Brand: Weave Me a Sheep
Type: Avalon
Blend: 100% organic cotton
Size: 3.8m
This beautiful handwoven wrap is visiting us for a week or so. It is woven by a newcomer to the handwoven wrap scene, my lovely friend Helen from Weave Me Sheep. This is one of her first woven wraps, and was created for a competition in a Facebook group. The design takes inspiration from Glastonbury Tor.
I was really intrigued to try this wrap, and was very excited when a friend passed it onto me at a sling meet last week. The first thing that struck me was that this didn't look like the work of a novice. It is beautifully woven, and I'm really impressed with how perfect it is! The the edges are amazingly straight, and I haven't spotted any flaws in the weave. In hand, Avalon is soft and floppy, with some stretch to it.
I've played with it quite extensively over the last few days and have tried front, back and hip carries, in both single and double layers. Overall, I prefer it in a double layer carry with my huge 2 year old, but it would definitely be supportive enough in a single-layer with a smaller child. I've found it easy to wrap with, and easy to pull the passes across. I have a personal preference for hemmed edges on a handwoven, as I find it easier to tighten the top rail when I have a hemmed edge to pull across. Avalon is un-hemmed and I always seemed to have a little slack in the top rail (and Joey managed to pop the seat once due to the stretchiness of the bottom rail). However, I know others prefer the edges un-hemmed on a handwoven, so this is really personal preference.
I really adore the colours, and the overall look of the design. I have to admit that I will genuinely feel really sad about sending it on. I hope the next person enjoys it as much as we have! I can confidently say that Weave Me a Sheep is one to watch!
Brand: Diva Milano
Type: Essenza Lilla
Size: 6
Blend: 100% cotton
This beautiful tester wrap is currently travelling around the country, and I was delighted that it was able to stay with me for a couple of weeks. I've never tried a Diva Milano wrap before, so had no prior expectations for this wrap.
My immediate reaction on first seeing the wrap was that is was a very classy pattern and really pretty colour. On first holding the wrap, I was surprised at how robust it felt, especially for 100% cotton. The sophisticated appearance of the wrap made me think that it would be light and delicate to touch, but it is actually a very sturdy cotton, feeling medium-thick, and has a texture which actually reminds me of a hemp blend wrap. Despite having been thoroughly tested by a variety of people before me, it still looks in beautiful condition, with no obvious pulls or flaws.
Having already been to about 5 other people before it arrived here, this wrap is now feeling pretty soft and mouldable, although I understand from previous testers that it was quite beastly to begin with. The first carry I tried was a double hammock, and I have to admit that it took me a little longer than usual to pull all the slack across, as the wrap felt quite grippy. However, when I had the wrap securely in place, I was delighted to find that it was incredibly comfortable. It held in place perfectly, and even after a while with my large 2 year old, I was still comfortable and the wrap had not sagged at all.
I tried several other carries, including a FWCC, which was easy to adjust, and was also very comfortable when in place. I don't always find a FWCC comfortable for extended periods now that my son is so big, but the grippiness held this wrap in place beautifully, even as Joey had a nap.
I have to admit to being pleasantly surprised by this wrap. Despite the fact that I had never tried a Diva Milano wrap before, and therefore had no expectations in that way, I think I've always seen the delicate, sophisticated designs on Diva Milano wraps as something I would be nervous about using on an everyday basis, with the worry that the wrap would also be delicate. I have to admit though, that I would happily use this wrap anywhere, as it feels so sturdy I wouldn't worry about pulling it through the mud and having to wash it repeatedly! Now that is is broken in, this would make a wonderful birth to toddler wrap. It is available in a variety of different colour combinations, and is part of Diva Milano's Essenza range, which is their more affordable range of slings.
This lovely wrap will now continue on its travels.
Brand: Woven Wngs
Type: Light Feathers
Blend: 73% cotton, 27% wool.
Size: 2
I pre-ordered this beautiful wrap back in October, during Woven Wing's first ever release (which sold out in less than 24 hours), before I had even had the chance to try out the tester wrap that travelled my way (reviewed here). This is one of two designs released so far, and it arrived safely back in January (well within the predicted time frame for the preorder).
