Germy germ germs...

So we've all heard the gross stories about shopping trolleys and the germs they harbour, right?  How they have more germs on them than a toilet seat and are the most effective way of catching hand, foot and mouth should you so desire... yeah, you know the stories.

Well, I can't prove those 'facts' to be true, although, having done many shopping trips and having seen many shopping trolleys and the many people that touch said trolleys, it really wouldn't surprise me if it was true, which brings me to the purpose of this post...

The Shopping Trolley Cover.

I would say that this is probably one of those items that many people buy with good intentions, but which gets quickly forgotten in the multitude of bits and pieces that parents already have to drag around with them when kids arrive on the scene.  At least, I can imagine this is how it would pan out for me, despite how many times I have been completely grossed out upon turning around to find the baby sucking on the trolley handle.  Urgh.

Which is why I admire my sister-in-law for actually using them consistently.  Apparently though, the ones that are readily available at your local Target or Big W are expensive and pretty ugly.

So, I made one for my new, little nephew.

(Like I've said before, Rosie is not a very cooperative model at the moment.  She was mid "No!" when this shot was taken.)

After much scouring of pattern books, calling fabric stores and surfing the net, I finally found a pattern I was happy with.  And, to top it off, not only was it pretty easy to make, but the pattern was... FREE.  Thank-you Lil Blue Boo!

I love free stuff.  But I love it even more when a pattern turns into what I expected.  Like this one.  It says it is a universal shopping trolley cover, and that's just what it is.  I was a little worried it wouldn't fit Australian trolleys (I don't know how universal these things are!?), but it does, with room to spare.

The pirate-themed fabric should hide any dirty marks left behind by little hands (between washes, of course).

The pattern has an elasticised pocket and tags to attach toys to, so you aren't constantly bending over to pick up whatever was dropped (read: purposely thrown) on the floor.

I decided not to elasticise the pockets on this one... simply because it was late at night when I made this and my brain wasn't exactly working at normal speed.  I'm sure it's not hard, but it was a little too much for me to figure out at 11pm at night :(

Now that I'm looking at it though, I think a zipper could be another option... also not one to attempt late at night.

The leg holes are bound with bias-binding.  You could do it with the main fabric as the pattern shows, but I liked the red contrast.

I also padded it with batting, for a little extra comfort.  I imagine those trolleys aren't too comfortable for little bottoms after a couple of hours of sitting.

Admittedly, it's pretty pricey to make.  Despite being more attractive, it isn't a cheap alternative to the ugly mainstream options.  It uses a lot of fabric.  But really, there's no comparison between pirate print and brown spots, is there??

So now I have two more things to add to my 'To Do' list.

1. Make a cover for my kids, and 2. Remember to use it.