So after a lot of hymning and hawing, I finally put stuff in my Etsy shop. As of right now it is only 3 baby carriers, but there will be many more purses, bags, carriers, mei tais (Asian baby carriers) and miscellany to come. I may even put some knitted goods in my shop, but we'll see how my hands feel about that idea. I had originally wanted to start off with a bang: 15 items of various types to put in my shop and attract a plethora of shoppers. Then I realized it was time to be realistic. True, it's always an investment to start a business, but I also have to live. I did splurge on the fancy DSLR camera to make my goods look extra purty (and my products as well- ha!). I will probably also try for an approved seamstress level to sell the VeryBaby diapers, but again, it takes money to apply, however great the return may be.
Now to get back to the work I actually get paid for--grading essays from the reading and composition course I'm teaching. I guess there really is no rest for the wicked...
Monday, July 12, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
A spanking design (no it doesn't have anything to do with BDSM)
Once again I tried my hand at designing a pattern. My first one went well, but I was safe, started small and relied upon the fabric to do the fancy tricks (this would be the "viaggetto" for those who have read other posts). My second design is still in the works. Somehow I thought that design for an overnighter would go over more smoothly, but I was sadly mistaken. My attempt was/is a disaster, so much so that I hid it in the upper most, darkest corner of my sewing closet until a day when I can attack its shortcomings and smote my enemy to its ruin (too much? Man, I love J. R.R. Tolkien). Anyhoo, I decided that the third time may just be the proverbial charm. I'm not quite sure what others will think of this yet, but here it is: the first design of my baby carrier.Now I have been sewing the very talented Jessica Crocker's SweetPod pattern for the past couple weeks, but I still had this urge to try my hand at pattern drafting, especially what I think may be an improved version of the Ergo (sorry all Ergo lovers, but mine gave me extreme back pain in the front carry position and I felt as if my son was going to fall out no matter the number of adjustments I made).
And here it is! I drafted the pattern on Sunday, cut it out that night and started sewing it here and there on Monday! I will be honest that I checked out blogs on Mei Tai, especially the Scandi MT because I thought they looked the sturdiest. If you would like to check out how to make your own Scandi MT, this tutorial is excellent and this here is another great tutorial with a very nice sleeping hood/headrest thingy. However, I didn't use their measurements and I wanted to do a buckle/ Soft sided carrier (SSC). I drafted the pattern for the body by eye and hoped that it wouldn't be too wide (it looked huge when I was drawing it out but then there are always seam allowances to worry about).
Here are some action shots of the new carrier. I couldn't resist putting it on right away and trying it out. It is soooo comfortable! I mean, probably one of the most supportive and comfortable things I have worn with my bub to date. The secret to the comfort is the wide padded and crossed straps in the front carry position.
My carrier has an ergonomic sleeping hood that tucks away into a snap-able pocket (unlike the Ergo where the hood keeps slipping out). The fact that the baby is right next to your skin makes it so that you can nurse very easily and discreetly. The waist/ hip belt is longer than the SweetPod and has a greater curve, which extends around your hips a little more.
My favorite feature is the crossing straps in the back (for front carry) that slip through each other so that you can simply put the waist belt on, get the baby settled next to you and then slip the connected straps over your head. Buckle and you're off!
Part of the motivation for this is the much anticipated Beco Gemini that is set to be released soon. They have been keeping the complete detailed photos quite mum, but there are photos of the prototype out there. Again they have decided to use Echino prints, this time ones from this past Spring and very easy to get my hands on. What can I say, you have to keep up with competition!
My next little project is going to be a design for an infant insert for this baby that will support an infant/ newborn's tush and head in the early months. Something that will snap and connect to the carrier to keep it from falling out (I'm looking at you again, Ergo).
Stay posted...I feel the creative juices flowing again and hope to be able to start making my drafted patterns into professional pdfs. I'll need some testers (who doesn't love a free pattern).
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Yet another SweetPod
Okay, so I'm not quite sure if I have a problem with a crafting addiction or if I am really avoiding any work on my dissertation prospectus, but I've finished another baby carrier. This one was made for a friend in the department. I got the fabric for the main body panel from Spoonflower.com.
