Stripe it Rich going Retail!

I wanted to announce that I've agreed to a "trial" wholesale order with ali AND swan for my Stripe it Rich soakers. I'm excited about having a new channel for my products! The first order is a small number (pictured above), just to see how things go. I have always been wary of a wholesale situation for a number of reasons:

1 - I don't charge enough to enable me to sell my soakers at a deep wholesale discount to anyone for resale. I sell them directly to my customers for the best price I can. That's always been my goal - keep it affordable!
2 - I don't want to take up the few hours I get to sew with a wholesale order when I would rather get customs done or get my shop stocked. When you get the kids' nap times, preschool hours, and sometimes evenings to work (in addition clean, exercise, or do any other hobby), your time is precious!
3 -  I was nervous to have someone else represent MY items, and didn't want them sold for more than I was selling them in my own shop.
4 - I was worried about too much pressure to "produce"

Well, after working with Alison from ali AND swan, I feel very comfortable with her representing my handiwork. In addition, she's a WAHM herself (if you've ordered from me recently, you may have received some of her product as a sample - Super Stars wipe solution!). I'm also very happy with the way she's set up her shop and the other products she's carrying. In addition - she offers a military discount and free shipping on orders over $40. She's willing to work with me on price and quantity so that we're both happy. So, all in all, I think it's a good match. 

So, check out ali AND swan, and be on the lookout for IN STOCK Stripe it Rich soakers stocked there from yours truly :)

Why use fleece covers?

Fleece offers a waterproof, but BREATHABLE, barrier between the cloth diaper and the outer clothing. While it is not a natural fiber, it is highly reusable (I've had some that are going on 2+ years old) and is very effective. (For some pros/cons between fleece and natural wool covers click here).

A fleece cover/soaker is used over a fitted, prefold, or flat diaper (or any non-waterproof cloth diaper). It can also be used as extra protection over a pocket, AIO, or disposable diaper. When being used over a waterproof diaper, it can only provide an extra layer before it hits the clothing - it cannot force the liquid back into the diaper to re-absorb. Make sure all edges of the diaper underneath are completely covered to get any extra protection in these cases.

• Fleece does not absorb anything. Without a diaper underneath, it will leak. Depending on the effectiveness of your diaper, you could get leaks out the legs of a fleece cover (for example, a poorly secured prefold diaper).
• Fleece can be washed with regular laundry or diaper laundry, with no special care (100% polyester won't shrink). 
• Fleece does pill with wear (Click here for examples).
• Fleece offers a breathable barrier - this being said, you may feel "dampness" or humidity on your baby's clothing if you're getting used to fleece covers. It is not a puddle or a wet spot, but you feel the heat/moisture exchange a bit. To me, this is a good thing because you know your baby's skin can breathe!
• The more often you change the diaper, the more effective fleece will be for wetness protection. For night time, a soaker with a double layer of fleece in the wetzone is helpful and often gets babies through the night (again, depending on the diaper absorbency). There is also thicker fleece (200 or 300 weight) which provides more reliable protection (though a bit bulkier and more expensive). 
• Some people find fleece is bulky under daytime clothing, compared to a PUL cover. However, for others, they are already sizing up in clothing to make room for a fluffy diaper :) In my case, it helped to keep the pants on my skinny 2 year old! 
• There is no elastic in the legs/waist which is a benefit if your little one gets irritated by it
• Soakers can be worn on their own during the summer months with baby legs for a cute outfit! You can also get fleece shorties or longies that double as a cover and clothing at the same time.
• Fleece soakers on their own are not a suitable "training pant", since there is no absorbency. However, once children are at a stage where they stop their flow upon realizing they need to go, soakers can provide that extra layer of protection before it hits the clothing. (If they are still having full accidents, a soaker over training pants is not your best solution). 
• There is a fabric called "eco fleece" that is made from 89% recycled pop bottles - great solution for an even more eco-friendly product (and it's the thicker, 200 weight)! 

If you'd like to see more fleece covers in action, visit my Facebook page to see customer photos! 

Do you have other questions about fleece as a cover? I'd love to hear! Leave me a comment.

Patchwork soakers

These are by far the most fun for me to make (although they take the longest) - patchwork soakers! They really use my creative energy. I've made and sold a few, and have gotten a great response. Saving all of my wool scraps has paid off! The hardest part is organizing them, and finding coordinating color schemes with the same weight of wool.

I've just listed these three, which I've been working on for quite some time and finally finished up. Enjoy!

Click here to visit my shop to see the listings

Green shipping

Is there really such a thing as "green shipping"? With Winkydinks, I'm trying to focus my efforts on staying as green as possible, but that's a little challenging considering 95% of my customers are out of state. So I chose to make my shipping as cost effective and environmentally responsible as possible.

• I switched to Eco-Enclose polymailers. These are biodegradable or recyclable, in addition to being very sturdy (a.k.a. REUSABLE!). Many people who cloth diaper wind up selling/trading diapers with others and these are perfect because they don't add weight to your package. 
• I don't include unnecessary wrapping
• With the exception of International packages, all of my shipping is done from home via PayPal (no extra trips to the post office, which saves gas)

But I felt like I should be doing more. I researched ways to do carbon neutral shipping, and have found something that will work for me. It's called Green Shipping. (click to go to a Demo screen).


