CatBird Baby

Burp Cloths

2009-04-23T14:30:00.001-07:00

We made these cute little burp cloths from some of the many piles of scrap fabrics that we have and never know quite what to do with. They are 100% cotton wavy white chenille on one side and 100% cotton designer prints on the other (some oldies but goodies!). Contemplating making more, and doing this with all mei tai scraps in the future. For now, though, we're giving this set away! Sign up for our mailing list between now and May 2 and you're entered into the drawing. Get one more entry for spreading the word on twitter (we're @catbirdbaby). To sign up for the mailing list, send via email (info@catbirdbaby.com) your email address and first name, as well as city and state. If you tweet it, link to your tweet for the extra entry (tweet as many times as you like, but only one extra entry!).

Retail posters arrived

2009-04-13T14:11:00.000-07:00

Just got new posters done to send to brick-and-mortar stores to display if they would like, with newly redone logo.

Win 3 nights at the Chicago Sheraton

2009-04-10T19:53:00.000-07:00

Z Recommends is having a drawing for 3 nights at the Sheraton Chicago in July during the BlogHer conference (being hosted at the hotel). While I am not attending the conference, I would really love a free luxury hotel stay downtown with my husband while someone fabulous (Nana? Papa?) watches my kids. I'm sure you would love that, too. http://tinyurl.com/blogherhotel

Hazards of working around children

2009-03-12T12:31:00.000-07:00

A new decorating scheme for vendors' wholesale files, courtesy Matthew, age 2.

Vote for us in the Start Up Nation Leading Moms in Business Competition!

2009-02-20T11:15:00.001-08:00

Vote for Catbird Baby in the Start-Up Nation Leading Moms in Business Competition! Click through on the image to vote (up to once per day through March 31, 2009). Thanks!

Twill vs. Canvas

2009-01-26T09:35:00.000-08:00

We often get questions about whether a customer should purchase a carrier made of twill or canvas. Usually their concern is which will wear better or be sturdier. Twill and canvas are just different weaves; the key to determining how "sturdy" a fabric will be is more its weight. A canvas that is 8 oz. will wear about the same as a twill that is 8 oz. so you should probably just choose based on your style preferences. Most twill or canvas used to make mei tais or SSCs will be at the very least 8 oz and up to probably 12-14 oz. (lighter for mei tais, heavier for SSCs).

Long-overdue Update

2008-11-26T07:07:00.000-08:00

We've let the blog slide this fall. Things have been tremendously busy. We imported our first large shipment of pikkolos from Estonia and have been so happy to have so many carriers on hand for a change! The photo here shows one of the new ones with the modified sleeping hood in action. It is also being worn with our Babywearing Support Belt, which is our new accessory for use with the pikkolo or with a mei tai and we're happy to say it is patent-pending! It is a little difficult to see in the photo, as the carrier bottom itself is black and so is the belt, but it is a padded hip belt that you add to the pikkolo or your (straight-waist) mei tai to make it more like a soft structured carrier. It can really help with weight distribution to the hips and thighs with heavy babies or toddlers (probably around 20-25 lbs.).

We attended ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas in September for the second year in a row and are signed up to attend in 2009 as well.

Our fleece carrier covers have really taken off this year, as well, and we are scrambling to keep up with production on these. We debuted these in 2005, when the carrier market was much different and the thought of alternative carriers like mei tais, pouches, or ring slings in big-box stores was crazy. Things have changed so much in three years, and as wide-base carriers like mei tais and SSCs gain a strong foothold among parents, the need for carrier covers designed to accommodate this width is huge. We're so happy, as this will enable us to expand our production for the 09/10 season and add an additional line, including a "heavy-duty" version made especially for extremely cold climates.

Linen/Cotton Ring Slings!

2008-07-23T12:53:00.000-07:00

We love this 55/45 linen cotton blend. It is less wrinkly than pure linen, easy to machine wash and very soft (and doesn't shrink!). We wanted to try some great summer ring slings with it and made a few dozen, but we don't have the time to pursue it now. We have black with red trim and black rings and red with black trim and black rings. (Trim meaning a tightly serged edge in contrasting thread color.) The length is 76", width approximately 26.5". Shoulder is folded in half to center and rings floating about 10" back. Easily caps the shoulder and feels lightly padded! Email if you would like one for only $37 shipped domestic or Canada (add $5 for first class shipping to Western Europe; others inquire.)

