The Peek-a-Boo Bunting (Modified) Tutorial

Via the ever interesting and surprising CRAFTzine blog, I discovered that Susan at joybucket really does have an “ingenious idea for a baby quilt!”


The basic idea is that this "little stroller quilt has ties that attach to the frame sides of the stroller. It has buttons along both edges to cover the baby's legs. Every baby I've pushed in a stroller kicks that blasted blankie off. Then it's stuck in the wheels and dragging in the dirt. Lovely. With this you don't have to deal with all that."

I thought it was pretty cool and I polled people who actually have bred and they agreed. Most important, a certain Soprano, who happens to be preggars again, thought it was a great idea…

Sadly, I don’t quilt.

I drool over those Shabby Chic quilts at Target*, and my Grandmother turns out wonderful quilts of her own. Yet, it just isn’t a talent I have.


I have however mastered the art of the simple baby blanket and I thought I could modify that tutorial to my abilities.

The Peek-a-Boo Bunting (Modified) Tutorial**:

Now, I am going to assume that anyone following along knows the basics of sewing. However, please email/comment me with any questions if something isn’t clear.



The Goods:
* The Peek-a-Boo Bunting Tutorial which is concise and a good read to understand the basic concept (read this first)
* 2 yards of Fabric 54” wide
- 1 yard for the front and the other for the back
- It should be suitable for a baby blanket
- It also should be washed and dried per the instructions on the bolt
(- I went with a yard of pirate themed baby flannel and yard of baby blue striped baby flannel)
* 1 packet of baby blanket binding
* A friend for moral support
- Diana threw on some sweats and came to help me out
* A packet of batting large enough for your blanket
* 6 heavy duty (baby kick resistant) sets of snaps and the tool for them
- Hammer or mallet for the tool
* Yarn and a yarn needle
* Four 6” strips of twill tape or grosgrain ribbon
* Sewing machine, thread, needles, scissors, common sense, etc…



First read through all instructions before you start cutting or sewing. I know we all get excited and want to jump in but remember: “measure twice, cut once.”




Taking what will be the fabric for the back side of your blanket and starting from the bottom right corner; measure up about 5” from the non selvedge edge and about 5” in from the selvedge edge (to allow room for your binding) and mark.

From your mark, measure up three inches and mark again. Repeat four more times from each mark, for a total of six marks.

Repeat the entire process on your bottom left side.

Then with a punch, an awl, your scissors, or any other sharp instrument, puncture your fabric at the marks.

READ THE SNAP INSTRUCTIONS



Now, if you’re me and you’ve never put in snaps, reading the instructions first is double true.

I went with snaps instead of buttons for two reasons:

1) I’m good at grommets and bad at buttons. I figured a snap must be a cousin to a grommet and therefore easier for me to put in (plus you get to use a hammer).
2) I thought that it would be faster and easier on a certain Soprano if she had snaps.

If you like buttons, by all means leave out all that above hole making, and just use those measurements to place your buttons and button holes. Moreover, you could use Velcro and sew it on where you would put the holes. However, I’m not sure how well it will hold when threatened by restless feet.



I am not aware of proper snap terminology, but since one is an outie and the other an innie, let’s call them male (outie) and female (innie).

On the left side, starting from the bottom, put three males into the first three holes, and thee females into the remaining three holes. (When snapped together they fold the blanket up and create your pocket.)

Repeat on the right side.

Note: if your fabric is not particularly thick, you might want to layer some duck or other thick fabric in between the snap and your blanket fabric. This will help stop the snap from sliding around and make it easier to use.



When you’re done with the snap tool, put it somewhere safe. I like to keep my varied sized tools (grommet punches etc.) in their own labeled bags, and all in one place. Later when I need it, I know where it is, and I don’t have to search around to find the matches for whatever size I’m looking for.



If you’re the type of crafter that labels their work, now would be a good time to do so.



Gather your fabric for the back of the blanket (you know the one with the snaps), the fabric for the front of the blanket, and your batting.

On a flat clean area, lay the front of the blanket right side down, on top of that place your batting, and on top of your batting place the back of the blanket right side up.

Line all the sides up and trim any excess batting or fabric.



Get your yarn needle (mine is so dangerous that I keep it in a special container only to be handled by a professional) and the yarn. Cut four 4” sections of yarn, and thread one onto THE needle.



From the top right corner measure about 15” down and about 12” over and mark your fabric. At the mark push the threaded yarn needle through the backside, the batting, and front. Leave a tail of at least 1” of yarn on the backside. Once you are through all three layers, turn the needle around and push back through the front, batting, and back.

You should now have a little loop, with both ends sticking out the back of your fabric. Take the needle off the yarn, pull both ends to remove any excess from the front of the blanket, and tie the ends together. Trim to desired length.

Repeat for the top left, bottom right, and bottom left of your blanket. (This is going to secure the batting so it won’t bunch or move when it is washed.)



Next you’re going to pin the binding in place around the edges of your blanket. You can do your corners however you like, but I suggest doing mitered corners. Personally, I think it looks nicer.

While you’re at it, pin a ribbon 3” in from the top right corner and another 3” down from the top right corner. Just place it under your binding. When you sew your binding on, make sure it catches the ribbon too. (These are your ties for attaching the blanket to the stroller.)

Repeat again at the top left corner.

When you’re done, it should look like this:



Like your corners, sew the binding on in whatever way you prefer. Make sure that you go through all five layers (binding, blanket, batting, blanket, and binding).



Personally, I sew all the edges with a zigzag stitch…



… and come back and sew my mitered corners last.



Trim your threads and you’re all done.



To use, fold the blanket up and snap the bottom female on each side to the top male, and repeat down the line.



Attach to the stroller with your ribbons, slide the babies feet inside the snapped up pocket, and you should be ready to roll.



When you’re not using it in the stroller, you can pop all your snaps, lay it down, and have cushy clean play space for the little darling!

Thanks again to Susan for the great idea!

* I HIGHLY recommend those Shabby Chic sheets. It’s not just that I adore Rachel Ashwell, those sheets wonderful.

** All credit and inspiration go to Susan at joybucket for her original idea.