Diversification and Amplification

I love the Mei Tai carrier I make. I designed it through lots of trial and error, trying out other carriers, and refining it all into something that was exactly what I was looking for. After several suggestions and requests, I am now going to expand the shop's offerings to reflect the spectrum of and variation that makes up the contemporary understanding of the Mei Tai. Three new lines will be added over the next few weeks as part of this effort:

The Classic. This is the traditional mei tai as it's been used for centuries. No padding in the straps, a simply shaped body, and straps that are still one-size-fits-most but a bit shorter. It is extremely compact, gets the job done, and is a great match for the very budget conscious.






For a bit of extra excitement, I've also added children's Doll Mei Tais as part of this line! No more leaving Teddy by the swing set because two hands were needed - now tag along loveys can be carried along with the same hands-free joy you've found through your own carrier!







 

The Refined. The Gracie and Sam signature Mei Tai with its longer straps, padded shoulders, shaped body, buckle waist option, and a wide variety of fabric choices, with a focus on custom-printed fabrics found through original textile artists.



The Artisan. The full-feature carrier for the discerning baby wearer who would like some of the bells and whistles of the well-known, mass-produced, made-in-China carriers while getting the care and attention to detail that comes from being handcrafted.


 

And then there's the line that reflects the textile artist in me, The Gallery Mei Tai. These are simply shaped Mei Tais with a gasp-worthy, foundation-pieced eye catcher of a body. High quality, non-fusible interfacing is used as the foundation to ensure these pieces of art are as sturdy as they are usable.

I can't wait to share these new additions with you! The pieces are ready*, the photo session set, and within a week or so, they'll be available for purchase!

*The Artisan will not be immediately available.

A Whovian Wedding. A lot of them. Or one with a lot of Whovians...

On November 24th, 2013, a whole bunch of Doctor Who fans will be gathering together for more than just a fan party. It's a mass wedding of 50 couples celebrating 50 years of Doctor Who as they exchange vows in a variety of Doctor Who-inspired finery.

Wow. Talk about dedication to a show!

Anywho... "Gracie and Sam" has been invited to take part in the marketplace that will be there to inspire all these new couples in Whovian decor, accessories, and planning ahead to making little baby Whovians. Alas, since I won't be able to make it to this London-based soiree myself, I'm sending along a poster to accompany the carrier and little tidbits for the gift bags.

I'm pretty thrilled with it, actually. I'm trying to come up with pithy little sayings for all my designs so I can cover the walls of my workshop with these now. But nothing terribly witty comes to me about paisley or poppies...

Ah well. Enjoy!

Details that Matter - Soaking and Prewash

Continuing the discussion of why Handmade / Handcrafted matters, have you ever thought about what happens with the fabrics in items you purchase? Ever notice how they seem to fade a few washes later? Wonder if the item is going to shrink? Want to use it right away, but worried about any manufacturing chemicals in the cloth? As I keep saying, I make a carrier based on what I like to use, and I pass that on to my customers.

After sourcing unusual or unique fabrics, I set the vibrant colors in a vinegar pre-soak - this helps to stabilize the dyes used in fabric ink and repels hard water minerals and residue from laundry detergents.

The occasional vinegar wash after you receive your carrier will help keep the colors looking fresh, as will ensuring proper washing settings.

Then I wash (on cold, delicate) and dry (cotton setting) the fabric so any chemicals and starching are removed and any shrinkage is already taken care of.

It takes time and adds a couple extra steps, but that's just part of being handmade!

Gracie and Sam on the Web...

The Whovian carrier was included in a Doctor Who roundup as part of Buzzfeed.com's article, "20 Signs You're a Whovian Parent". Go check it out, and look at Sign #10!

Simply Awesome to be in Simply Vague

Note: This post was originally posted 8/2/13 and transferred to this site 9/17/13

Yesterday was a really big day for Gracie and Sam, LLC. It marked our first foray into a brick and mortar store. That's right - if you are in the Columbus, Ohio, area and want to see a Gracie and Sam Mei Tai up close and personal, just pop in to the Simply Vague store at the Tuttle Crossing Mall.

Simply Vague focuses exclusively on handmade products and local artisans. The items they carry are strictly juried, which is to say, these are quality handmades and not a random "craft fair" collection of goods. I wasn't sure what to expect as we (Cousin Sarah and I) drove thereon a 3.5 hour, 214 mile road trip , but I don't mind telling you I was more than a little intimidated when I parked in front of Macy's and walked through marble-floored halls surrounded by a collection of higher end stores and chic boutiques.

The store itself is filled with myriad lovelies ranging from furniture I would love to have (made from 100 to 200 year old recycled barn wood!!!) to jewelry of all varieties. About a quarter of the store is devoted to handcrafted items for children; there at the beginning edge of it stood the table for Gracie and Sam carriers.