Our new pikkolo box

2008-06-06T09:25:00.000-07:00

Here is our new packaging for the pikkolo baby carrier. It is a sturdy, white corrugated box with graphics on front and back. On front a small corner cut-out allows the customer to see the fabric of the carrier without removing it from the box or unfolding it. Both sides are printed in orange with our logo and website address. Inside is the instruction booklet, carrier, and chestbelt. It is stackable or may hang from the handle.

Look how compact our mei tai is!

2008-06-06T09:23:00.000-07:00

Our mei tai quickly folded up, sitting next to a 3"x5" postcard, shows how easy it is to stuff the carrier into a diaper bag and go.

Jeers (sadly, no cheers)

2008-05-14T21:28:00.000-07:00

Lately it seems like every time I turn around someone is breaking my stuff, providing bad service, misleading me and apparently it's my fault. There's nothing I can do about it and really, I should have known better in the first place. When I moved into my office, the movers (who flitted around like Super Mario Bros. on crack, except for Turtle--who was the exact opposite, so slooow) broke my Juki (industrial sewing machine). They cracked the handwheel and take-up lever and it cost $188 to fix it. The whole damn machine cost me $350 secondhand, but in pristine 6-months-new condition; to buy a new one would cost $625. The moving company (E-Z MOVERS in Skokie) offered me $30 based on a valuation of $.30 per pound per article. You have to sign this statement agreeing to this limit of liability at the start of the move. It says "I was presented with the option to purchase additional insurance." I was not, and no, I didn't really pay attention to all this at the time. So, yeah, legally, I don't have a leg to stand on. But it is really frustrating that they broke the one item that I asked them to be careful with. They could have broken many other things and I wouldn't have cared so much. So, cross E-Z MOVERS in Skokie off my list of companies that are a pleasure to deal with. Next up, Yellow Freight. The preferred freight provider for Baby Celebration LA. Very nice when I first call to set up the pick-up of two pallets going to LA for this show. Not nearly as helpful when I call on the second day that no one has come to pick up the pallets and am informed that "pick-ups aren't guaranteed" and that now that two days have gone by, I will need to "upgrade to definite delivery" to ensure arrival on time. Then on the return, I get assessed a fee for not being there when they randomly show up to deliver. Um, I'm not a huge company with a shipping/receiving department; I told them to call my cell phone in advance of delivery. At least give me a day. So, basically, when they are picking up, nothing is guaranteed and you sit around waiting for them for 3 days. When they deliver to you, you better be there, or they will charge you extra money. And shovel attitude at you all day long when you bring up these facts. Lastly, UPS. If John the UPS driver would just come back from Belize (John, why did you quit??? Oh yeah, you're in Belize.) then all would be fine. But since John left, we haven't seen the same guy twice and usually we don't see anyone at all. Must be a ghost driver without the ability to hold solid matter in its hands, because he leaves the packages here for days on end. The beauty of daily pick-up is someone just comes and whisks away your package. And you pay for that beauty, so give me my money back. "Oh, we have to wait till blah blah blah, then call me back with the tracking blah, and we can submit a blah blah." Just refund my pick-up fee and upgrade my Ground packages that were supposed to go out Friday to overnight.

Our new office

2008-04-10T11:01:00.001-07:00

Not completely cleaned or organized yet, but getting there.

2008-04-10T10:43:00.000-07:00

Pikkolo positioning tutorial

2008-03-31T15:10:00.001-07:00

The black line on the photograph shows that the baby's bum is at or above that line, not properly seated in the carrier. This means the carrier won't come up as high on the back/front of child and will not feel as comfortable as possible for either of you. This "air space" of fabric beneath the bum needs to filled up by having the baby seated in that space. When properly seated the carrier fabric will be rounded out by being filled up with baby's bum. (See photos below for tips on getting this position and what it looks like.)

Proper positioning in pikkolo

2008-03-31T15:08:00.001-07:00

Demonstration of placing hands beneath child's thighs to smooth out fabric and make sure child is well-seated in carrier.

Proper positioning in pikkolo

2008-03-31T15:05:00.001-07:00

Demonstration of using hands to tug up gently on carrier sides above child's thighs and below buckles to make sure he is seated properly in carrier.

Proper positioning in pikkolo

2008-03-31T15:03:00.001-07:00

Proper seated position, fabric spread out from knee to knee and supporting child's bum.

