1.  Cut two 30-inch by 40-inch rectangles of good quality polyester fleece.  Plaid is easy to work with because you can use the lines on the fabric as guidelines for cutting. Sizing note: The original Hancock’s pattern uses two 30-inch by 45-inch rectangles. We found the neck hole to be a bit big, and the symmetry was a bit off.  However, it does provide a more generous fit than is achieved with our 30 x 40 rectangles.  If you experiment with other dimensions, leave a comment telling us about your results!

2.  Cut 4-inch squares out of each corner.  These are scraps.

3.  Lie one rectangle right side down on a flat surface; lie the other rectangle right side up on top of the first one.  Imagine a compass in the center of your 2 matched up fabric pieces.  This will help you know where to line up, cut and move.

Match the short side of the top piece to the the long side of the other (the bottom right corner, SW, is matched up), like this:

Fabric pieces placed wrong side to wrong side, one horizontally and one vertically.

            N

W                     E

            S

(The two rectangles will have their wrong sides touching.) 

4.  Cutting both pieces at the same time, cut 4-inch long by 1/2 inch wide fringes along the South side.  Only cut as far as the short side; the bit left over on the long piece forms part of the collar.

5.  Tie the fringes together in double knots, like this:

Tie the fringes on the South side.

            N

W                     E

            S

(You can see the bit left over on the long piece (South) that will become the collar.

6.  Look at the photo below (from step 3). See the top piece of fabric, running horizontally? Slide that to the left and up.  (Again, imagine a compass printed on top of that photo … slide the top piece of fabric to the West and then North, to line up the two Northeast coners.) 

The top piece of fabric is horizontal.

           N

W                     E

            S

Below you can see the fringed South side has moved, as you line up the 2 Northeast corners. 

This is how it looks when you've moved it.

            N

W                     E

            S

7.  Now cut the fringe and double knot the East side.  Again, only cut as far as the short piece of fabric. 

The left over piece will become the collar.  You will now have 2 flaps in the Southeast corner (the neck hole) that can be left as the collar, or trimmed off.

Ready to knot the fringe on the East side.

            N

W                     E

            S

Below you can see the collar/neck opening in the Southeast corner, and the two fringed and knotted sides (South and East), as the Northwest corner has been lined up.

Both seams are now tied. The neck opening is shown in the SE corner. It's time to fringe some more.

            N

W                     E

            S

8.  As shown in the above picture, lay the poncho flat, matching the two corners together (to form the Northwest corner).  Cut a fringe on both the North and West sides/pieces. 

The picture below has been turned from the original compass layout, to show how you will wear the finished poncho.  The neck opening is now at the top.  The two fringed and tied seams run down from the neck opening – the fringed seams are angled, one is on your front and one is on your back. The fringed seams are not located directly on top of your arms; one is on your front and one is on your back, giving the poncho an asymmetrical look.

Rearranged to show how the poncho will be worn. This is now a finished poncho except for the extra neck opening for babywearing.

9.  About 6 inches below the neck opening, cut a 10-inch horizontal slit in the top layer of fabric.  That’s the baby’s neck opening.  Like this:

Cut a slit for the baby's neck opening.

Closeup. Also, you can see the collar folded down at the top of this photo.

And here is how the poncho looks when worn:

Back carry with toddler.

This is great not just because it has a cool soundtrack and text directions, but because this wrapper knows what she’s doing. Watch how she positions this newborn in the wrap (in the spread squat position with feet out) and then how she adds a headrest for excellent support:

and gets press coverage for it.

(Mandy is one of our group leaders. She is a registered nurse and works in the NICU at St. Vincent’s. She is a babywearing star and does awesome demonstrations and generally shares the love of babywearing with lots of people, all the time. She won the award for Outstanding Babywearing Advocate in the Healing Professions from Babywearing International in connection with International Babywearing Week. We are so lucky to have her in our group!)

You can add this PSA to your blog or website. Pass on the babywearing love. Here are even more downloads and tools for sharing, from Babywearing International’s online toolkit for International Babywearing Week, September 21-28.

A few posts ago we shared some sneak peeks from the video shoot at Leo Ticheli Productions. The video is now LIVE LIVE LIVE and it is amazing, incredible, awesome, beautiful and fan-flipping-tastic. You can see it here.

I will never ever forget the amazing letter that a local group member wrote me shortly after we started Magic City Slingers. We helped her wear her baby and, like so many people, babywearing really changed her parenting experience. She wanted to recognize our efforts. She wrote a heartfelt letter of thanks to me and to Kristen (a the time, we were the only group leaders) and gave us each a tote bag and a button from TheBabywearer.com’s CafePress store. Her gift made a deep and lasting impression.

There are a lot of people around the world that do a lot of work to help people learn about babywearing, and much of this work is done on a volunteer basis. If someone has helped you along the way, a personal note is a great way to say thank you, but it’s not the only way. If you know of an organization that reaches out to women in need, performs babywearing advocacy work, or is a babywearing vendor with a charitable mission, consider nominating it for an International Babywearing Week award. So far, there are three awards:

- Best Babywearing Outreach Program to Women in Need (U.S.),
- Best Babywearing Outreach Program by a Non-Vendor (U.S.), and
- Best Charitable Program by a Babywearing Vendor (worldwide).

The deadline for nominations is September 18. You can nominate your organization or another organization. Click here for more information and to nominate; nomination is quick and easy!

P.S. Please spread the word about International Babywearing Week and the IBW Awards! Thanks!

You know you want to. Become an fan and add some fan photos!

Babywearing International, Inc. | Promote Your Page Too

Our table at Babypalooza

Whew! We’ve been busy! Last Saturday was Babypalooza, and we had hundreds of people come by our table, admire our happy sling babies, chat about babywearing, register to win a Maya Wrap lightly padded ring sling, and take away our brochures about the benefits of babywearing as well as babywearing safety. As always, our members and friends stepped up to the task, and we had a well-staffed table for the event, with people circulating throughout the room as well. Birmingham has the BEST babywearers!

Congratulations to Edna Rush of Birmingham for winning the beautiful chocolate brown Maya Wrap, and thanks to Maya Wrap for donating it!

Just to keep us on our toes, the Babypalooza crew called us last Thursday morning to ask if we could appear on Fox 6 News’s Jeh Jeh Live segment on Friday morning to promote our table and the event in general. Of course we had to do that.

At 7:45 a.m. 

Yawn!

We had planned to have Jeh Jeh wear a pouch, but he’s an athlete who retains his football physique, and the adjustable pouch I took was too little. He wore a stuffed bunny in a soft structured carrier instead. He actually did a hip scoot to a back carry while holding a microphone. Don’t try that at home, kids.

Toddlerwearing ambassador

We have a great outreach event coming this Saturday! Come check us out at Babypalooza. It will be going on from 10-3 at the Metropolitan Church Event Center, next to the Hoover Board of Education. (Click the logo above to visit the website and get directions.)

Last year, we had hundreds of folks come by our booth, learn about babywearing, and register to win a Maya Wrap lightly padded sling … and we’re delighted that Maya Wrap is donating another sling for us to give away this year! This one is a yummy chocolate brown, one of Maya Wrap’s newest colors, and it’s just fabulous. If you’re in Birmingham, come by Babypalooza and register to win the sling, it’s all absolutely free!