GENERAL FAQs

A woven wrap is a long rectangular length of fabric that is used to carry an infant or toddler by wrapping it around the baby and the caregiver. This technique has been used by parents for centuries. The importance of skin-to-skin contact has long been known and the benefits have been scientifically confirmed. Wearing your baby in woven wrap provides close and meaningful contact with the caregiver. It is the most versatile carrier that lets you wear your baby in infinite ways. It provides complete support for you and your baby, and lets you bond with them anywhere at anytime!

For links to scientifically evidence behind baby wearing please click here and you will be guided to our Evidence page.

In a hot climate we recommend a thin, airy wrap with a lower weight (GSM) such as our Pure Cotton Collection wraps.

You may wish to have more than one wrap depending on the type of carries you want to do, and to have the choice of heavier fabrics for the winter and lighter and cooler for the summer. And of course you may also like to have different colours and designs to wear to match your outfit.

Our Pure Cotton Collection will always be restocked. Most of our other collections are unique. We sometimes re-weave past collections, but this is very rare. If we do re-weave a design, we will pre-view it on our Facebook page when it is available.

If we have any spare wraps, these will be re-listed on our website as we feel this is the fairest way to sell them after the mail out.

Scrap packs might become available to buy on our site however we attempt to reduce the amount of waste by careful design and production.

BABY WRAP SPECIFICS

Weaverbirds produces baby wraps in seven sizes (size 2 to size 8).The wrap length you will need depends on the carrying method you choose as well as on your own size. However, most baby wearers have a ‘base’ wrap, which allows them to do all of the full length carries.  We determine the base size as the wrap size you need to comfortably do a “Front Wrap Cross Carry”.  To choose what wrap size you need you can use our size table below.

Weaverbirds Wrap Size2
ca. 270cm
3
ca. 320cm
4
ca. 370cm
5
ca. 420cm
6
ca. 470cm
7
ca. 530cm
8
ca. 570cm
Cradle
Hip Carry
Rucksack Carry
Hip Cross Carry(•)
Kangaroo Carry(•)
Cross Carry(•)
Front Wrap Cross(•)
Carry
Wrap Cross Carry(•)
Back
Double Hammock(•)
(•) Up to body size 42(EU)/12(US)/14(UK)
Very petite and slender persons may use one wrap size smaller

All of our wraps, unless otherwise noted, are shipped at loom state. This means that when you wash the wrap the first time it will shrink. Depending on the pattern, the thread count and the number of threads per centimetre, the wrap will shrink between 6-10% in length and 4-7% in width during the first wash.

Every pattern shrinks differently both on the weave and when washed. We always do our best to calculate the width required for the final wrap to be 70cm wide but sometimes new patterns or different thickness/count yarn cause the final wrap to be either a bit wider or narrower than anticipated. We hem the wrap with the width it has coming off the loom to avoid any waste, as well as to avoid cutting the wrap. Cutting the wrap compromises the strength of the fabric. Because of this, some of our wraps are a bit wider and others more narrow than 70cm.

All of our wraps, unless otherwise noted, are hemmed and shipped in loom state. This means that when you wash the wrap the first time it will shrink. Sometimes the wrap shrinks slightly unevenly which can cause the middle marker to be placed a bit to one side.

GSM stands for Grams per Square Centimetre and refer to the weight of the wrap. The higher GSM the stronger the wrap is however the structure of the weave and the material also impact the strength. For lighter wraps double layered carries are recommended for heavy toddlers.

You can carry your child in a wrap for as long as you and the child are enjoying it. Weaverbirds wraps can be used up to around 15 kilos. We strongly recommend that you use a higher GSM for very heavy toddlers.

Each wrap weighs a little differently depending on pattern used, yarn size, and exact size. You’ll find this information on the website, under the description for each wrap.

Weaverbirds baby wraps are made of 100% sustainable sourced cotton. You can read more about the Cotton Made in Africa Initiative here.

At Weaverbirds we focus on sustainability. Consequently, we only use sustainable and local products which at the moment only allows us to use sustainably sourced cotton. We’ll continue to explore the possibility of adding different materials to our collections. However, only if we can guarantee that a material is sustainably sourced will we include it in our collections.

Wraps are infinitely adjustable and can be tied in many different ways as your baby grows. Most babywearers will start with a front carry with a longer wrap for a small baby, allowing multiple passes around the body for greater support. Short wraps can also be very useful. All yarn is dyed with an environmentally friendly dye however if you prefer not exposing your baby to any chemicals we recommend purchasing a wrap from the Pure Cotton Collection. If you prefer a more colourful wrap as the baby grows older you can easily dye your Pure Cotton wrap with natural dyes or other dyes.

At Weaverbirds we only use the highest quality yarn. This mean that all wraps are fairly easy to break-in. The pattern used does impact the feel of the wrap however none of the wraps require significant amount of work to become buttery soft due to the quality of the cotton thread used.

All Weaverbirds wraps are handwoven with sustainably sourced cotton. The colourful wraps are dyed directly at the cotton Mill Fine Spinners Ltd. with an environmentally friendly dye from DyeStar (www.dyestar.com).

COMMON CONCERNS AND SAFETY

No, quite the opposite. Research has shown that babies who are carried develop a more secure attachment with the care-giver(s) and cry less. The babies often display more confidence in exploring their environment and in relating to other people and peers.

