Aunt Tamy’s Sleeping Bag

My Aunt Tamy was recently going through things at her house. In the back of her closet, all wrapped up was a mystery item. We pulled it out, and Tamy gasped and said, “I can’t get rid of that!”. We were all curious as to what it was, so she opened it and showed us. It was her childhood sleeping bag!

It was smaller than an average sleeping bag. It still had the original pillow and bag to store it in. It was very worn from being loved, but really had no more use, except for being a sentimental item.

I know it looks alright in the first picture, but the fabric was worn right through in places. The zipper was broken and deteriorating. It couldn’t be used as a sleeping bag anymore without a lot of work, and it would only fit a child. There was no real reason to keep it and Aunt Tamy was heartbroken at the thought of getting rid of it.

She said she got the sleeping bag one year, when she was around 8 years old or so, she was so excited. At all of the sleepovers that she went to she felt so “cool” because she had such a special sleeping bag.

As you can see from this vintage ad, decorative sleeping bags were the must have thing in the early 1960’s.

So imagine Little Aunt Tamy’s delight in getting such an awesome sleeping bag!

The memories of childhood run deep and strong for a lot of people. An item can be connected to the feelings that you felt while you used that item. For Little Aunt Tamy, this sleeping bag made her feel special, unique, and “cool”.

Pretty powerful stuff! But memories can last even without the item being in your possession. Luckily for Little Aunt Tamy, and present day Aunt Tamy, she has a niece who can sew and who had an idea! (I think this shirt in this picture is a homemade creation from Grandma!)

I told her to give me the sleeping bag, and trust me. I figured it would make a perfect jacket!

I had this pattern coming up in my pattern cabinet, and figured it would work. I decided to leave of the fringe and big collar, I didn’t really like the look, and wanted it to be a wrap around jacket for lounging.

So yes, the fabric is worn, but I figured it would be the perfect jacket to keep Aunt Tamy warm and snugly on a cold day, around the house or camping.

I got to work seam ripping it apart. I have failed and didn’t get any pictures of that part. You didn’t miss much though, just me on the couch with a seam ripper.

Before I cut the fabric I laid out the pattern on it to make sure I had enough.

Good thing I decided to leave off the collar, or I wouldn’t have had enough! This version worked, so the sew was on!

This jacket pattern was simple enough, but since the pattern recommended fleece as the fabric to use, I was going to have to improvise. This fabric wasn’t fleece, so this jacket would have to be lined.

I got to work sewing the pieces together. I sew so much that I go through thread pretty fast. I try not to be wasteful, so if the stitching isn’t going to show on the outside, I use up the thread that is already on my bobbins. I make sure though, that the threads are similar in size, so my tension doesn’t mess up.

Sewing it together. You can see where the heavy quilting of the sleeping bag stitches were. I wasn’t worried about it, you can’t see it on the right side of the fabric.

Attaching the cuff.

Then I was ready to move on to the liner. What better fabric to use than the actual liner of the sleeping bag. It was soft and cozy, and would be perfect! I got to work removing the zipper from the liner. It was still attached.

I laid out the pattern pieces. Since this pattern doesn’t have a liner I decided to cut all of the pieces out again, but on the red. Once I sew them together like the leopard, I would put the red and leopard together.

Sewing the liner together.

I then began sewing the liner to the jacket. I put right sides together, and went for it!

I sewed the cuffs together. I left an opening at the bottom of the jacket, then turned it right side out. I top stitched the opening to close it, and stitched all the way around the jacket.

Up the hill I went to deliver the finished jacket to Aunt Tamy.

She was thrilled!

She loved it so much and said she was going to wear it everywhere, not just around the house or while camping.

The liner worked out perfectly!

You’d never know it was an old sleeping bag! HA!

This was so fun to make! I loved the challenge of giving something old and headed to the landfill, new life and purpose!

Aunt Tamy can now wear her “cool” jacket, and have it as something useful for years to come!

As for me, onto the next!