New Digs

2008-03-30T20:59:00.001-07:00

Here is a photo of the outside of our new office. We have a 1300 sq. ft. space on the second floor. It's in an area of Chicago called the Kinzie Industrial Corridor. I would show you a picture of the inside but it's still too crazy/messy to take photos. Must get it organized and pretty! As we're off to LA in less than two weeks for Baby Celebration I'm not sure how soon that will happen, but we'll see.

In other news, an update on our progress with various projects:

we have begun ordering materials for our largest-yet purchase order of pikkolo carriers
we selected 5 new prints for pikkolos, and will have 2-3 additional solid choices
we're looking for environmentally friendly fabric options for pikkolo, possibly organic, bamboo, or bamboo blends for a possible future line
we are planning on many new mei tai prints, most likely available in May-June
we've got the new pikkolo box in the works; art approved, box printing plate and die being made

and, of course, many more items on our ever-lengtening to-do list!

Pikkolo wearing tips

2008-02-01T08:10:00.000-08:00

Based on some comments we've received, I wanted to post a few wearing tips to get the best fit from your pikkolo baby carrier. The waist webbing is meant to go around your natural waist, or even above. If you are used to wearing buckle carriers such as Ergo or Beco lower on your hips, you may be putting the pikkolo on too low. Wearing it above your natural waist will shorten the body and bring the baby higher, so it usually works best for small babies and babies who want to face out (to give them more room to see out). Otherwise, wearing at the natural waist is the intended position.

Also, make sure that your baby's bum is seated deeply into the carrier. If there is "pouching" or rumpled fabric in the area of the baby's bum, then take the straps down, make sure baby's legs are spread as wide as comfortable, smoothing fabric of carrier body out horizontally and bring out and up as you start to bring the shoulder straps up over your shoulders. You may even want to hold both shoulder straps and give a little bounce to get the baby in deeply.

For reference, you may see the photo below of our coming soon khaki carrier. You can see that this 12-month boy who is 30" tall has the carrier coming up to base of the neck. As always, if you have wearing questions, please feel free to contact CatBird Baby.

Khaki/Olive pikkolo

2008-01-29T17:33:00.001-08:00

The khaki/olive pikkolo is coming soon. We're just getting them in and shipping out to retailers. For reference on the body height, the baby in the picture is 12 months, and about 30" tall.

A shout-out to Brooklyn

2007-11-07T09:44:00.000-08:00

Apparently, someone in Brooklyn bought a fleece mei tai cover and told all their friends. The orders for fleece covers having been pouring in from Brooklyn for several days now. So thank you, Brooklyn, and stay warm! If one of you sees this and sends me your picture wearing it, I'll post it here.

CatBird Baby Cover Up

2007-10-14T17:12:00.000-07:00

Our fleece baby carrier covers are back and even a few dollars less than last year! Made from snuggly Malden Mills fleece (200 weight on the outside and 100 weight on inside and pocket). Gently elasticized foot pocket, and it snaps onto the straps of most mei tais or SSCs.

RIP Tundra

2007-09-13T07:37:00.000-07:00

Tundra, thank you for coming to Las Vegas with me. I'm sorry we had to leave you there. You definitely made the booth classier, but frankly you were too heavy to bring home. It was a pain in the ass getting you to Vegas, and we probably would have paid as much as you originally cost to send home, so we had to cut our losses and leave you behind. I hope the Teamsters were gentle when putting you in the dumpster. Besides, now we know about the squishy foam mats that look like hardwood flooring.

Our booth at the ABC Kids Expo in Las Vegas

2007-09-13T07:35:00.000-07:00

Square Deal pikkolo

2007-08-27T21:58:00.001-07:00

Square Deal pikkolo

2007-08-22T15:04:00.001-07:00

I don't have the sample yet, but this is the fabric on the final pikkolo. Black with black piping.

Detail of cinch feature on pikkolo

2007-08-22T14:36:00.001-07:00

This photo shows the cinching mechanism on pikkolo. This enables you to scrunch your pikkolo to approximately 7-8" for smaller babies or FFO (front facing out).

Detail on pikkolo

2007-08-22T14:35:00.001-07:00

Detail photo shows the grosgrain piping on pikkolo's curved panel.

