Customs and Made to Orders

Right now, there is NO CURRENT WAITING LIST for made to orders and Customs. However, I have a string of emails and private messages asking about getting one before Teddy’s transplant. I’ve basically said that I’ll have time, but if EVERYONE who has emailed me about it places their actual orders at the same time, there’s almost no chance I’ll get to them all.

SO. If you would DEFINITELY or even PROBABLY like me to make you something custom or made to order BEFORE we shut down again (temporarily) for Teddy’s transplant, please actually reserve your custom spot here.  That will help me organize my time most efficiently and make sure I get to everyone who wants something.

Thanks so much!!

Wrap Conversions

Yes, I do wrap conversions! I don’t do them super often, but I do them, and I enjoy the process.

My conversions are, in keeping with most of my products, pretty basic, with the focus on function and beautiful simplicity. They are not works of art, but they are quite attractive, well-sewn, and also don’t cost you an entire mortgage payment.   If you are looking for a work of art, or you’re looking to spend quite a bit of money on your conversion, there are certainly other places you can go, and I’d definitely encourage you to look around. There are a LOT of people doing wrap conversions now, and many of them make them much fancier than I do.

I’ve been doing conversions since I opened up in 2004. I don’t remember when the first one was, but someone asked if I could make a wrap into a ring sling for them and I didn’t think it was any big deal. I’ve done a few a year, both ring slings and mei tais, since then. I’ve always just considered them another facet of the custom sewing I do. (I’ve also converted curtains, tablecloths, old clothes, and sheet sets into carriers and diapers… it’s all just fabric.) I never thought of “wrap conversions” as anything particularly special.

Then I closed up for the better part of a year during Teddy’s first year as we dealt with his complex little life, and when I reopened in 2013, suddenly Wrap Conversions were All The Rage and so I feel compelled to make a bigger deal out of them, as well.

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Ring Sling

I can convert your wrap to a ring sling (you can choose aluminum or nylon rings, and you can choose color if you prefer, or I’ll choose a color if you prefer). Depending on your size and how much of a tail you want on your sling, you can get away with a wrap that’s only 2 yards (72 inches) long, but if you’re bigger and/or want more of a tail, you might want at 2.5 or 3 yards (90-108 inches). I can keep your scraps, or send your scraps back to you. The cost is $20 per ring sling.

If you have a very long wrap, such as a 6-7 yard wrap, you can always have it made into a ring sling and a shorty wrap for no extra cost, or two ring slings for $20 per sling.

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Mei Tai

I can also convert your wrap to a Mei Tai. My wrap conversion mei tais typically have the same basic shape as my regular mei tais – rectangular body, straight waist straps. I can make a contoured body if you prefer. I can make narrow (1/4 the width of the wrap OR 5 inches ish) straps, with or without padding, or wide straps (1/2 the width of the wrap) that join the body in pleats or gathers. At your request, I can add a layer of bottomweight material inside the body of the carrier. I can add a hood and/or a pocket if there’s enough material. I can add a little zip pouch that snaps around the straps, a fabric loop to hold keys or toys, or make a fancy (hoodie or pixie) hood. If you have enough wrap material, the sky’s the limit. I make my conversion MTs reversible, just like all of my other MTs are reversible, though they will look the same inside and out.

It takes about 130 inches minimum to make a wrap conversion (about 3.75 yards) without any extras like a hood or a pocket. We can convert shorter wraps, but you give up length on the straps.

The cost for a Mei Tai conversion depends on what options you want to a certain extent. The average cost is $70-$80.

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Onbu, Podegi, or Shortening

I can also convert your wrap to an Onbu or Podegi (average cost $70). Required length will depend on what you want, but will be similar to the Mei Tai requirements.

Or is your wrap just too long? Happy to shorten it. Cost is usually about $10. Is your wrap too short? I can have my fabric fairies weave you additional length for $1 million. (ok, I’m just kidding. You cannot make a wrap longer.)

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Interested in having me convert a wrap for you? Just shoot me an email and we can discuss! sarah @ wallypop . net

Please note, I do not provide wraps for conversions.

