rick-rack trimmed car seat canopy...

I'm finally getting in gear and working on some baby girl projects.

HOORAY!

This car seat canopy turned out so gosh-darn cute.

This tutorial is very similar to my original car seat canopy, but I updated some of the measurements and added adorable rick-rack trim.

For this project you will need:

Two co-ordinating fabrics (1 1/4 yards each)

Jumbo rick-rack trim (5 yards)

Sew-on velcro

Contrasting thread

Start by cutting your co-ordinating fabrics into 40 x 35.5 inch rectangles.

Place them right sides together, then use a bowl to round the corners.

Pin your rick-rack around the inside edge of the bottom fabric.

(This is the most tedious part of the whole project. Blerg!)

I made sure I could see the edge of the fabric in each dip, but I wish I would have gone a little deeper. (It has to be pinned in farther than you think, so when you turn it right-side out, the trim actually shows.)

Next sew 1/4" all the way around, leaving a gap for turning.

Before you begin, you might want to iron your fabric WAY better than I did.  Haha. :)

Clip the corners to reduce bulk, then turn it right side out.

Press the entire canopy with your iron so it's nice and flat, then topstitch 1/8" all the way around.

Now for the straps...

Cut four 8 x 4 inch rectangles from one of your fabrics (I went with the contrasting print.), and press the top edge about 1/2" to the back.

Pin rick-rack to the right side of the fabric down each long side, leaving a little extra hanging over the top folded edge.  (You will tuck it in later.)

Pin one of the other 8 x 4 rectangles on top.

Sew 1/4" all the way around, leaving that top folded edge open for turning.

Clip the corners, turn right side out, and press with your iron.

Tuck in & pin the edges of the rick-rack at the top, then topstitch 1/8" all the way around the strap.

I actually did two rows of topstitching, just for cuteness.

Cut some approx. 2 inch pieces of velcro...whatever fits your finished strap best.

Sew one to the top of your strap, and then make sure to sew the other to the bottom of your strap on the opposite side, so when you fold the strap the hook and loop sides meet.

Next, you will need to position the straps so they will fit around the handle of your car seat. If you have the seat you are going to use, you can create a custom fit so the straps attach to the handle just the way you like. Here are the measurements I used:

(Be aware I like mine a little further apart so the straps aren't in the way of the hand grip. If you are making one as a gift, you may want to scootch them toward the middle a little bit.)

Now you just need to do three rows of stitching in the middle of each strap to secure them to the canopy...

...and you are DONE! :)

You can tote your sweet little guy or gal around in style!

Fabrics I used:

Floral--"Maisie" Blend Fabrics

Aqua Lattice--JoAnn

Coral rick-rack--JoAnn

car seat canopy...

Hey friends!  I know what you're thinking...

"Isn't she supposed to be on maternity leave?"

Well...this stubborn little boy of mine is very overdue.

 Sad face. :(

So I took advantage of the extra time on my hands and sewed up one last baby project before he gets here--a car seat canopy to keep him covered out in the elements or when napping (and to prevent strangers at the grocery store from touching my kid!).

Here's what you need if you'd like to make one of your own:

Two cuts of fabric - 1 1/4 yards each (Mine are both cotton--the dino print & a lime green solid.)

Two small cuts of fabric - 8 x 4 inches (I used more of the lime green.)

Two small cuts of fabric - 8 x 3 inches (I used black/white dots from my scrap bin.)

Sew-On velcro

Thread, pins, rotary cutter, iron, etc.

**Pardon the step-by-step photography...It got dark while I was sewing.  (Oh, the joys of winter!)**

Place your yardage right sides together and trim them up so they are the same size--cut off selvages, square up sides, etc.  (You may want to drape it over your car seat to check what will be the best length and width to fit your seat.) Then place a large bowl at each corner and use it as a guide to round off the corners.

Sew all the way around the edge with a 1/4" seam allowance, making sure to leave a gap for turning.

Clip around the corners to reduce bulk.

(I forgot to take a picture, so here's one from my receiving blanket tutorial.)

Turn right side out, press with your iron, and top stitch all the way around.  Make sure to close up your gap!  You should now have what basically looks like a blanket with rounded corners.

Now we make the straps.

Line up the long sides of your two strap fabrics right-sides together and sew using a 1/4" seam allowance.  You should end up with two "blocks" of fabric like this:

Then line up the other long sides and sew.  Since one fabric is wider than the other, you'll end up with a tube like this:

Turn the tube right-sides out and press flat with your iron, creating a "trim" look.

(So, the back of my straps are solid green and the front are dots with green edges.)

Fold in the raw edges of the tube 1/4", press, and top stitch 1/8" all the way around your strap.

Now cut your velcro to the desired length (I did 2 1/4 inches.) and sew it to the ends of your straps.  The "top" piece needs to be sewn on the underside (green) and the "bottom" piece needs to be sewn on the front (dots).

Next, I pinned my straps to the canopy where I thought they might need to go, then put it on my car seat.  I made adjustments until it hung how I liked and the straps were in a good spot on the handle.  (I did mine wider than most canopies I've seen...I didn't want the straps in the way of the handgrip area.)  Once I got the straps arranged how I liked, I sewed them to the canopy with 3 rows of stitching.

And that's it!

If I made one again, I would probably trim my canopy fabric a little narrower and a little shorter so the corners wouldn't graze the floor.  But considering I just winged it, I think it turned out pretty well!

Now I just need Baby to get here so I can put it to use. :)