Friday, November 04, 2011

Make it: Baby Sling - easy pattern

Make it: Baby Sling

Baby slings can be a big-ticket item in stores; you can save a ton of money and add a personal touch by designing them yourself. They only require 2.5 yards of fabric and this pattern is so simple to stitch up.

Baby Sling Materials:
2-1/2 yds. tightly woven cotton fabric, 44" to 48" wide
sewing machine
thread
heavy-duty needle
2 - 4" rings made specifically for baby slings

Fabric pattern tips: Both sides of the fabric will show when you use a sling; you may want to choose a fabric that does not have a "wrong" side.

1. Turn under and press one of the short edges of the fabric; turn under an additional inch and press to create a clean edge. Stitch in place. Repeat for the selvage (long) edges. Leave one of the short edges raw.

2. Line up the raw, short edge of the fabric against a ruler or self-healing mat with measured grid marks. Fold in a deep (3" or so) pleat. The pleat should be oriented with the fold line parallel to the long edges of the fabric. Pin the pleat 1" from the raw edge and 9" from the raw edge.

3. Continue pleating the fabric with smaller 1" pleats. Pin each pleat 1" and 9" from the raw edge.

4. Stitch across the 1" and 9" pins through all thicknesses of fabric to secure the pleats.

5. Zigzag the remaining raw end through all thicknesses of the folded fabric.

6. Pull the pleated end of the fabric through both of the rings, folding through the rings to line up the 1" stitch line lines with the 9" stitch line. Pin in place.

7. Stitch through all thicknesses using a smaller stitch length to add strength to the seam. This seam will take a lot of stress; it is important to have a strong seam that it is backstitched on both ends. Sew an additional seam along the zigzag line for extra security.

8. To wear the sling, one end should extend from the back over the shoulder to the front torso. The other end wraps around the waist to the front torso. Thread the loose end through both of the rings and then back through one ring. Pull the loose end to tighten or loosen.

RESOURCES :
Baby Sling Rings: slingrings.com

8 comments:

  1. This is such a wonderful thing to make for yourself. Thanks so much for sharing, I'll be linking.

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  2. Thanks! This is a super easy pattern - I hope lots of new moms give it a try.

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  3. I saw this on Creative Juice and I whipped it right up. It's such and easy pattern. Just take your time and you'll do fine. Cathy makes the directions super clear!

    THANKS!
    Amanda
    www.ForYourPeanut.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for posting this! I can't wait to make one.

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  5. Anonymous11:29 AM

    This is a beautiful pattern! I used it to make my own baby sling last week and it works perfectly. Thanks for sharing this helpful and money-saving information!
    http://nestmom.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. This is beautiful. Thank you! Do you know of a good sling tutorial that does not use a ring?

    ReplyDelete
  7. Amei o seu blog e este post!
    obrigada pela partilha. Abraços fraternais!
    zeatelie.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. Love this tutorial!

    ReplyDelete

I love comments and questions. Sometimes it takes me a few days to reply. Have a wonderful day!

Cathie

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