This baby bouncer chair is a hand-me-down. I got it from my cousin, and she in turn got it from a friend. Good stuff. But the original cover has some spots that I’m just not able to wash out. So there was a challenge waiting to be accepted.
So I got going. With pencil, paper, measuring tape and a geometry triangle. And the original cover, of course.
And this was the result:
Reversable, of course, just like the original cover (something I only found out after I’d already started making this new cover. Little did I know I could just hide all the spots by reversing that thing 😉 )
If you’re interested in how to do this, here’s a tutorial:
What do you need?
- Pattern paper
- Pencil (and rubber, you never know)
- Measure tape
- Geometry triangle
- 2 pieces of fabric with matching thread
- Fiberfill
- 6 buttons
How to draw the pattern?
The cover consists of the following parts:
- the back
- the seat
- the belt
- the bottom part
- the tabs onto which you’ll attach the buttons
The back
- Put the cover on your pattern paper and use your hands to flatten it as much as possible.
- Trace the upper part of the cover with your pencil.
Note:You may have to rearrange the cover as you do so, to even out the curvy bottom part as much as possible.
- Connect the bottom ends with a straight line and cut the pattern out.
- Fold the pattern in half, then cut it in half.
- Check which of the two halves matches the back the best.
- Use the best matching part and place it on the cover with the centre exactly on the centre seam and the bottom exactly on the bottom seam.
- Adapt your pattern until it’s exactly right. Check each change you make. When you are absolutely sure that your pattern matches the cover, check it once more.
The seat
Draw the pattern for this part in the same way as you have drawn the back.
Draw the pattern for this part in the same way as you have drawn the back.
The belt
- Place the belt on your pattern paper and trace it with your pencil. Trace around the buckles as well, so they’ll be part of the pattern.
- Fold the pattern in half, then cut it in half.
- Draw button holes as follows:
- in the middle of the horizontal end, at 1,5 cm (0.6 in) from the side
- on the centre seam, at 1,5 cm (0.6 in) from the bottom edge
The bottom part
Draw a rectangle measuring 83 cm x 25.5 cm (32.5 in x 10 in)
Draw a rectangle measuring 83 cm x 25.5 cm (32.5 in x 10 in)
The tabs onto which you’ll attach the buttons
Draw a rectangle measuring 5.5 cm x 10 cm (2.2 in x 4 in)
Draw a rectangle measuring 5.5 cm x 10 cm (2.2 in x 4 in)
How to sew the cover
Preparations
Cut all pattern pieces as follows:
- Back: on the fold, 1in each fabric, once in fiberfill, add 1 cm (0.4 in) seam allowance
- Seat: on the fold, 1 in each fabric, once in fiberfill, add 1 cm (0.4 in) seam allowance
- Belt: on the fold, 1 in each fabric, once in fiberfill, add 1 cm (0.4 in) seam allowance
- Bottom part: 1 in each fabric, seam allowance included
- Tabs: 4 in 1 of your fabrics, seam allowance included
Iron interlining on the wrong sides of the tabs and the belt.
And go!
- Pin the fiberfill for the back on the wrong side of one of the back parts.
- On the right side of the fabric, draw a vertical line in the centre of the back. On each side of this line, measure 5 cm (2 in) and draw a new line. Repeat until you’ve reached the sides of your pattern.
- Stitch all these lines.
- Repeat steps 1-3 for the seat, but draw the lines horizontally and start at 5 cm (2 in) from the upper side.
- At the bottom centre of the back, using a big stitch, stitch 2 lines of approximately 10 cm (4 in). Do not secure your thread and leave quite some thread on both ends, so you can easily use it to wrinkle.
- Repeat step 5 for the seat, wrinkling the curvy part.
- Pin the back on the seat, right sides facing each other and wrinkled parts against each other, so you create a seat already.
- Fold the tabs in the width, right sides facing each other. Sew the long sides.
- Turn the tabs so the right side is on the outside. Iron flat and stitch along the sides.
- Pin the tabs on the right side of the back that’s lined with fiberfill. Make sure they are pointing inwards. Pin a tab on both sides of the back and one at bottom of the seat, in the middle. Check the correct positions with the original cover.
- Pin the bottom part on the seat, right sides facing each other. Sew together.
- Repeat steps 5-7 for the remaining parts. Pin the tab you have left on the bottom of the seat, in the middle, and repeat step 11.
- Pin the belt parts on top of each other, right sides facing each other. Sew together, but make sure you leave a hole to turn the whole thing through.
- Turn the belt so the right side is on the outside. Sew the hole closed using a blind stitch.
- Sew the button holes on the belt.
- Turn the cover so the right side is on the outside. Sew the buttons on the tabs.
Note: The tabs on the sides need a button on each side.
- Finish the hem (2 cm / 0.8 in).
Finished! Doesn’t that look a lot better than the original spotty cover? Careful, though. The original cover secures your baby with a special system. On Justina Maria Louisa’s blog, I saw she used buckle belts. I’m not too big a fan of these, since I always get my fingers in between (that’s why my camera bag is never closed properly). I certainly wouldn’t want to get my boy’s fingers caught in them either. So I chose to use plain old buttons. Works fine, but make sure to always tug the belt a bit, so it’s really tight around the button. I wouldn’t want to see my boy bouncing around the room without his bouncing seat.
Materials used
- Owl fabric – Stenzo from P.W. Hoofs
- Brown nicky velours from Stoffenspektakel
- Blue buttons from De Stoffenkamer