigsaw puzzle together much less get started on sewing.
I sew and know alot of work goes into some projects.. So $100 is a bit much but not too much . There is other sellers that there to make beautiful covers for much less than $100.00 .
I have people moan about $30-$40 for a minky blanket but most the money is materials !
I was thinking of doing this for a friend. When you use the original as a pattern are you actually taking it apart and using the same padding, etc.? Or are you creating an entirely new cover with new padding and fasteners? I don't want to destroy her cover if I don't have to ;)
I've done both when making my pattern. You can take the cover apart and use that as your pattern for a new one (with new batting, fabrics). Or you use the current cover and create the pattern piece by piece, tracing around it (include the seams) without destroying it. It's a bit harder to be exact. But I've done it that way a few times and it works out well.
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