It sure was a process but sooooo worth it to see my little dude melt into the wrap when I wore him. Overall I I enjoyed being creative and I can tell this is just the beginning of a DIY obsession with making baby carriers!
I joined a DIY Babywearing Group and was inspired by all of the amazing projects people were posting. I also joined a Dyed Baby Carrier group and was able to learn so much before attempting my dye job. If you are considering this project you need to join these groups! They are a wealth of knowledge. I did a Low Water Immersion dye with Tulip dye but there are so many more options out there to dye a wrap or a baby carrier if you are interested!
Steps simplified:
1. Buy supplies
2. Scour and wash fabric
3. Hem wrap
4. Dye wrap
5. Rinse and wash
6. Wrap you baby!
Before you start:
-Decide what size wrap you want and add 1-2 yards for shrinkage. Click here for sizing info. I made a size 6 wrap + a Kanga and I got 8 yards of fabric to account for shrinkage.
-Set aside four days for this project (deep cleaning day, hemming day, dying day, rinsing and washing day)
-Make sure you have all of your supplies
Supply list:
-3-8 yards Osnaburg fabric (I got mine at walmart)
-1-6 packets of dye (depending on how many colors you want)
-Soda ash
-Large tub/bucket
-Matching thread for hemming (it will not pick up dye)
-Iron and Ironing board
-Working sewing machine
-Optional: rubber bands
Scour/Deep Clean your fabric:
The purpose of the scouring step is to deep clean your fabric before dyeing. It helps in removing invisible sizing or other finishes that can interfere with dyeing, though there are some finishes that can't be removed so easily. There are a few ways to do this, but here is what I did:
-Place fabric in bath tub
-Boil as much water as possible
-Pour boiling water over fabric and (optional) place a trash bag over it to reduce heat loss
-Stir with a wood spoon (I pounded it!)
-Add 1/2 cup soda ash
-add boiling water to cover fabric
-Let sit, stirring every 10 minutes for 1 hour
-Put your fabric in the washer and do hot cycle followed by a hot dry. Repeat this step (2x wash/dry)
Hem your Wrap
Watch this video prior to hemming, this will save you tons of time! This lady is an amazing twin baby-wearing mama.
*tip: to cut fabric to size, you can rip!
 |
| Most wraps are ~30 in wide, I left 2 in on each side |
 |
| Iron and roll technique |
 |
| Test out your wrap! |
 |
| Kanga (with extra fabric!!) |
Dye Your Wrap
-Mix your dye according to the instructions and based on the type of dye job you are doing.
-Apply rubber bands if the technique you are using requires it
-Apply your dye based on how you are dying (some processes require you to soak your fabric in soda ash first)
-At this point your wrap should either be in a plastic bag or in a bucket/tub
-Let it sit for at least 12 hours to let the dye set
 |
| Low water immersion, folded into the bin |
 |
| I added dye first then fixed it with soda ask 1 hour later |
 |
| Kanga (no folds) |
Rinse your wrap
-Put your wrap in the bathtub and RINSE away with cold water! It is helpful to commit 30 minutes to this part because the water must run clear in order to insure all the dye has been rinsed out. Dye can be toxic to babies if it is not rinsed out properly.
-Wash your wrap on cold 1x, then hot 1x.
-Dry on hot
 |
| After rinsing and washing. the wrap is done! |
 |
| Kanga |
 |
| I did some cloth diaper pre-folds too! |
Wrap your baby
-For wrapping techniques and advice, check out this website!
 |
| Super comfy wrap! |
So awesome!! I love it and wow that's a lot of work, but totally worth it!
ReplyDelete