The URL for this page is: http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/wrap2.html
Making a Convertible Ring-Wrap
This is
a variation on the wraps that are gaining popularity, but without necessarily
needing to learn complex ties and such. The wrap is easily adjustible with the
rings, and looks very tidy. I recommend this for people just starting out with
a wrap, or those who wish to maximize their wearing options. This one carrier
can be used as a ring-sling, a ringed wrap, and a regular wrap, and the panel
in the center marks the middle of the wrap, making it easy to put on even without
the rings. Of course, if you're already familiar with wearing a wrap, this will
be entirely superfluous, but if you're new to wraps, I think it is helpful.
This pattern is copyright to me (Jan Andrea) and is NOT
for resale under ANY circumstances!
Materials needed:
- Rings:
You'll need a pair.
- I use and love the rings from SlingRings.com.
For the Ring-Wrap, I generally use the larger nylon rings. I have not had much
success in testing with the aluminum ones -- they are great for slings, but I've
found that the wrap doesn't adjust as well through them.
- You can also get rings from Elizabeth
Lee Designs, but they are from SlingRings,
so (IMHO) you might as well go to the source :)
- Please don't try to use the thin (1/8" thickness) brass craft rings
for this -- the wrap will be very difficult to adjust, safety concerns
notwithstanding.
- Closures:
- I use snaps on the convertible ring-wraps I've made. I looked around at various
snap options, and came to the conclusion that the
Snap Source was the most economical
for my needs. The snaps you can buy at JoAnn Fabrics and other fabric stores
are attached with a flimsy snap plier. They are more expensive per unit, harder
to attach, and not as good a quality as the ones at the Snap Source. The Snap
Source also offers dozens of different colors and styles, so you can match the
colors of your fabric quite nicely. Their Snap Setter is also very easy to use,
and I have had no problems attaching snaps with it, while I had to toss at least
1/3 of the snaps I tried to apply with a snap plier from JoAnn's. Some smaller,
independent sewing stores sell Snap Source products, if you prefer not to order
online.
- If you think you will be applying hundreds of snaps in your sewing lifetime,
a snap press may be a good investment. The press is a table-mounted unit that
allows you to apply snaps quickly and very securely, and the interchangeable
dies mean that you can apply snaps in many different sizes. It is a big investment:
the Snap Store has
them for $62, and you also need to buy the dies. However, if you will be using
the unit for many years, it can be economical in the long run. Snaps that you
buy for the Snap Setter will not necessarily work with the press, so keep that
in mind if you think you will start out with the Snap Setter and buy the press
later.
- Fabric and cutting suggestions:
- Interlocks,
knits, fleece, and other stretchy fabrics are best; this will also work with
gauze (careful with the seams) or other wovens, provided they have some "give"
to them.
- You'll need a piece that's between 4-6 yards long, but since the fabric
only needs to be between 15-20" wide, you could use 1.5-3 yards of a 60" wide
fabric, cut it in thirds lengthwise, and piece them together -- just make sure
the seams are very strong.
- Or you could use 2-2.5 yards of 45" wide fabric, cut
it in half along the fold, then sew the shorter ends together.
- If you want to be able to tie the ends of the wrap in front (more like a
traditional wrap) make your piece between 5-6 yards long (depending on your size,
of course).
- You'll also need a small piece of woven fabric, or interfacing, to keep the
snap flaps from stretching if you're using a knit fabric. (If using a woven,
this is not necessary.) Any scrap fabric that's 20" by about 4" is fine, as it
won't show in the finished product.
- See the Fabric FAQ for specific fabric recommendations
and online sources
- Matching thread
- Time: about 30 minutes! This is so quick and easy!
If you're making three from 60" wide fabric, use this layout:
Showing 60"
wide fabric folded in half along the length... length not to scale. For tubular
knits, you'll need to cut twice; for non-tubular knits and woven fabrics, just
once.
Snap Flaps:
Interfacing (for knit fabrics only): Cut your woven fabric
into strips 20" long
and about 1.25" wide. You'll want two for each wrap. (Note: If you are using
woven fabric for the wrap itself, you need not use interfacing. The interfacing
is applied to knit fabrics to keep them from stretching and pulling around the
snaps.)
Flap fabric: You can use the remnants from your fabric (as above),
or use a matching or contrasting fabric. I prefer to use the same fabric as the
wrap, but you could use a different color of the same weave/fabric type, similar
to the pocket on some other wraps. Indeed, you could include a pocket in the
flap piece - I'll describe that below.
Sewing the
flap piece: Sew the interfacing pieces onto the longer edges of the flap
piece as shown in the picture at right. You can use a straight stitch to sew
it on, since the woven material of the interfacing will keep the knit wrap fabric
from stretching. You need not finish the edge of the wrap fabric - it will be
hidden inside the flap piece. (Sew the interfacing to both edges - the diagram
at right shows only one edge finished, but both are necessary.)
If you wish to make the flap piece into a pocket, hem one short
edge of the flap piece by about 1½".
Note: the pocket will not be usable when the wrap is being used in Ring-Wrap
configuration; only when it's in a regular wrap configuration.
