Sew A Shopping Cart Cover

The first cart cover I made using McCall 5721 for my cousin Anna.

Have you been to the grocery store recently and seen a baby riding around in style in a shopping cart cover?  If not keep your eyes out and I am sure that you will.  When I first heard of the idea of a shopping cart cover I thought it was the most ridiculous thing ever but later had a change of heart.  🙂  I love the fact that my baby is not slobbering all over the shopping cart sharing germs with who knows who.  Another great thing is that they also work on high chairs!  Restaurant high chairs have to be one of the dirtiest things ever in my opinion.  I love the cover especially since Elijah thinks there is nothing better than eating the sides of grocery carts and high chairs. 

I made this cover for Elijah the summer before he was born using the McCall pattern I used before. At about six months (when Elijah could sit up well) we started using it. If you can't see in the picture there are also 3 strips of webbing sewn onto it. These contain velcro loops to attach toys! This is especially great since Eli loves throwing things right now! 🙂

After having one cart cover for the past year I decided that I would really like to have another one.  (The reason being that I was always leaving the cover in Brandon’s car and then not having it with me in my car when I went to the store or if we were at a restaurant.)  Although this might sound frivolous I did make the second one out of an old flat twin sheet.  The total cost to make the second one including the new pattern was only 3.50.  🙂  Now I have one to keep in each car.  

The most recent cart cover made from a flat twin sheet.

For the blue dot cover I used a new pattern: Simplicity 3561.  The reason I chose a different pattern was that the Simplicity pattern only called for 3 yards of fabric vs. the 4 1/4 yds it took to make the McCalls.  I was able to make it entirely from a twin flat sheet.  I don’t think I would have had enough fabric in the sheet to make the McCalls pattern.  Between the two patterns I really like the design of the McCalls pattern a little better but I also love the fact that I can buy one less yard of fabric (thereby saving money) if I make the Simplicity pattern.  I think Kwik Sew also makes a pattern for a cart cover.  They are my favorite patterns to use but are very expensive.  Unlike McCalls and Simplicity patterns they never go on sale and retail around $10.00!  Way too much for me! 

I’m sure I’ll be making another one of these sometime soon as I have 2 close friends having babies this summer.  I”m also going to be an aunt sometime this fall!  Yeah!!! 🙂    The hardest part for me when sewing something for a friend is deciding exactly what to make.  I love making baby gifts. 🙂

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