The popularity of sling among young mothers is growing year by year, and more and more needlewomen are interested in how to sew a sling (sling-scarf or with rings) independently.
The most favorite among the slings are the classic sling with rings and a scarf. Their tailoring will be considered in this article.
How to sew a sling: a sling scarf
Those who are not afraid of the long winding of a five-meter banner appreciated the convenience of this method of carrying the baby. Plus, a sling-scarf in the uniform distribution of the load on the mother’s back, in addition, there is no chance of the baby moving.
In fact, every mommy can make such a sling, the instructions for its manufacture are no more complicated than the manual for sewing vests or diapers. The choice of fabric is very important: for a high-quality scarf, only dense cotton knitwear is suitable, which is able to perfectly stretch in width, it should not stretch in length at all. Such knitwear is usually inexpensive, so a homemade sling-scarf is much more affordable than purchased.
You will need 480 cm of fabric with a width of 45-60 cm. If the fabric is sold with a width of 90 cm, you can buy 240-250 cm, cut along and sew the halves. The shrinkage of cotton after washing is usually 5%, and this should be taken into account in the calculations.
If the sling is stitched from the halves, it is better to stitch them with an overlap. By strength, the stitching sling does not differ from the whole, and when tying it is convenient to focus on the seam in the middle.
It is better to make tails tapering and rounded: it will be easier to tie, and such an edge looks more interesting. All processing is done on an overlock, but a wide zigzag will do. That's the whole answer to the question of how to sew a sling. Sling scarf can be your first work in the field of needlework and begin a new hobby.
How to sew a sling with rings
Now about the second option. Slings with rings 60 to 75 cm wide are widespread in Russia. The wider the sling, the more convenient it is to use, which is why we will sew this way.
The fabric can be chosen to your liking, if only it was cotton and strong enough, but not thick. Coarse calico, satin, thin jeans, etc. will do. With rings, it’s more difficult - they often have to be ordered on the Internet from other cities, but you should not be tempted to use wooden rings designed for curtains for sling. Only special metal ones guarantee your baby safety, and curtain rings break during use, which can lead to unpleasant consequences.
Slings with sides that run along the long side above and below are more convenient and strengthen the structure. Before stitching the sling, the sling is cut: 200 cm by 110 cm. 2 rings with a diameter of 5-6 cm and a synthetic winterizer (for the sides and pillows on the shoulder) are prepared. The cut rectangle must be washed, dried and ironed, and then the edges should be trimmed if they are deformed.
Lay the fabric face down and measure 46 cm from the end where the tail is supposed to be. From this mark soft sides will begin. Prepare a tape from synthetic winterizer 10 cm wide and 60 cm long and attach it along the cut of fabric from the mark. Wrap the edge 5 cm inward with the padding polyester, then fold it again and sew. Do the same for the second side.
From the end where the shoulder pillow will be, measure 35 cm. Lay the sling face down and begin to bend 5 cm of fabric from above, first to one side, then to the other side, collecting the edge of the cloth in an accordion. When you reach the center - stop and start the process from below. This is the hardest part in explaining how to stitch a sling. The sling from the edge folds in accordion, after which it is shortened, and rings are put on there. Then the free part of the accordion is bent and attached above the rings so that they are in the loop. The remaining free edge goes to create a cushion for the shoulder. A synthetic winterizer layer is inserted under it, after which the edge is attached to the sling from the inside along the sides, the very end is sewn with a twist.
The end of the tail is processed on an overlock or tucked, after which you can begin to use the sling.