Designing a sleep sack, need opinions :)

[mamamoo]

SO I am starting a design for a sleepsack for infants and I am owndering what people would want in a sleep sack...
1) What age would you use it until?
2) Would you want the bottom to have a closure to keep little legs inside? I am thinking drawstring or buttons.
3) Can you give me measurements of your infants from armpit to toe with foot pointed please?
I want to make something that is super functional, easy to use, and cute. I don't want people to have to buy wool shirts to wear under it, and I want it to stay on. I plan on selling these in my store after I design it, and do some testing.
Thanks for your help!!!
:)

[BirthFree]

Neat Debi!
I'd use it to 6m probably if it fit well and worked well. Definitely into the drawstring... buttons would be night-unfriendly if you're changing a diaper half awake in my opinion, but it would look really nice.

I can give you baby measurements starting in a few weeks... :)

I'll test anything you need too.

[mamamoo]

Awesome, thanks! I was thinking buttons in the night would be tricky too...what about a zipper? I am thinking a drastring would be best though because I plan on a grow with me type design...bnabies at birth are tiny compared to a 6 month old. LOL lmk when you have a measurement! Are you getting excited? August is so close. :D

[BirthFree]

A zipper would work really well too... a drawstring would be softer, but both would do the same thing... one without the string worry (depending on the Mom ;)), one softer.

Yes excited!! Unfortunately I'm at the end of Aug. and my twin sister is due 2 days before me (with her first) and I want to be her doula *badly* so I'm realllllly trying to wait for her to have her baby first - might mean a long month. :D I'm so much bigger than I ever have been (measurement wise too).

[mamamoo]

That is so exciting. How fun to be pregnant together. Hope you do well during the heat wave here...I can't imagine being that pregnant through august. :) I have a march baby, 2 late nov and one early dec. :) I hope you do get to be her doula.

[BirthFree]

I love August and without dealing with pre-eclampsia this time (unlike my first), the swelling isn't so bad - what I hate more than the heat is driving in a too-small car (hallelujah for our van we bought Monday!!). That has made my life so much more enjoyable, you don't even know! :D

[mamamoo]

Actually I know exactly what you mean! WHen i was pregnant with my third we had a GEO METRO!!! I am a big(Fat, not tall :lol)lady too. We got a minivan(mom bought it for us!) in August, it had a/c and i was in heaven!
Congrats on the new car, what a relief that must be! And so cool abou the pre e! Did you do anything different this time around?

[Knittingfor4]

Wowee, my two older boys were born Sept 10 and 11 (two years apart) and we lived in CA both times! This little guy was born Aug 28 in Oregon so not quite as bad, but we did have a very hot couple of days but luckily we moved to our house before summer and so we had AC.

As for a sleep sack, unfortunately I never used one. This will be our first Oregon winter with a baby. But we cosleep and use wool blankets in the winter. Also my babies do acrobatics in bed, so not sure how a sleep sack would work out. Personally I think one of those cords like on the preschoolians shoes would be cool. Or snaps would be quick, but it depends on how you reinforce that area.

[crayolaab]

When you say zipper vs drawstring, do you mean just across the bottom?

I've used commercial sleepsacks before, and they have a zipper all the way up the sack (they zip from the top down to the bottom). Will your one have arms or just fit over the shoulders?

If you're just talking about across the bottom, I think I'd prefer a zipper. I can just picture little feet poking their way out of the little gap left by a drawstring.

MTA: I'd probably love one for 0-6 and another for 6-12 months (or 0-3, 3-6, 6-9, 9-12 mo depending).

[Ruth]

If you can get hold of 'the big book of baby knitting by mary healey' there's a vintage pattern in there for a wicked sleepsack. Having recently tested a pattern for someone else for one I can give you a couple of pointers lol. I agree that a drawstring would be easiest for the bottom although you could make it zip around the side and bottom like a grobag. I'd say no sleeves because they can make it too hot and you can always put a jumper on baby inside it but you can't take the sleeves off it iyswim. Button over the shoulders makes most easy access to get baby in and out. Also most importantly I think you should have the option to add in slits in the front and back for a carseat/pushchair strap to go through between the legs because I never used the one I made because I would have wanted to use it when we were going outside and of course baby was always in the carseat or pushchair. If you thought people would be concerned about draughts getting in through the slit then you could also add a button flap.

So there you go my :two .

[BlueEyedBabies]

A sleep sack sounds cool:)
1. I would use it up until probably 9 months or so,I would guess(I've never used one yet:( ) I think I would use it more at 6 months and under but I believe I would still use it after that age just maybe not as much KWIM?

2. I would WANT a closure.I don't think I would like buttons. A drawstring or zipper I would prefer much better.I agree with Julie that one would be softer and the other would give a no-string worry for any mama concered.I wonder if there is something you could do to put a little pocket or anything like that on it so that the drawstring (once it's been tied) will be tucked away and then solve both "problems"?

3. My (wiggly) 7 1/2 month old from armpits to pointed toes is approx. 19".

HTH! :)

[mamamoo]

Awsome Thanks mamas!! I will start working on this in the next week or so. :) WOnderful Ideas!

[BirthFree]

This pg vs. the first one re: pre-e... I know how to eat better all through pg (vs. just when I start my Bradley classes more than 1/2 way through and find out) and it isn't my first pg (you have a much higher chance of pre-e with either a new Dad, or your first pg) - and while I can be stressed (ha ha, I am a Mom afterall), I am not living in it 10+ hours a day called "work" and that helps too.

A GEO metro? Are you serious?? Oh my gosh... that would be absolutely terrible!! Oh wow, major kuddos for dealing with that at all! :lol:

[Knittingfor4]

My 10.5m old 17lbs boy is about 22" from pits to piggys. But he's short for his age!

