"I THINK I can make that..." (car seat cover tutorial)

 We are far North... I mean like top of the map far. AND...I came from the bottom of the map!  Not Mexico, but pretty darn close.  Let's just say that "yall" was a regular part of the vernacular in my home state!  So this Southern girl is just getting used to the cold when she finds out that she will soon have a tiny baby to keep warm too!  Best news ever!  I was so thankful for all the winter hand me downs we got, but I still wanted one of those cool fleece car seat covers I saw the other Mommies with.  So one week after my machine arrives I hear it's going to snow.  And by gosh I wasn't going through another snow trying to pull a blanket over my bundle while he worked just as hard to pull it off!  He isn't that tiny any more and taking hats and blankets off are no problem for him.
   So I looked at a couple of patterns online and decided that I just wasn't patient enough to do all that so I got one of our old NY Yankees blankets (we had four!) and just got to cuttin' n sewin'!  Anyway, I learned alot and find that I enjoy the trial and error aspect as well as having to figure out the how and why of what will work.  Here is the finished product.

Ok, so it isn't a professional job, but it only took me about 2 1/2 hours from dream to finish and didn't cost me a dime!  I think the ones you buy are about 30$.  I knew I wanted the "see out" flap and elastic around the bottom.
Here's what I did:

1. Threw the blanket wrong side up over the carrier.  Traced a line with a sharpie.  I was NOT very precise as I knew it would all be bunched up and as long as it was big enough it would be okay.

2. Folded edge of blanket and pinned around to sew a seam about 1 inch from the bottom of fabric where I could insert the elastic. 

3. Sewed the seam and left one opening to insert elastic.

4. Found out that I could NOT easily insert the elastic and went back to drawing board...hmmn...maybe if I poke holes through the inside layer of fabric pocket seam I can thread the elastic through...yeah, that worked.

5. Put cover on carrier and held it up to holder with two hands and made marks where straps should attach.

6. Cut two rectangular straps and sewed velcro buttons on, then sewed on my marks.

 NOW, here is where I wish I had been a little more careful and taken more time, but alas, my hubby was soon to be home, I was getting tired, and quite frankly the couch was calling!

7. Look out flap.  I put on the cover, attached straps and just made small marks in corners of where I wanted flap (If I had measured it would have been straight and looked better, but baby is yet to complain!).

8. Cut out flap and sewed zig zag around edges (blanket was made of two pieces of material so this was necessary) and again sewed velcro to flap and cover.

Viola!  The things I would do differently are: figure out an easier/better way to do elastic (although you cant see it when it's on carrier and it works great! and I would measure flap and maybe add a border to flap.

I love having it and notice that my little one falls right asleep in it because it's so warm and cozy. 

Sew long and happy creating!