Nursing Cover Tutorial

If you are a nursing mama, you may have found that it's nearly impossible to avoid public situations when your baby needs to feed. After nursing our first child for over a year, I determined that every breastfeeding mom needs a nursing cover to maintain privacy and modesty!

A friend of mine recently borrowed my cover while we were out and I wasn't using it. She decided she needed her own but didn't want a flashy print. I ended up making her one in the fabric of her choice and I wanted to get a tutorial written for other moms.

These covers can be really expensive to purchase ($35-40!!) but you can make your own for far less money.

This is a picture of the top of the cover; you can see how I put boning in the top to make it stiff so you can see the baby. Also, the neck is adjustable with the D-rings.

What you'll need:

1 1/3 yards fabric (home decor weight works well)

12" boning

6.5" x 6.5" flannel

2 D-rings

Cut the main fabric piece into three pieces:

The largest (for the cover) is 38" x 30"

Cut a piece 27" x 4.5" for the strap

Cut another piece 6" x 4.5" for the D-ring strap.

Fold the strap in half and sew it with right sides together. Leave one end open and clip the corners.

Do the same with the short D-ring strap.

Turn each of them right sides out and press. I topstitched the strap. Add the D-rings to the finished end of the short strap, fold down the corners of the strap so they don't overcrowd and creep up the D-rings' sides and stitch into place.

I've added a little wipe (for the baby's mouth) to one of the bottom corners of the cover. I took the 6.5" x 6.5" scrap of flannel, folded it in half, and then pressed it. Then I pressed the bottom side of the cover under 1/4". I pressed the other side of the cover's corner under 1/4" as well.

Then I folded and pressed over the bottom side of the cover 1/2" and pinned the flannel underneath.

I sewed along the whole bottom side (this is the 38" side).

Next, press and pin the right side (the 30" side) of the cover under another 1/2". Sew along this side as well.

Repeat this process for the other corner. I didn't add flannel to the other corner, but you could if you need a back up wipe! It also makes a handy pocket for nursing pads.

The only unfinished side at this point should be the top side. You're going to fold and press the top under 1/4" and then fold and press it again, but this time by 1". Mark the center of the nursing cover with a pin.

Your boning should curve into a "C" shape. The back of the "C" should be facing down on your fabric when looking at the cover from the wrong side.

Place the boning under the 1" folded piece. Pin the fabric in place over the boning.

Immediately to the left of the boning, pin the D-ring piece you've prepared. Place it right side up.

Now place the strap directly to the the right side of the boning and pin in place. Sew along the edge of the 1" folded over piece down the entire length of the cover.

Next, turn the cover over. Flip the D-ring piece up as shown and sew a rectangle to hold it in this position.

Final step! In the same manner, flip the strap up and sew a rectangle to hold it in

this position, too.

Hopefully you can make your own nursing cover, maintain your modesty while feeding your baby, save some money over purchasing one, and express your individuality by choosing your own print or solid color!