“This blanket is too thin!”
“Not as soft as I hoped.”
These are likely your exact words when you first got your hands on a muslin baby swaddle you didn’t like.
We’re about to change all that. Let me explain.
When I had my first baby, I was given a muslin swaddle as a gift and I thought to myself:
“This is a weird blanket! Would my baby even like this?”
It wasn’t stretchy, it was almost see-through and I wasn’t sure if the material was sturdy enough to withstand multiple washes. I was not a fan of the pattern either. So I decided to keep it for all the messy parts of newborn life. I found myself reaching for a muslin blanket if I needed a burp cloth, a quick towel for diaper changes, or a clean surface. It quickly became my most used baby essential. It turned out that the characteristics of muslin were exactly the reasons why it made such a great product.
This is when I decided to create a better, more beautiful muslin blanket that I would be proud to have in my diaper bag. We made a few improvements to the classic swaddle blanket, a longer cotton fiber to make the fabric more sturdy, an eco friendly printing method that contributes to the softness of the final product, and creating the beautiful patterns, that translate to beautiful everyday moments in the middle of the hard chaotic days of newborn parenting.
We were able to create a brand of swaddle blankets that uses superior fabric in the cutest designs.
Today, a large piece of cushiony muslin swaddle is my favorite baby item that I wouldn’t leave the house without. Here are my reasons why:
UNIQUE PROPERTIES OF MUSLIN
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Muslin swaddles are made from a sturdy double gauze. See those little squares all over the fabric? This is a double layer of fabric, and these two layers are connected to each other by long horizontal & vertical lines, making a subtle square design.
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Why is it double layered? The fabric threads are woven with a lot of space between them, making it very light. Doubling up the layers gives the fabric more substance while keeping the weave very loose and breathable.
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Why do we want the weave to be loose? It makes the blanket very light, cloud-like & airy. Fold the blanket up several times and hold it over your nose. You are still able to breathe freely even with this blanket pressed firmly against your face. The loose weave lets air circulate through the swaddle, keeping your babe in a comfortable temperature & prevents overheating. It gives just the right amount of warmth and coziness. The breathable function especially comes in hand if you need to use a cover to breastfeed. It gives you privacy while letting your baby feed in comfort.
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The loose weave has another great benefit. Those large spaces between the fibers make it excellent for absorbing moisture quickly! Spit up? Diaper accident? The pockets in this cloth pick up any liquids for a quick clean up. Fold the blanket into fourths and put it on your shoulder when burping your baby, or lay it down for a handy on the go changing pad for diaper changes.
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Next, the loose weave makes this fabric have a little stretch when you pull it diagonally. You can use this stretch to get a tighter baby swaddle where you need extra support, and a looser swaddle where you want to leave room like around the babies hips to avoid hip dysplasia.
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Finally, the loose weave makes this blanket very lightweight, you can fold it up and it takes up the tiniest amount of space in your diaper bag and weighs almost nothing. It is the must have item when out and about.
NATURAL FABRIC
Why Cotton? This natural fiber is perfect for babies. The cotton fibers are a little stiff when they are new, but with use, they bend and become flexible which is why your swaddle will become softer and softer with use. Cotton is soft, absorbent, less itchy and irritable. It keeps you in a cool temperature while maintaining the perfect amount of warmth. It is easy to wash odors and stains out of cotton. It has amazing benefits and the perfect choice for our muslin baby blankets.
GENEROUS SIZE FOR MULTI PURPOSE USE
We size our swaddles in 47 x 47 inches. The blanket is very large so that you can fold it in multiple different ways depending what you need it for.
Fold diagonally for a stretchy swaddle, four-fold for a plush burp cloth, straight out for a lap blanket or a tummy time cover. Tie around your neck or tuck it in your shirt for a breezy nursing cover. The generous size offers multiple practical uses for any baby need that arises.
PRACTICAL YET STYLISH
It was important for me to not only have the best practical characteristics but also a pattern that is beautiful and fits the trendy aesthetic of today's parents. There were several reasons for this.
This first one is that having a beautiful item inspires you to slow down and enjoy the little moments of everyday life. You can stop and admire what is right in front of you. You could take out your phone and snap a few shots of the sweet baby sleeping in their beautiful swaddle, or record that milestone of rolling over during tummy time. Why not have the cutest items and enjoy them in the midst of everyday life?
Our designs are unique to Mini Wander. Most of them are original works designed in house or by a talented artist so that the baby essential item that you need comes in a design that fits you and your home decor. Of course my favorites are the floral patterns that are perfect for baby girls. However, we also offer many patterns that are perfect for baby boys. Leafy sprigs, boho geo designs and of course many options that are gender neutral and make the best baby shower gifts.
Lastly, anything you put in front of your child will shape their future. Our designs will spark curiosity, evict joy and inspire creativity as your baby grows
LAUNDERING CARE INSTRUCTIONS
Let's talk about laundering. Here are my in detail steps on how I like to wash my muslin swaddle blankets.
The loose weave that we love so much also has a downside, it is easy to snag those threads on sharp items. Avoid washing your swaddle with items that have sharp edges like velcro. I like to use a mesh bag for all my swaddles, that way they don’t get stretched, ripped or snagged in the wash.
Natural fibers like cotton absorb things very well. This is great for the spills when you are cleaning up but there is a downside when laundering because cotton will absorb everything including things you might not want it to. If you have brightly colored items in the wash & those colors leak, the cotton will absorb it, which is why we recommend washing your swaddle with a similar color or lighter colors. Hot water does break down those dyes so if you have bright items, try to use warm or cool water settings. Mini Wander uses a digital printing method so that our swaddles keep their colors and they will not leak. However, the swaddles will absorb color into themselves so if you launder with a dark garment, the dark color will make our swaddles look dull.
Lastly, drying. Muslin has a crinkled texture if it gets tumbled dried, heat does shrink cotton fibers. We do prewash the muslin swaddles so there will be minimum shrinkage however if you tumble dry to get that crinkle texture, it would naturally look a bit smaller. I prefer to lay my blankets or hang them to dry. I like to smooth them out (especially the edges) when they are wet, and hang it over the crib or a bamboo drying rack. Remember that loose airy weave we talked about? It also makes this fabric dry quick! So air drying should take a few hours and even less in warm temperatures.
To sum up the care instructions, wash gently in a mesh bag with warm or cool water with like colors, smooth out and hang to dry. Easy peasy!
YOUR MOST USED BABY ITEM
I hope this article helped you understand exactly what a muslin swaddle blanket is! Do not skip on adding it to your baby registry and remember to bring it to the hospital with you when you have your baby. They do in fact make the cutest photo props for your newborn announcements. You will enjoy having pretty baby essentials in the midst of your parenting duties. I hope you will browse our selection of baby swaddle blankets that were created with you in mind.
