one last project...

Today is the last day of my maternity leave (sniff).  J will be starting daycare Monday as I go back to work.  We are fortunate to have an excellent childcare center on the first floor of the building where I work, so I will be able to go down and nurse him during the day. And I love my work, and look forward to getting back to it. Still, it is very bittersweet.

Because the babies can't have blankets or quilts in their cribs, I decided to make J a velcro swaddler so he could have something handmade by me at daycare with him.  I used Lotta Jansdotter's free "snuggler" pattern.  I made one per the pattern and it turned out way too small for my average-sized 12-week old; if you are making this for an older baby, definitely size it up.  I think it would likely have even been too short for my guy as a newborn.  If I make another newborn-sized one, I will make it per pattern but add at least an inch in length.

For my guy, I added about 3/4 of an inch all the way around, and it turned out slightly too large -- but too large beats too small any day, especially for babies. Other than that, I didn't make any modifications other than to place the velcro myself after it was sewn instead of using the markings on the pattern.

The fabric is, of course, Alexander Henry Zoo, and I lined it with some of the 4 yards (!) of Michael Miller organic fleece I bought when I found it on clearance at Fabric Place Basement.  It is amazingly soft and warm.

J seems to like it!  He already napped in it once today.  We'll see how tomorrow goes!