Has anyone successfully made their own baby sling? Moby style etc

[HeinzSight]

I've done a search on google and there seems to be quite a few free patterns around.

I just wanted to see if there was anyone who had tried one of them and succeeded.

no.

but am seling a teal kari me for £23 posted

Ive made a pouch sling
A wraps got to be easier surely

Thanks misdee, I'm hoping to get away with making my own cheap and cheerful. Is the kari me the same/similar to a Moby? How's your DD by the way?

bump

Hi Heinz - I will sort that pattern somehow! Worst case scenario cat me and i'll photocopy it and send it to you. Not having much luck with fb.

oooh, off to cat the kitkat

it won't let me... I got this message

Sorry, kitkatqueen has chosen not to receive "Contact another Mumsnetter" email from mumsnet. We can't pass a message on for you.
If you wish, post a message on talk requesting that kitkatqueen revise this on the email options page. Or ask them to send a C-A-M message to you.

oooh er I never chose that!! >

Heinz, all Sorted

marvellous, will try again....

OK, I've sent a VERY long email to you

HaHa!!! you'll have to hunt me on fb now I'm the only person with my name so i'm easy to find

For a wrap you just need a piece of fabric - either knitted jersey(ish) with slight stretch, or woven - 5m long and about 20-25" (50-64cm) wide. If you get something that's 60" wide then you can get 3 wraps out of it, provided that it doesn't need hemming. It's helpful to sew some kind of marker (e.g. a button) on half way along because you start wrapping from the middle and that makes the right place easier to find.

I've had lots of use out of a light woven cotton ring sling that I made using the nice simple instructions on the "slingmemommy" site, and a fleece one that I made from instructions on the Sleeping Baby site (Jan Andrea's). Getting hold of the rings is the trickiest bit! I got metal ones from the woman who makes Freedom Slings (she was selling a few on eBay) and I think Big Mama Slings sell nylon ones.

hmm could I knit a winter wrap?

I made 2 I just bought 4m of Jersey cotton (does not need hemming, as it won't fray) and cut it into 2 4m lengths, I was originally going to make 3 so I cut it into one 20" wide and one 40" wide, then I decided to make the wider remnant into just one sling - I tapered the ends of it as it was difficult to tie. I fold the wider one in half when I use it and I find it slightly more supportive.

Picture here, sorry it's a bit "arty" and weird! DS was 12 days old

bronze I think a hand-knitted wrap would have too much "stretch", the knitted fabrics used are machine-made and quite tightly woven.

I used to just use a pashmina tied at the back in a big knot. It worked fine, but that was before all these new trendy slings came out.

my mum just used to use a shawl but she couldnt remember quite how and I wasnt brave enough

I'm guessing people have seen this

The babywearer website has LOADS of info on using various wraps etc. For a stretchy wrap (jersey etc), you might actually find it cheaper to get 2nd/3rd hand/used wrap, as I guess the length of material required might work out a bit more pricey to buy new... If you do want to look for 2nd hand etc, there's a Yahoo group (UKBabywearingswap) which is very active. Otherwise there's instructions on making slings on www.wearyourbaby.com...

I have a few thick sarongs I used to wear as long skirts. I think I'm going to see if theres a way I can wear them with a baby

Bronze - only word of caution would be that if you're wrapping, carrying a baby is like carrying a hot water bottle and if you have a thick wrap in the summer you might get v hot! You could always try dressing V lightly underneath (ie even just get away with using a bra). Otherwise there was a nice no-sew ring sling I came across, but I never had the material i wanted to use. Got the ring slings though, somewhere... you can buy these from Big Mama Slings.

www.sleepingbaby.net/jan/Baby/no_sew.html

I have a gauze wrap to use for now (while its hot) I'm just playing with cheap ideas. the women on that link I posted make it look so easy

I asked my mum to bring me back a couple of 5m lengths of fabric back from a holiday in India, for a couple of gorgeous slings I tied like the didymos ones.