9. You're done! Turn the rings over and fold the flap over your stitchwork. With practice, you''ll be able to get the flap neat enough to cover all of your handiwork. Thread your ring sling.
* Many sling shoulder styles have a name and form that's recognized by sling-makers. However, no single person can legally lay claim to a certain style as being their own or original. The directions for the shoulder style on this page are what I came up with my on my own based on trying other ring slings, studying directions for differing shoulder styles, and, finally, fidgeting and fidgeting with fabric until I came up with a shoulder style that suits both me and friends of various sizes and shapes. I believe the technical term for this shoulder style is "modified hotdog." As of July 2006, I really don't know if anyone out there in the big ol' world is making their slings this very way. -Leah Walthery, Sweet Things Baby Slings, LLC.
1. Start with a piece of strong, hemmed material, 30" - 36" wide and 2 1/2 to 3 yards long. Lay the material flat, wrong side facing up, short widths parallel to you. Fold in half widthwise, long edge to long edge. You may choose to not hem the ring end...instead, secure the edging with an overlock stitch to keep it from fraying.
2. Determine desired width of shoulder, (~4" is a good for many people) measuring from the left-side edge. Pinch all layers together at desired width.
3. Bring folded edge over to meet the pinch, going behind your handful of fabric.
5. Fold the loop over the front of the sling, using the outer fold of the inner layers as a crease.
4. Pinch the three layers of fabric closest to you where the 2 raw edges meet. With free hand, catch the free layer of fabric in back and pull this loop to your right.
7. Holding the fabric folds in place with your thumb, slip your hand through the layers of fabric so that the outer 2 layers are held separate from the rest of your handful. This creates a flap of fabric to hide your stitching.
6. Thread the folded fabric through your rings, flat side of fabric to the outside.
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8. Fold the outer flap of fabric away from the layers you will stitch together to hold the rings in place.
Set your manchine to a secure zig or 3-point zig and chug your way through the layers of fabric across the width of the layers of fabric facing you, stopping when you get to the point that your reach the major edge. Take a few stitches into the outer flap of fabric and backstitch to secure the line of stitching. Do not sew too far into your flap of fabric or it won't fold over far enough to cover your stitching! Make a minimum of 3 lines of stitching in this manner, being sure to catch all layers of fabric except for the flap.
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How to sew a Sweet Things Baby Sling-style ring sling.
This is how I sew basic ring slings for Sweet Things Baby Slings. The focus is on directions to sew my* preferred shoulder style. This much I'll say for sure: there are easier shoulder styles to learn to sew, but I think that you can't beat the neat appearance of this style and I find it super-comfortable to wear. I especially like that this shoulder can be folded and sewn to any desired width. The flap that hides the stitching can be turned over to further cup the wearer's shoulder or the folds can be widened to fan the sling out across the back. Please practice using something heavyish and not alive until you are sure your sling is safely sewn and your fabric choice is sturdy prior to using your homemade sling with an actual factual baby! If you choose to make a sling from these instructions, sew to your heart's content, but kindly give credit where is due and provide a link back to me when sharing the information.
Pardon the instructions if they are confusing and please email me with any questions. I strongly suggest you check out our stock sling pages, ring sling info and fabric info for ideas and a greater understanding of this sling style. Also, consider visiting Rev. Jan at SleepingBaby.net for more shoulder styles, fabric discussion, and a wealth of information for the home sling-maker.
About rings: I prefer to order my rings from slingrings.com. You can find suitable brass rings at tack stores, but watch for bad welds and burrs on the metal. Most craft rings from craft stores are not suitable.
Copyright 2006: Sweet Things Baby Slings, LLC.
