Hey Queenie, Teddybaby, MissCandy and May,
Thanks for your support! finished it earlier. waited to show hubby before posting. But hubby say the fabric not nice leh. I thought it was ok
after all it was recycled from an existing bolster cover - no need to buy cloth whatsoever since the size is perfect. Also recycled the two buttons and a separate cloth scrap for the neck strap.
Oh yah, guess what I used for the curved bit on top (the centre part)? This is a curved-out part (convex) so that you can look down and still maintain eye contact with baby even when bb is hiding inside the cover. I was thinking of using those cheapo clothe hanger (the ones with thin metal encased in plastic cover) but figured that might rust. Ended up ripping the plastic handles off plastic shopping bags! I ripped out both handles (each bag has two handles) and bound them together to reinforce the strength, and then simply inserted and pushed it into the centre of the casing / binder.
Voila! The whole thing is machine washable.
RE: handmade nursing cover (short cut by recycling an un-used bolster cover)
Dimensions of finished product
width: 71cm
height: 60cm
length of neck strap: from end to end 65cm. But adjustable as I have two button holes on each end - can shortern up to 56cm.
Extra feature: I’ve also inserted into the casing/binder a long strap (can use string/ribbon whatever you want), way longer than the width of the nursing cover, for tying loosely at the back for more privacy. If you are worried about the sides flapping that is.
p/s as for the neck strap you could also use things like your old cloth-based belt .. anything goes man. As long as it looks nice. Don’t have to use buttons. Can simply stitch on directly.
Can be easily hand sewn too since it is basically straight stitch all the way. Besides if you recycle your bolster cover chances are the casing/binder is already done for you.
Enjoy!
p/s May, don’t know if you saw my reply to you some days ago. Don’t go spotlight if you can. I went once but always come back empty handed cos I find it too exp. Then when I researched online I realised that lasalle students go to People’s Park centre (the one with a huge hawker centre below, not people’s park complex. Next door only) 2nd floor. Wow the fabrics and sewing accessories there are at least half the price of what you get at spotlight. Worth the trip! Somemore some shops allow you to buy in half yards, esp useful since you are making baby booties. Oh yah, try the above if you have an un-used bolster cover. Very fast even for hand sewing.
p/s MissCandy, can use the rest of the bolster cover fabrics for burp cloth too. I am thinking of using the hand me down diaper cloth for burp cloth. But becos the cloth is not so pretty, I might stitch a nice fabric as a top layer over the diaper cloth. Diaper cloth makes good burp cloth cos they are very absorbent plus super cheap.
