DIY Linen Summer Wrap Tutorial "Yellow Rainbow Wrap"

DIY Linen Summer Wrap Tutorial

"Yellow Rainbow Wrap"

(in 10 easy steps)

I recently had the opportunity to borrow a size 4 linen wrap. It was May and just as the weather was starting to get hot. My size 6 cotton wrap was looking to hot and way to much fabric to bother with on a hot sweaty day. My lovely wrap sat at home while I looked for alternatives in order to wear my 7 month old baby. As time was nearing for me to give back the borrowed wrap I decided I had to have my own. I was off to the fabric store.

You really don't need much to make a wrap. Fabric and thread. The most important thing is that you get a suitably strong fabric. I really like Linen because it is lightweight and strong. The Jo-Ann Fabric store nearest me stocks 100% linen in black, white, natural, navy, and sometimes brown. If you'd like to read about safe babywearing fabrics you can read Babywearing International's Fabric Info.

Step 1: Buy Supplies

I bought 4 yards of 100% Linen in white. It's regularly $16.99/yard but you can almost always get a 40% or 50% off coupon. I won't buy it without a coupon. Mine was 52 inches wide and I will be able to make two wraps from it. Use wider fabric if you can find it 56"-60" . You wouldn't want to go any smaller than I did or it will be more difficult to wrap with.

Supplies:

4 yards of 100% linen ($33.98 plus tax w/ coupon)
Thread (on hand)
Dylon Dye (optional, $1.79 with coupon, baby safe)

Step 1: Wash Linen

Linen shrinks so I washed on cold with All Free & Clear and NO fabric softener. You can use whatever detergent you prefer. Washing on warm is fine but it might shrink more. I actually suggest washing warm if you plan to dye it to get manufacturing residue off for better color coverage. Or you can do some research on scouring and dying fabric. I suggest reading more at Dharma Trading Co. Either line dry your fabric or air fluff in the dryer. I choose to put it in the dryer on the coolest setting Partially because I wanted to get started and partially because line drying can make it feel stiff and it will be harder to get a strait cut. Drying with heat will shrink it. Always wash before cutting your fabric. The factory edge (Selvage) will not fray in the wash like a cut edge.

Step 2

 

Step 2. Fold

Fold linen in half lengthwise. This is a lot of fabric so you may want to vacuum the hallway and do this there. My fold is on the left. I just took my sharp sewing scissors and cut along the fold. You can iron first for a more precise line if you like. Mine turned out pretty strait. One half will be my new wrap and the other identical half is for a friend. Save money and share the cost of fabric with a friend! Or keep the other half and make 2 short ring slings out of it. My 3 year old thinks it would make a great road for his trucks.

  

 

Step 3

Step 3. Prepare to DYE!

I put my half of the linen through the washing machine one more time on a rinse with light spin to make sure it was thoroughly wet before dying. Then I added enough hot water to cover the fabric. This is called tub dying and I'm using a 5 gallon bucket. The bucket is in a deep mud sink to contain drips. You could also use a bath, shower, or sheet of plastic (or back yard) if you like. But you still need a tub or bucket.

Step 4

 

Step 4. Mix Dye

I've already dissolved 4 Tbsp salt in water and added it to my wet fabric in the bucket. Now I add the Dylon dye powder from the packet to 4 cups of warm water. Stir until completely dissolved. The dye will stain anything it touches so wear gloves. If you are going to dye a darker color I would suggest using 2 packets. There were some small spots that still look a little white but it's hard to tell with yellow.

   

Step 5. DYE!

 Pour the dye into your bucket and mix continuously for 15 minutes then every 15 after that for at least an hour. I did this for 2 hours then for good measure I left it overnight. I put my glass measuring cup on top of the fabric to make sure no fabric stuck out of the liquid.

