Anyone who is not a sewer ever sew a pouch or sling?

[2sunshines]

So I physically know how to sew, in that I can thread the machine and hold the pedal down at the appropriate time :grin but my talents end there. I desperately want a new sling (leaning towards a pouch) for this baby but they are so expensive. I'm thinking about sewing my own. I have found a couple of instructions online, but I'm always cautious when they say that it's easy. Easy for sewers maybe, but easy for me??? Just wondering if anyone else here has successfully made a pouch and/or a sling???

I would also like to make one for my dd to carry her doll in. I'm imagining that would be much easier. :scratch

[kris10s]

My very first sewing project was a sling about a year ago. It truly is one of the easiest things you can make, though you might want to make a little set of coasters or something to practice speed, etc. and then make the doll sling first and then yours. You can make them exactly the same, just sized differently, so the doll sling will give you more practice. Getting the shape and size right is the only trick to pouches. The sewing part is easy. I invited an experienced sewing friend to help/watch and she got me started. That was really helpful!

[chelsea]

Nope. But I always wanted to! But I AM a non-sewer who makes the occasional giant-size receiving blankets for friends (because store-bought ones are never big enough.)
YOU CAN DO IT!! :clap

[MarynMunchkins]

I am the most non-sewing person I know. :giggle If it involves curved seams, I get nervous. ;) And all my friends with babies get a sling from me. My first one took me less than an hour from start to finish. :)

[Lady TS]

Slings are about all I sew. And curtains. Unless you count the outfit and dress I made in Home Ec in high school.

Oh yeah, I did make those clothespin bags and they turned out great!

So, yeah, slings are pretty easy. :) Especially since they are straight lines(at least mine are).

[Aisling]

I'm not much of a seamstress, but I *did* sew a pouch recently :D It was way easier than I imagined! I found the really simple pattern/guidlines at www.mamatoto.org . :tu

My only problem was that I made it a tidge too short, and had to go back and fix it :doh But now it's great! :lol

[nimchimpsky]

I'm not that much of a sewer. Pouches are *very* easy. I've made three so far.

[2sunshines]

So, where have you all found your patterns? I see one person listed a pattern. I would love to see a few different ones to get a better idea...

I'm so nervous because I've actually never even seen a pouch irl, which I think would help with getting a "vision." I mean, I know how they work obviously, but don't know precisely all the details of what they look like.

[righteous mama]

http://www.wearyourbaby.com

I'm going to work on some dyed slings, but I'm not sure about pocket ones. Let me look into it and I'll PM you. :-)

[kris10s]

Pouch-making instructions:
http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/tubesling.html
http://www.ida.net/users/stace/sling.html

[righteous mama]

Are New Natives considered a pouch or pocket sling?

[kris10s]

yes!

[2sunshines]

What's the difference between a pouch and a pocket sling? :scratch

[righteous mama]

I think they are the same. My best friend is a sling-a-holic and ordered a ton of new natives from me. She calls her little one a pocket baby, so I'm guessing that pockets and pouches are the same.

[kris10s]

I've never heard it called a pocket sling, but a new native is definitely a pouch (aka tube) style sling.

[2sunshines]

So why is it called a tube sling. I mean, what I imagine, it's more of a circle right? Just material in a big round circle. When I hear tube it always makes me wonder if there's more that I'm missing... :shrug

I wish I had access to a pouch to really look at and examine.

I don't think anyone sells them locally. :(

[kris10s]

Well, you wear it folded in half, so it is sort of like a tube in that sense.

Check for a hotslings.com distributor. There are several near me...

[2sunshines]

Well, you wear it folded in half, so it is sort of like a tube in that sense.

Really? See how utterly clueless I am, I had no idea of that. So when you have a completed pouch it will be like a big circle. Then I would fold then entire thing in half so that the same material is on the outside and the inside, put it on and put my child in?

[2sunshines]

Check for a hotslings.com distributor. There are several near me...

There's not even one in my whole state... :(

[kris10s]

Really? See how utterly clueless I am, I had no idea of that. So when you have a completed pouch it will be like a big circle. Then I would fold then entire thing in half so that the same material is on the outside and the inside, put it on and put my child in?

Exactly! :rockon You've got it!

[kris10s]

This page shows it pictorally pretty well:
http://www.hotslings.com/pages/howtowear.php

ETA video link:
http://www.hotslings.com/movies/HowToWear.mov

[2sunshines]

huge :idea moment for me!!! I get it. I finally get it. I wasn't imagining it right... That page you linked to make it so clear. I get it!!! :jump

Now I think that maybe I could make it...

I see the hotslings have padding... Is that necessary. Because that just adds more skill to making a pouch than I think I have... :think

Also, what kind of material do you use when you make pouches?

[kris10s]

The padding isn't necessary. I use stretch twills, especially stretch sateens for pouches. I think the stretch is really good for pouches. JoAnn's usually has stretch sateen in black and a pretty red in stock, and sometimes a few prints, too. It's in the bottomweights section towards the front of the store.