Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Jenn's Car Seat

Did you see yesterday's post about the stroller?  And you came back to see part two?  In case you missed part one I needed a stroller and car seat for my sister.  I knew I'd re-cover it so I bought a used one and ended up getting the set for $15 since her cat had kittens in the stroller.  I cleaned up the stroller, re-covered it and it looks amazing.


Once the stroller was done I moved on to the car seat.  It was definitely more complicated and included some small pieces and then I ran out of fabric.  I bought more fabric, finished the job and came up with something I'm really happy with.

Remember how it started?  Faded, plaid, gender neutral and what's with the dorky animals?

I took the seat apart and used the pieces for a pattern.  It was my first time re-covering a bucket car seat like this and I think my next one will be even better but this one is super cute.  Here's a side shot so you can really see the sunshade.


And here is the set, a before and some after's.


 I love that this little lady has a custom stroller and I can't wait to meet her.
 
Allright, I've had a couple comments concerning the safety of my car seat and so I thought I'd address that a little.  My car seat cover is exactly the same as the original, I used the same batting, the backing fabric and all the same supports.  The fabric thickness is the same so I didn't add any bulk or anything that would shift around the baby.  It will perform just like the original seat.  I understand that some people won't agree but I'm am completely confident in the safety of this seat.




Linking To Monday - C.R.A.F.T., Making The World Cuter, Polly Want a Crafter, Simpsonized Crafts, Sugar Bee Crafts, Sumo's Sweet Stuff, The Girl Creative   Tuesday - All Things Related, Creative Itch, Domestically Speaking, Ladybug BlessingsSassy Sites, Today's Creative Blog, This & That, Topsy Turvy    Wednesday - Blue Cricket Design, Me and My Bucket   Thursday - A Glimpse Inside House of Hepworth, It's Sew Stinkin Cute, Somewhat Simple, The Train to Crazy, What Allie's Making Now   Friday - Creation Corner, Finding Fabulous, Tatertots & Jello

21 comments:

Carla said...

It looks AMAZING Laura!!!

Sharon@thisthriftyhouse said...

You are one amazing girl! I am in awe!!

Jenn said...

It looks awesome! I can't wait to see it in person!

Jennie Holt said...

oh man that is ridiculously cute!! i have a double stroller that is terrible i would LOVE to recover it, but i am chicken!! you need to teach me!

Unknown said...

Gorgeous!! Great job! I linked up your project on my blog today! http://vixenmade.blogspot.com/2011/03/baby-boom.html

April@MySacredSojourn said...

Wow!! That is amazing! What a wonderful gift for your new niece...and I bet your sister just loves it! You're so right...that gorgeous pink fabric is so much better than those dorky animals. :)

Lindsay Haynie said...

I am so jealous of your skills. I've been wanting to do the same thing for our stroller/carseats but I am no where near as talented!

Alison said...

It looks so good!

Allison {A Glimpse Inside} said...

They look awesome! Fabulous job! Thanks for linking up to my Catch a Glimpse party!

Sharon@Keen Inspirations said...

Great job! I always wondered if that could be done! Yours looks like a new set now.
Stopping by from the Girl Creative! Enjoy your weekend!

Jennifer said...

What a fantastic job you did. Love the colours. Thanks one lucky baby

Katherines Corner said...

Extreme cuteness, love this. They look brand new! Hugs and happy Friday!

dwhalens said...

That is so so unsafe. Please do not give that to anyone. First of all, buying used car seats is a big no-no. Car seats are one time use which means after an accident they must be disposed of. Some people aren't so honest and have been known to sell the seat, they are internally damaged so there is no way to tell if it is safe.
Secondly using any aftermarket covers is dangerous. The seats are tested down to the last thread with the covers that are made for them. You would be surprised how much of a difference a different pad can make.
I recommend giving the stroller since it is adorable but there is no way I could put my niece or daughter in a seat that wasn't safe.

The Autocrat: Haley said...

You did a fabulous job!!

fialka012 said...

Krásné...

Steph said...

So adorable but really unsafe ):

Donya said...

Fantastic job! Love the material you chose. You should feel VERY proud of yourself. AWESOME!

SandyQuilts said...

I'm trying to get up my nerve to do this for our GD. Do you use regular cotton fabric? Upholstery fabric.

Shannon said...

I just have to say, the carseat is cute but it is absolutely not safe. Its not the fact of the thickness of the fabric its more about the fact that your fabric is not flame retardant. Carseats are tested for safety with a certain fabric. Also, please check the expiration on the carseats you recover. Seats are only good on average 4-6 years after they are made. Heat and cold makes the plastic brittle and can be fatal if in a crash. Please consider the safety of your children and anyone else that is reading this!!!

Abbie said...

Hi. Where did you get your flame retardant fabric? I've never seen any at craft stores.

Also, did you know the person you bought the seat from? Know if the soaked or submerged the straps, checked it as baggage on a plane, or had it in a wreck?

Very cute work though on the stroller.

Katie Nachman said...

It's too bad you didn't just spend the money from the fabric on a cheap NEW car seat instead because it would be much safer. Forget the fact that you recovered it, buying a used car seat is NEVER a good idea and I would highly encourage you to check the date of manufacture and find out when it expires as well.
there is a time and a place to be thrifty and car seat safety does not fall into that category.