Step 7

Step 6. Rinse

Pour out the dye and rinse in cold water. Then to make things easier toss your wrap in the washing machine on a rinse cycle either cold or warm and repeat this several times. Check the water before it drains if you are still getting color in the water keep repeating until it is clear. I didn't use detergent and I did only a light spin to wring out the water. Then line dry or air dry in the dryer.

Step 7. Trim

Because the wrap is not hemmed yet the edges will fray a little bit when you wash it. Trim all fuzzy edges so you get a nice clean edge for your hem. It's also a good idea to iron but I'm lazy and didn't. It worked out just fine but I've done a lot of hemming. If you are new to hemming ironing will make sewing a straight line a little easier for you.

 

Step 8

Step 8. Hem

Fold the edge over about 1/2 an inch then fold it over again. This way all the cut edges are sealed inside the fabric and won't unravel. If you make sure to place your straight stitch on the inside edge of the hem (left edge) your fabric will lay more flat. Some people choose to do a second row of stitching on the outside edge (right edge) it looks pretty but it's not necessary.
Often when hemming fabric that you haven't pinned in advance you end up with a little extra at the end. This is fine just stop stitching just before the end and sew backwards one or two stitches to lock the thread in place. Cut the corner at a 45 degree angle then rotate your fabric and hem the next edge. Once all 4 sides are hemmed the wrap is almost complete.

Step 9

Step 9. Baby Check

Yup my baby is having a great time. I couldn't have done this without him. (No really, I couldn't do this without him... attached to me.) Now you know why I babywear! For those of you interested this is my Didymos size 6 cotton wrap which I love but it's a little cumbersome and warm for hot summer days.



Step 10

Step 10. Middle Marker

A middle marker is optional but will help you find the center of the wrap which will save you time when wrapping. Decide what kind of middle marker you would like. You can sew decorative stitching on the hem but NOT in the body of the wrap. It could weaken the fibers and cause a likely failure point right where your baby is sitting. You could sew a small ribbon into the hem or on top of the hem. Most commercial woven wrap companies sew a small tag with their logo here. Many DIY-ers dye a design into the center body of the wrap. It takes a little more talent but can look really cool.

Step 10

I choose to use decorative stitching for about 12 inches wide. I folded the wrap in half then measures out 6" and placed a pin. Then I did my stitching stopping when I got to the second pin. Repeat this process on the bottom rail (a rail is the long edge of the wrap).

Congratulations you are now ready to wrap you baby! This 100% Linen wrap will be great for summer. You don't have to worry about getting it dirty because it cost less than $20 to make. You can have one in every color. Like Tie Dye! It's a color! The possibilities are endless.

 

HAPPY WRAPPING!

Completed Linen Wrap

Final Measurements:

 

Length: 138 inches = 11.5 feet = 3.83 yards = 3.5 meters

That would place my wrap at a long size 3 or a short size 4 woven wrap.

 

Width: 24 inches = 2 Feet = 61 Centimeters



 Safety Note: Do not attempt to carry your baby on your back until they have good head control. Also do not back carry until you have sufficient practice using a woven (non-stretchy) wrap with baby on your front. It is your responsibility to make your baby carrier safe and your responsibility to use it correctly. Frequently check your fabric for wear or snags... Click here for very important Babywearing Safety Rules.

 

Here are a few carries that I have been able to do with this wrap. I am 5'7" and 120lbs. Check out your local babywearing group or Babywearing International is a great starting place to learn how to wrap. Youtube is also very helpful for video tutorials on how to do various carries with a woven wrap. Watch many videos as not all are created equal and there is more than one way to do the same carry.

RRRR with a candy cane chest belt

Star Trek Enterprise DIY Mei Tai

 

Star Trek Enterprise DIY Mei Tai 

 

I've been excited about sewing and excited about babywearing but now that I've combined the two I'm on top of the world. Just not on top of the laundry pile.

 

This is not really a tutorial. A good chunk of this project I made by following the Barefoot and Pregnant Tutorial. It's very well written and covers every detail.