Yes, it was an exciting day. I am amazed at how blessed this little endeavor is as God creates a path for sharing my passion for babywearing using a lifelong-honed skill of sewing so that our family can let me stay at home with our children.

If you're anywhere near the Dublin / Columbus, OH area, definitely pop in to Simply Vague. And just wait till I share updates in October when their second shop opens in the Polaris Fashion Place - one of the largest malls in the Midwest where Gracie and Sam Mei Tais will also be available!

Under Construction - Sewing Safety

Note: This post was originally written 7/23/12 and transferred to this site 9/17/13.

In making baby carriers to sell, I'm constantly looking at two major aspects - how to ensure the carriers are as safe as I can make them while cutting out anything superfluous in order to mainstream construction to keep costs down. These two areas of consideration come to a crossroads in one of the most time consuming aspects of my Mei Tais - how much stitching goes into the points of intersecting fabrics.

In one Gracie and Sam Mei Tai, there are just over 70 FEET of stitches. Some of the longer stretches of stitching are things I've considered getting rid of, such as top stitching the entire perimeter of the shoulder and waist straps. But it keeps everything looking tidier, makes folding it easier, and as a mom on the run myself, those are features I really appreciate. So the perimeter continues to get fully topstiched. The area that is padded on the shoulder straps could simply be anchored in a couple places to keep the cotton batting from shifting, but by creating 3 "tubes" of stitching over the multi-layered batting, it helps to keep it plumper while staying dense, lets it grip the contours of the shoulder to prevent slipping, and really can extend the life of batting that might get washed more frequently. So the padded area topstitching stays.

Both of those are helpful in differentiating Gracie and Sam carriers, but it's the attention to detail that goes into those fabric intersections that I'm most proud of. In connecting just one 4.5" shoulder strap to the body, there are 30 inches worth of stitches. How do I pack so much sewing into one little concentrated area? I'm glad you asked...

First, when I'm putting the components together and everything is still inside out, I backstitch three times - on the left side of the strap where it joins, over the center where it's going to have significant weight bearing stress, and on the right side where it joins.

Then I turn everything right side out and topstitch around the entire carrier. This creates another set of stitches 1/4-1/2" down the fabric from where all that original seam work was. This is important because too much sewing in one place ends up weakening the overall fabric rather than working together to create tight bonds.

Finally, I go back and do full box stitches, catching the length of the strap I left inside the carrier for this purpose.

The time that goes into these stitching features is considerable. It accounts for 25-30% of my time at the sewing machine. I could increase my profit margin or lower my selling price if I were to omit some of this seemingly-redundant stitching. But I sell a carrier that I carry my own children in, and that kind of concern over safety and attention to detail is important to me. And that's the beauty of a handcrafted carrier - it's made by someone sitting at her machine thinking about the child that will eventually sit in what she is crafting, not by a nameless individual in a factory doing just their part on an assembly line.

Branching Out

Note: This post was originally written July 5th, 2013, and was transferred to this site 9/17/13)

Gracie and Sam, LLC, has been on Etsy since 2012. But it's been in my mind since 2008, when I first started making carriers in anticipation of our first child. One carrier became two when my husband wanted his own fabric choices for carrying our son. Two became three when I decided to tweak the design a bit. Three became six when I did several more tweaks. Then I started making them for fellow expat moms living in Bombay, India, where baby carriers were hard to find and riddled with import duty expenses. By the time I opened the Etsy shop, I'd funneled 25 years of sewing experience, nearly 4 years of babywearing, and no less than 7 fully formed and used baby carrier designs. I'd grown slightly obsessive in comparing carriers on the market, integrating details that made sense and eschewing gimmicks or designs that seemed flawed in their execution by an actual babywearing care giver.

Thinking the "real deal" of the higher end, big-production carriers must still be better, I looked forward to trying one of the brands considered to be a Cadillac among baby carriers when our second child came along (this time, I was living back in the US). I went to the store to try it on before adding it to the Baby Registry only to be met with mixed emotions; I was sad that after waiting for so long with such high expectations, I would not finally be getting one of these carriers. I was delighted because I wasn't adding it to the registry due to the fact my carefully adjusted carriers had become more comfortable and easier to use!
This discovery combined with a passion for babywearing and a sympathy for frazzled parents looking for an answer to 2 A.M. fussy babies led to the opening of Gracie and Sam, LLC. I truly believe in the efficacy, comfort, and sturdiness of these Mei Tais.

So, I hope you will join me in exploring the many nooks and crannies that make up Gracie and Sam, LLC. We will include everything from fun textiles coming out, interesting tidbits on babywearing and attachment parenting, and plenty of opportunities for you to contribute your opinions and suggestions for new designs! Because Gracie and Sam is branching out. We're taking on new shop space, we've got our own domain name, and we're entering boutiques. It's an exciting time and I'm glad you're here!