measurements of fabric to make my own sling?

[mamaesi]

i have learned a few ways to wrap the baby with fabric... experienced mamas, how long and wide should I cut my fabric? what is the ideal lenghth/width for making my own?

It depends on several things, are you making a stretchy wrap or woven? A stretchy wrap about 5 meters long and 1/3 to 1/2 of the width. If it is a woven wrap you need the weave to be bias cut, it needs to be woven like this IYSWIM. Very hard to get hold of. The exact length will depend on your size and the wraps you like to do.

i was just planning on using some heavy cotton fabric...the african way, how my auntie showed me... but I just was not sure the best size

Do you mean you want to make a kanga? I am sure the measurements will be on the internet somewhere if you google. If you want to make a longer wrap then you are unlikely to find the results particularly good - many, many people have tried to make their own wraps using all sorts of fabric and they simply aren't comfortable in the way the specially woven didymos, ellavil etc are. A kanga would probably be OK, but not a longer wrap.