BABY HOLDER

Directions for high chair/shopping cart baby holder

by Mary-Jeanine Ibarguen

This is a nifty way to hold a sitting baby in place. It wraps around them and the back of the chair or cart and they sit on part of it too, so they're not going anywhere! It can store in a small ball so you can carry it with you. I used them in the store, at grandma's, at home, at restaurants, etc. Make several! People were always stopping me to ask where to get one: go into business...my blessings!

Supplies: fabric, batting, bias binding (or make your own), 6" sew-in velcro strip, the wider, the better.

There are three rectangles: A (8" X 20"), B (2" X 14") and C (4" X 40"). Cut TWO of A, TWO of B and TWO of C. The first rectangle (A) makes the seat bottom and back, B is the attached loop for the crotch and tummy, and C is the horizontal strap that goes thru the B loop and around their bodies and the chair back.

Piece A will look like an "L" when in use, and piece B will be attached to the bottom (short side) of A during construction. Piece C is separate, it will be threaded through the B loop for use with velcro on the two ends of C for locking baby in.

Each of the three peices are 3 layers: fabric, batting, fabric, with the fabric RS out. You can serge the edges, then attach the B loop to A by folding B in half, and basting the two raw short ends to the center of the short end of A, then attach binding to everything if you want. This padding makes it comfortable and sturdy. On some of the ones I made, I put tabs on the top of the A piece (opposite end to loop) to tie it onto the top back of the high chair. This is good for the one at home. You may want to quilt or tie the A piece a little bit, but you don't have to. Mine survived quite nicely with lots of washings. You can make them any size you want after you test out this size. Especially for very big or very small babies. I wish you lots of oohs and aahs!

----------- Here's another idea that would also be useful to a mom: I make "crib bibs" which are flat sheets, the size of the mattress top, with two ties on each corner to tie to the vertical slats on the crib. I make them 4-5 thicknesses of flannel and they are *much* easier to change than a crib sheet, esp with a bumper pad attached. When I used them, I would leave the regular crib sheet on for ages, esp if I had a rubber mat under the crib bib. My mom friends have raved over them when I give them away. Not real "cute" but *very* practical!!! Oh, I serge the edges, nothing fancy. Mary-Jeanine in Central Florida