Spa p with hood attached and down

2007-08-22T14:34:00.001-07:00

Spa pikkolo (with hood attached)

2007-08-22T14:33:00.001-07:00

Metro Black pikkolo

2007-08-22T14:31:00.001-07:00

Appletini pikkolo

2007-08-22T14:30:00.001-07:00

Somerset pikkolo

2007-08-22T14:27:00.000-07:00

We decided to change the piping on this one from brown to green. This represents the final version that will be for sale next month.

Production Sample of pikkolo

2007-07-25T12:58:00.001-07:00

Back carry, 24 months old

2007-07-17T14:04:00.001-07:00

Front facing in, 8 months old

2007-07-17T14:01:00.000-07:00

Front facing out in pikkolo, 5.5 months old

2007-07-17T14:00:00.001-07:00

Evelyn and Gabriel (3.5 weeks, about 9-10 lbs.)

2007-07-17T13:54:00.000-07:00

pikkolo hood, 23-month toddler

2007-07-17T13:46:00.000-07:00

pikkolo photo shoot

2007-07-17T13:45:00.001-07:00

2007-05-05T18:18:00.000-07:00

Back straps of Pikkolo crossed in front facing in carry (FFI)

2007-05-05T18:17:00.002-07:00

2007-05-05T18:17:00.001-07:00

2007-05-05T18:16:00.000-07:00

2007-05-05T18:15:00.000-07:00

2007-05-05T18:14:00.000-07:00

3-month baby in Pikkolo

2007-05-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

2007-05-05T18:12:00.000-07:00

2007-05-05T18:11:00.002-07:00

Pikkolo by the sea lions

2007-05-05T18:11:00.001-07:00

Pikkolo's sleeping hood

2007-05-05T18:10:00.000-07:00

Another picture of Pikkolo

2007-04-02T21:27:00.000-07:00

Pikkolo, a mei tai-like buckle carrier

2007-04-02T21:25:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of pics of Pikkolo, the buckle carrier that we're developing. We hope to have it out in May.

Matthew in new ring sling design

2007-03-14T14:29:00.000-07:00

New ring sling design

2007-03-14T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the ring sling we'll be adding for summer. It is a linen/rayon blend that is very soft right off the bolt, is machine washable and does not shrink--perfect! It has a wide but easy shoulder with the rings placed about 10" down, so the shoulder cap stays spread out. Haven't decided yet if they will be plain or with simple Velcro-closure pockets.

Retail Packaging

2006-11-09T08:48:00.000-08:00

Here's a photo of my packaging, shot so nicely by Doubletake Design for their portfolio.

Postcards

2006-08-29T16:11:00.000-07:00

2006-08-29T15:35:00.000-07:00

2006-08-24T15:24:00.000-07:00

Here are a few images of CatBird Baby fleece covers from last winter. I'm working on getting these made and ready for sale for early October. I'm either trying to drum up pictures from last year or do some staged photos (in sweltering heat, not sure how to swing that one) for a packaging insert.

2006-08-06T20:53:00.000-07:00

Here is a photo of one of the new fabrics that I have to load onto the shop pages. This one is called Paloma. Be By Baby has some of these, but I haven't gotten them up on the site yet as my whole computer/photo set up is still so screwed up from the move (this 100-year-old house doesn't have enough phone lines, that's for sure). The other two fabrics are Little Windows and Mocca. Hoping to get them up asap.

Blankerchiefs

2006-07-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Here's a picture of what I have dubbed the Blankerchief. It's a blankie that measures a little less than 12" x 12" and is meant to be a portable blankie. Annika always wants to carry this enormous blanket with her that drags on the ground and it was driving me nuts. Of course, she still wants to, but I am making up a bunch of these to take to Renegade, and if they seem popular, I will add them to my site. One side is Minkee and the other is Michael Miller Pop Dots satin.

Be By Baby

2006-07-13T09:21:00.000-07:00

I am happy to announce that Be By Baby, a great store carrying slings, cloth diapers, nursing apparel, and more, is now open in Chicago. They are stocking CatBird Baby mei tais, as part of what is probably the biggest in-store selection of baby slings/carriers in the entire city (if not Illinois). You can also get cloth diapers (like Fuzzi Bunz) here, breast pumps, nursing bras and tops, co-sleeper attachments, toys, and more. They are also offering classes on how to wear slings, how to use the very modern cloth diapers now available, and hosting gatherings in their class space. Visit them at 1654 W. Roscoe, at the corner of Roscoe and Paulina right by the Brown line tracks. 773.404.BABY.