I pay (a price per shipment they have calculated by distance and weight) to offset the carbon used in that delivery. I can also add in personal packages I have received or sent, as long as I have a tracking number! They also offer package tracking, which my customers can use. I haven't figured out the best way to send that information out, but am working on it.

So if you're curious, you could enter in your own tracking number and see what it says!

Polishing silver without toxic chemicals

If you're lucky enough to have some real silver pieces, you know that they do have to be polished from time to time. The commercial silver polishes contain harsh chemicals, but you can clean them without exposing yourself and your family to them.
I found this article (look for "make your own silver dip") which explains how to do it with simple household ingredients, and I'm happy to say it worked! I had two piggy banks that needed the tarnish removed, and after sitting for about 5 minutes in the solution plus some rubbing, most of it came off! I will say it may not have gotten off all of it, but it's definitely shiny, and I'm glad it was natural!

New year's resolutions - mom style

It's the time for resolutions - of which I've vowed not to make any more! They just never seem to work out and I wind up feeling more like a failure than anything. So instead I try to re-shift my focus during the New Year - this year I am focusing on finding the balance between myself and being a mom. My kids are 6 and 4 now, and I'm still struggling with this!

I thought I would share part of an article I tore from a Parents magazine (January 2005), which has been hanging on my refrigerator ever since (and, boy, is it tattered!). It helps keep me centered and focused in the midst of real life.

8 Resolutions Every Mom Should Make

1. I will embrace the fact that I'm not perfect
2. I will get down on the floor and play with my child every day
3. I will take care of my body
4. I will learn to love chaos
5. I will make the family dinner a priority
6. I will focus a little more on my marriage
7. I will make time for my friends
8. I will remind myself daily that time with my children is precious

The article goes into a bit more depth on each of these, but you get the point. Here are a couple of other take-aways from the article:
"Children don't need you to be perfect. What they really need are lots of hugs and kisses, and a happy mommy."
"Remember that the essence of parenting isn't in the milestones, but in the every day moments."

Enjoy the New Year's celebration, and be sure that in 2011 you focus on making YOURSELF happy, so that you can make your FAMILY happy too :)

If you have any great tips or suggestions you'd like to share on how to balance work/life and mom/self please share!

Tutorial: Make a reusable gift bag

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Reusable gift bags have become a new tradition in our family. We have some adorable prints and we can re-use them year after year. I was initially worried that the kids would be disappointed opening a bag, rather than ripping off paper, but they don't seem to notice the difference (ages 6 and 3 1/2).  If you can sew a straight line, you can make these! Give it a try!


I don't make them fancy: there are raw edges inside that fray and the hole that the ribbon comes out is not finished. You can make the look more professional by double rolling the hems (turning them under so there is no raw edge) or by using a serger. 

Start by getting some inexpensive holiday fabric (make sure its thick enough you can't see through it easily). 1 yard will yield 2-4 bags, depending on what size you want them to be.

1. Cut the fabric into a rectangle (so that when its folded, it is the end size you would like). Plan to have the fold on one SIDE of the bag.

2. Fold the long edge (what will be the top of the bag) over about 4" towards the wrong side of the fabric. Sew along the inside edge.

3. Sew another seam about 1" away from your initial seam (making a casing for the ribbon)

4. Fold the rectangle (right sides together) to make the bag shape, with the folded 4" hem along the top.
5. Sew around the 2 sides of the bag, making sure to sew up to the ribbon casing, backstitch and cut the thread. Then start again on the the other side of the casing and continuing around the sides. 

6. When you reach the first corner, stop the needle while its IN the fabric, lift the presser foot, and turn the fabric so you make a nice sharp 90 degree turn.

7. (OPTIONAL) When making a larger bag, I like to add bottom gussets. This allows more room for the item to sit in the bag and makes a cleaner presentation. It is completely optional though!
     7a. To make the gusset, pull the bottom corner away from itself by using both hands, and pinch it so it is folded back on itself.

     7b. Press it flat, and then sew a seam perpendicular to the original bottom seam. 

     7c. Trim away the excess

     7d. Repeat on the other bottom corner, trying to match the distance of your seam to your first one.    
     7e. You wind up with the bottom of the bag looking like this when turned right side out:

8. Turn the bag right side out, and hook a saftey pin to the end of your ribbon, and start to feed it through one of the ribbon casing openings. 

9. Push the safety pin along, scrunching up the fabric around it, then pulling it through more as you go. When you get out the other side, remove the safety pin and tie your two ribbon ends together to prevent them from pulling back through at some point. Then, pull the ribbon through the hole so that it is accessible from the outside of the bag.

10. Voila! Hand out your gift in ECO-STYLE and be proud of yourself!

Notes:

• You can also just put a straight 1" hem at the top of your bag and feed the ribbon through. I like to add the extra fabric at the top so that when you cinch the bag closed it has a fluffy top, like this: 

• You can also make a bag so that the ribbon comes out both sides of the bag. To do this, plan to fold your fabric so the fold is at the bottom of the bag instead. Make two 4" hems on the ends of your rectangle, fold in half so they come together and feed the ribbon through each side separately.

• I like using grosgrain ribbon because you can singe the ends with a lighter (carefully!) and it will melt them so they don't fray. Don't hold the lighter there too long or the ends will turn black. 
• My next venture is to figure out some sort of semi-permanent tag design so that each year I don't have to make up new hang tags.