They are two separate designs, which I layered/ appliqued in a way so as not to reduced the strength of the main panel. I love the design of the two birds, but I'll be honest, the fabric is not "best quality" (I'm not trying to make fun of anyone, just referencing a line from "The Joy Luck Club). If I could find some way to have this fabric printed by a better manufacturer, I would in a heartbeat, but I see that I will have to find some next avenues for creative fabric crafting. Thus my next carrier (which will be for sale this time!) is going to be back with my old staple--Japanese imported fabric, or rather Echino line fabric.
Stay tuned in the near future for my next posts, more sneak peaks at items that will be in the Etsy store I plan to open on July 1st (if anyone is actually reading this....).
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Faux Beco Scooters
Being a quilter at heart, I love to fussy cut things and this Echino fabric lends tons of possibilities. I also just splurged and got some of the laminated cotton fabric (the blue background with the birds). I plan to make a large diaper bag/ overnighter to use on our upcoming trip to grandma's house in August.
That all said, I've officially cut myself off from fabric shopping for a while, especially deliciously expensive Japanese imports...
Monday, June 14, 2010
Very Baby One-Size Fitted and Pocket Diapers
My sewing craze began with baby carriers and then quickly moved on to cloth diapers. My little guy has been in cloth diapers since he was about 5 weeks old and we got back from our holiday trip with grandma. I had toyed around with sewing my own diapers (I tried the Ottobre free pattern online), but I couldn't seem to get it right. For one thing I didn't have machine with zig zag (yikes!), but this beautiful antique Singer Featherweight that has been my trusted side-kick on sewing escapades since I was around 10 years old. So I bought diapers and tried to get a variety of styles to see which one fit my bub the best. These are a few that I've tried and my comments (before getting to my favorite diapers of all made from the Very Baby patterns):
1. Bum Genius organic AIO one-size: I really like these diapers, but I was annoyed to find out that I would have wash them at least 6 times (but it was really like 10 with my washer) before they would reach full absorbency. The fit is great and very trim, but the extended drying times are a pain in the keester. I will also add that the cotton continues to shrink (unless you are good and line dry them), so the ones that I kept are completely unsnapped and my son is only 19lbs. There is no way that these are going to last until 35lbs.
2. Cloth-eez prefolds by Green Mountain Diapers: If you are going to get prefolds, I would recommend going with this company. They carry both white (without the use of bleach) and unbleached, as well as regular and organic varieties. I have tried both the white regular prefolds and the unbleached organic, and both are nice, although the cotton and absorbency of the unbleached organic is better. I like prefolds, I just don't like them all the time. My other problem is I'm lazy about using the snappi and folding the diaper correctly. When I use prefolds, I just fold it in three and put it in the diaper cover. However, this means that there is a doodie, it usually gets on the cover. Not so fun.
3. Imse Vimse flannelette and terry contoured diapers: These diapers have lasted me from my daughter. Granted I only cloth diapered her for about 6 months, but they are in great condition and incredibly thirsty for being so few layers. They work fairly well at keeping messes off the covers without pins or a snappi. These are probably the fastest drying diapers around. I even used to wash the diapers at night and then hang them to dry in the bathroom. They were always ready to use come morning. Not bad. The terry diaper with a flannel doubler is awesome for even a heavy wetter at night.
You are probably wondering why I still wasn't satisfied, huh? Well, I wanted to venture into the world of wool diaper covers and start knitting my own longies (wool knitted pants that act as a diaper cover and clothing). I wanted something that was trim, would fit for at least several months and wouldn't require pins or a snappi. So I started to do some investigating and happened upon the Very Baby website. They had just put up their new pdf one-sized patterns for fitted diapers and another for pocket diapers. I started to do the math. If I got the pattern and bought the materials for 12 diapers, it would cost me less than buying 3 or 4 new diapers. I figured it was worth a try. I bought the pattern and downloaded it from the email (yay, instant gratification). My next venture was going to a fabric store I'd seen many times going to my midwife's office, but never stepped foot into. Lo and behold in their clearance section was cotton interlock and french terry at $4/ yd. It was too good to be true. I was about to get fabric for a dozen diaper for less than $40.