Please visit our Baby wearing evidence page for further details.

It sometimes take a few days or even a week before you and your child become comfortable with the baby wrap. This happens especially if the child is a little bit older when you started to use the wrap. Talk to your baby and explain what you are doing, remain calm. As your confidence grows in using the wrap your baby will soon enjoy the loving closeness of being carried. Try to go for a walk once your baby is in the wrap so the calming motion will soothe and allow him or her to get used to the wrap. For more information about how to use the wrap please visit our ‘How to use‘ page.

Absolutely, provided the wrap is used correctly. Please ALWAYS read the pamphlet you receive with our wrap and visit our ‘Safety and security’ page for more information.

When using a wrap correctly you should not be in any pain. For guidance on making sure that you have done a secure and comfortable wrap job please visit our How to use a baby wrap’ page. It may also be a good idea to contact a Babywearing Consultant for personal guidance.

Because your hands are free to break your fall and protect your baby your baby is less likely to get hurt if you happened to fall when you are carrying them in a wrap. However, you need to be just as careful moving around using a wrap as when you are normally carrying your child and you should NEVER engage in any dangerous or sporting activities when using a sling. For more information, visit the Safety and security page.

You and your baby will keep one another warm so you do need to think about what to wear. In the winter season, depending on how cold it is your baby may be fine with a warm jacket, although if it’s very cold a snowsuit maybe appropriate. The most important thing is to make sure the baby’s extremities are warm so in cold climate he or she should have a hat and leg warmers or extra socks to keep the legs and feet warm. Equally in warm climates always make sure he or she isn’t wearing too many clothes when being wrapped.

HAND WOVEN WRAPS – WHAT TO EXPECT?

Weaverbirds wraps are completely handwoven which means there may be some small irregularities in the fabric. Knots, broken or loose threads, snubs, nubs and slight thread shifting are all completely normal. They are not flaws and do not affect the functionality and safety of the wrap.

A snub or a nub is thickening of the thread in certain areas. This is not a safety issue and is very common in handwoven wraps. This is not a flaw and is considered normal in the woven wrap world.

A weavers knot is made when the weaver attaches the ends of a thread together during the weaving process. Thread is not unlimited and may run out during the weaving process. This is how weavers continue weaving the wrap, they just tie a knot and continue on. Weavers knots are common in all woven wraps. This is not a flaw and are to be expected. Most will tighten up with a machine wash.

A crease line or a fold line is not a flaw or a safety issue. These can become a problem over time if not properly taken care of. Crease lines can lead to thread shifting. You can prevent these from happening by ironing your wraps often and by not storing them braided over a long period of time.  Crease lines or fold lines will often be found along your rails.

If you find a loose thread hanging out in your wrap in most cases it is just a spool change that was missed while clipping threads. These ends will always be near the rails.

To fix this, gently pull on the thread so you add a touch of tension from both sides. Clip the threads about 2mm from the fabric. If you pull the fabric too tight or clip the tread too close, the thread might pop out on the other side again. If you find it again simply just trim the end again. The weavers make sure there is plenty of overlap to allow for several trims if needed.

If you are uncertain about whether it is a bobbin or spool change, take a close look at the fabric. You should be able to see where two threads are side by side or doubled between the two ends. It is easier to see the double threads if you hold the wrap up to the light. The doubled threads are easier to see in some patterns or in some parts of a pattern than others.

Hand woven wraps are susceptible to pulls or snags from the wrap catching on something. However they are luckily very easy to fix. Please follow the step by step guide below.

First, firmly hold the fabric about 30cm away from the pull on both sides. Make sure you are holding onto the area that is in line with the pulled thread. Tug the fabric firmly. Some pulls ease back into the fabric from doing just this.

If the pull does not ease back into the fabric after tugging, take a thick needle or pin that is easy to hold and start working the pull out. You do this by inserting the needle under the pulled thread a short distance away from the pull. This allows you to move the loose thread. You then move a tiny distance down the thread and repeat the step. Make sure you do not pull the thread up tightly but leave a tiny bit of the loose thread at each place you pull the thread.

The aim is to redistribute the thread that has been pulled out of place back into the fabric. If the pull is very long, you might have to do this for several centimetres. For long pulls it might be easier to work the pull out in both directions from its starting point.

Thread shifting is where an area of the tread “shift”. This can make a weak spot in the wrap or create a gap. Thread shifting is very common in thinner wraps or wraps that have a loose weave however it is possible to fix these. To do this take a sewing needle and use it to gently slide the threads straight back in their correct lines, gently pulling diagonally to edge them back in straight.  Wash and iron your wrap and the thread shifting should be gone.

HOW SHOULD I CARE FOR MY HANDWOVEN WRAP?

Weaverbirds Baby Wraps are 100% cotton. All wraps are shipped loom state unless otherwise noted. To ensure your wrap lasts for a long time and is looking its best, wash your wrap cold and gentle and hang dry. If needed, your wrap can be washed in hot water but for environmental reasons and to minimize the risk of decoloration and additional shrinkage we recommend using environmentally friendly detergent and cold water. When ironing, use the cotton setting. Please do not bleach your wrap. Bleach is harmful to the environment, will distort the color and can weaken fabric over time.

©2024 Weaverbirds

 

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