When you need testers, will you be looking here first? ;)

[amey]

We had gowns for DS that had elastic at the bottom. I liked that for relatively easy middle of the night diaper changes, but it was not the best design for getting dressed. I might be more partial to something like the halo thing: http://www.mommysthinkin.com/halo_sleepsack_wearable_blanket.htm

Now, if you wanted a closed bottom, I'd recommend a two way zipper. Then you could open it at the bottom, enough to do a diaper change while still keeping the rest of baby warm.

~amey

[Inspired Mama]

I love sleep sacks! I used mine until my DD was to long. I think it would be better to make them longer. Two sizes would probably be a good idea. (0-6 mos. and 6-12) It would also be cool to have a warmer flannel one or a lightweight jersey- type fabric available. And I would definitely want a closure at the bottom. A drawstring sounds nice.

[Inspired Mama]

what I hate more than the heat is driving in a too-small car (hallelujah for our van we bought Monday!!). That has made my life so much more enjoyable, you don't even know! :D

I know what you mean~ I drive a Honda Civic and have three kids!! We are cramped like you wouldn't believe! I always swore I wouldn't drive a mini-van, but now I can't wait to get one! :sunshine

[Ruth]

I love sleep sacks! I used mine until my DD was to long. I think it would be better to make them longer. Two sizes would probably be a good idea. (0-6 mos. and 6-12) It would also be cool to have a warmer flannel one or a lightweight jersey- type fabric available. And I would definitely want a closure at the bottom. A drawstring sounds nice.

I think Debi meant a knitted sleep sack but I could be wrong??????

[mamamoo]

I think Debi meant a knitted sleep sack but I could be wrong??????

I did, thanks!

What if it was felted? Is it easier to put a zipper ina felted item ot is it ok in a knit item? I'm kind of wondering if I am in over my head. :lol

[BlueEyedBabies]

I think felted would be fine too,but I would think knitted would be easier as far as making the sleep sack but as far as the zipper goes I'm not sure.I've never put a zipper in a knitted item before but I am very curious as I would like to try it:) Theresa at LTK has a cute red sweater for sale that she knit (not felted) and put a zipper in it. And I think in the "gallery" section of this forum there is a post by a mama with the title somthing like,...."My son is sweaty"....I think,and she knitted a sweater and for the first time put a zipper in. So it "sounds" like something very "do-able" if you know what your doing I guess! I'm not sure where to look exactly for instructions for putting zippers in knitted stuff but I'm sure if it's probably online somewhere(Wow what a great help I am! :lol: )
The sleep sack idea is great and it seems like there is lots of "room" for that type of an item in the "WHAM knitted world". I dunno maybe make a couple with just a simple drawstring then once you got that "down" move on to add the more detailed zippered ones????????????????


P.s. I saw in your instock store you had a little knitted gnome with a set.It was sooo cute! (All of your stuff was cute:) ) Did you get/buy that pattern somewhere? I'd love to knit one,or is it your own pattern?

[Ruth]

It isn't too hard to put a zip in. Most good knitting books will tell you how and you can even do it with a sewing machine if you're really brave lol.

I personally wouldn't want a felted one because I'd worry baby would be too hot.

[pmcgary]

Once again..Ruth and I are in agreement..puttin in a zipper isn't hard at all...
I will try and remember to post the one I did......I made a buntin for my DS..I am sure it isn't the 'best' zipper job..but it worked.....
The thing is so cool I still have it out where I can stare at it -- and my Ds is almost 7 (his ds used it too and she just turned 4 and a half)

[mamamoo]

I think felted would be fine too,but I would think knitted would be easier as far as making the sleep sack but as far as the zipper goes I'm not sure.I've never put a zipper in a knitted item before but I am very curious as I would like to try it:) Theresa at LTK has a cute red sweater for sale that she knit (not felted) and put a zipper in it. And I think in the "gallery" section of this forum there is a post by a mama with the title somthing like,...."My son is sweaty"....I think,and she knitted a sweater and for the first time put a zipper in. So it "sounds" like something very "do-able" if you know what your doing I guess! I'm not sure where to look exactly for instructions for putting zippers in knitted stuff but I'm sure if it's probably online somewhere(Wow what a great help I am! :lol: )
The sleep sack idea is great and it seems like there is lots of "room" for that type of an item in the "WHAM knitted world". I dunno maybe make a couple with just a simple drawstring then once you got that "down" move on to add the more detailed zippered ones????????????????


P.s. I saw in your instock store you had a little knitted gnome with a set.It was sooo cute! (All of your stuff was cute:) ) Did you get/buy that pattern somewhere? I'd love to knit one,or is it your own pattern?

Thanks for the input. :)
It is my own pattern. I saw some gnomes online, and fell in love, but I liked the idea of a simpler version for babies.

I am fine with sharing it with you, it's so simple. :)
I just started doing them in the round on 2 circs.
c/o 20 stitches, put half on a second circ. join.
knit garter in the round to the legnth desired for the body.
break the yarn, join face color, knit every round until desired legnth of head it reaches. cast off.
cinch, and sew up bottom, stuff body.
weave yarn on inside of neck pull tight(I tie a knot since it's inside)to cinch the neck.
Stuff head, cinch/se up top of head. weave end inside the head.

Hat.
Cast on 22-24 stitches. put half on each set of needles.
knit every row for 6 rows.
row 1 K2tog first two stitches on eahc needle(does this make sense?)
row 2 knit

Repeat til you have 2 or so stitches, pull yarn through and weave in end. His hat is removable or you can se it on his head.
Sorry these directions are crazy... I don't have it written down, and have only done it in the round a couple of times.
YOu can put a bell or some other noise maker inside if you want too.

[BlueEyedBabies]

Oh what a sweety! Thank you!!:mwah :bighug