Here are the results:
I wouldn't have been able to sew these without the fact that my mom brought my godmother's sewing machine that is incredible and I think of her each time I use it. If you're wondering about the snaps, they are easier than you think. I didn't want to invest in a snap press, although Very Baby sells those. Instead I ordered snap pliers from KAM snaps and have been very pleased with the purchase.
The next thing I tried was the Very Baby One-Size Pocket diaper pattern (like the Bum Genius diapers), but I decided to modify it into an All-in-One (AIO) and make PUL only wings (thank you, JoAnn Fabrics for finally having PUL in stock in your stores--can you say great savings with the 40% coupon?).
I wrote up a tutorial on how you can use the Very Baby One-Size Pocket diaper pattern to make your own AIO diapers, which will actually fit up to 35lbs. Just contact me and I would be happy to email it to you (although I have heard that it should be linked to the tutorial section on the Very Baby website soon :-) ).
Happy sewing!
1. Bum Genius organic AIO one-size: I really like these diapers, but I was annoyed to find out that I would have wash them at least 6 times (but it was really like 10 with my washer) before they would reach full absorbency. The fit is great and very trim, but the extended drying times are a pain in the keester. I will also add that the cotton continues to shrink (unless you are good and line dry them), so the ones that I kept are completely unsnapped and my son is only 19lbs. There is no way that these are going to last until 35lbs.
2. Cloth-eez prefolds by Green Mountain Diapers: If you are going to get prefolds, I would recommend going with this company. They carry both white (without the use of bleach) and unbleached, as well as regular and organic varieties. I have tried both the white regular prefolds and the unbleached organic, and both are nice, although the cotton and absorbency of the unbleached organic is better. I like prefolds, I just don't like them all the time. My other problem is I'm lazy about using the snappi and folding the diaper correctly. When I use prefolds, I just fold it in three and put it in the diaper cover. However, this means that there is a doodie, it usually gets on the cover. Not so fun.
3. Imse Vimse flannelette and terry contoured diapers: These diapers have lasted me from my daughter. Granted I only cloth diapered her for about 6 months, but they are in great condition and incredibly thirsty for being so few layers. They work fairly well at keeping messes off the covers without pins or a snappi. These are probably the fastest drying diapers around. I even used to wash the diapers at night and then hang them to dry in the bathroom. They were always ready to use come morning. Not bad. The terry diaper with a flannel doubler is awesome for even a heavy wetter at night.
You are probably wondering why I still wasn't satisfied, huh? Well, I wanted to venture into the world of wool diaper covers and start knitting my own longies (wool knitted pants that act as a diaper cover and clothing). I wanted something that was trim, would fit for at least several months and wouldn't require pins or a snappi. So I started to do some investigating and happened upon the Very Baby website. They had just put up their new pdf one-sized patterns for fitted diapers and another for pocket diapers. I started to do the math. If I got the pattern and bought the materials for 12 diapers, it would cost me less than buying 3 or 4 new diapers. I figured it was worth a try. I bought the pattern and downloaded it from the email (yay, instant gratification). My next venture was going to a fabric store I'd seen many times going to my midwife's office, but never stepped foot into. Lo and behold in their clearance section was cotton interlock and french terry at $4/ yd. It was too good to be true. I was about to get fabric for a dozen diaper for less than $40.
Here are the results:
I wouldn't have been able to sew these without the fact that my mom brought my godmother's sewing machine that is incredible and I think of her each time I use it. If you're wondering about the snaps, they are easier than you think. I didn't want to invest in a snap press, although Very Baby sells those. Instead I ordered snap pliers from KAM snaps and have been very pleased with the purchase.
The next thing I tried was the Very Baby One-Size Pocket diaper pattern (like the Bum Genius diapers), but I decided to modify it into an All-in-One (AIO) and make PUL only wings (thank you, JoAnn Fabrics for finally having PUL in stock in your stores--can you say great savings with the 40% coupon?).
