How To Sew A Baby Sling

 Sewing is acutally the easy part when you make your own baby sling.  
Just be sure to use a stitch for stretchy fabric if you're making a sling out of knit, fleece, or other stretchy fabric.  See your sewing machine manual to select a stitch for stretchy fabrics.

Now you are ready to sew a baby sling!

 If you are making an Unlined Pouch:  
Skip down to Stitching the Curve.  You’ll hem your sides last.

For a Lined Pouch: 

If you’re making a lined pouch, unfold your fabric. The right sides of your fabric should be facing. Straighten and align the edges.  Pin your fabric along the long edges to keep it lined up right while you sew the baby sling.  

Tip: make the sharp point of the pin aim toward the edge of the fabric.  This makes is easier to take the pins out as you sew, and the pin heads won't get in the way of your stitching. (fig.1)

Fig. 1 shows an untapered baby sling pinned and ready to stitch.  Note: a tapered pouch looks more like a giant bow tie.  The instructions to sew a baby sling are the same for tapered and untapered baby slings.  

Stitch all the way down both long sides.  Leave the curved ends un-sewn.  When you are done stitching both sides, you'll have a tube of fabric that is open on both ends.  Trim seams to 1/4".  

Turn the fabric tube right side out. (fig. 2)  Iron, so the edges are nice and flat and pretty.   I like to topstitch along both edges at this point, and sometimes add a decorative stitch as well.  Now you're almost done!

It's important to make a super strong seam on the curved part of the pouch when you sew a baby sling.  You’ll stitch the curve with a French Felled Seam, it’s an extra strong seam that you’ll commonly see on jeans.   This is the weight bearing seam when you sew a baby sling, so it's important to make it strong.  Here’s how you’ll do it…Fold the sling in half and match up the curved sides with right sides together.  For a lined pouch, it doesn’t matter which side faces out, as the finished seam will look good on both sides of the fabric.  Stitch the curved sides together from the edge, locking the stitches at each end.  (fig. 3)  Trim the seam so that it is 1/4".

Now turn your seam so the wrong sides of the fabric are facing, and press the seam flat. (fig. 4)  Stitch another seam about 1/2 inch  from the edge, enclosing the edges of the first seam completely.  Now open out the sling and fold the little flap of fabric over so it lies flat against the pouch.  Place the seam under your presser foot, and carefully feed it through so that the rounded seam stays flat.  Run a seam very close to the edge to tack the edge of your seam down flat.   

Excellent!  Now you know how to sew a baby sling.  Let's learn how to wear it next!

 

Hemming an Unlined Pouch

Now it’s time to hem the sides.  Select the method that best suits your personality, and hem away!

Perfectionist method: Fold and iron down ¼ of fabric, and then fold it over again so that the cut edge is completely hidden.  Iron and pin down as you go.  Do this along both of the sides.  Sew down your hems, and follow up with a nice ironing. 

Looks good enough to me method: Fold over about ¼” of fabric and then fold it over again.  Put it into your machine, and lower your presser foot and needle to hold it in place.  Come out about 5 to 10 inches, and repeat the fold/fold until you have a stretch of neatly folded hem between your fingers and the machine. Stitch in place and repeat. 

 

Congratulations!  

You’ve just made your own pouch sling!  

Please be sure to fully read these pouch wearing instructions.  There are some important safety tips and great photos that illustrate how to position and load baby into and out of the sling.  There is definitely a learning curve to getting baby in and positioned correctly.  But once you and baby get used to the sling, and you learn the correct positioning, it feels very natural and intuitive to carry your baby or child.

Basic wearing instructions:  

To wear the pouch sling, fold it in half width wise (making it half as wide).  It’s now kind of like a long skinny taco shell stitched into a doughnut shape. You may choose to stitch through the shoulder to help keep it folded.  Slide the pouch on over your head with the folded side down. Turn the sling so that the seam is where you want baby’s bottom to go.  The seam is the fullest part of the pouch, so baby's heiny should always line up with the seam.  Next, you'll slide your baby into the middle of the 'taco', with their fanny lined up at the seam.  It's like a comfortable little hammock pouch!  

Looking for a fast and easy no-sew baby sling?  
Here is a free pattern for an easy "no sew" baby wrap from Make Baby Stuff.com