Nursing Cover

I realized that our awesomesauce cousin, Becky’s, due date is coming up.  I don’t know if she has one of these or not, but for me, this little baby was a MUST!!

Here’s how you can make your own…

This cover keeps you and your baby modest whilst nursing.  The boning in the top of the drape makes it so you can see your little babe as he (because all babies are boys…) drinks himself to sleep.  I’ve also included flannel pockets (for holding nursing pads and wiping up dribble) in this pattern.

To start off you need a yard of fabric, some flannel, and you need to:

Cut one rectangle of your fabric measuring 32 inches by 36 inches
Cut 4 6x6 inch flannel squares for lined pockets
Cut a strip of  32x3.5 inch fabric for the strap
Cut a 3.5x5 inch piece to hold the D rings

Other materials needed:
2 D-rings
Featherlite Boning
Thread

Let’s start with the pockets.  Sew two squares of flannel with the right sides together, but only sew up one side, around the corner, and to the end of the second side.

When you’ve finished those two seams, snip off the corner.

Now turn your pocket right side out.

Use your scissors to push that corner in until it is nice and pointy.

Repeat this process with the remaining two squares of flannel.

Now take the small rectangle and fold it in half widthwise.  Sew down the long side so that you have a small tube.

Use a safety pin to turn it right side out.

Set that small tube aside with the pockets.

Next, we’ll sew the neck strap.  Do that exactly the same way you did the smaller tube.  It will just be a lot longer.

Now press the pockets, D-ring strap, and neck strap.  Set them aside and we’ll work on the main part of the cover.

Hem our serge around every side of the main piece of the nursing cover.  Once you’ve done that, find the top center of the cover.  Do this by folding the fabric in half lengthwise.  The crease is the center.

Fold your strip of boning in half to find the center.  Line up the center of the fabric and the center of the boning.  Sew the boning to the wrong side of the fabric.  Use the zig-zag stitch for added security.

Sew each pocket to the RIGHT sides of the fabric in the bottom corners.  Only sew along the raw edges of the pockets, and only sew along the corners of the main fabric.

Like so.  Next, clip the corners.

Now turn the pocket over to the wrong side of the cover and stitch it into place just along the side closest to my fingers in the picture.  You want to have a pocket that will open.

Repeat this process with the other pocket in the other corner.

Okay.  Now you have a wonky, strapless nursing cover.  Time to finish this baby off!

Remember your neck/D-ring tubes?  Well, grab those for the next step.  Tuck the raw edges into one side of the neck strap and hem it into place.  Leave the other edge raw.  Leave the D-ring strap edges raw too.  We’ll hide those in just a second.

Take your neck strap and sew it to one side of the boning.

Apparently I have no picture of this.  Just pretend this is the neck strap, m’kay?

Now take your smaller tubes and thread them through the D-rings, fold it in half and sew the tube to keep the D-rings into place.

(Gonna recycle a picture here…)

Sew this onto the OTHER side of the boning.  Fabulous.

Now tightly roll the top part with the boning TWICE.  This is going to cover up your boning, the raw edges from your straps, and it will make it so the curve of the boning is curving in the right direction.  Savvy?

Now hem the sides and the bottom of the cover.  Just go with the way the fabric is already curving because of the way the pockets were sewn.

Press and you’re FINISHED!!! 

Whew!  That was a long tutorial.

Store the cover with the boning curved so it will keep it’s shape.

psssstttt… Love this?  Do you want one?  Don’t want to make one?

My good friend from The Forbidden Fruit has the Sugarplum Shoppe in her store.  I’ve got one of  these covers up for grabs.  (…along with some super cute retro aprons, a changing pad clutch, and some other stuff…)  Let me know if you want this or any of the other stuff.  I’ll hook you up.  2craftycousins(at)gmail(dot)com.