ring sling with overlapping pleat shoulder

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Please read about infant safety in baby-holding devices (every parent, babywearer or not, needs to know about this) and sling safety!

Everything you need to know about having a wrap turned into a sling:

Preparation | Wrap types | Shipping info | Sewing | Lengths and sizing

Preparation:

If you have pets or are a smoker, please wash the wrap (without fabric softener) before sending it to me -- we are very sensitive to pet dander, cigarette smoke, and perfumes here! Please make sure that its long edges are already finished (hemmed or selvage, either way is fine -- all Didymos, Storch, Girasol, and most other major brands are already finished); if it needs hemming, it's a custom sling rather than a redo. If your wrap has a fringe at the end of the tail, I will leave it in place unless you specify otherwise; likewise, if it's tapered, I leave the taper unless you'd prefer it hemmed straight (which will result in the loss of several inches of length overall).

Wrap Types:

There are two main categories of wraps: woven (where the threads are in some kind of over/under pattern, whether simple or complex) and knit (where the fabric is made like t-shirt fabric -- similar to the way sweaters are made, but smaller in scale). In general, woven wraps are more supportive than knit wraps. Most common knit wraps (like Moby and Sleepy wraps) and are not suitable to be turned into slings, because of the amount of stretch and the tendency for them to be on the narrower side. I have slingified Wrapsody Bali Stretch wraps, but would not recommend a pleated shoulder with these due to the damage the needle can do to the fabric when it punches through so many layers.

Woven wraps vary in their width, weight, and the number of threads per inch. Unlike sheets, a lower thread count is desirable in a sling, because it will have more "give" and be more comfortable; since most woven wraps have a fairly low thread count, they make lovely slings. Here are some of the major brands of wraps:

Didymos has been in the business of making wraps since the 1970s. They have a wide variety of weaving patterns.

Shipping info :

If you are ordering a wrap specifically for a redo, you may have it sent directly to me.

If you are sending a wrap to me to be split with another person, you can either order both parts in the same order, using the other person's address as the "ship to" address and making a note of which part is going to whom; or order separately. Shipping is built into the slingification cost, so it costs the same either way.

If you are buying the wrap from a third party and having them send it to me, please include their name somewhere in your order (description, or special instructions) so that I will recognize the sender, and please ask them to also include a note with your name in the package. I've gotten a few wraps with no identifying information and no existing orders, and that's very confusing for me! If there is not an existing order, I also need the buyer's email address, or I can't let them know the wrap has arrived.

If you want insurance on your order, please select the appropriate option when ordering. Because redos are technically "shipping exempt" according to my cart (that's how I make shipping included in the price), it will not add the price of insurance if you select it during checkout, and I don't pay for insurance out of my pocket -- I already make very little money on wrap redos. So you'll need to select it from the shipping options on the product detail page if you want to add it to your order.

Sewing:

In the "wrap description" field, please tell me what color and style of wrap you have -- "Didymos" or "German wrap" isn't very helpful to me :) I receive somewhere between 5-10 wraps per week to make into slings, and I need to be able to tell them apart. I am also not terribly familiar with all the different companies' names for their wraps, so a description, like "Brown with orange edges" is much more helpful to me than "Hoppediz Costa Rica". I'm getting better, but can't guarantee I'll be able to identify a wrap by its brand name!

If I will be hemming/converting both sides, please do not cut the wrap before sending it. I have received two already-cut wraps, and it was much more difficult for me to work with them, since in one case, there was not enough continuous length for the accessories that had been ordered, and in the other, the cut was made at an extreme taper, which ruined the second piece for its buyer. This doesn't apply if you are splitting it and not sending both pieces to me -- only if I'll be sewing with both pieces.

Most wraps (with the exception of Ellaroo wraps, which are thinner) will require large diameter rings -- 3" and above. Anything smaller, and the fabric just won't budge when you try to adjust it. Please keep this in mind when ordering, or if you plan to send your own rings. If you are petite, you may find that large rings take up a lot of room on your torso, and may want a thinner wrap that will accomodate medium-sized rings instead.

Wraps that have tapered ends will be measured from the center of the taper, so one side will be 6-10" longer than the other. Some wraps, including Vatani and Amazonas, have extremely long tapers, where one side is 18" or more shorter than the other. This can mean that even though the sling's length to the center of the taper is 78" long (for example), the shorter end will be only 68" long, and the long end 88" long. This can be awkward to wear, so please make a note of the taper's depth and how you would like it to fall on your body when ordering. Most wraps (Didymos, Girasol, Storchenweige, Neobulle, etc.) have a much more gentle taper, so this difference in length isn't as much of an issue.

As most wraps are under 30" wide, I will use the full width to make the sling.

