This week has been great. I’ve finally crossed off something that I’ve wanted to get done for quite a long time. I made the size chart for the Snugglebugs. No longer are they custom made which I think will make them much easier to order. The shoulder straps are adjustable up to 12in so they should still fit very well from baby to toddler and everything in between. Another change that’s been made is that instead of choosing your fabrics from the list I have the carriers and inside fabrics put together and you just pick your size. I added more padding in the shoulders, and thinned the straps down. They are still nice and wide but I think before they were a bit TOO wide. Now its very nice. I wish I’d made these changes sooner that’s for sure! They’re nice and slim and fit so much better in the diaper bag when not in use. I’m hoping to get them out in some local stores here in Phoenix so if you’re in the area look out for them! I’ve got my fingers crossed. I just need to finish a sample small and a sample medium and I’ll be all set to show them off.  

I’ve also started working on the new slings for the site. Slings are a new item for me, I’ve been using a sling I made for my godson for the 10 months he’s been alive. I personally prefer the Snugglebug, but he’s a sling boy. Due to the fact that he has a preference I figure other babies and other mamas probably do too, so I’m offering them on the site now. My slings have two layers of fleece sewn into the shoulder pad making it nice and squishy. They also have a larger pocket than some others I’ve seen on the market, anywhere from 30in deep to 35in deep! I find that this is really nice for long babes when wearing the hip carry or front kangaroo carry (baby facing out on your front with their legs crosses) my godson has to be able to see everything that’s going on, so he’s always preferred the kangaroo carry only! The extra fabric comes in very handy to keep him safe and secure.  

With all this new sling creating I’m participating in “No Mother left behind” They are a charity that is close to my heart and a place that I’ll be sending slings and carriers to as often as I can afford to. I got seven slings made this week and the page is almost fully stocked. I have one more color to finish and get on the site and it will be ready to go for a while! I make only one style of sling, but I have two places that I get my material. One is gently used twin sheets, which make wonderful slings as they are soft and cheaper than new fabric, I pass the savings on to you. I also get new fabric from my local fabric store and those slings are a bit more expensive. Personally I think both are wonderful and want to keep them all but now what’s the sense in that?!

This month has been so wonderful. I can honestly say that now that I’ve got this blog I’ve gotten more orders than I have since January! I can’t thank you enough and I look forward to it continuing.

I’ve been working on the “Earth, Air, Fire, Water” skirt series and I found Earth and Water to be very easy. Air and fire were giving me a bit of trouble however inspiration struck today while I was working on a Earth skirt for an order that was placed. I don’t want to give away the details just yet, but I’m very excited and hope to get started on it soon. I’ve still got quite a bit to do regarding carriers, slings and quilts so we’ll see, but it’s in the works!

Last but not least I also got my etsy store stocked this week! It had been a large mess and everything expired on it. I wasn’t sure if I was going to keep the etsy store but decided that its such a cool community that I do want to stay! So my html Goddess got a link to that store up at the top of the blog. At the moment there is just a sampling of whats in my own website, but I will be making a few things that are going to be just for the etsy store. You just watch, we’re going to have some cool stuff. I’ve got ideas I just need a 27hour day! Anyone able to make that happen? 

Technorati Tags: ring slings, baby carriers, skirts, quilts, etsy

Hehehehehehehe!!!! Here’s the camo Snugglebug! I finished it and I am so happy with it. Its so cute.

Yesterday we were on our way to school and we stopped behind a truck that had a bumper sticker that said “The other half of my heart is in Iraq” both my husband and I almost started crying. In my mind flashed the camo jacket that I had hanging in the closet that I don’t use and have been wondering what to do with. I knew what to do. It was time to make a carrier.

I often hear mommies complain about how their husbands won’t wear their babys. I think that baby wearing is such a wonderful way for both parents to bond with their baby in a way that nothing else can provide. While mommies have nursie time fathers don’t. When I look around at carriers I don’t often see options that our guys would apreciate. Well I don’t know what is more masculine than camo. So this carrier is for you guys! Its made from actual camo jacket, with soft sweet pea flannel on the inside. The straps are made from a rich dark brown corderoy and as always are nicely padded with fleece.

Coming up next is something for the girls! I fell in love with a particular pattern, I liked it so much I’m going to be making a sling and a Snugglebug from it! Its adorable, I promise.

Technorati Tags: camo, snugglebug, baby carrier, men

This is not so wordless, but you may not know what your looking at otherwise!

