Car seat pillow Bernina Contest

Instructions

Cut a piece of cotton muslin or plain white broadcloth 22 inches long and 12 inches wide. Fold the piece of cloth in half lengthwise and serge or sew up one side and an end. Turn the tube right side out and firmly stuff with polyfill or the filler of your choice. Serge or slip stitch your pillow closed.

Cover: Cut a piece of fleece or flannel 24 inches long by 14 inches wide. I like to embroider names on my pillow covers, so I do that step next. Place your fabric in the hoop and embroider the name down the center. Once you are done putting on a name if you choose, fold the sides of your cover over press it so you have a flat piece of fabric which will eventually have a seam down the back.

At this point I take nylon belting, 3/8 inch wide & cut 6 3 inch strips, heat sealing both ends of each strip. (*Note! you can use matching fabric to make your straps, but I have found I like the convenience of the nylon strapping myself!)

Next, cut 3 pieces of velcro 2.5 inches long & pull them apart. Sew a piece of velcro to each piece of strapping, lining it up at one end & giving you a little stitch space on the other end. Pin your 6 pieces of velcro at equal distances along the the back side of your cover before you sew up your back seam. I zigzag stitch each of the 6 straps. These will be what holds your pillow on your car seat straps!

Once your straps are sewn on, sew up your back seam, then sew up one end of your cover and turn it right side out. Last, put a hem in the open end of your cover & use another piece of velcro about 3" long to the open end to keep it closed once it is on your pillow.

Slide your cover on your pillow & strap it to your child's car seat to give them a comfy place to rest their little head if they fall asleep in the car! Cut a piece of cotton muslin or plain white broadcloth 22 inches long and 12 inches wide. Fold the piece of cloth in half lengthwise and serge or sew up one side and an end. Turn the tube right side out and firmly stuff with polyfill or the filler of your choice. Serge or slip stitch your pillow closed.

Cover: Cut a piece of fleece or flannel 24 inches long by 14 inches wide. I ...
Read full instructions »

---

Difficulty:

Category: Sewing

Type of item: Functional

For: Children

Style: Mod, Casual, Whimsical, Traditional, Hipster, Funky, Cute

---

Materials

Cotton muslin & polyfill for the inside pillow. Flannel or fleece for the pillow cover, nylon strapping and velcro for the straps.

What was your inspiration?

I have 9 grandchildren, ages 11,7,6,5 & almost 2 year old quintuplets. They are always falling asleep in their carseats on road trips and they look so uncomfortable that I wanted to make something to make them more comfortable. They loved them so much that all the children in my family daycare wanted one too. I have so many people who want them and the great thing is they strap to the car seat without interfering with the integrity of the car seat. You don't have to constantly be looking for their pillow because it is safely strapped right to their seat!

What are you most proud of?

That this project is both fun and functional! The kids love choosing their own fabrics for their pillow covers and they adore having them personalized. I love it when the kids are so happy using something that 'Nana' made for them!

What advice would you give someone starting this project?

I find that the nylon strapping is much more convenient than making your straps from fabric. Either one is fine, and if you are only making a couple of them, it might not be a problem. When you are making them to sell, it is faster to do the strapping. I always heat seal the ends of the straps so they do not unravel. Make sure you get polyester or nylon strapping, NOT cotton as it will not heat seal.