Just an update

Stocked some new soakers today, they are ridiculously cute and definitely warrant a look.

http://www.etsy.com/shop/havemercy213

I've also been making baby carriers, these are two of my most recent....



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(My sister modeling it with Mercy)

and a sling....

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It had been a long day.  Please excuse my frazzled appearance and my mess in the background.

It has definitely been a productive week.  I am also attempting to make skirts and shorts, we will see how it works out.  I will post pics if they come out somewhat decent.

In other news, Mercy's absolute favorite thing in the world to do lately is play outside.  She loves just walking around outside, its pretty ridiculously cute. It does make taking pictures a little difficult though because all she wants to do is walk away from me!

MacGyver Babywearing

Miss Mercy and I went on a road trip today with GreekMomma.  Okay, so maybe it wasn't a REAL road trip or anything, but we drove a couple hours to do some shopping in the big city.  Maybe an hour into our drive I'm looking at our diaper bag and realize that we have a Babywearing emergency. I am completely without a carrier.  I had a sling in my bag, but took it out because I planned on bringing my wrap instead, which I of course forgot to grab.  It was going to be a long day of shopping and running around.  My girl doesn't even like sitting in the cart for a whole grocery shopping trip. The thought of trying to do a whole day of shopping with her in a stroller, let alone one of those hard plastic uncomfy mall strollers, or the seat of a shopping cart, practically had me hyperventilating.

Thinking quick, we made a fabric store our first stop.  I ran in and grabbed some knit fabric from the sale rack.  I asked the nice lady behind the cutting counter if she could possibly cut it right up the fold line for me but she wouldn't.  :(  So, I was left with buying a pair of scissors and cutting it myself out in the parking lot or just double folding it which make for a REALLY thick, hot wrap.  I opted to buy the scissors.  Paid for my purchases and headed back out to the car where I sprawled the fabric out and quickly cut the fabric into two wraps.  Problem solved!

It turned out to be a good thing we were able to stop and fashion a wrap because Mercy had a rough day and definitely needed the closeness.  On the downside, I didn't really need any more wraps and now have two more.  On the upside, I now have two more wraps!  I got plain black knit fabric and am practically giddy with all the possibilities.  I think I will get some silk brocade and make a pretty center panel for an elegant look, or I could use some flannel for a cutesy pattern.  Or maybe some appliques or iron on patches.  Or maybe I'll Bedazzle it!  The possibilities are endless!




Miss Mercy on the verge of sleep, in her quickie wrap ♥

I'm a slacker, I know.

I apologize for the lack of posts lately, I have been lost in a tangle of fabric and thread.


Diaper cozies....


and wraps,

and felt alphabet "blocks", Oh My!

Please forgive me for my neglect, but I have a sewing addiction and am working on getting it under control.  I have several blog posts that are dying to be posted though, so don't be surprised if your Dashboard is flooded by  me.

How to wear a wrap...

It was brought to my attention that for all my babywearing talk, I have not included anything about how to tie a wrap!

Here are a few links to sites with good instructions on all the different holds you can do.

http://www.mobywrap.com/t-instructions.aspx

http://www.wearyourbaby.com/Default.aspx?tabid=89

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O78_qhy2eQ0

How to make a wrap

I made a wrap to send to my friend today, and I took pictures so I could teach all of you wonderful people out there on world wide web how to make one too.  My goal is to convert EVERYBODY to babywearing. 

First you need to go to the fabric store, or walmart if you are lucky and your walmart has fabric, and select 5 yards (or 6 if you need a longer wrap) of a stretchy cotton matterial.  The first wrap I made (the pretty lavender one) was 60% cotton, 40% polyester.  It worked nice, but got a little hot.  the stretch was good though.  The ones I make now I try to use cotton knits, usually cotton/jersey.  (Can be found under the "knits" sign in Joannes.  Whooda thunk to look there?) They don't get too hot and have a good stretch.  Plus they are really cute!  This is the fabric I got yesterday, isn't it gorgeous?!

First I fold the fabric in half, and then in half again to make it easier to work with.  (1.5 yards instead of 6)


Then, since my fabric was 60inches wide I folded it in thirds.  (I also could have just folded it in half and had two wider wraps instead of three skinnier wraps)


To make it easier to see where to cut I ironed the edges to make a more definite fold.  If I had just been cutting it in half I could have skipped this step since most fabric is already folded in half on the bolt with a nice crease.


