Portable Crib Sheet & Pad Combo

I mentioned the portable crib in my guest room last week — the reason for the big shakedown in that room. I like having a real bed for Abbi that will last a year or two, and am really pleased with this crib choice.

Except for one thing. The so-called mattress.

I know there are laws and regulations about mattress depth, height from top of mattress to crib rail, etc etc etc and that’s all well and good, but with this little crib I think the design trade-offs failed! The mattress is 1″ of flimsy foam. F.L.I.M.S.Y!

Babies don’t really care that much — when they’re asleep, they’re asleep. I’ve seen plenty of babies and kids passed out on the floor in the middle of toys — sometimes ON toys — when they’ve hit the wall for naptime. Sleep just overwhelms them.

But when I started shopping for sheets and mattress pads for this set up, I was not happy. NOT. HAPPY. Costly for bad products, ill-designed products, ugly products… You know where that took me: straight to “I’ll make it myself.”

Gosh, that’s never happened before!

So I did. Using this decently cute and fun pre-quilted fabric, I made a complete sleeve for the plastic-covered foam to slide into. Sheet and mattress pad and stabilizer all in one. The closure at the open end isn’t what it would be if I’d done this NOT the week before Thanksgiving. I’ll be making another one and will tweak my design (and catch this one up) at that time.

I made a thick faux flat-fell seam along one long side — the thickness and stiffness of that seam will give the mattress even more strength along the edge where there is a gap between the mattress deck and the side rails. It’s just a little issue, but why not throw somewhat of a solution at it?

The worst part of this project was choosing between the two barely-acceptable pre-quilted fabrics at JoAnn. They’d probably sell more of that stuff if they’d make it out of fabric prints reflecting, oh, let’s say the last DECADE OR TWO instead of your great-grandma’s favorites from back when. WAY back when.

Meanwhile, I’ll be doing the Abbi-happy-dance while she snoozes (hopefully peacefully, happily, and comfortably) at my house this Thanksgiving. Yeah, Sam and Aaron will be there, too ;)  They, along with more family and friends (who all are accomplished cooks and are sharing the work!) will turn Thursday into a day with so much to be thankful for. So much!

I hope you have a wonderful day of Thanksgiving with your family, friends, and feasting…

Gail