Nursing Cover Pattern with Pocket

Looking for a nursing cover pattern? Whether you’re making one for yourself, a friend, or a baby shower gift, this is the perfect nursing cover. Super easy to sew and comes together quickly!

Nursing Cover Pattern

nursing cover pattern

This is the nursing cover I made for Baby #3. And I am seriously in love with the fabric! So bright, cheery, and girlie. Perfect for my little Desi Jane! {who is 1 month old! I promise I will post pics and details about her birth soon! You can see pics of her on my Instagram}

As you may know, I have an etsy shop, Ruffled Begonia, that sells patterns, including ruffled nursing covers. But instead of putting this pattern in my etsy shop and selling it, but because I love my readers, I decided to share the pattern on here. *So if you do use this pattern, I’d appreciate it if you’d share the love and pin or share this post with your friends!* 

free nursing cover pattern

I had fun mixing patterns on this breastfeeding cover. The floral plus the navy chevron is to die for! I love love love it! Makes me want to breastfeed in public any chance I get….haha. But no, seriously, I don’t mind whipping this cover out and showing the cover off!

I designed this cover to have a pocket. I love having a small pocket on my nursing cover to hold things. Especially because I have to use a shield when I breastfeed, so a little pocket to store my shield in is super handy! Its also great for breast pads, pacifiers, car keys, etc.

Free Nursing Cover Pattern

*Note: This pattern if for PERSONAL USE ONLY. This pattern may not be sold, claimed as your own, or published without written permission.

Time: 30-45 minutes, depending on how fast/confident a sewist you are.

Supplies:

  • 3/4 yard for main fabric
  • 1/3 yard for pocket and straps
  • 2- 3/4″ D rings
  • 16″ boning {You can find this in the notions section at the fabric store. The boning I like is 1/2″ covered polyester boning.}
  • fabric marker

how to sew a nursing cover

1. Cut Main Fabric: 26″ x 44″, Pocket: 8″ x 10″, D-ring strap: 4″ x 8″, Neck Strap: 4″ x 26″

2. Cut boning to 16″. {if you bought more than 16″ of boning}

nursing-cover-5

3. Fold over and iron 1/4″ on one side of the Main Fabric. Then fold over and iron another 1/4″. Repeat on the remaining 3 sides of the Main Fabric.

4. Top stitch around the entire Main Fabric. This finishes the edges very nicely, as you can see in the picture above.

nursing-cover-4

5. On the wrong side of the fabric, measure and mark the center of the long side of the Main Fabric with a fabric marker. Which will be approx. 21.5″ in from the edge.

how to sew boning

6. Line up the center of the boning with the mark and place the boning so that it curves up towards you, as shown above.

7. Lengthen the stitch length on your sewing machine and sew the boning to the back of the Main Fabric with a wide zig zag stitch. Tip: I find it works best to sew the boning one half at a time. Start sewing in the center of the boning and sew outwards towards one side of the boning. When you get to the end of the boning, back stitch and snip threads. Then go back to the center of the boning and sew the other half of the boning.

nursing-cover-2

 

8. Sew the Pocket: Fold the pocket piece so that it is 8″ x 5″ and iron in half. Then sew around the open sides, leaving a 3″ hole. Trim the corners as shown, being careful not to cut the threads. Turn right side out using the 3″ hole and iron the pocket piece flat.

nursing cover with pocket

9. Sew the pocket to the front {or back if you prefer} of the nursing cover by topstitching along the 3 sides you sewed in Step 8. {this will close the 3″ hole you left open to turn it right side out.}

sew strap

10. Take both the Neck Strap piece and D-ring strap and iron in half the long way {so they measure 2″ wide}. Then fold over both sides so that they meet in the crease {middle}, shown above, and iron. Then fold in half again so that the raw edges are enclosed and the piece measures approx 1″ wide. {not shown above}

nursing-cover-8

11. Top stitch around both the Neck Strap and D-ring strap piece to finish. Finish one side of the Neck Strap by tucking in the raw ends before top stitching. {we’ll finish the other ends when we attach the straps the the main piece}

12. For the D-ring strap, sew 2 D-rings in the center of the strap. {shown above} Tip: sew as close to the D-rings as possible. This will make it so when the nursing cover is in use, the straps don’t slide through the D-rings easily.

sewing with boning

13. Tuck under the unfinished end of the Neck Strap and sew on one side of the boning, as shown above.

14. Tuck under both sides of the D-ring strap and sew to the other side of the boning.

breastfeeding cover

And you’re done! Wasn’t that easy?

If you’re looking for a cute ruffled nursing cover pattern, check out my Etsy shop, Ruffled Begonia. I sell 2 different ruffled nursing cover patterns there!

breastfeeding cover pattern

If you use this pattern, I’d appreciate it if you’d share or pin this post!

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial and use it!! I’d love to see the nursing covers you make with it.

More DIY Baby Crafts:

baby barefoot sandals

How to Make Barefoot Baby Sandals with sizing chart || These are super cute for spring and summer babies! Barefoot sandals make awesome handmade baby shower gifts.

For more Craft Ideas, follow along on Pinterest!

