So I am sure some are wondering..."How did this all being?" So I thought I would revisit the past a little and do a historical post of my experience of slinging.
This little face was my inspiration. She looks sweet doesn't she? And she is! However, she was quite a Momma's girl as a baby. She was, shall we say, attached at the "nip". Now if she was my first child, it would have been fine, but she was my second. With my son being only 18 months old, well that created a little struggle for a Mom with only 2 arms! She didn't want to be put down she didn't want Daddy, she just wanted me! And while I was thrilled beyond belief to have the unconditional love of a daughter.....I had laundry piling up! Dog hair gathering football sized monster hair balls on the rug! And dinner, you know a family has to eat!
While I was perusing blogs online I saw a Mom wearing her baby! What was that thing? My heart started racing, the ideas started swirling around in my creative little head....had....to....HAVE ONE! SO naturally I started googling like crazy and found slings! But they were OH so expensive and oh so
boring!! I am an Artist! I need color and pizazz! My heart dropped, my countenance fell....could it be true? Would I be stuck with the Bjorn forever? (No offense to Bjorn lovers but neither of my kids like it!) Out of the corner of my eye I saw something while flash. What was that? Oh yes I DO own a sewing machine! After googling some more I found sites that offered free instructions on how to make Ring Slings!
It took me less than 24 hours to get all the supplies I needed in order and start sewing. Yes I was determined, but I also can't stop until I have satisfyed the creative ideas that boil and bubble within! Two changes I made imediatly were to line the sling and use fun Hawaiian print material. I didn't want to see the wrong side of the fabric since I had chosen 2 (to start with) that were colorful! So I chose a cheap flannel liner and went with that. It seemed logical that baby would want to be next to something soft!
My first sling came together within a few hours, sitting at my kitchen table humming away while the kids slept I could hardly wait until they got up to try it out! I did a crazy pleat around the rings that was a little tricky and bulky, but it worked for all intents and purposes! There was a lot of extra material so I was determined to make a few changes when I started on the next one. But you know? My daughter fell asleep thevery first time I put her in the cradle position. Within minutes! That happened often in fact! I was sold. I mean completely and totally sold!
From that point on I wanted to wear My daughter all the time. I was looking for reasons to leave the house just so I could put her in the sling! The very next day I tried making another sling, changing a few more things on it. I tried the padding, but wasn't a fan, tried something new and eventually went back to the open tail. Played with the folding and stitching around the rings.
It took months and many slings before I finally settled on the style that we make today. ALthough I come from a rather Entrupreunurial family I never really considered making them to sell. I selfishly just wanted one for me! Though I ended up with a lot more than one! But the response I was getting both publically and online was overwhelming! I was getting requests from all over! How could I say no?? I loved slinging, and I wanted to spread the sling love! I had a few goals though. Along with being stylish and colorful, I wanted the craftsmanship to be something I could be proud of. I also wanted the slings to be strong, sturdy and safe. And most of all I wanted them to be affordable for parents of all price ranges.
So there was a lot of thinking, planning and deciding to do. I needed to combine some of these basic goals and create a truly awesome affordable sling. And I think we accomplished that!
Eventually we even added toy tags and inseam pockets, and started lining the slings with 100% cotton instead of just flannel. Many hours went into making what I think is the perfect Ring Sling. Something that could be used for the long term, in many positions and have some fun options to go along with them!
Then I started getting even more creative experimenting with different materials. I tried making water slings out of bathing suit material (a new line will be hitting the website in a few weeks!). And again fell in love! Ellie was not a water baby and loved being held at the beach as well. That can be hard to do when you have a spastic 2 year old that thinks he can dive in when ever he wants! But with a comfy, stretchy, fast drying sling you can get wet and not worry about.....no problem!
Then there are the beautiful brocades for special occasions or just a more stylish hip look. These are gorgeous and make wearing your baby truly a fashion accessory!
And for cooler climates why not try fleece? It can be a little stretchy and need more adjusting, but it's so soft and so comfy for baby as well while keeping them warm!
So you see we've come quite a long way! And the progress doens't stop there! The ideas that float around in this little head of mine eventually need to come out! And it happens in the way of something fun and functional!
