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Sling Sewing
Slings are wonderful. There are many, many benefits of babywearing. If you
aren't familiar with them, try an internet search for "babywearing". There are
many websites with lengthy lists, so I'm not going to add another.Slings are much more versatile than Snugli-type carriers, and most are not as bulky. With a sling, the main options are usually to carry the baby in a cradlehold (good for nursing), against your chest - either face-in or face-out, on your hip, or on your back. Many of the sling sites, including the sling sources I will offer later, provide photos and instructions for the various carries.
The most popular slings seem to be the Over The Shoulder Baby Holder (OTSBH) - a padded sling with rings and a closed tail, the Maya Wrap - an unpadded sling with rings and an open tail (THE most popular, I think), and the Didymos - a German sling with no rings (you have to tie it). You can buy the Maya Wrap at their site. The others (and more) are available from Kangaroo Korner.
In case you're wondering, an open tail means that the fabric is free - you can spread it out. A closed tail means that the fabric at the end is all sewn together into a tight little package.
If you want to make your own, there are many patterns available.
The following are commercial sling patterns:
Elizabeth Lee Designs pattern - padded sling with an open tail.
Sew Creative pattern - padded sling
Born to Love pattern - padded sling
And these are free patterns:
miscellaneous sling helps
Jennifer's sling page
Kelly's padded sling
Mama-Ts padded sling
Maya Wrap-style unpadded sling - This is the pattern I used for my own sling, and I really like it.
Reverend Jan's unpadded sling
Stacey's tube-style sling
Non-adjustable sling
Carrier - I think this is like the Maya Pouch. I'm not sure, though, as I've never seen the Maya Pouch.
Maka's crocheted mesh sling
German Didymos-style sling
Mexican Rebozo-style sling
Most of these patterns will require rings. Make sure they're at least 1/2 an inch thick and loadbearing. You can get sling rings from Elizabeth Lee Designs' ring page.
This is not to be construed as design or medical advice, and I will not be held responsible for the way you make your sling. Just use common sense and remember that this has to hold your precious baby.