Light feathers is such a pretty wrap. It has a lovely delicate, detailed pattern, and is the colour of a Blue Spruce tree (one of our favourite plants!). It arrived in perfect condition, with neatly stitched hems, and feeling beautifully soft, not needing any breaking-in at all! The merino wool doesn't make this wrap feel itchy, but does add a lovely blankety feel. Its not a particularly thick wrap, and has a fairly tight weave.
On first appearance the wrap seemed narrower than any of my other wraps, and measuring at 61cm, it is probably the narrowest wrap I have at the moment. However, as you can see in my photographs, this has not prevented me from getting a lovely deep seat, and still having the wrap all the way up my son's back. Light Feathers has a lovely amount of diagonal stretch, which seems to help create a lovely seat, meaning the narrower width is far less noticeable than you would expect when wrapping with it. The wrap is also quite a short size 2 (currently measuring 2.63m, soft tape in hand), but I can still comfortably tie a ruck tied at the shoulder. However, if you are someone who likes longer tails to tie with, you may want to order a size longer than you would normally choose.
I am really enjoying using this gorgeous wrap. It has a very luxurious feel and finish, and supports my toddler's weight beautifully. It makes a very supportive one shouldered rebozo carry, and a slip-knot adjusts easily. The middle markers are lovely and neat and it arrived in a very sophisticated black cloth bag.
I am really intrigued to see what Woven Wings will be doing next! I can't wait to see more blends and patterns, and I am sure that Light Feather won't be the only Woven Wings wrap to become part of my collection. Congratulations to Woven Wings on a very successful first release!
Brand: Baie Slings
Type: Wild Red Roses
Blend: 100% Combed Cotton
Size: 6
As those of you who have read my blog recently will probably know, Baie Slings has become one of my very favourite wrap companies. Their wraps have everything I love in a woven wrap: beautiful patterns, slightly thicker than average, cushy, blankety soft, and a pleasure to wrap with. I made myself resist the previous release of Wild Roses (in ebony & ecru), hoping for a more colourful release of the pattern in the future, so when I saw this beautiful red and cream version, I couldn't resist! I also saw it being nicknamed 'War of the Roses', which was even more meaningful, as one of the the key battles in the War of the Roses was fought in the field outside of my childhood home!
As Baie Slings were aiming for wraps to arrive in time for Valentine's Day, these wraps were not pre-washed like usual, so it went straight in the wash on arrival, so that it would be dry and ready to wear the next day.
Wild Roses has the amazing blankety softness we've come to know and love from Baie Slings, requiring no breaking-in at all. The rails are again hemmed in opposite directions, meaning there is no 'right' or 'wrong' side. I found Wild Roses particularly easy to wrap with, even more so than Baie's Trowen wraps, as the cream side has a lot of glide to it, meaning that passes pull across very easily. A double hammock took no effort, and held my toddlers weight really nicely when in place. It feels slightly thinner in hand that my teal/ebony Trowen wrap, despite being the same weight , probably due to the less-busy pattern, but it still offers a perfect amount of cush. Due to its softness, this wrap would be just as lovely with a newborn baby as it is with my toddler. Another beautiful wrap from Baie Slings!
Brand: Little Fellows
Type: 'Ah Hum Golly Gosh'
Blend: 50% cotton, 50% hemp
Size: 4.5metres
When a lovely friend offered me the chance to be part of her custom order with Little Fellows last summer, I jumped at the chance! Little Fellows are handwoven by a lovely lady who lives just down the road from me in Gloucester (UK). Lisa appears to have a real eye for colour and design, and some of the wraps that have been emerging from her loom are truly works of art. I was confident that our wrap would be beautiful, but also couldn't wait to find out how it wrapped!
