This past winter, I made a maternity insert for my favourite fleece so I could continue to be active outdoors during my pregnancy. Then, I made my husband two babywearing hoodies (a lighter version and a heavier fleece) using a unisex pattern which I planned to make up for myself.

After seeing his two sweaters, I decided that making a babywearing hoodie for me wasn’t a good use of the bicycle print knit I’d been saving in my stash. The reality is that these sweaters are great for the odd time you’re wearing a baby in cooler weather, but without a baby, the things look really weird. I knew that this summer, I would mainly be using a babywearing hoodie when sitting around a bonfire and that camping is not a time to pack seventeen different sweaters to meet all of one’s needs. I decided instead, that an insert would be way more practical.

I used the pattern (and fabric) from my maternity insert and just flipped it upside down for the babywearing option. I took a little more care this time, though, as it wouldn’t just be me wearing the insert, but also my teeny baby.

This time around, I decided to line the insert with some fuzzy sweat pant fabric as I noticed the wind went through the fleece pretty easily. I opted not to do this the first time as I needed to make the insert fast and for some reason, I thought adding one extra layer of fabric and two top-stitching seams would take hours more. I totally regret not lining this the first time.

For the babywearing insert, I also opted for an elastic drawstring instead of just an elastic. This way, I could cinch the top as much or as little as I want. This turns out to be an amazing feature as I can fold down the top for a little extra head support when babe is sleeping, or make her a little hood if it’s cold. I also really like the way the hot pink pull looks.

So far, this carrier-insert has been perfect for camping and bonfires. Both mum and baby love it!