Design 42 Carrycot for a baby doll

length 45 cm, base 47 x 22 cm, height 12 cm and 17 cm

Post your pictures and notes about this pattern here!

This pattern is a lot of work, but the results are worth it. You want generous seam allowences for this. More pictures and information here.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2609/...bc5428feab.jpg

So I read up what Mama's had to say here about the Ottobre carrycot and it wasn't pretty. I really wanted to make something like this for Shiloh for her 2nd birthday so I decided to give it a try anyway!

Taking into consideration what everyone said I used a ton of interfacing. Each outer fabric has peltex fused to it and each lining piece has fusible fleece fused to it. I used boning around the edge of the carrycot and in the hood portion.

All in all I think it stands up great. I think the open edges flare out too much so that it sags open despite all this interfacing and boning - if I were to make it again I would change the pattern piece for this to make it go more straight up at the side and not flare out. I think I would also make the whole thing one piece, there is no reason to remove the hood as far as I can see.

The hugest problem was that the instructions stated that you should sew the top edge all the way around before sewing the bottom on and then compress the sides (*with the interfacing and boning* so that you could sew the lining bottom right sides together - this was not happening! I ended up sewing the lining bottom on by hand and this took forever! LOL!) Next time I would sew the lining entirely together and then sew the outside pieces entirely together (including interfacings) and then baste the top edge of the lining and outer pieces together, baste on the boning and then finish with binding. This would be easier to do and have a nice finish.

I did make the removable base piece (its sort of like a mattress) but I think I would skip this next time. It is just not necessary and the amount of interfacing I used does not require added stability in the bottom.

Another problem is that the instructions keep saying to "understitch" the seams together when really they mean baste. I'm not sure if this is because it is an older issue and they didn't have their English up to par or what but after I figured it out, it made much more sense.

I would do this again and it was worth it to see how excited Shiloh was:) She played with it all evening and lots more the next day. She even slept with it in her bed. I would recommend the pattern with the added modifications I suggested.

As for the doll quilt this was made based on the tutorial.

This was my first real quilt, I did free-motion quilting in the middle and like how it came out. I really can't imagine doing that for a whole quilt but I do have aspirations to make each of the kids a twin size quilt someday. We'll see!!

Here are the pics:

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5258/...a23bb2805a.jpg
#42 Ottobre 1/03 Carrycot for a baby doll IV by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5139/...55a8482af1.jpg
#42 Ottobre 1/03 Carrycot for a baby doll V by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5176/...c3200f431e.jpg
Doll Quilt by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5218/...561656c4fb.jpg
Doll quilt II by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5131/...aa70ce0155.jpg
Doll quilt III by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5295/...3fc0a2c981.jpg
#42 Ottobre 1/03 Carrycot for a baby doll by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5178/...c896617a92.jpg
#42 Ottobre 1/03 Carrycot for a baby doll II by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5256/...5fd466eebc.jpg
Carrycot and quilt by Apple Dumpling Gear, on Flickr

Thanks for reading!