This is something I have wanted to Make Dexter for about 18 months now! Jeez horrible mom over here. I knew when I had Max I was going to have him in the carrier a lot so I thought hey if I make Dex one he won’t feel left out! right? He can carry his dog in it. Well yeah it would have been nice if I had done it a year or so ago. But I finally got around to it no. I searched and searched online and could never find a tutorial. So I made my own!
This is a moderate to difficult thing to make but if you are a new seamstress don’t let that discourage you, you may just want to start with some material you don’t mind if it gets ruined and accept that as your trial run. Also this takes about 1.5 hours but is worth the time!
Materials:
10 buttons
Fusible mid weight interfacing 12x12 square
2- 12x12 squares of fabric, you can buy a half yard of fabric and that will be enough if you want both sides the same. I prefer two sided so my kid has options. so I buy to different fabrics at a half yard each and then I just have left over fabric for another one or some other project.
half yard of fabric for the straps, outer square and headrest.
a small piece of felt or fleece, or quilting batting for the head rest piece just something to give it structure and make it soft. You don’t want that doll to not be luxurious do you!?
a little bit of snap tape, mine usually has 3 snaps.
matching thread
sewing machine
Tutorial:
step one:
Cut out all your materials.
You will need to cut 2 pieces of fabric into 12x 12 squares for your main body piece, and one piece 12x12 of your interfacing.
Cut out a long strip of fabric for you waist band – 6 inches wide by 32 inches long
Out of the same material as your waist band cut to small rectangles 6 inches wide by 3 inches long.
Then two more long strips for the shoulder straps 6 inches wide by 12 inches long.
cut 8 strips out of the same material 2 inches wide by 13 inches long.
The last 2 pieces are a little hard to explain but I will try if I could upload a pattern I would! This is for the headrest, you want it to be a parallelogram. with the bottom 9inches long and the top 7 inches long and the width to be about 3 inches. (you want two of those, or cut one on the fold)
Out of your inner headpiece fabric cut a similar shape but smaller. 8 inches at the bottom 6 at the top and 3 wide. You only need one.
Step 2:
Collect all your strap pieces. Fold them all in half lengthways and press them.
Step 3:
Start with your short arm piece, sew down 3 sides leaving one of the short sides open so you can turn it. but don’t turn it yet.
Do this with the other short strap and the two other arm straps.
Cut the corners off all the pieces making sure not to cut the thread. You just want to cut diagonals off so that when you turn it your corners come out nice.
Turn all the pieces. Press with a hot iron.
Step 3 b: (I forgot this and don’t want to go renumber everything 
Sew two button holes on each short strap piece. My machine does this for me if yours doesn’t well I don’t know how to tell you to do it.
Step 4:
Get your long strap piece mark the center and then mark two places 6 inches out from either side.
Sew down the long side from the first 6 inch marking to the end of the strap.
Now go back 3 inches and sew a line going diagonal from top to bottom.
Do this on the other side. You should have a big hole in the middle to turn the strap through.
Cut close to the diagonal line and the corner making sure not to cut the thread.
Turn it out and press with a hot iron.
Step 5:
Sew around the sides and top of the headrest making sure to leave the bottom open.
Cut your corners and turn it out.
Now put the felt inside the headrest top stitch and sew lines long ways along the whole thing.
Step 6:
Lay one of your 12x12 squares flat. and Press a piece of interfacing onto the backside.
Step 7:
Take your 8 strips of 2x13 pieces and pin them to onto your 12x12 squares. Right sides together. So each square will have four pieces on it. One on each side.
Step 8:
Sew each side strip on. I go on parallel sides first then flip it and do the other sides.
Step 9 :
Pin your headrest piece and straps on the right side of the fabric then sew around the edge making sure to catch all the pieces your have pinned on.
step 10:
You’re almost done!!
Lay your other 12x12 square with the 4 side pieces on top of your piece with the straps. right sides together. Sew around three sides leaving the bottom open.
turn it out and press it.
Step 11:
Insert your main body piece into the long waist band piece. and topstitch all the way around the waist band piece. You don’t have to go all the way around if you don’t want to I just do it because it looks nice. I top stich everything though.
When you are done it should look like this:
Step 12:
add buttons and snap tape.
I like to put three buttons where the small strap overlaps the ling strap when you lay it flat. and I put the snap tape two inches above that.
Then I add three more buttons to the bottom.
YOU’RE DONE!!!!!!!!!! Go try it on your little one and tell them how hard you worked and I am sure they will just be so grateful for all your hard work. ;O)
If you make one let me know! If you don’t feel like making one but you want one I do sell these! email me at our5cents1@gmail.com for more info.
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