I wrote up a tutorial on how you can use the Very Baby One-Size Pocket diaper pattern to make your own AIO diapers, which will actually fit up to 35lbs. Just contact me and I would be happy to email it to you (although I have heard that it should be linked to the tutorial section on the Very Baby website soon :-) ).
Happy sewing!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
The Sweet Pod pattern = awesome
Right in the midst of studying for my qualifying exams (that is the big oral exam for PhD students in humanities at Berkeley), I started to realize that my beloved Ergo carrier was becoming a huge pain in the rumpus and the back. Oliver was getting close to 4 months and ready to leave the infant insert behind but still a little too small to be in the carrier without. His increased mobility would cause sudden changes in my center of gravity. The result: neck aches, upper backaches and the ongoing fear that I would plunge or trip or what have you while front carrying.
My solution to this dilemma was the obsessive online searching for a pattern (with which I am sure fellow crafties can relate) that could replace my infant carrier. And then during a search on Etsy I came across it: the Sweet Pod pattern. I will not lie. I bought it instantly, partially due to the fact that it was too good to be true, partially for the instant gratification (it's a pdf via email delivery). The next day I printed it out and taped the pattern pieces together. Now I must add the caveat that I have been sewing since the age of 8, everything from quilts to formal dresses, and being pregnant has renewed my dormant sewing skills. But I noticed as I was putting the pieces together the sheer ingenuity of its layout and construction. Paging through the directions, I kept thinking to myself, so this is how good patterns are supposed to be.
I pushed on through to my exams and and passed (yippeee!) and was finally free to embark on my creative adventure. Being a quilter at heart, I decided to add some machine quilting to the front panel. The one hang-up was that I had never machine quilted before. I'm one of those old fashioned people that takes extreme pleasure in doing things "the old way"--big surprise I am in Medieval Studies--so I'd only ever quilted by hand before. It was okay, although next time I will splurge and get the tear away stabilizer instead of using waxed paper.
As soon as I began sewing, for once in my life I had this push to finish it to the end as quickly as possible. It took about 2 or 3 sittings (not too bad considering my little guy was about 4 months at the time and going through a sporadic growth spurt). I was so proud of it and myself when I was done, and I was thankful to the genius who drafted the pattern--Jessica Crocker.
Now for the experienced and inexperienced alike who are pregnant, have babies or even grandbabies, I'd recommend you try your hand at this pattern. You can purchase your own here.
I promise, you won't regret it and will want to spread the word to all crafty persons who have children in their lives.
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
And we're off!
For some time, I've wanted to jump on ye olde blogger bandwagon, but somehow never got my patootie in gear to get something started. Well, my qualifying exams are done, I am in need of some major procrastination projects and this just happens to be an excellent form of ongoing distraction. Some choose to start writing that long-lusted-after novel while working on their dissertation. My plans are a tad different. I would rather generate some income and ignite creativity than do even more writing (save this blog). So I'm going to dedicate this space to my opinion on all things baby, child and maternity that I've tried, tested; loved and despised over the years, as well as creations of my own (that I hope to sell in an Etsy shop someday soon) to overcome the shortcomings.
Some of the things that I'll highlight in the beginning are patterns that have brought be back to the world of sewing and usually created by some truly talented stay at home moms. I can't really consider myself a true SAHM because I do still pretend to be a graduate student (and teach a course now and again), but I do feel fortunate to be able to spend as much time as I do with my little munchkins while doing it on my own.
I'm not sure if anyone will read my ramblings, opinions and passionate prose, but hey, it's worth a shot, right?
Some of the things that I'll highlight in the beginning are patterns that have brought be back to the world of sewing and usually created by some truly talented stay at home moms. I can't really consider myself a true SAHM because I do still pretend to be a graduate student (and teach a course now and again), but I do feel fortunate to be able to spend as much time as I do with my little munchkins while doing it on my own.
I'm not sure if anyone will read my ramblings, opinions and passionate prose, but hey, it's worth a shot, right?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)