From there I cut along the creases, giving me 3 strips of fabric 20in by 6yds.  3 wraps.  If I were cool and had a sewing machine I would finish the edges, but I'm not cool enough to own a sewing machine yet so they stay raw. 






Chris chastized me for using his daughter for product testing.  I don't think she minded.

Good day.

Good day for me.  Good day for babywearing.  Good day for cloth diapering.
Well, the morning didn't start out great.  Had to take Miss Mercy in to get her shots, which is never pleasent, but she did great.  The rest of the day was pretty good.

I went out for a day on the town with a friend and her baby.  I brought two wraps with me, because I was assuming that she didn't really know about them and figured she might enjoy it and that just maybe I'd be able to convert her.  We got to Babies R Us and I asked her if she wanted to try, and then helped her tie it and load up the baby.  We walked around and did our shopping.  We were getting asked left and right about the wraps and where we got them (both made by me), how they worked, and being told how cute they were.  It was awesome.  Then when we went to the fabric store I found some ridiculously cute fabric and snatched it up to make some more wraps out of.  I'm in love.  My whole reason for getting more fabric was to make a wrap for a friend, but it might "get lost in the mail".  I dont know if I'll be able to give it up.  I'll post pics tomorrow when I *hope* to finally put up the "How to Make a Wrap" tutorial I've been promising.  At all our stops my friend wore her baby, and then asked me to make her a wrap, so she bought some fabric and I did.  Meet Jessica and Janiyla, proud new babywearing converts.

I've decided to start cloth diapering.  Well, kind of cloth diapering.  I am switching to gDiapers, which were introduced to me by several awesome ladies from Babycenter.  When I was at Babies R Us, the starter kit was on sale so I grabbed one.  We didnt get home til late, and with Mercy being cranky from her shots today it didn't seem like the ideal time to start, plus I want to give it all its glory and get proper pictures and give it its own entry, so we will be starting our adventure as gMum and gBaby tomorrow. I am very excited about it!

More babywearing

I know  I said I would post how to make a wrap, but I have not been able to go to the fabric store and get material to make more wraps yet. (yeah, I'm going through withdrawl.)

I did however, find some more pictures of me wearing Mercy in one of my favorite wraps, because it is cute and a thin material so neither of us get too hot here in stupid humid Florida. 

 

I love this girl.

Babywearing

Hi, My name is Paige and I'm addicted to babywearing.  I have 5 wraps, 1 sling, and I don't see an end in sight.                                                                                

Babywearing is one of those things that actually becoming a mommy changed my mind on though.  Before I had Mercedes I thought (pretty please don't stone me for my once ignorant ways) that babywearing was weird.  I would see moms with their babies in slings and think "How lazy.  Why doesn't she just carry her baby?  When I have baby, I'll just carry it if it wants to be held."  I know.  I wanna beat myself up for that too.  The only way I thought wearing your baby was "normal" was in a crotch dangling carrier like the Bjorn.  Then I got pregnant and started looking at the different carriers, and talking with my sister about them.  The wraps looked pretty cool, but hard.  So I got a sling after Mercy was born, when she proved to be a pretty high needs baby who ALWAYS had to be held.  I didn't really like the sling though, and neither did Mercy.  I wanted a wrap.  I wanted a wrap real bad.  I'd gotten my first taste of babywearing and I wanted more.  However, I didn't have the 50 bucks to buy a wrap.  So I figured out how to make one, and set off to the fabric store.    This is my first wrap.  I don't use it much anymore, I now have cuter ones in better fabric.  But it sure served its purpose and made my life WAY easier.  Without it, my arms probably would have fallen off. 

I am pretty passionate about babywearing.  When I see moms in the grocery store, carrying their babies, I want to tell them all about wraps.  It especially thrills me to see other moms wearing their babies.  One time in Wal-Mart I was wearing Mercy and had just found some fabric to make more wraps and a woman came up and asked me where I got my wrap.  I gave her one.  I've had SO many people ask me about it, and I just LOVE telling them.  I'm not only a babywearin addict, I'm a babywearin enabler.  I've sold five wraps and given them away as gifts too.  (If you are interested in buying one, let me know. I'd love to make one for you!)

I've even turned my husband.  He won't wear her (yet).  But before he said he wouldn't even be seen with me when I was wearing her.  Now he makes sure I've got my wrap packed, and hes even defended me against a stupid Wal-Mart employee before who started saying that she wanted out of the wrap and to look around and see things. 

I will post instructions on making your own wrap in the near future, but I want to be able to post how-to pictures with it when I do.  Until then, here are some pics of me rockin my best accessory.