Bear Carriers!

I've had the Oliver + S Book for over a year now, and up to this point have only made the Red Riding Hood cape, though I've been wanting to make the bear carrier since I purchased the book. I finally got around to it!

They were supposed to be Christmas presents, but when it came time to put the velcro on the straps I realized the easiest way to measure them would be to put them on my girls. So they got them a week early.

They love them! I made the straps with 3 velcro attachments so they can grow with them, plus a little extra just in case. The girls picked their own fabric out of my stash a few weeks ago, not knowing what it would be for. B (the shorter one) went for the little lamb fabric, but then her lovey is a lamp named Bo. K (the cutie in the glasses) spent a lot of time deliberating and matching and finally settled on the magenta coffee bean print and the blue print, I added the orange for another pop of color. 

And because my brain had issues wrapping around how exactly the straps work, because I am a visual person (and I should have realized from my own babywearing experience)- for you: the straps cross in the back, which is cute and secure for the stuffed animal. 

And what would have been most helpful to me, the straps come up between the stuffed animals legs, behind them, button to the body of the carrier, and then over your child's shoulders. Of course this is easy to figure out if you just sew the buttons on when they tell you to. But who reads instructions? Not me.

The pocket is pretty pointless. I wouldn't waste my time on it next time. Just pick a cute print or put an applique or embroider their name on it, you can't even fit a Cabbage Patch doll bottle in their or anything that a child might want to tote around with their baby. (B was resourceful and just tucked her bottle in with the her lamb. She also quickly learned the babywearer trick of using the potty while wearing a baby. I wish I had learned that trick much earlier on. ;) )