Doll Carrier and Stuff

I've been promising to show you Dolly Outfitter's Doll Carrier and give you all a complete review. I've wanted to post this for a couple of days but it has been snowing and overcast and I can't get any decent photos, the house is so dark! With only 6-7 hours of daylight right now there is such a small window for picture taking.
I gave up this morning and just took photos in the semi dark! :)

In a nutshell, this is a great pattern! Easy to read, easy to sew. Perfect for beginners and those more advanced. This backpack does have a zipper but really there is no reason to fear. The construction is simple, promise.
Would I ever steer you wrong?

Lori recommends using prequilted fabric, but I didn't have any on hand and haven't let myself buy fabric in quite a while. Plus, I wanted to use this super cute fabric. It has been waiting for the right project.
I used fusible fleece along with this fabric and lined the inside of the backpack. Really easy modifications to do and as you can see the fusible fleece provided enough structure to the backpack. As you are seeing it here, there is nothing in it and it is standing up on it's own.

The pattern calls for a long 26 inch zipper. I couldn't find one that length in town and the one fabric store we have here also did not have zipper tape. I improvised using a much shorter 22 inch zip and as you can see, that size zip was plenty long enough. So, don't worry if you need to modify the zipper also. 22 inches is plenty long enough to have the backpack open really wide.

I also wasn't able to find backpack adjusters in town (no surprise). If you have this problem, you could easily use D rings. They would do the job just fine and are what I was going to use. Problem was I came home from the store and realized I had bought one 2 pack of D rings instead of two. As luck would have it I found a broken backpack in the closet with backpack adjusters that *just* fit and were the perfect colour!
I blame it on Little Dude who had been hiding behind the thread stand while I was looking for them and came out smelling funny. I wanted to leave quickly.

Can I interrupt this post for a moment?
Little Dude turns three this week and potty training is not going so well. I've managed to successfully potty train two children. One before she was two, and one slightly after.
Why is this little boy going on three?

I have tried:

• Encouragement
• Enthusiastic potty dances
• Candy
• Stickers
• Promise of toys
• Pint sized guilt trips (for the record guilt trips don't work on a toddler)
• Showing him my frustration

I just did the math and I think I have changed well over 20,000 diapers in the 6 1/2 yrs I've been a mom. Is that possible? Many of those were cloth, so that means I've washed thousands of diapers too, and for a time changed two in diapers daily at the same time. I'm over it. I'm done. I've had my fill and I'm ready to say goodbye... Help!

Ok, back to the doll carrier...
This was a really great pattern and took a couple of hours at most to put together including cutting time. Minimal pattern pieces (there is really only one you need to print out) and very versatile. With the pattern Lori includes a smaller version for toddlers as well as a modification you can make to the front to change the doll carrier portion to a zippered pocket.

I know I will be making more of these in the future for gifts and another for my little guy. Boys want to carry their stuffies too!

Sorry, no modeling shots, I was sneaking from my girly this morning and she was carrying around her dolly that would have fit the best!

Don't forget, Lori is offering a discount on her doll carrier pattern to From An Igloo Readers. enter igloopattern  until December 25th at checkout and receive $2 off the price of the pattern!

And in other news...

Matching nighties complete.

I promise I have some things non dolly related on the horizon! :)