Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Friday, January 13, 2012
Car Seat Canopy Tutorial with Elastic!
First buy 2 different kinds of coordinating fabric. 1.5 yards of each, matching thread, a small pack of Fabric Fushion velcro (sold at Joanns) and 3/4 wide elastic (1 yard is plenty).
Then do your measurements on your carseat. Measure the handle bar curve from the right side of the car seat to the left side. This is for the width of the canopy. You basically want to make sure your canopy isn't going to let air pass thru on the sides. So measure the spot where you want the fabric to end and then pull the measuring tap over the handle bar to the opposite side. (Because you went over the handle and the canopy goes under it you dont need to add an inch for seam allowance.)
Next measure the length of the canopy. So measure from the back fo the carseat sun shade over the handlebar to the front of the car seat and add 4 inches.
Now make your giant rectangle and use a 1/4 inch seam allowance sewing the fabric right sides together.
I then pinned some makeshift ties onto the canopy so I could see where the elastic needs to go. So find the center. pin each makeshift tie 2 inches from the center and make sure the canopy hits barely under the back of the sunshade. Then I stuck a bunch of pins all around where I wanted the canopy to end in the back. It ends up looking like a big half circle of pins. I then cut around those pins leaving about 1/2 to 3/4 inch.
With the fabric that is not the main fabric of your canopy make a long cut that is 3 inches wide. My cut was about 60 inches long but I had to sew 2 pieces together to make it that long. You are making the fabric that you will lace your elastic through in the back of the canopy. Fold it right sides together and then press and sew using a 1/8 seam allowance. Its going to be sewn again so if you miss the fabric on oneside by a little dont worry about it. Flip it rightside out and press so that the seam is pressed in one of the creases.
Now take your fabric tube and the fabric rectangle with your big half circle. Place the fabric tub between the 2 pieces of fabric that you cut the half circle. match up the tube seam with the raw edges of the half circle and make it so the 1.5 inches of the tube are inside the fabric. Leave and opening (big enough to turn the fabric right side out on either side of the half circle and extra fabric tubing on either side of the half circle and sew a 1/4 seam.
Next turn your canopy rightside out. And lace the elastic through the tube. using your makeshift ties, tie it to the carseat and figure out how tight you want the elastic. Pin the elastic when you have the correct length. Then you want to push the excess tube back into the hole that you left on either side and sew the whole shut which also secures the tube inside and the elastic in place. Sew it on both sides.
Heres a picture after I poked the tube and elastic in the inside and sewed it:
Then make your straps to hold your canopy to the handle. I like to make it with the main fabric in the middle and the coordinating fabric on the outside, but you can do it however you like. My last one the straps were 3 1/4 inches wide and 8 inches long after they were all assembled and put together. I would cut a rectangle 7 inches by 8 inches and fold it hot dog style folding under all the raw edges 1/4 inch. Then top stitch around it and your all set with one strap. Do the same for the second.
This next part for me takes a long time. I pin the straps a lot and figure out how to make the front of the canopy not drag and for the straps to be the right distance apart etc. PS if your canopy is too long in front just cut it close to the seam and then fold it under on each side and sew another seam. Then seam the rectangle on the strap as shown to give lots of support. Then iron the velcro to the straps and your done!
Then do your measurements on your carseat. Measure the handle bar curve from the right side of the car seat to the left side. This is for the width of the canopy. You basically want to make sure your canopy isn't going to let air pass thru on the sides. So measure the spot where you want the fabric to end and then pull the measuring tap over the handle bar to the opposite side. (Because you went over the handle and the canopy goes under it you dont need to add an inch for seam allowance.)
Next measure the length of the canopy. So measure from the back fo the carseat sun shade over the handlebar to the front of the car seat and add 4 inches.
Now make your giant rectangle and use a 1/4 inch seam allowance sewing the fabric right sides together.
I then pinned some makeshift ties onto the canopy so I could see where the elastic needs to go. So find the center. pin each makeshift tie 2 inches from the center and make sure the canopy hits barely under the back of the sunshade. Then I stuck a bunch of pins all around where I wanted the canopy to end in the back. It ends up looking like a big half circle of pins. I then cut around those pins leaving about 1/2 to 3/4 inch.
With the fabric that is not the main fabric of your canopy make a long cut that is 3 inches wide. My cut was about 60 inches long but I had to sew 2 pieces together to make it that long. You are making the fabric that you will lace your elastic through in the back of the canopy. Fold it right sides together and then press and sew using a 1/8 seam allowance. Its going to be sewn again so if you miss the fabric on oneside by a little dont worry about it. Flip it rightside out and press so that the seam is pressed in one of the creases.
Now take your fabric tube and the fabric rectangle with your big half circle. Place the fabric tub between the 2 pieces of fabric that you cut the half circle. match up the tube seam with the raw edges of the half circle and make it so the 1.5 inches of the tube are inside the fabric. Leave and opening (big enough to turn the fabric right side out on either side of the half circle and extra fabric tubing on either side of the half circle and sew a 1/4 seam.
Next turn your canopy rightside out. And lace the elastic through the tube. using your makeshift ties, tie it to the carseat and figure out how tight you want the elastic. Pin the elastic when you have the correct length. Then you want to push the excess tube back into the hole that you left on either side and sew the whole shut which also secures the tube inside and the elastic in place. Sew it on both sides.
Heres a picture after I poked the tube and elastic in the inside and sewed it:
Then make your straps to hold your canopy to the handle. I like to make it with the main fabric in the middle and the coordinating fabric on the outside, but you can do it however you like. My last one the straps were 3 1/4 inches wide and 8 inches long after they were all assembled and put together. I would cut a rectangle 7 inches by 8 inches and fold it hot dog style folding under all the raw edges 1/4 inch. Then top stitch around it and your all set with one strap. Do the same for the second.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Friday, January 6, 2012
Monday, January 2, 2012
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