Thanks for all the great feedback! I am loving this carrier more and more by the minute. Oh, the comfort!
So my mom said it took her about 2 hours total to make it, following the pattern exactly as shown on the website. She's a fairly experienced sewer (or is it seamstress? :LOL), but I wou+ldn't call her expert. She takes her time and works in a very careful and patient manner. Someone who works more quickly could probably make it in a hour or so. She said it was really easy for her to make, but that someone who doesn't sew (like me) might have trouble with it.
As for materials, the straps are a strech twill (thanks mrzmeg for suggesting it when I asked a while back
) and the pocket fabric is just a woven cotton, but the pocket is backed/lined with the stretch twill. Actually, even though it's not really made to be reversible, it can easily be worn inside out and the charcoal grey looks great on DH.
I can even tell you how relieved I am to have this new sling! I've been struggling to find the right carrier since DD is no longer happy in the cradle of the hotsling, but the hip carry wasn't working quite right for us (I knew I should have gotten the leg padding!
). I've been using a simple gauze wrap around the house, but that's not really practical for running errands or tooling around town, nor is it very cute. Now, thanks to my mom, I've got both convenience and cuteness.
Oh, and did I mention the happy baby? She LOVES it!