I have taken a brake from the quilts to refresh and add some changes to the Snugglebug Baby carrier. These are the first two that are stocking the store! These changes are things I’ve been working on for the last year and I am so pleased with the new slimmer look.

Technorati Tags: wordless wed, Snugglebug baby carrier

For a change of pace I wanted to share something that I’m working on for me. Its a nice mindless project and I’d set it aside for a few months to go bonkers on things that were for sale at the website. Last night I found myself very cold due to a mistake I had made in my blanket on our bed. Every night I remember my mistake. lol. I had wanted a blanket that was short on the sides because my husband and I get hot and cold and hot and cold, so we like to easily kick our legs out the side of the blanket to cool off without throwing the blanket off. (might be too personal, but there’s a reason I tell you this I swear!) With that in mind I made the applique quilt a bit short on the sides. I learned quite a bit from making that quilt. First off..PRE WASH EVERYTHING. I should have learned this far before this point but I was holding very stubbornly to how easy it is to cut fabric that is crisp from the store. I will sacrifice that convince and prewash.

So anyway, last night I was cold and thought about how I wished I had more room. You see because I didn’t prewash the blanket and I made it to JUST the size I wanted it to be at it shrunk. Not only did it shrink but I hadn’t taken into account people in the bed! As I was laying there a bit cold I knew I was going to need another blanket to layer for winter. That would mean I’d have to get back to work on my quilt that I started in January.

In December of 2005 I got my sewing machine as a Christmas present. I hadn’t sewn since I was living with my mom (I’m 25 now…so not TOO long, but long enough) I tore in with a ferver and caught “the sewing bug” I wanted to be good, heck I wanted to be amazing RIGHT THEN. So I bought plenty of fabrics and by March was making Snugglebug baby carriers and four different applique skirts at snugglebugbabycarriers.com We sold basically nothing for most of the year.

I slowly started to see my left over materials stack up, pile up, get hidden away in any drawer I could find…it was getting very very messy. By January 1st of 2007 I was trying to think of a good resolution. It was staring me right in the face, literally! I needed to clean and oragnize my cloth stash. I have never been the sort to throw away much of anything, but I didn’t know what to do with ALL these scraps. I decided to tackle a king size quilt for our bed. I actually had MORE than enough scraps to make this quilt but it was so much fun to sit and cut. I saw the fabrics from the very first skirt I ever made. I saw the fabrics from that custom bag I made. The fabrics from the “lovie” quilts I made my godsons. Its so great to see all these “firsts” right in front of me. So it became my 2006 “ugly” quilt. I call it ugly because I thought it would be with so many colors and no rhyme or reason. It actually isn’t all that bad and I can’t wait for it to get done.

I started on it in the winter, and then got rather bored with it rather quickly. It got set aside for a few months and I picked it up again today. It was so wonderful to look through all the fabrics from my first year of sewing again. I can’t wait until its done.

This is completed in width, now I just have to finish out the length. I’m happy with how its turning out! Can’t wait to snuggle with it.

Technorati Tags: quilt, scrap quilt, make it from scratch

As with most weeks this one was no exception, it was busy! Lets see, where to begin. Well we begin at the beginning of course.

The week has been full of mostly quilting; I’ve set everything else aside to focus on the quilts. They are coming along very nicely if I do say so myself. Here’s what we’ve got so far:

Jacobs

Kadence’s

Along the way I started working on bath fizzies. I’ve gone through two attempts and still haven’t gotten it right. I’m very confident that the third time will be a charm and I’ll get it right. We shall see of course.

Something we use in our house on a regular basis is detox baths. We try to take one monthly and I was taking a bath this week and it struck me, why don’t I share! After my bath I put them immediately up on the site and I really think they will be a hit. It’s a great product, very gentle and just a really good idea, especially if you live in a larger city like my family.

Something that I’m very excited about that just got added to the site (well the page got put up anyway) is slings. I’ve made unpadded ring slings for a few friends (the picture on the page is of me wearing my godson) I’m waiting on the rings to come in and then I will be getting started on slings! I can’t wait, I think they are vital for newborn households. I really prefer the Snugglebug for bigger children but under 4 months (children who can’t hold their head up yet) the sling is priceless. My youngest godson likes the sling more than the Snugglebug, while the middle child LOVED his Snugglebug. In fact I could not take it out or pay attention to it in any way or he would request to be worn. Different children like different things, so I’m happy to offer choices now.

Also up on the site is the paypal logo to let everyone know that I can accept more than just paypal! Most credit cards and checks are now accepted. I hope that it makes things easier for everyone.