diy sling!

[moon child]

hope there is not something stickied

i am wanting to make my own sling out of some yards of fabric. from your experience, my dears, what is the best fabric to use for this as far as pliability and softness?

[alioops]

I used Calico for a kid sized ring sling. The instructions are around here somewhere, and should work the same for an adult sized one too.

Here they are.

[suse]

Sorry Ali, this is not intended as a contradiction, but please, please, please do not use calico for a carrier that is intended for carrying a baby (it is fine for a child's sling for carrying dolls). It is not strong enough, and is liable to tear at the seams. Also, the shoulder on a sling made for carrying an infant should be strengthened, whereas it is fine on a doll's sling to use a single seam. You don't need to worry about weight bearing capacity and stress points on a doll sling.

Here is some information from a professional sling maker about suitable fabrics for various carriers, and why calico or quilter's cotton is not recommended. She also has a number of different instructions for ring sling shoulder styles elsewhere on her blog, and how to sew a shoulder for maximum strength and safety.

If you do use calico or quilter's cotton, it is best to use multiple layers, and ensure that you check the seams every time you use the sling. Some people use decorator fabrics as an accent (eg: on the tail of a sling), but not on the body.

Tencel is an excellent sling fabric, as is silk. Cotton drill works well, as do cotton/hemp blends (bottomweight). Linen works beautifully for a summer sling - handkerchief weight works in double layers or mid-weight in single. Fleece (polar fleece) works nicely, and jerseys/knit fabrics can be used too, they are better for newborns as the stretch is less supportive for a heavier baby.

Also, it is best to use rings that are specifically designed for babywearing, either nylon or aluminium. Alternatively, marine grade rings with a heavy load bearing capacity are suitable, but are much heavier than the aluminium rings made for babywearing. Rings sold at craft stores and many hardware stores do not have a sufficient load bearing capacity and are liable to break at the weld. The weewuns sells sling rings.

HTH!

[moon child]

thank you for all the in-depth information! i was leaning towards a double-strength linen since the summer here is so unbearably hot. i really appreciate your help!!