Linda
Hi! I'm Linda, the craft addict behind Craftaholics Anonymous®, a craft blog. Crafting is cheaper than therapy, right? When I'm not DIYing something, I can be found taxiing around our 4 crazy kids or working out. Or shoe shopping... because you can never have too many shoes! Happy crafting! ♥
Linda
Linda

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Comments

  1. 51
    michelle

    how did you sew the boning on? I cant get a stitch wide enough to sew over it without hitting the plastic? thanks for sharing your pattern!

    1. 51.1

      You can usually sew through the plastic or sew on both sides.

  2. 52
    BAYA

    HI THANK YOU FOR THE TUTO BUT WHERE I CAN FIND THE PATTERN PLEASE

    1. 52.1

      There is no printable pattern. Its just straight cuts, so if you follow the tutorial, it will tell you what size to cut the pieces.

  3. 53
    Dilshaad

    There’s already so much to fill a baby bag, but I definitely need this in a few months’ time; balancing not letting a blanket slip off baby #1 whilst feeding in public was often a mission!
    I’m barely a beginner at sewing… What fabric/s would you recommend best to use? (“Thanks!” in advance)

    1. 53.1

      Hi! I recommend using 100% cotton fabrics so that it doesn’t get too hot for the baby under there and its easy to wash. :)

  4. 54
    Rita

    I’ve had it with the boning! I’ve tried 4 times to topstitch next to it, and it throws it off, making it crooked. I’ve now poked permanent holes in the fabric from ripping & restitching so I’ve cut off the top inch or so, will piece it, and then try again to attach the straps. Could you please explain why it needs boning at all?

    1. 54.1

      The boning helps give the top structure so that when the mom looks down, there’s an opening so she can see the cute little baby. Plus it helps air circulate under the cover. It can get toasty for a baby working hard at nursing. Good luck! Trying moving it so that the top stitching isn’t as close to the boning.

      1. Carrie

        Do you use a different needle? I’m afraid mine will break…..

        1. No I use a regular needle and I’ve sewn about 100 of these.

    2. 54.2
      Annechien

      Hi I just made a nursing cover for a gift and I just made a casing and just pushed the boning threw and sewed on each end of the boning so it wouldn’t move.

    3. 54.3
      brenda

      Hi couldn’t get the going either with zig zag stitch so I just sewed straight down one side then the other and it worked great

      1. Valerie J wartman

        I don’t see why you can’t just make the hem a little wider on the top and put the boning in there and then hand stitch the hole closed, when you attach the straps wit will keep the boning in place

    4. 54.4
      Ella

      This is an older question, but for those just finding it… buy the kind of boning you can stitch over. I just straight stitched mine into place with no issues. I used Wonder Clips to hold it in place then just sewed it down, back stitching at the beginning and end of the boning. Easy Peasy!

  5. 55
    Heather

    Hi there!

    Thank you for sharing your pattern. I just have a quick question – I made one (well three actually – two for friends) and I am trying it on now to see how it works and I’m finding I’m having a hard time with the boning just falling. It won’t stand up like yours does in the picture. Do you know why this might be or what I could have done wrong (or better yet, how I can fix it)? I would appreciate any thoughts you have. Thanks again for sharing your pattern.f

    1. 55.1

      Hi Heather! Did you use hair boning or plastic boning? Hair boning isn’t strong enough. The thick plastic boning does a great job holding it up with no problems. I’ve made about 50 nursing covers with the plastic boning {its covered with white or black fabric usually} and never had a problem holding it up. You may want to sew plastic boning over the boning you used.

      1. Shonnie

        you can cut your own boning from the rim of a cool whip container. It’s already curved and the right size. I would do a casing, as well to slip the boning into.

        1. What an awesome idea! Thanks for sharing, Shonnie!

  6. 56
    Pola

    hello,
    my friend is due soon and asked me if I can make her cover like this, she likes this pattern. I have a question about cotton you have used. Is it normal thin cotton fabric you can almost see through (used for quilting) or ticker (IKEA type)?
    thank you

    1. 56.1

      I used 100% cotton quilting fabric :)

  7. 57
    ginnnie

    Wow Like your ideas

  8. 58
    Julie

    Just made this for my daughter, and it turned out great! For those with issues on the boning, make sure you have the widest stitch length, like it states in the directions. Once you get the first stitch placed right, it zig-zags over the boning easily. Thanks for the great project!

  9. 59
    Conchita Talbot

    Thanks a lot Linda for the tutorial! Your instructions are very simple and easy to follow, even for non-sewers.
    I will soon be a Grandma and I am sewing this nursing cover for my daughter who will be the mother of my very first grandchild!
    I will surely be using your website to create many wonderful things for the new mother and grandchild! Hooray to all your creative ideas!!

  10. 60
    Ella

    This is an older tutorial, but if you find it and try it, do yourself a favor and when making the straps, turn the short ends under 1/4 inch and press before proceeding with ironing the whole piece in half and then towards the center. This will finish all of those ends and make your life (and attaching them to the cover) much easier and the look will be much better. I really don’t know why this is not part of the instructions, but it should be. You’re welcome. :)