Sewing the snap flap to the wrap:
Mark
the center of the wrap. I usually fold it in half (so it's 20" wide
by 2-3 yards long) and put pins along the foldline. Open the wrap back up, and
pin the snap flap to the wrap, matching centers and top/bottom edges. (If you
are using the snap flap piece as a pocket, match the bottom edge, but leave the
top edge about 1½" from the top of the wrap.) 
If your fabric is knit
or stretchy, you'll want to use plenty of pins, as the fabric can stretch while
you're sewing, and that looks messy. The snap flap should be placed so that the
raw/turned edge of the piece is inside - flap piece wrong side should be against
the wrap fabric's wrong side.
Sew the flap piece to the wrap along the line you used to sew in the interfacing
piece. This should catch the raw edge, if there is one. Then, turn the flap towards
the center of the wrap, and sew close to the folded edge. In the diagram at right,
the left side shows the first stitching line, and the right shows the second
stitching line. The flap is thus secured to the wrap with two lines of stitching.
Hemming the wrap:
Now you're ready to hem the wrap. I usually just turn the fabric
under as I sew - no need to press knit fabrics, really. It goes a lot faster
for me, just turning. If you have a hemming foot, that will also serve you well.
I use a simple zig-zag stitch for the edges; while my sewing machine has a lot
of dedicated stretch stitches, it takes *forever* to sew with them, and a zig-zag
holds up fine.
You *can* use a serger for the edges, but one of the features of the Ring-Wrap
I sold was that it wasn't serged. I've heard a lot of complaints about other
stretchy wraps that have serged edges - apparently they tend to stretch out unpleasantly,
and overall, I don't think they look as nice as a rolled hem. A rolled hem will
help the wrap keep its shape better over time as well.
the hemming can get a little sticky when you're going over the snap flaps,
so I usually cut off the top inch or so of the flap itself before hemming. They
stay folded towards the center, but there's not as much bulk along the wrap edge.
Of course, if you are using the snap flap piece as a pocket, be sure that you
don't sew over its top hem when you're hemming the wrap.
Applying the snaps:
I generally use five snap pairs to hold the rings in place, as at right. One
side should be all studs; the other, all sockets. The socket and stud should
be on the inside edge, while the cap or ring is on the outside. This should keep
the stud from irritating the baby's skin, should the flap be worn on the inside
of the wrap. It also presents a neater appearance, and you can coordinate the
snap color with the wrap color. When the wrap is being used as a Ring-Wrap, the
user slides the rings to the middle of the wrap, then snaps them in place.
the snaps are used only to keep the rings in place - they
are not meant to be weight-bearing. Their strength is generally sufficient to keep the rings in
place during sling adjustment; I had one complaint that they came undone when
the user was adjusting the wrap through the rings, but her baby weighed 35 lbs,
just at the edge of the wrap's useful range. Make sure that all snaps are set
securely, with no pointy bits coming through the fabric (ow!).
the finished product:
This is what the wrap will look like, hemmed and with snaps
applied:
(not quite to scale in length)
Putting
on the rings:
Slide
both rings to the middle of the wrap, and then fasten the snaps around them.
the snaps and flap will be on the "inside" of the wrap,
so neither is showing when the wrap is being used as a Ring-Wrap.
When it's being worn, both sides of the wrap will show (right and "wrong" sides),
something to keep in mind if you're using a single layer of printed fabric.
Wearing the wrap:
New! Illustrated
wearing directions (opens in new window).
I like this because I can adjust both sides of the wrap easily
and quickly through the rings, and I don't have to tie complex knots or deal
with a lot of excess fabric.
Reader suggestions:
Tammy added a few things to her Ring-Wrap: First some of
the things I added: I added a center pocket (as per the directions, but using
a quilting type motif) but with the pocket I gave it a bit of a gusset so that
I can tuck the entire wrap into the pocket. Also to the pocket I added a loop
with a snap for the rings when used as a wrap. I also added a buttonhole to the
pocket. To the top of the wrap itself, I added 2 buttons, back to back. This
makes it so I can close the pocket either time I am using the wrap or when it's
all stored up all nice. :-)
Link to me!
Did
you use this pattern and like it? Please link back to me from your site or blog! (This is not an invitation to copy the file to your site, nor does it imply that the file is freeware. I invite links, but as I do make changes to the files on my site from time to time -- and often they are important ones -- I do not wish them copied to other sites.)
The URL for this page is: http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/wrap2.html
Here
is a little graphic you can use: 
To make a link, please copy the graphic to your own directory (linking to it
here is theft of bandwidth! Shock/horror!) by (PC) right-clicking on it, or
(Mac) clicking and holding, and selecting "Save picture as..." then
copy this code and paste it onto your page wherever you want it:
<a href="http://crafts.sleepingbaby.net/wrap2.html" target="_blank">
<img src="link.gif" alt="Jan Andrea's Baby Crafts" height=50 width=135></a>
Remember to change the image source to wherever you've saved the image! And
thanks for the link!
All content, barring that which is otherwise attributed, is ©2023 to
Jan Andrea. If you wish to use my content on another page, please email before
doing so, even for content with the Creative Commons licenses. Text/images used
elsewhere must be attributed to me. Be advised that I will pursue copyright
violations.