How to draft a pram liner pattern

As promised here is a new How To on drafting a pram liner pattern and sewing the liner. I have used a Maclaren Quest for this, but made liners for lots of different prams in this way. My previously posted Mountain Buggy & Baby Jogger City Mini liners are made in this same way.

 Materials
.5 meter Easy Trace or Kwik Trace (available from Spotlight)
a ball point pen
.5 meter of fabric for each side.*
.4 meter of 1cm thick foam (available from Clark Rubber)

* if you choose a pattern which is one directional you may need to increase this accordingly.

It is usually much easier to get a good fit for your liner by removing the seat of the pram, (this also gives you a great opportunity to give it a good wash. ) Once off lay it out as flat as possible, fold any folds outwards. Lay the Easy trace over and pin it down, by pushing pins into the seams, this will avoid doing any damage to your pram fabrics. 

Then using a ball point pen (which won't bleed through) trace the seam lines,  buttonholes for straps and any important folds, by top stitching them on your liner will seat much neater. Be sure to minimize movement so it is as even as possible. 

When complete put your pram fabrics aside, neaten the lines and add a 15mm selvage around the edge.

Once you've traced the seat it is time to neaten it all up. It is important that it is symmetrical and that it matches the seat. Fold it in half (and hopefully!) it should be close.

Clean up the lines, straightening them, adjust the button holes etc. Referring back to the seat as much as needed. When it's done cut out your pattern and your ready to sew!

Cut the foam and each fabric piece out. Take care that the fabric is in the right direction.











Lay the foam on the bottom and both pieces of fabric right sides together on top.

Sew around the edges leaving a 5" gap, ideally at the top as this section is usually covered by the hood.

Turn the liner the right way again, check the edge seams to make sure they are neat and even. Press.

Hand stitch close the opening.

Sew around the liner 5mm from the edge to give a neat look and structure.

Refer back to your pattern and mark the button holes and fold lines for the seat back etc with pins.

Before you sew anything be sure to use a ruler to check they are evenly spaced, or the liner will slant and also hold it against the (reassembled) pram to make sure the holes will line up.

Then sew your buttonholes and top stictching.

And Voila!!! You are done!

Teepee progress

The teepee is able to be played in :) although not yet decorated. It was much quicker than I'd expected.

Using one of the poles as a guide I pinned and cut a 5'7" semi-circle with a 6" semi circle in the center top.

Then I cut 5 strips which were 7cm wide and about 6' long. I overlocked the edges and sewed them on at regular intervals. At first I sewed them with open ends, but the poles need pockets to get purchase, otherwise the teepee collapses.

Once they were done I finished the top opening then sewed 1/4 of the way down the front and hemmed it around the bottom.

I gave it a quick press and put the poles in. Hey Presto!



It does still need something tight at the top to stop the poles sliding out and it falling. For the time being it is working well with a scrap piece of calico. My husband is trying to suggest drilling holes to thread some wire but I'm unsure. It's working so far.

Stay tuned for the window and appliqué!

DUCK!!!

Finn has been steadily increasing his vocabulary lately, but seems stuck on 'Duck' for all things poultry. Culimating in a recent event at the botanical gardens involving a stomping toddler repeatedly shouting "DUCK!!!" as he rapidly approched a rather offended cockatoo that flew away and left Finn looking rather crestfallen.

Imagine our surprise when we saw two honest to goodness ducks on the footpath of our street this morning. It made my little guys day.



-- Post From My iPhone

Picture rail library

Inspired by this beautiful book display library and the clever idea to use picture rails for the purpose I grabbed used 4 Ribba Picture rails from Ikea and made a little library for Finn's playroom. So far it's a big hit! Although primarily for taking books off the shelf and into his trike tailor and back again.

Another BJCM liner

I made a friend another BJCM liner and matching nappy clutch, it doesn't look as nice on my blue, but I think it will look lovely on her Sand BJCM.





UPDATE

I was recently asked for the measurements of this liner, so thought I'd also post them here:

From the bottom of seat back to the top of seat back: 20"
From back of seat base to front of seat base: 10"
From front of seat base to bottom of footwell: 8.5"

Width at top of seat base: 14"
Width at bottom of seat back/back of seat base: 11"
Width at front of seat base: 13"

Shoulder straps are 4.5" apart & buttonholes 1.5" wide.
Shoulder straps are: 8.5", 9.75", 11.25" & 12.5" above the bottom of the seat back.

Side straps are 1.25" wide, they are 6.25" apart and 2" above the bottom of the seat back.

The fold strap buttonholes are 1.5" wide, 6.75" apart & 1" forward from the back of the seat base back.

The crotch strap is 2.5" wide and 3.5" forward from the seat base back.

Baby Jogger City Mini Liner

Since deciding to take my Baby Jogger City Mini to Sydney in May I thought it was finally time to make the liner I have been promising it since it joined the family. I have a whole new love of the Baby Jogger City Mini again now, as does Finn who keeps pointing at things on the liner.

I will post a tutorial for making a liner soon, I have changed my method slightly and like it much more. The BJCM one is slightly different because of the fold strap, but it was pretty simple really, the strap can unscrew on side and can be unthreaded, (which allows you to wash the seat also) then you just need 2 button holes to allow the strap to go through.

When I was done and fitting it back on, and congratulating myself on how well the fabric suited a holiday when I realized we're going in May and it will be cold so I made it a footmuff based on the zips and buttons. This is my first footmuff and I love it.

Tripp Trapp Cushion

My son and I adore the Tripp Trapp, the only part of this fantastic chair that disappoints is the cushion. We even forked out for the 'Premium' one because it had laminated fabric thinking it would be easier to keep clean, which it is compared to our other Stokke one which is linen, the major property of which seems to be an amazing ability to absorb any food consumed nearby.

So essentially to keep the chair clean you either need several cushions or to use it without one at all. Enter my new TT cushion, sporting some new and very cute $3.99/meter Ikea fabric, with foam the whole thing cost less than $9 and took an afternoon; good deal compared to $90 for a Stokke one. ;)

I plan on making more so will try to do a tute with another but really it is quite easy. Using Easytrace I copied the Stokke cushions, the key to the construction is that the front seam of the seat base & bottom seam of the seat back are over-locked closed after sewn together.