My Bernina is back!

It's like a brand new machine! Excepting that it's actually quite vintage, it's running smoother than ever. Before I dove into my major wrap conversion project, I did a quick recycle t-shirt into bamboo lined, side snap, fitted diaper. I forgot to give the Lastin a little more clearance on the legs (which would make a cute little ruffle around the edge). Opps. It's still works, just not as cute. While the boys bathed I used my little snap pliers to add snaps to the diaper and the suck pads for my new soft structured wrap conversion carrier... which is a one-of-a-kind (Ooak).

Recently, I went through my oversized diaper stash to decided to cull the herd. I could literally diaper triplets at any age! I plucked out diapers I hadn't even used for the last baby and some I decided I wouldn't be using for the next, and began listing them for sell on a diaper trading site linked on Facebook. First I sold things in smaller, but like groupings and lost a lot of money on shipping cost. Some of the packages I shipped cost me more than I had charged total. To keep things simple I included shipping in all my listings, making many of them practically free for shipping (or in some cases it didn't even cover that). So I decided to make even more cuts and listed some or my more prized items, like all my newborn kissaluvs, and most of what remained of my Clover collection...neither of which have seen much use since child number 4... as 5 was too crabby to let me do anything and I turned to disposables for a good amount of time. Then 6 had health issues that caused me to stop using cloth for a considerable time. So honestly, I thought it was prudent to pass them along. Still not wanting to just "give them away" I listed them for a price I felt was fair, but not quite a bargain. If they didn't sell, it wasn't going to break my heart, because they were still good and I "might" still use them. Perhaps they would be the perfect diaper for number 7? 

Anyway, despite my best efforts, nobody left any feedback, though some would e-mail me privately and indicate that they'd received their packages. It didn't bother me, till I had one gall contact me over my Clover diapers. She didn't like my price, wanted me to come down. I really just wanted to pass on her since she seemed to be very nit picky, and I just had a feeling she wasn't going to be happy with them.  I disclosed they were used. How old they were, and that they were indeed stained, though in my opinion still useable and elastic in good condition (because they're adjustable, the diaper will fall apart long before that elastic will be totally useless. I posted pictures inside and out, and hid nothing. I even sent a long letter describing my washing and household allergens for the entire lifespan of the diapers.  Still, she insisted, and insisted again she wanted them. I even knocked the price down when my washing machine needed to replaced and (it forced me to just let them go). So I sold them to her, shipped them off, and got on with life. A couple days after they were scheduled to have arrived, she writes to tell me how disappointed she is and wants a full refund, ect. I just had a feeling she was going to do that.  But how do you turn down a buyer...just cause you have a feeling they're going to come back and bite you in the butt? You really can't and not be decried as unethical or unfair or something. You can't say, "I just have a feeling you're going to be a pain in the..."

Seriously, they're just diapers, and if I don't use them I'm going to give them away to either a cloth diaper charity or see if one of my friends wants them.

The whole experience has caused me to think about all of my sewing and knitting projects in terms of my goals. While it's kind of exciting to think about maybe going back into business and making things for folks. I enjoy making things that I KNOW folks will want and will enjoy. However, I'm not thick skinned enough to digest the critics. And frankly, I've noticed that even truly awesome products receive a lot of hate from some folks. And sometimes these select few are down right mean and try to actually harm the seller/ maker. Very little credit is given to the time and energy the maker spends and puts into their product. It's usually so much more complicated than anyone realizes. And well... I could wax on and on about this all day.

For now I'm just making my wrap conversions because I'm curious. I want to know how it's done. Like a kid and a toaster, I want to take it apart and see how it works :) I don't know how many times I've read someone comment, "Oh I wish (said carrier maker) would make a wrap conversion," or "I wish they still made their straps puffy like they used to," or see them clamor for certain fabrics and such. I like seeing the various wrap conversions out there right now, and look to see innovations and hear what folks find comfortable. And of course I like trying to figure out ways to have it all in one carrier. I've done this with knitting, diapers, clothes, and many things. Usually, I do not churn out the perfect replica nor the new improved model. My stitches aren't perfect (my machine can only do so much) and I'm only so patient. I'm human and I have limitations. However, I'm going to keep trying. I'll enjoy my successes and learn from my mistakes, which is always better than never trying at all.

So with this second wrap conversion I learned that a bamboo cotton blend Ellevill is a very scrumptious and silky soft fabric. It has a bit of stretch to it which makes it very comfortable in the body and arm straps of the carrier. However, as a waist belt, it's a bit too stretchy and doesn't hold the firm foam padding in place nearly as well as the silk cotton Natibaby wrap (which was significantly thicker). I think that a quilted waist belt might have looked and functioned a lot better with this wrap. For this wrap I changed a few things.
1. Moved the arm strap buckles so that the buckle will stay on the padding even when the straps are adjusted. Sure they're one way adjust, but I like this better and find it easier if trying a side hip carry or crossing the straps.
2. The chest belt strap are sew with the webbing folds under, reversed from what I did with the last carrier, as it just looks nicer.
3. The hood has one seam, almost in the center of the inside (again my sewing is very human, sometimes things come out a little off center and I'm not going to rip out the seam in fear of destroying the fabric along with it). And I decided to add a little strip of lastin at the top sides of the hood to give it a little contour. Lastin is very stretchy and soft!