Mumsnet Talk

Hi there,
i'm trying to make a kari-me type wrap for my 6-week old (weighs just under 5 kg at mo) using the instructions here http://www.wearyourbaby.org/Create/NoSewBabyCarrier/NoSewWrap/tabid/121/Default.aspx
Also had a look at http://www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/fabric.html
I've tried to get some jersey for it initially, but at £5 a metre and up it's not really that cheap. So i got hold of some silk saris on ebay thinking that a sari fabric should be drape-y enough. The above websites seem to favour cotton above all else but it's not that clear whether silk is ok, and which type (they only mention dupion - too stiff for a wrap - and charmeuse, but there are so many other silk fabrics out there!) Now the one I got is very fine (a bit see-thru) but sturdy (like good silk should be), with a slightly crisp hand but does have about as much diagonal give as any of the 55 kinds of light-weight cotton I've got in my stash. I've tried tying it on tho (used postman pat as a dummy ) and although it more or less drapes around me, it feels a bit too stiff.
Has to be said tho, I'm a total novice in wraps/slings (the nearest thing i've tried was a baby bjorn!) and i don't exactly know what it should feel like
does anyone know if i can use a silk sari, or would i be better off splashing out on some jersey? Problem with jersey tho, I've read that it's only good when the baby is small, and later on you'd need a sturdier woven fabric that supports their weight better.
Any ideas?

if the silk feels 'slippy' when you rub it against itself and other fabrics then i would not use it. the fabric has to feel 'grippy'.

the cheapest fabric which I have used for a wrap is the 100% cotton muslin I found in Ikea at £2 per metre.

you can get cheap cotton jersey in asian fabric stores in Birmingham and Nottingham for example. They keep the fabric tucked away on high shelves so you'll have to ask if they have any.

if you join the Yahoo group UKbabywearingSWAP, stretchy wraps come up from time to time and may not be much more than a DIY anyway. The one thing about getting your own fabric is that you get 2 out of one length of cloth.

also visit the for sale board at www.naturalmamas.co.uk or put an 'In Search of' on naturalmamas or UKbwSwap.

oh thanks for that, I'll have a look at the links. I can't really go shopping at the moment is the problem - one of the reasons I need the sling is that the little man won't go in his pram! Besides I don;t feel confident travelling long distances yet, and the nearest asian shops would be in london which is an hour's journey away. So i'm stuck with online shopping and the problem with that is you can't get a feel of the fabric before ou buy it.
The one I've got isn't slippy, it's the toughness of it I'm worried about, it just feels like it has to be more drapy for a sling but i've never had one before so i'm confused