I made a podeagi

I love babywearing, especially with homemade carriers. I have a mei tai, a wrap, a sling, and now I can add podeagi to the list. I'm really excited about this one, because not only is a podeagi super easy to use, but come August when the baby is born, it will be nice to have a carrier that is very light and not bulky. The blanket portion, which is not weight bearing, is made of two layers of quilting fabric. The straps are made from some old curtains we weren't using. Since the straps are the weight bearing portion of the carrier, they needed to be made of sturdy fabric. The curtain I cut up is fairly heavy and sturdy, and also has a really pretty sheen to it that makes the podeagi extra special.

To make the podeagi, I sort of used the tutorial for Melanie's Podeagi Baby Carrier, though I used my own measurements to tailor fit my body and what I wanted. I used two different fabrics for the blanket. That way the podeagi is reversible. The blanket is about 22" wide x 29" long. The straps are a total of about 150" long and 2.5" wide. There is a layer of fleece padding in the straps along the blanket and extending out for several inches, to cover the shoulders. Much more comfortable.

Here are some action shots. Audrey absolutely loves being worn in a baby carrier. She gets so excited as I'm strapping her on. This is fun, but has a flip side - she always throws a fit when it's time to take off the carrier and put her down!

Linked to Tatertots & Jello.

Diaper Bag

I'm expecting a baby in August, and need a new diaper bag. Previously, I have used the black vinyl bags that came free from the hospital. Not very cute, but they did the job. This time I decided I was going to make my own so I could have something a bit more stylish.

I used this tutorial from crafty couple. Just a couple notes - She states to cut the side panels 6" x 13", but the rest of the bag is only 11 1/2" high. So the panels should actually be cut 6" x 11 1/2" to match the rest of the bag. Also, instead of using interfacing to stiffen up the exterior fabric, I just saved myself a step by using heavy home decor fabric. It worked great. Here's some pictures of my finished diaper bag.

Front outside of bag

A pocket on each side for stuff like bottles, sippy cups or keys.

Two pockets on the outside under the front flap, for stuff like my Kindle and wallet.

Very roomy on the inside, with pockets for stuff like lotion, ointment, cell phone, whatever.

I left the bag pretty plain, but it is easy to accessorize with decorative pins,
which makes it easy to change the decorations whenever the mood strikes.

I'm pretty pleased with how this bag turned out. It's always exciting to create something new and have it turn out just the way you want.