May 9 transplant date

Alright, Teddy has a date for his transplant. May 9! (if you haven’t been following us for long, my 1 year old Teddy was born with renal failure and we’ve been waiting for him to grow big enough to receive a kidney transplant. He’s reached his goal weight and has ALMOST achieved his other goals.)

We’ll be in Iowa City for at least a week after the surgery, if everything goes well, but the weeks following will be crazy with driving back and forth to the hospital, driving to our local hospital for labs, and avoiding contact with other humans as much as possible.

I’m planning to close up on May 1 to give me a fortnight to focus on getting ready. (In reality, I’ll probably be so nervous, I’ll end up doing a lot of sewing.) At this time, I have no idea how long we’ll be closed, but I HOPE it’s not more than a month. You must know, however, that while reopening Wallypop IS a priority, it’s not my FIRST priority.

I’m already starting to get filled up with made to order requests (the list on the website is horrifically out of date, I’m sorry) in advance of our closed time, so if you wanted something made to order – a custom MT, a wrap conversion, a narrow-body podegi, or whatever else you had in mind – sign up now so you’re sure to get it before May.

Last, if you feel like you want to help out in some way, my dear friend Abby is coordinating things like meals (obviously for local folks) – you can contact her through Teddy’s Facebook page – and Teddy’s fundraising page is at National Foundation for Transplants.  We’re hoping to help out our donor’s family, as well. A very giving and completely awesome fellow mom from my community is going to be Teddy’s donor.  As always, you can follow Teddy’s journey at his blog, Our Teddy Bear’s Journey.

All About: Reusable Cycle Pads

Since I just restocked Cycle Pads last week, here’s a fascinating, fact-filled look at one of our best-selling products that bring some comfort to “that time of the month.”

The basic Cycle Pads (regular size and liner size) have two layers of flannel – one layer next to you, and one layer hidden inside. Why flannel? It’s soft, it’s absorbent, and it wears well. We also make hemp pads, and some bamboo pads from time to time (though not as a general rule – I have issues with bamboo), as both fabrics are soft and absorbent as well.

I’ve made them special order with microfleece or suedecloth on the top, but have decided not to inventory them this way for one main reason – I personally don’t like them. I think they feel too fuzzy. Like I’ve stuffed a bearskin rug in my pants.  And the microfleece just adds bulk without much benefit. I don’t find them to be more “dry” feeling than flannel, which I think is a function of the viscosity of the liquid they’re being asked to handle. Microfleece works great in diapers, where it’s asked to transfer a very thin liquid. That’s not directly transferrable to Cycle Pads. *ahem* alright.

In between those layers of flannel, you’ll find cotton sherpa, enough to be absorbent but not so much that it’s bulky. The underneath side of most of our pads is cotton PUL to make them waterproof and leak proof. We do offer liner pads without this layer of PUL for those who prefer not to have any man-made fibers in their pads, and we can make the Regular size without PUL as a custom order.

Why cotton PUL? (vs the polyester PUL that you find on most – but not all – pocket diapers, AIOs, and covers) Because cotton PUL is grippy. Polyester is pretty slippery. Cotton is grippy. That grippy cotton is what keeps the pad in place – along with the convenient, easy-to-use, non-scratch snap.

People sometimes ask if this PUL makes them hot or sweaty. The answer is no. Particularly when comparing them to plastic and paper pads. Seriously. I hadn’t worn disposable pads for 10 years or more when I found myself having to use them when Teddy was in the NICU and washing reusable pads just wasn’t a practical option. I had managed to forget how itchy and hot and sweaty and just all-around uncomfortable they are! Wow! If you’ve never worn cloth pads, you owe it to yourself – and to your girly bits – to try just one.

For some reason, the most confusing thing about Cycle Pads seems to be the sizing. Regular pads are, well, “regular.” They’re for “regular” days. You could call them Maxi Pads if that’s more comfortable terminology. Liner pads are just like pantiliners – they’re for lighter days. Or for, you know, when you’re pregnant and you have the sneezes.

We just inventory Regular and Liner sizes, but extra long and extra absorbent pads are available via special order if you need them.

