SYTYCS: Week 1 - Personalized Sleeping Bags

Last month, I mentioned that I am in the top 12 of a sewing contest.  Today, it begins!  The first week's theme is "For the Home". 

These personalized, handmade sleeping bags were Christmas gifts for my little cousins.  Being from Louisiana, anything purple, gold, or LSU themed is an instant hit.  These two sleeping bags are made with the soft double sided minky.  The inside has a large attached LSU collegiate print fleece to cover up with.  The padding is enough to make it comfortable but not too bulky as they're rolled up and tied with matching ribbon.  I personalized them by putting their names on the outside.

Ellie was at school, but with a little bribing, we were able to get Aidan to model for some pictures.  I was told that they've been sleeping in these since they got them on Christmas.

They're so soft and light enough for this little guy to carry around.

And for easy clean up (like after you lay them around outside for pictures), you can throw the whole thing in the washer!

Materials: 
The inside is padded with baby bumper batting (like these). These are washable and give enough cushion while still allowing them to roll up without too much bulk. I used 2 yards of soft minky, and 1.5 yards of fleece (each).  I used a fat quarter for their names and coordinating ribbon to tie it together. 

As a true procrastinator, I was making these in a hurry at night after work just before my mom was leaving town and needed to take them with her. I took a few pictures along the way but the lighting was poor.  If there's interest in a step-by-step tutorial, I can write one up.

**VOTING IS OPEN: go HERE to vote for me and check out the other talented contestants! Voting closes on Thursday (Jan 5th) at 8pm.  The bottom 3 contestants will be eliminated and the rest will move on to next week's challenge. Help me be one of them!***