Car seat pad tutorial

I made a thing. FINALLY. My sewing machine was covered in a shroud of dust, rusted like a minibus, and it ran like a jackhammer, but it worked.

I ordered a car seat pad with a gift card someone got us, then found out we already had one in a bag of baby clothes someone else gave us. And it's only poofy on the sides, not under the back and butt, which is stoooopid.

So I made my own. 

First, I got into my stash and found big enough pieces of fabric for front and back.

Then I traced the poofy pad onto fabric with a washable marker. If someone wanted to do this without a poofy pad, they could probably trace their baby like a big gingerbread man.

Then I remembered about ironing. Probably, it would be best to iron before tracing. 

Then I cut the thing out with half an inch sewing allowance, one layer at a time so I didn't screw up all my fabric on the first go.

Then I cut two layers of batting.

The baby made sleepy murmurs on the monitor. HURRY.

Layered up for the inside-out no-binding method; batting, top fabric facing up, back fabric facing down.

It feels like it should be wrong in that order, but I pinned it like that anyway. Sewed all the layers together, leaving a 4-inch gap at the end, for turning it inside out.

Stuff it inside itself and birth it through the opening hole. I started with the legs. 

RAWR. EXPLETIVES. The man took it away from me and did it in about three seconds.

Fine. Show off. I stitched the opening shut, and DONE.

"Beautiful!" said the man, "Except it looks like she has her period." 

Damn it. 

I may add some hand quilting, but it's fine on its own.

Add baby, and -

Hang on.

She liiiiikes it!

Feeling very accomplished now.