My daughter Emily was born in 1981, shortly before my Mother was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. During the time period my Mom was undergoing her treatments she went over to Marshall Fields and bought an oak high chair so Emily could eat and be with the family at holidays, etc. It was an extremely extravagant purchase by a woman who had been careful with money all her life. This purchase expressed her deep love for her granddaughter and her attempt to enjoy the last two years of life. I inherited that high chair and kept it in my dining room, using it only for special holiday dinners. For years, it was just a sentimental reminder of my Mom and her love. Now that I have a granddaughter, it is like my Mom has given her a present. When Emily and her husband needed a high chair they decided against all the plastic models and ordered a wooden one to create their own heirloom. But both needed cushions and the pickings were so sparse. Here is the tutorial in gallery format as there are so many pictures.
Flip through the pictures to learn how to make a laminated cotton high chair cushion that is pretty darn cute. One yard of laminated cotton. (Not oilcloth, that has bad chemicals for babies.) Two packages of extra wide bias tape double folded. Rolling or Teflon foot for your machine. Foam or pillow form to cover (I got my cushions at Amazon.) Patience when you are sewing the bias tape onto the final seam of the laminated cotton. A little bit of swearing can be substituted. Look at the gallery as many times as you need and then go for it! Want to see and read more about fun quilts and sewing? Check out my Facebook page. Like the page and join the conversation! If you want to keep reading my blog, you can subscribe. To do so, type your email address in the box and click the "create subscription" button. That's all, you're done. My list is completely spam free, and you can opt out at any time. DIY project, sewing for babies, Step by step tutorial
high chair cushion, laminated cottonWindsor Highchair - Stock #38 90-Day Money Back Guarantee+ Free Returns Click For More Details Windsor Highchair - Stock #38 Write Your Own Review *How do you rate this product? *Let us know your thoughts Click here to be the first to review this productThe Totseat® is the original travel high chair. Recommended for babies and toddlers aged 6-30 months, our lightweight and versatile chair harness anchors your child safely and comfortably in almost any dining chair. Our award-winning product is designed to be adjusted quickly and easily for all shapes and sizes of chair and child. As both machine-washable and pocket-sized in a small, handy bag, the Totseat® makes eating out, travelling, and entertaining guests easy for everyone. To learn more about how it has made life simpler for others and why, check out our Reviews and Why it Works. We prioritise the safety and comfort of your child by using the best quality fabric.
Each and every purchase directly from us comes with its own lifetime guarantee. When you combine our variety of fabrics, duck cloth, quilt patterns, sewing materials, fillings and sewing supplies with your imagination, anything is possible.This post is sponsored by Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Stores. I don’t talk about my cat too much. Honestly, we don’t have a very good relationship. She doesn’t really like me and the feeling is mutual, hahaha. But, the kids adore her and include her in every listing of family members that ever takes place. They play with her and dote on her which is really sweet to watch. Almost sweet enough to forgive the nightly attacks on my feet. The fabric is personalized with the text of your choice, I think it’s especially cute with a name, but you could also choose a special date or inside joke to print. There are over 200 designs to choose from (including many popular characters, baby themes, some new neutral patterns and more!) There is something for everyone on there.
I decided to get Penny some black and white cat fabric and design and sew a cat bed for her. I included the kids in the process and we had fun learning how to spell PENNY and making something for her. Here’s how it looked when the fabric came! I know my kids will love pillowcases with their names on them, too, so that may be my next project. As much as I hate characters on everything, character fabric gets my kids excited about sewing and projects, so I’m okay with it. Plus, it’s nice that they have a few less popular characters like Mario and Sofia (and also plenty of Elsa, Ninja Turtles and My Little Pony for good measure). I can deal with character pillowcases and that is likely what I’ll do next. I love the huge selection of fabrics, I got lost on there a few times. So let’s make one! Cat Bed Sewing Pattern Materials: -1 yard Personalized Fabric printed on Eco-Canvas -1 yard lining fabric –1 yard 1/2″ thick foam -seat cushion, I used one of these Soft n Crafty densified batting -free pattern (see button below!)
Cat Bed Pattern Download I picked this cat print, but there are also a few others suitable for cats, or choose something cool like these triangles or POLKA DOTS!It’s super easy…pick a print, a font, a font color and approve it! Print out the free pattern download and tape it together! The pieces include about 1/2″ extra, so cut on the lines and match them up as shown below: Cut out the following pieces: From Main Fabric: 1- 1 front on fold 1- back on fold 1- top piece -1 base piece 1-cushion cover From Lining Fabric: 1- 1 front on fold 1- back on fold 1- top piece -1 cushion cover -1 base piece From 1/2″ foam: -1 front -1 back From seat cushion: -1 cushion piece Sew the top piece into the middle of the front. This piece is a little bit contoured so that top bows out a bit, and it also allows you the option to use 2 fabrics. I think it could be a fun little accent piece. Sew the front to the back along the sides and top of the pattern. Use a 1/4″ seam allowance.
Trim top corners of the ‘ears’ but do not trim seam allowance. Pin the base piece around the bottom of the cat bed, with right sides together. You’ll have to turn and pin and you go. To make this part easier, ease stitch your base and around the bottom of the cat bed and tug threads as needed. Also mark the base with pins to divide in quadrants, then match the sides to the sides of the cat bed piece. When you’ve pinned all the way around, the cat bed will be inside out. Sew around the base. Turn right side out. Repeat with lining fabric. (^^Truth be told, my daughter stole this project for her little kitty tribe. I’m okay with it! Now grab your foam pieces. Sew the front and back foam together around the edges. Since your foam is 1/2″ thick, the best way to do this is with a quick whipstitch by hand. Sew around the door opening 1/4″ from the raw edge of the fabric on both the main and lining cat bed pieces. Use a regular (2.5mm) stitch length. Use this stitching to help you ease under 1/4″ of the fabric to create a crisp edge.
Press along the edge as you go and tug threads slightly if necessary. Stuff the foam inside. The foam pieces are shorter than the cat bed so it will fit in there. It will be a tight fit (and it should be!). The foam also doesn’t have a contoured middle piece on the top of the front piece. If you need to clip into the foam around that area to get the right fit, go for it! Now trim off the extra foam around the opening of the cat bed. Trim it back so it is approximately 1/4″ wider all the way around than the fabric pieces. Turn the lining pieces inside out. Then, push the lining inside the cat bed, over the foam. Match up all the edges and smooth it out. Use a ladder stitch to sew the openings together along the creases you made earlier. If you don’t want to hand stitch the front opening, you can use a sewing machine and create a regular topstitch. Sew the cushion covers together, leaving about 8″ open. Turn the cushion cover and stuff in the cushion. Then sew the opening closed by hand.