 

This post is just my way of showing my personal flair. I didn't want to chop up a wrap or use upholstery fabric or canvas for my baby carrier so used what I knew. I started with quilters cotton. I know what you're thinking "Quilters Cotton! You can't use that! It's not safe!" and you're right! This printed quilters cotton is purely decorative and just covering my support fabric. My strong fabric of choice is 100% linen. I picked black and bought 2.5 yards on sale for $8.49/yard. If you want to learn more about safe and strong fabrics for babywearing please read Jan Andrea's fabric FAQ's for sewing baby carriers. She also has several tutorials you should read if you wish to sew a baby carrier of any kind.

 

Note: This is my very first time writing a blog or anything else for the public to view so I hope I have given proper credit and linked things correctly.

 

Safety Note: I made this carrier for me to use with my own kids. If I do something wrong and my baby gets hurt it will be my fault. If you make a baby carrier and make a mistake and your baby gets hurt it will be your fault. So please do a lot of reading and thinking before starting your project. This is my very first DIY Mei Tai so I'm bound to make mistakes. Right now I feel comfortable using it with my 7 month old 18.5 lbs baby. I'm not sure yet that I would trust it for my 33lbs 3 year old. Maybe? We'll see...

 

 

 

1. My decorative fabric was white. Baby products and the color white rarely work out so I was determined to dye it. After lots of research I found a safe dye for baby carriers called Dylon. Your baby will suck on it so please don't use anything that can be sucked off of the fabric.

 

2. Jo-Ann Fabric only had China Blue in stock. I didn't think it would be dark enough but was eager to get started so I bought it. The fabric turned out as advertised but it was to pale for me. So I order more online, this time I dyed it Bahama Blue. I threw in a nursing tank top for me and a onesie for baby as well. No photo here but it was much brighter.

 3. I made Padded-to-Wrap-Straps from the Barefoot and Pregnant Tutorial. My fabric was 2.5 yards of 100% linen and the bolt was 54" wide. After washing, drying, and ironing, I cut it in half down the length and then in half down one length again. My two straps ended up 86.5 inches (after washing and hemming) which is plenty long for me. This allows me to tie several different ways to relieve pressure points.

4. The straps are 11.25 inches wide. A little wider would have been nicer but then I would have had to buy twice as much fabric. This is 100% linen. I've used 100% linen in several ring slings and it's strong and gets really soft after a short breaking in. It does wrinkle easily though.

 5. I wasn't sure how my decorative fabric would hang without being quilted to the linen so I sewed a few stitches here and there to one of my layers of linen. I hid the stitches in the starship enterprise graphics.

6. No new fangled machine for me. This is my Mom's old sewing machine which she received as a wedding gift in 1980. Here I am sewing a decorative stitch down one rail of the wrap straps.

7. Blue arrows. I just figured out how to do this today. I've never even turned that top dial before. I didn't know what I was missing! The blue arrows are decorative and I like to have my two rails look different from each other so I know if I've flipped my wrap when I pass it behind my back. They also remind me of the Starfleet uniform badge. I've discovered with these padded-to-wrap-straps it doesn't really matter if they get flipped.

8. I sewed my hood together according to the Barefoot and Pregnant Tutorial.

9. The hood strap is already in place, I am just sewing along the edge to hold it steady. Be sure not to sew through the hood strap or you won't be able to bunch it up later. This saves having to thread it later.

10. Completed hood.

11. I cut out the body. This is upside down. I'm right handed and it's easier for me to follow the curve if I turn the fabric this way. Or maybe it's coincidence, I could have done it either way. This is one of the two Linen panels. The one I quilted to the decorative fabric.

12. I cut out the second linen panel. The top half of my body panel follows the Barefoot and Pregnant Tutorial while the bottom is just a standard apron waist 18" wide.