My standard procedure is to sew the sling with the hemmed edges facing outwards in the body of the sling -- this tends to be more comfortable for the wearer and baby, since then the hem isn't digging into you. However, this does mean that the "wrong" side is out in the body of the sling. If you would prefer the hem in (so the "wrong" side is out in the tail), please select that below. (This is not usually an issue for BB-Slen, Ellaroo, and BaraBarn wraps, just the jacquard-woven wraps like Didymos and Girasol.) If the wrap is tapered, this does also affect the side the long end of the taper falls on, so if that is important to you, please hold the wrap up on yourself as if you were wearing a sling to decide which way you want it sewn.

Lengths and sizing:

The "sling size" selector is if you have a long wrap that you want redone shorter -- I can't make a short wrap longer :)

If you are having a wrap split into a ring sling and a shortie and your shortie has to be a certain minimum length, please make a note of that and I will cut the wrap portion first, ensuring it is the correct size. Otherwise, I will go by the ring sling length that you specify. If I don't know what your minimum wrap length is, I can't really be responsible if it's too short.

If your original wrap is long enough, you can add some accessories like a snap-on pouch, zipless pocket, or snap-strap -- please be sure there is enough fabric first, however! Zipless pockets will be made from a horizontal slice of the fabric unless you request otherwise *and* there is enough fabric to take a vertical piece. On a wrap with two different sides, the pocket can be matching or contrasting; please specify which you would like in the "additional comments" section at checkout.

If your wrap is 3 meters long or longer and you are not having the other end hemmed as a shortie, please select the "...with other end unhemmed" shipping option. If your wrap is less than 3m long, this is not necessary.

Please read the below section carefully if you are ordering multiple slings and/or accessories from a single wrap, or if you'd like to know how long a wrap you need for what you'd like to end up with. It will give you all the information you'll need when splitting a long wrap.

How long a wrap should I send you to have it redone as a sling?

That depends on how long you want your sling and whether you want any accessories. A rebozo-length wrap -- or, for that matter, a rebozo (about 3 meters) -- will have ample fabric for even the longest sling, plus a pocket or snap-on pouch and a snap-strap. A size 2 Didymos is 270 cm long (2.7 meters, 106") which is long enough for an xxl sling and a zipless pocket. If you want to split a wrap between two people and have two slings made from it, it should be at least a size 4 (370 cm or 145", enough for two short slings, no accessories) though at least a size 5 (420 cm, 165") would be necessary for two size medium slings. I would recommend a size 6 (470 cm, 185") or size 7 (520 cm, 205") if you want two slings plus any accessories. Of course, a used wrap may have been machine-dried, leading to some shrinkage, and a brand-new wrap will be longer than advertised, in which case I'll sew it a little longer to account for that, so none of those lengths are set in stone.

For reference, here's how much fabric each size sling and accessory takes:

Sling size/ accessory type:	Finished length:	Fabric length needed:
Extra short	64-68" / 160-170 cm	69" / 175 cm
Short	70-74" / 175-185 cm	75" / 190 cm
Medium	76-80" / 190-200 cm	81" / 205 cm
Long	82-86" / 205-215 cm	87" / 220 cm
Extra long	88-92" / 220-230 cm	93" / 235 cm
XXLong	94-98" / 235-245 cm	99" / 250 cm
Zipless pocket	n/a	11" / 28 cm
Snap-on pouch	n/a	10" / 25 cm
Doll sling	41" / 104 cm	45" / 115 cm

To convert from centimeters to inches, divide the number of centimeters by 2.54; to convert from inches to centimeters, multiply the number of inches by 2.54. Using this method, you can find out how long a wrap you need for the sling size you want.

Important! Wraps that have tapered ends, like the Didymos, lose a few inches in the conversion process due to the taper. This is especially true if you are having one half made into a sling, and the other half re-hemmed to make a short wrap. In that case, plan on losing at least 6", due to the length of the taper. I cannot be responsible for slings or wraps that end up being too short due to the customer's measuring errors, nor due to wraps that have been washed and dried and are hence shorter than their listed length.

Possible Combinations:

Very Important Notes: (please read them all!)

• The wrap lengths shown are the "ideal" lengths, and may not be the actual length of a used wrap, which may have been washed and dried so that it has shrunk. I've frequently gotten size 5 wraps that are long enough for only two *small* slings, not two mediums, for example. If you are buying a used wrap, please email the current owner for its *exact* length, since that can be significantly shorter than what it's marked as.
• This is also true of wraps that have been dyed. There is frequently significant shrinkage involved in that process (i.e. I've had a size 6, which should be 185", come as 170" long), and although some of the length can be regained when the sling is worn, the tail of the sling isn't under stress and therefore won't stretch out unless further stretching of the whole sling is done.
• The lengths shown include 3" for sewing in the rings -- they show the amount of wrap that I need to make the sling its correct finished length.
• Leftover includes the full length of the tapers -- actual leftovers will probably be between 3-7" shorter, depending on the depth of the taper.
• Most wraps are between 24-28" wide. Doll slings made from narrow wraps will be narrower than those made from wide wraps, and are cut in the same direction as the adult slings (along the wrap, not across it).
• The number of possible accessories will vary depending on the physical length of the wrap, which may not be the same as the "ideal" length for its size, particularly if it has been washed repeatedly or machine-dried, or dyed.
• Didymos wrap sizes shown; other wraps have different sizing, but the lengths shown are fairly standard for wraps.