No photo today, but felt an update was needed

2006-06-20T11:09:00.000-07:00

Well, things are in disarray from our recent move. We're out of the too-small condo and in a house where CatBird Baby has its very own rooms (plural!), but settling in and getting organized takes a while. Setting up electronics is something I hate to do and we've had to do a lot of it, with setting up the computers and getting internet working properly. And I just need to figure out a good system for organizing my fabric and stock and setting up the office area. Space was so tight before; it all got stuffed into the tiniest containers possible and put in a closet and trotted out almost every day. Now that there is space to not do this, a system needs to be found for keeping it clean. Not there yet.

The house has space, but needs a fair share of improvements and to be rid of the ghosts of owners past (let's just say, he was a piece of work and the house is happy to be rid of him and to have us), so we have plenty of personal organizing, cleaning, and tinkering to do, as well as setting up the business. (On top of jobs, graduate school, and other assorted stresses.)

But we're looking forward to some lovely new developments: Be By Baby is opening in Chicago's Lakeview neighborhood this week and will carry CatBird Baby mei tais and we're waiting on some new carriers being made up right now by a local manufacturer. Hopefully, soon we can post new fabric pics.

Happy Mother's Day

2006-05-13T20:36:00.000-07:00

CatBird Baby is featured in the Mother's Day window display at Wolfbait and B-Girls, in Chicago's Logan Square. The swank model is walking about 8 stuffed dogs, and her hands are free to do that thanks to a CatBird Baby mei tai.

Crafty Synergy

2006-05-10T21:20:00.000-07:00

A plug here for Crafty Synergy who is featuring CatBird Baby today (May 10). It's a great blog that interviews a designer/artist/business owner each week about their work. I'm very honored to be featured this week!

Third time's a charm for photo shoot

2006-05-06T14:11:00.000-07:00

We had a photo shoot planned first in late March, but late March outside (by the lake no less) and babies don't mix, so we waited till late April. Then the day we picked happened to be the only crappy day out of a string of unseasonably warm and sunny days. So, the third time was a charm and even though the Cinco de Mayo shoot was not exactly sunny, the light was quite beautiful and the air not too chilly. A million thanks to Robert Knapp, who takes beautiful pictures and to Jenna and Jane, Evelyn and Anais, and Robyn and Antwon and Kennedy.

Made-for-Mei-Tai Moments

2006-05-02T07:19:00.000-07:00

Well, really, any kind of baby carrier would be a lifesaver in these situations, but since I make mei tais and thought Made-for-Mei-Tai Moments sounded snappy, I’m going with that. Feel free to add your own!

1. grocery shopping: hard to push a stroller and a grocery cart at the same time, for when baby is too little to sit up in the cart, no room for groceries after putting the infant car seat in the grocery cart
2. taking public transportation: my mom tells me that this is only for city parents. But I’m sure even those who live where there is no mass transit can either empathize or will be vacationing in a large city at some point, and there are two things that don’t mix well, and that’s strollers and stairs leading to dark, subterranean tunnels (or, leading up to elevated lines, with people jostling you as they go up and down).
3. vacuuming: my daughter still looks at the vacuum suspiciously even at nearly 3 years old, so the only way I kept my floors marginally clean was to sling her while vacuuming.
4. The quickie: not that kind, but the quick trip into a store (just running in to get milk, toilet paper, triple-shot large latte now please!) that is made three times as long if one has to get a stroller out of the trunk, set it up, get baby out, go in, navigate, return, and do the reverse.
5. Small store navigation: at neighborhood convenience stores and cute boutiques, we all know the aisles were definitely not made with gargantuan strollers in mind.
6. Third floor apartment and the living’s easy: If you are carrying a child in arms while going upstairs to your apartment, you are, by definition, not carrying grocery sacks, dry cleaning, bags of takeout food, or 10-gallon jugs of laundry detergent from Costco—well, at least not easily.
7. Househunting: It’s hellish enough looking at 6 houses in 2-and-a-half hours with child (or two, or three); why should your arms be killing you, too?

The last person in the world to have a blog

2006-04-29T19:50:00.000-07:00

I finally decided to start a CatBird Baby blog. I actually created a personal blog last summer that was supposed to be for posting pictures for family and friends; I think that last picture I posted was in September. This blog will focus more on issues related to running CatBird Baby, being an entrepreneur in general, small businesses, the world of sewn products manufacturing, babywearing in general--so in other words, very focused.