 

13. I started to make my fabric sandwich. I chickened out and pulled out the waist straps before sewing it together. I'm pretty sure it wouldn't have worked out. I sewed the sandwich together stopping just above the waist straps. Then after turning it right side out and ironing I put them back, pinned and top stitched. The straps you see sticking out the bottom are the shoulder wrap straps. The bottom does not get stitched at this time and sticking them through the bottom prevents me from having to tall of a sandwich. Does that make sense?

14. Sorry for no sewing photos here but I got excited and sewing this together only took a about 10 minutes. I spent longer top stitching twice around the entire body. I only top stitched once over the part behind baby's head because the padding was thick and I had to hand crank that part. after top stitching I sewed my reinforcing boxes. These are often called "X" boxes but I do spiral boxes because they are prettier. See photo #17 for a close up.

 Here is my completed project with baby in a front carry. The straps could have been spread out a little more on my back but I rarely do front carries anymore unless I'm nursing and have nowhere to sit. My son here is 7 months old and 18.5 lbs.

15. Front carry with hood bunched and hood straps tucked inside. This makes wrapping the shoulder straps easier as the hood straps don't get in the way.

16. DONE! The wrap straps are 86" long and 11.5 inches wide. 13-14 inches wide would be better but more expensive. My Linen was a 54" bolt so If you got a wider fabric you could easily do wider straps without buying more yardage. The waist straps are cut to 40" and sewn in apron style. This is super long for me but I wanted to make sure it could fit my husband or anyone else who might borrow this someday. I didn't use a tutorial for the waist but sort of copied a "Kozy" brand carrier that I had borrowed from my local babywearing group, Babywearing International of Kitsap Peninsula.

17. Here is a close up of my spiral boxes. You MUST have reinforcing stitching or your straps could fall out and drop your baby without warning. Always use a quality thread. I use Gutterman. I used a matching blue thread on the spool and black in the bobbin so the blue wouldn't show on the inside of the body panel.

18. Hood down

19. Flipped over. Now you can sort-of see the padding at the neck. I stitched it to the inside panel before sandwiching and sewing the whole thing together. I didn't want the stitching to show on the outside. Not sure if you can tell here but I did a straight stitch to hold the little padding in place then a zig-zag around the perimeter to make sure it stayed put. This is all in the super awesome and helpful tutorial from Barefoot and Pregnant.

 

20. Action shot with hood up. I'm just holding the hood straps because I haven't added a loop on the shoulders to tie them to yet.

21. Action Shot Front view. The extra long straps hang to my waist. This is my current version of a Tibetan knotless finish. I should probably look this up again because I think I'm missing a step here.

22. Action Shot Side view. You can see here the hood straps are super long. I figured I could cut them shorter later. For now I can tie the hood straps on my front where the fabric crosses my chest.

23. Action Shot back view. He likes having at least one arm out but after he snuggles in a bit I like to untie the straps and get both arms in. It's more comfortable that way. If I have a friend around they can put his arm in for me so I don't have to untie the shoulder straps.

 

24. Happy Baby, Happy Momma!

25. I tried it with my 4 year old! He is 35 lbs and is definitely to big for this to be comfortable for him. The fabric does not support his knees or come up high enough on his back. That being said if we were out hiking and he got tired and needed to be carried I will still put him in this to carry him rather than carry him without a carrier. It is definitely strong enough just not ideal. I rarely wear him for longer than it takes for an attitude adjustment anymore so comfort is not our priority for him. He loves to be worn but often only needs it for a few minutes before he feels better and is ready to be down again. Although we weren't smiling in this photo we were both pretty happy with this.
Tip: the wrap straps can be spread out under his thighs a bit to support his legs more than the body panel alone.

This is my first Blog

This is my first Blog, here goes nothing.

I'm a Mom, I keep learning to sew new things and I want to share my newfound knowledge. Keep in mind I'm not a professional and am most definitely capable of making mistakes. In fact they are almost guaranteed. Stay tuned...

Lots of Love,
Jessica