Slings & Things Day (IBW 09)

In honour of International Babywearing Week, Yvette at the Breastfeeding Drop In Centre in Dandenong organised a "slings and things" discussion and demonstration day. Over fifteen mums and even more children came to the centre from 11am until 2pm to exchange babywearing tips and learn about different styles of carriers and hands on experience in how to use them.

The breastfeeding centre is a great venue, it's extremely child-friendly, bright, comfortable, filled with breastfeeding and parenting resources, staffed by breastfeeding counsellors and features some really lovely artwork:

(photo by Jen):

(last photo by Yvette)

After everyone had an opportunity to introduce themselves Yvette began the discussion and demonstration part of the day by sharing with the group ABA's babywearing history. Since the 1960s ABA has made and sold their very own slings, which over time have been altered and updated in accordance with the feedback they've received from the mum's who wear them.

(Yvette borrows a friend's baby to demonstrate how to use the ABA simplicity sling)

Sam, from Mothers Direct which is the retail arm of ABA, came along with some slings MD sell. She provided a demonstration of how to use one of the newest carriers. She also brought a couple of children's books about babywearing, also available through MD.

I demonstrated how to thread and use a ring sling, how to back and front carry with a fabric mei tai and a woven wrap and how to front carry with a stretchy wrap:

(photos by Yvette O'Dowd, last 2 by Jen)

I also brought along a couple of pouches and the ergo and enlisted the help of Jen and Ro (who came to the centre already wearing these styles) to demonstrate how to use them:

(photo by Yvette O'Dowd)

After the demonstrations the slings got passed around to anyone interested in trying their hand at wearing them. Babywearing discussions continued as mum's helped one another learn how to use the slings.

Yvette did a lovely job of coordinating the day. She even went to the extent of hand making a series of scrapbook pages featuring babywearing photos she has collected over the years from ABA subscribers and created a massive display:

Here are some close up photographs Yvette took of some of her pages:

You can see more of Yvette's scrapbook pages that were displayed here.

The day was a success with many a mum walking away with a clear plan to make herself a sling or buy a carrier she tried and liked at the meeting. Or, in the case of one mum and bub, she walked away with my sling!

Apparently my hug-a-bub works far too well. Leesa's little one was unconscious within minutes of testing the stretchy wrap out.

Thanks to Yvette for organising such a great day, to all the mums for making it great and Sam for taking time out from Mothers Direct to share some of their products with the group. A special thanks to the Mums from for afar who travelled such long ways to be there (one Mama is holidaying from Belgium and only arrived last week! And another Mum drove from Sale to Dandenong).

Happy International Babywearing Week!

Group photo (taken by Yvette)

DIY Children's Ring Sling

In honour of International Babywearing Week here is a post on how to make your child a ring sling.

You will need

• 1.5 metres of fabric (I usually use cotton featuring a pattern that suits whoever I'm making it for). Cut to make it 55 cms wide.
  
• 2 rings (plastic bangles that have no flat edges or wooden rings designed to be handles for handbags work well)
• Sewing machine/cotton thread to match the colour scheme of your fabric.
  

Method

Cut fabric to ensure you have 1.5 metres length and 55cms width (you will lose approximately 2cms when heming the edges)

Hem all the edges of your fabric (fold edges over 0.5-1cm, iron flat, fold over again and iron again, pin to keep it secure, sew)

Once all the edges are hemmed, lay the fabric out with the outside/patterned side down width-wise (you don't need to worry about the length for the time being).

Find the centre of the fabric, mark it with a pin.
Fold one edge over, in to the centre:

Then fold the other edge in to the centre:

Repeat (you are reducing the width of one end of the fabric in order to put rings through it and then sew them into the sling)


Slide the folded fabric through your rings.
Slide the rings approximately 40cms down from the hem

Fold the fabric which has gone through the rings over them,

Take the hemmed end that has gone through the rings and fold this back towards the rings (this will half the length of excess fabric you have through the rings and if you tuck the hemmed side underneath, the hem will disappear from view when you sew over the fold locking the rings into place). Sew a zig-zag stitch along the neat fold:

Continue sewing with the zig-zag stitch,
Create a box
Make sure the rings aren't too close to the foot of your sewing machine, or everything will jam

(as you can see in the pic below first time I tried to sew a much larger box, but got too close to the rings and couldn't sew the final line across the top of the box):

Sew an X through your zig-zag box.
If sewing diagonally from one corner to another in zig-zag stitch is too hard for beginners you can use a regular line of stitching:

Voila!

Now that your rings are sewn into the fabric and can move but won't escape your ring sling is complete.

All you need to do now is thread your sling (see below for instructions if need be) and help your child put it on and secure teddy inside :)
Ta-Da!

Not for adults!

Though the same instructions can be used to make an adult sized ring sling. you need different sized fabric and proper rings intended for ring slings. For an adult sized sling be mindful of sturdy, high quality materials so that the children who are carried in your sling are safe.

Threading Ring Sling

Take the end of your the sling which does not have the rings and fold fabric from the middle, concertina style. It doesn't have to be perfect, it just has to have the edges of the sling on the outside:

Hold the rings in one hand and your concertina folded ended in the other, make sure the inside/non-patterned side of the sling is facing up toward you, not the floor:

Put the concertina folded fabric through both rings:

Continue pulling the length through the rings until you have roughly as much fabric through the rings as hanging on the other side of the rings:

Lift your concertina folded end up again
Take it over the first ring
And slide it through the second ring

Pull the fabric through, the longer you make your tail the smaller you will make your pouch.
Your ring sling is now threaded and ready to be worn.

To put on the ring sling hold the sling

1. let your child choose which side he or she would like the rings on, put his/her opposite arm and head through the pouch/opening of your sling.
2. Slide the fabric down away from child's neck and spread it across his/her shoulder and back.
3. Slide the sling around so that the rings are positioned up on child's shoulder, quite high (the reason for this is that once you put someone in the sling and then pull the tail through the rings to tighten it, the pulling action will cause the rings to slide down into the most comfortable position - over your child's collarbone).
4. Put teddy inside the pouch of your sling (make sure there is fabric between your child's body and teddy so teddy doesn't fall out.
5. To tighten the pouch so that teddy is hugged to your child's body safely pull the tail through the rings further.
6. To tighten just one side of the pouch, pull just one edge of the tail.

Happy International Babywearing Week everyone!

*Pattern was inspired by Sling A Ma Bob Instructions, with some adjustments.