Wondering how to use cloth pads? We have an excellent discussion right here.

So there you have it. Everything you wanted to know but were afraid to ask about Cycle Pads.

Will my cloth diapers leak?

This is a question I am asked often. “I’m going to switch to (or start with) cloth diapers and I want something that doesn’t leak. What type of cover should I get?”

Let’s start with this: Cloth diapers should not leak. If you are experiencing leaking, you are experiencing a problem. (There are, however, some situations where some wicking or dampness is normal. More on that later.)

MOST leaking can actually be traced back to the diaper, not the cover. The cover’s function is simply to provide a barrier between the wet diaper and the clothes. Once a diaper is completely saturated, or if a diaper isn’t absorbing, the extra liquid is going to have to go somewhere, and the cover can’t prevent that. So if you’re having leaking, start by looking at the diaper.

• Have you washed them? Some diaper materials and some diaper brands need to be washed 1-3 or more times before use to attain full absorbency. Check with the manufacturer of your diapers. It’s always a good idea to wash any diaper before use, just to make sure any dirt from the manufacturing and shipping process has been removed.
• Does the diaper fit right? The elastic around the legs and waist should fit snugly against baby’s skin without cutting in. Gaps will allow urine to run right out, particularly around the legs. Diapers that are too small or too big will tend to leak.
• Is the diaper completely saturated? This is an indication that it is not absorbent enough for your needs (or that you’re not changing often enough).
• Is the diaper repelling? To check, take a clean, dry diaper and pour some water on it. Does the water soak in, or does it bead up and run off? If it beads and runs off, that’s repelling. See Stripping Diapers.
• Is the cover a good cover? Covers tend to wear out more quickly than diapers, and many covers that are purchased second-hand or given as hand-me-downs are at or near the end of their life span. Old covers sometimes just leak and there’s nothing to be done. Sometimes, you can revive an older cover by giving it a good spraying with a waterproofing spray (sold in sporting goods stores for tents).
• Is it a pocket or an all in one? Try running it through the dryer. Needle holes in these diapers can open up over time, causing wicking and leaking. Drying will help seal those holes back up.
• Have you overstuffed your pocket diaper? Overstuffing can actually cause the diaper to fit very oddly – the center of the diaper will be firmly against baby’s bottom, but the leg openings will be kind of hovering just above baby’s legs. This means that urine will tend to run down the baby’s legs and out the diaper.
• And a simple thing: Is the diaper completely inside the cover?

 

Are you experiencing wicking or dampness? Sometimes with fleece covers, if they’re pressed into clothes or pajamas, or a tight carseat strap, can experience compression wicking. This means that there might be some dampness on the outside of the cover in these situations that is to be expected. (Note: that doesn’t mean they WILL wick in these situations. Just that they might.)

Wool covers also function slightly differently than PUL covers do. Wool WILL feel damp on the outside with a completely saturated diaper. This is how wool works – it absorbs some of the moisture from the diaper, and pulls it to the air to evaporate.

 

Cloth diapers SHOULD NOT leak. If your diapers are leaking… that’s a problem that needs to be solved, not something you need to learn to live with, or a reason to switch to disposables.

 

Current Situation At Wallypop

Our son, who is 1, was born with Chronic Kidney Disease Stage 5, otherwise called Kidney Failure. He’s had a tough go of it since birth. You can read more about his journey here. Our hospital is 2 hours away from home, and I stay with him the whole time he’s hospitalized.

He was scheduled to receive his first kidney transplant on May 9, but the surgery was cancelled at the last minute (about 15 hours before the surgery was scheduled to begin) due to some troubling lab results. We’re currently waiting to find out what the game plan is from here.

I process orders once a week, and ship on Friday or Monday. I try to check email as often as I can, but I’m not usually able to check it daily right now. I ask for your patience with our family. Thanks!

It is not a bother!

“I know you’re so busy…”

Let’s get this out of the way. Yeah, I am busy. More so now. Life is crazy and unpredictable. Teddy needs a lot more time and attention than most 1 year olds.

