Kwik Sew 3734- Swaddler Attempt #1

It's late at night, and I should be in bed.

My 8 month old son has been keeping me up most nights for over a week now, and the sleep deprivation, coupled with feeling like I am childminder 24/7 (almost, hubby works long hours), has meant, among other things, that not much sewing has been happening.

So, the last two nights, when he finally began getting back into his night routine again, and I was home alone with the kids until my husband got home at/ after 10pm, I used the opportunity to sew this up. I always forget how therapeutic and soothing tracing/ cutting/ sewing is, like being in "the zone".

I am uploading my latest sewing attempt. Kwik Sew 3734

I made the swaddler this time. This, along with the co-ordinating sling I made earlier, is meant to be a gift set for a friend of mine who has just had her second child, a boy, about a week ago.

When I had bought the pattern, I had intended to make the sling and the swaddler for her, as well as some 6 other women I know from my religious group, who are all at varying stages of their pregnancy. I asked the women on Pattern Review Down Under for advice, they felt it might be better to go with the traditional muslin wraps instead.

So that was that. But then I had that lunch do with these friends, when they were all trying to convince me to make these for money, and gushed for swaddlers of their very own, which, I was told, retail for around AUD40.

So, to make a long story short, I made one. And I will make more, for each of these women. To save them 40 bucks. And because I would rather make these than buy more baby clothes from Pumpkin Patch.

Fastened with Velcro tabs that I sewed on.

Fully lined on the inside with 100% cotton poplin in royal blue to match the base of the fabric print. Interlined with lightweight fleece. I did not think to take construction photos as I was making this.

Adding the fleece layer was a last minute decision. The weather being what it is, I had intended to give her this with only the 2 layers of cotton. But it felt rather thin, and more importantly, with summer on its way out, the nights and mornings have been cool enough to need a light blanket, especially for babies. Since I had already cut out the fabric and matching lining, and did not have matching fleece on hand, I used fleece out of my stash that completely does NOT match.

I sewed the fleece to the lining layer and then treated the two as a single layer for the construction of the garment. It came together fairly easily, and quickly, even though I had some moments where I was not quite sure if it would all come together. It did.

Final product, modeled on my daughter's doll.

More of these to come!