Kinderpack Hoodie Hood Pattern and Tutorial

I have had so many requests for the Kinderpack version of my hoodie hood pattern and tutorial. 

So now, I present to you the Kinderpack Hoodie Hood Tutorial!!

I love that the Koolnit hood is breathable, but my kid HATES flat hoods on all carriers! He will scream bloody murder when it's up if he happens to be awake. That flat hood also does little to nothing to help protect my kid's head from the sun or other elements. 

If you're in the same boat as me or you just love that you can personalize your carriers with fun designs like the one pictured above, it's time to make a hoodie hood!

This pattern will fit a Kinderpack in a standard size. It may be adjusted or adapted to use with other sizes; however instructions for this are not provided in this tutorial. If you've made this hoodie in other sizes, feel free to leave your notes in the comments for others to enjoy!

This pattern is reversible, but keep in mind that you will need to apply two sets of snaps to change the direction. Also, hoods with embellishments on the outside may not be comfortable to use when reversed.

Tula Flat Hood Pattern and Tutorial

I love the simplicity of a flat hood, but sometimes the canvas gets a little hot. I also feel like the stock hood is starting to get a little small. When my son wakes up he immediately pulls at it. That's why I decided to make a new double-sided flat hood.

Tula Hoodie Hood Pattern and Tutorial

The wait is finally over! After getting my computer to play nice with Blogger and taking care of family obligations, this has taken longer than I had hoped. But now, I present to you the Hoodie Hood Tutorial!!

I love the convenience of the flat hood and how easy it is to use on my Tula, but my kid HATES it! he will scream bloody murder when it's up if he happens to be awake. That flat hood also does little to nothing to help protect my kid's head from the sun or other elements unless it's hooked in and that's not happening - see above. 

If you're in the same boat as me or you just love that you can personalize your carriers with fun designs like the one pictured above, it's time to make a hoodie hood!

Tula Hoodie Hood Pattern is Done!

It's done! I have completed the Tula hoodie hood pattern and tutorial and I am so excited to share it with all of you! Unfortunately Blogger and I are not friends at the moment as it is refusing to let me add all the pictures into the post.

Embroidered Reach Straps Tutorial

Have you seen some of the adorable reach straps out there and thought to yourself, "I have an embroidery machine. I should be able to do that!"? Well then this tutorial is for you!

Step one is to make your reach straps. Follow the tutorial on the previous post here (pictures coming soon!). You can leave one end of each strap unfinished as it will be inside the embroidered end when you're finished. 

Simple Reach Strap Tutorial

Are you having trouble pulling your hood onto your little one's head in a back carry? Do you just want a little something to cute-ify your hood? The most versatile and easily changed accessory is the reach strap! Follow this easy and fast tutorial and you'll be accessorized in no time.

For this super quick and simple tutorial, you will need a strip of fabric that is 2.5" wide by about 19-20" long. If you would like to use two different fabrics or need to utilize space on your fabric differently, you can use two strips that are each 2.5" wide by about 10" long.

Drool Pads Tips and Tricks

So now that you have made some straight sided drool pads and some curved ones, you kind of have a feel for how things are done. Time to kick it up a notch and make them even better! Here are some tips and tricks to help you make them look more professional and last longer!

1. Clip your corners! Anywhere where you will have a point (where you stopped, picked up the presser foot and turned) will need to be clipped in order to make a sharper corner. Just cut diagonally across the corner, close to the seam line. Don't cut close enough that your stitches are at risk of pulling out, but you want to remove the bulk of this fabric. Here's what the corner looks like before clipping and afterward:

Corner Drool Pad Tutorial

Okay, so now you've mastered the straight sided drool pads and you want to move on to some curved ones that go around the corners. Here's your supply list:

two coordinating fabrics (about 1/4 of a yard of each)
something absorbent for the inner layer (I used natural cotton batting)
coordinating thread
snaps or velcro for closure
ribbon (optional)

Easy Peasy Drool Pads Tutorial

Just about everyone needs some sort of drool pads on their carrier. Even my nearly 4 year old still sucks on the straps from time to time. Today's tutorial will give you the easy, straightforward way to make some rectangular drool pads.

First, you will need some supplies:

two coordinating fabrics (about 1/4 of a yard of each is plenty)
something absorbent for the inner layer (I used natural cotton batting)
coordinating thread
snaps or velcro for closure
ribbon (optional)