We have a carrier for Ella that I love. We registered for it and received it as a shower gift. It works great, and Ella loves being "worn" while we are out and about. The only problem with it, is that Ella and I are both very hot natured, so if we are going to be outside, I needed something a little more lightweight to keep us a little cooler.
So I saw a post on a BabyCenter Birth Club message board where someone had made a Moby-style wrap. She said it was super easy and it was nice and lightweight. Two things I look for when I'm attempting to make something.
I tried it out, and it was perfect. I was even able to complete the entire thing while Ella was in one of her occupied phases when she could entertain herself. Those usually last about thirty minutes before she needs a little attention. (Of course, she usually doesn't go that long without attention, she's just way too cute to not pour attention on her!)
While writing this, I took a short break, for no other reason than to stick my face uncomfortably close to Ella Kate's and make noises. Someday that will be annoying.
Anyway, here's what I did to make the wrap:
I went to Joann's fabric and asked where the jersey material was. The secret to finding the right type of material is to find something, like jersey fabric, that doesn't fray where it's cut.
I found something I loved:
Kyle was with me, so I made sure he never intended to use this wrap. That gave me free reign to buy something sparkly!
The original idea said to get five yards of the fabric you choose. With five yards, you can cut the five yard length into three sections and you will suddenly have three wraps! Just measure the width of the fabric and mark it at 20 and 40 inches all the way down. You don't have to worry about cutting it perfectly, it won't show once you are wearing the wrap. This is a very good idea if you want to give the extra two for gifts, or if you want to have two stand-by wraps while one is in the wash, or have one to leave in your car in case you forget the other. That's it. You now have three wraps!
I did it a little differently, and my version does require some minor sewing. I picked some "fancy" fabric, so it was more expensive than what I'd planned on buying. I knew I didn't necessarily need three wraps, so I bout two yards and cut the fabric into three sections. I then sewed the three sections end-to-end using my sewing machine. It took very little time, I just made sure to reinforce the edges of the stitches so they wouldn't come undone when stretched a little after the baby was inside. I did have a little extra length, so I cut the ends off.
In order to figure out how to actually wear the wrap by googling "how to moby wrap" and found the moby website. They give directions on different types of holds and include video examples. It's really simple, and Ella loves being so close to me while being able to look around at everything when we go places. The wrap is also useful because you can easily adjust it to fit your baby and yourself. I have a long torso, so I have to wear it a little higher than others might, or Ella starts to slump a little, but with simple adjustments, I can wear it tighter and higher, and she is in the perfect position.
My last note on using it: I put it on myself before I left the house and drove to the store wearing it. When we got there, I simply took Ella Kate out of her car seat and dropped her into the carrier. Very quick and easy!
I love my weekend projects and making things, and it's even more fun now that Ella is here to make my projects even cuter!
If you decide to make one of these, share your experience with me! I'd love to hear about it!
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