However, I would not be open if I didn’t have time to take care of my customers. Also, not to be wierd, but we could use the income from Wallypop, which is not a hobby, but a legitimate business and an essential part of our family budget.

So, yes, I am busy. But I am also capable of taking care of business, and capable of saying no if needed. So please don’t feel like you can’t ask me to get, pack up, make, or do something for you.

Changes made at Wallypop Diapering

As you know, things are changing around here. We’re planning to open back up on January 7, but you’ll find a slightly different Wallypop.

At Wallypop Diapering, like at Wallypop Babywearing, the main changes are related to our product line-up.

First, Naturally Luxe is out of business, so once we sell through all of our lanolin products, they’re gone. We’re sort of lucky (or you’re sort of lucky) that we’ve been mostly closed since they closed down, so we’ve still got quite a bit of inventory here.

I’ve cut out All in One diapers. I hate them. I just do not like All in Ones as a general rule, and I never have. I stink at selling them because of this. I also don’t enjoy making them. So, when I was looking to cut down on the number of products I offer, AIOs were an obvious choice.

Less obvious, Woolies Longies and Shorties. These are our Recycled Wool pants and shorts. In my current life, I don’t have time to shower daily, let alone load up all three kids and take them to Goodwill to look for secondhand sweaters. It breaks my heart, since the Longies and Shorties were among my first products, and they are some of my strongest sellers, but they have to go, at least for now.

Along those lines, Namies Woolies are on clearance and won’t be restocked. These were knit by my mom before she died, and are stored in the same box as the Longies and Shorties, so if they’re going, the Woolies will go, too.

Prefolds won’t be restocked when I sell through my current inventory. They’ve been more and more challenging to import the last 2 years, and at the present time, I just don’t feel like investing the time and effort to keep them in stock.

Basic Covers have been pulled, as well. Those are a CPSIA violation. (The PUL on the inside of the covers is exposed and is not an exempt fiber, so I’d have to have it lab tested. Not worth the expense or effort.)

I believe that’s it for product changes.

Changes Made at Wallypop Babywearing

As you know, things are changing around here. We’re planning to open back up on January 7, but you’ll find a slightly different Wallypop.

At Wallypop Babywearing, the main changes are with our product lineup.

I’m no longer going to be making Fleece or Cotton Pouches or Versa Carry Wraps.

It’s funny how much babywearing has changed since I started. 8 years ago, pouches were The Carrier Of Choice. Only a very few of us wore wraps, and the super padded Over The Shoulder Baby Holder type slings were quite popular. Pouches were all the rage. Today’s babywearer is generally a bit more adventurous, more willing to try out a wrap, less likely to be intimidated by one. Pouches aren’t as popular. But they are bulky, so they eat up a lot of space on my shelves. They’re also sized, so maintaining a nice variety of sizes and prints is more of a challenge than with the nonsized products.

I will still absolutely be making pouches Made to Order or Custom, so if you have your heart set on one of our awesome pouches, don’t fret!

I’ve decided to cut out the Versa Carry wraps mainly because it’s getting hard to find fabric for them. However, if you find fabric that you love and want it made into a wrap, I am happy to do that for you. In the meantime, we still carry the Wrapsody brand wraps, which are completely awesome wraps at a much more affordable price than the ridiculously-priced wraps that are out there, and are beautiful to boot. I’m also tentatively working on a new type of wrap carrier.

I’ve got all of our remaining inventory of pouches and VersaCarry wraps on clearance.

Changes Made To WP Living

Alrighty. If you read my first post of this series, you know some things are changing.

At WP Living, the main change is that I’m cutting out some products – Produce Bags and the Every Day Napkins. I sell plenty of both, but they’re small items that are hard to make a profit on. The produce bags are difficult to sew and have gotten much easier to find since I started selling them a number of years ago. The Napkins, likewise, are common in Box stores these days, and I’m also finding that more and more people want fun prints or colors to coordinate with their house, and I just don’t have the space to inventory a wide variety of colors of napkins.

We’re going to continue to offer Little Leg Warmers, but I probably won’t have many in stock for a while.