Size	Sling1	Length1	Sling2	Length2	Leftover	Accessories
4	xs	69	xs	69	8	Possibly zippered pocket
370 cm	xs	69	s	75	2	n/a
146"
Size	Sling1	Length1	Sling2	Length2	Leftover	Accessories
5	xs	69	xs	69	27	2 pockets/pouches
420 cm	xs	69	s	75	21	2 pockets/pouches
165"	xs	69	m	81	15	1 pocket/pouch
	xs	69	l	87	9	Possibly zippered pocket
	xs	69	xl	93	3	n/a
	s	75	s	75	15	1 pocket/pouch
	s	75	m	81	9	Possibly zippered pocket
	s	75	l	87	3	n/a
	m	81	m	81	3	n/a
Size	Sling1	Length1	Sling2	Length2	Leftover	Accessories
6	xs	69	xs	69	47	2 doll slings, or 1 doll sling and 2 pockets/pouches
470 cm	xs	69	s	75	41	2-4 pockets/pouches
185"	xs	69	m	81	35	2-3 pockets/pouches
	xs	69	l	87	29	2 pockets/pouches
	xs	69	xl	93	23	2 pockets/pouches
	xs	69	xxl	99	17	1 pocket/pouch
	s	75	s	75	35	2-3 pockets/pouches
	s	75	m	81	29	2 pockets/pouches
	s	75	l	87	23	2 pockets/pouches
	s	76	xl	93	16	1 pocket/pouch
	s	77	xxl	99	9	Possibly zippered pocket
	m	81	m	81	23	2 pockets/pouches?
	m	82	l	87	16	1 pocket/pouch?
	m	83	xl	93	9	Possibly zippered pocket
	m	84	xxl	99	2	n/a
Size	Sling1	Length1	Sling2	Length2	Leftover	Accessories
7	xs	69	xs	69	67	2 doll slings* plus 2 pockets/pouches, or 1 doll sling* and 3 pockets/pouches
520 cm	xs	69	s	75	61	2 doll slings* plus 2 pockets/pouches, or 1 doll sling* and 3 pockets/pouches
205"	xs	69	m	81	55	2 doll slings* plus 1 pockets/pouches, or 1 doll sling and 2 pockets/pouche
	xs	69	l	87	49	2 doll slings, or 1 doll sling* and 2 pockets/pouches; snapstrap?
	xs	69	xl	93	43	2-4 pocket/pouch
	xs	69	xxl	99	37	2-3 pocket/pouch
	s	75	s	75	55	2 doll slings* plus 1 pockets/pouches, or 1 doll sling* and 2 pockets/pouche
	s	75	m	81	49	2 doll slings*, or 1 doll sling* and 2 pockets/pouches
	s	75	l	87	43	4 pocket/pouch
	s	76	xl	93	36	3 pocket/pouch
	s	77	xxl	99	29	2 pocket/pouch
	m	81	m	81	43	2 doll slings*, or 1 doll sling* and 2 pockets/pouches
	m	82	l	87	36	2-4 pocket/pouch
	m	83	xl	93	29	2-3 pocket/pouch
	m	84	xxl	99	22	2 pocket/pouch
	l	87	l	87	31	2-3 pocket/pouch
	l	87	xl	93	25	2 pocket/pouch
	l	87	xxl	99	19	1 pocket/pouch
	xl	93	xl	93	19	1 pocket/pouch
	xl	93	xxl	99	13	1 pocket/pouch
	xxl	99	xxl	99	7	n/a

* Please allow me to measure the wrap before ordering a number of accessories, particularly the doll slings, since the table above can only be an approximation based on the "ideal" length, and may not reflect what's actually available for sewing. A question mark in the listing indicates that there may not be enough wrap for what is listed.

Sling and shortie wrap combinations:

Sizes shown in bold are closest to commercial shortie wrap lengths. (A Didymos size 2 is 270 cm; a size 1 is approximately 200 cm, give or take 10-20 cm, and is rebozo-length)

Size	Sling size	Length required	Unhemmed wrap left over (inches)	Unhemmed wrap left over (cm)
4	xs	69	77	196
	s	75	71	180
	m	81	65	165
	l	87	59	150
	xl	93	53	135
5	xs	69	91	231
	s	75	85	216
	m	81	79	201
	l	87	73	185
	xl	93	67	170
6	xs	69	111	282
	s	75	105	267
	m	81	99	251
	l	87	93	236
	xl	93	87	221
7	xs	69	131	333
	s	75	125	318
	m	81	119	302
	l	87	113	287
	xl	93	107	272
	xxl	99	101	256