This beautiful wrap has a warp of different shades of turquoise, green, black and grey, and I chose a purple weft, with a turquoise-green weft panel for the middle marker. The end result it stunning! The overall finish is practically flawless, and the hems have been neatly stitched. The tails are blunt (as opposed to tapered), so my 4.5metre wrap, works perfectly as a size 5. It arrived beautifully folded in its own little drawstring bag featuring the Little Fellows logo, along with a little teabag - a lovely touch!
On first arrival, the overall wrap felt slightly beastly. The coloured hemp felt slightly stiff, although the weave is light and airy, meaning the wrap still had a lovely drape to it. Over the last few weeks I have steam ironed it (as hemp tends to love heat), braided it, pulled it (gently) through ring slings, twisted it, and even put it under our bed sheets so that our warmth and weight would help to soften it up. I can now say that it is softening up beautifully. The hemp no longer feels stiff, and the wrap feels like a lovely big blanket. The hemp gives the wrap some texture, but also a lot of support.
Wrapping with it, and particularly tying the knot, was quite tough to start with, but is now a real pleasure. It makes a lovely ruck wrap, as the softness and thickness give a lovely cush on the shoulders. Now that it is broken in, I can do a Double Hammock variation with ease, as despite have a little bit of texture, the wrap pulls across easily, and stays in place. Although it still feels like quite a thick wrap, its not difficult to wrap with due to its airy weave. My large 2 year old feels practically weightless when wrapped in this beauty!
I would highly recommend Little Fellows wraps. It feels special to have such a beautiful wrap made by a lovely lady who lives so close by (and many of the pictures taken here, feature Gloucester Cathedral, as it felt right to go and get some photographs in the city where it was made!), and the overall finish is beautiful. The coloured hemp takes a bit of work to tame, and I would probably want my wrap to have softened up some more before using it with a very small baby. However, it makes a truly amazing toddler-worthy wrap! I've bought a few Little Fellows wrap scraps, which I believe are 100% cotton, and these arrived feeling beautifully soft, and would be perfect for a younger baby!
After a slightly bumpy start, Little Fellows appears to be going from strength to strength. I really can't wait to see what else appears from Lisa's loom next, and hope that one day I get to add another Little Fellows to our collection.
Brand: Baie Slings
Type: Trowen Ebony & Stone
Blend: 100% combed cotton
Size: Ring sling (converted by me from a size 2)
This beautiful wrap arrived a week or so before Christmas, and I've already used it such a lot. I bought a size 2, and converted it into a ring sling myself as I have plans for making something with the leftover wrap scrap. I stitched a pleated shoulder with black sling rings.
The colours in this version of the Trowen pattern are really striking, yet elegant. It would be as perfect for a special occassion as it would for a walk in the woods. The thickness of the wrap is similar to the ebony/teal version, but the scale of the pattern is similar to that of the emerald/ecru version of Trowen. Once again it arrived feeling beautiful soft and cuddly, and despite being a thicker wrap, it is very easy to adjust, and would be just as lovely with a tiny baby as it is with my toddler. Even though it is fairly thick, the weave is fairly airy, so I don't get too hot whilst wearing it.
Another really beautiful, comfortable wrap from Baie Slings. I have to admit not many of my other wraps have been getting a look-in recently, since Baie Slings wraps starting arriving in this house!
I was lucky enough to try a beautiful Baie Slings Magma tester wrap just before Christmas, and loved it so much that when Baie Slings released Magma last Monday, I couldn't resist treating myself to a ring sling. It really is beautiful, and the tight weave works perfectly as a ring sling as it is very supportive, but still pulls though the rings easily. It arrived feeling beautifully soft and I took it out with us today for a walk in the winter sunshine.
(My full review of Baie Slings Magma can be seen here.)
I've been asked by several people about my favourite wraps from 2013, so I thought I'd do a little fun review. Bear in mind that this is simply based on the few wraps I have tried, and totally based on my own opinions and experiences.
I feel that 2013 has been quite an exciting year for wrap enthusiasts. The year began with a few front runners, with Oscha proving to be extremely popular, and old friends like Didymos and Natibaby very much going strong. As the year progressed, the market appeared to calm down a little, and new and exciting companies have emerged, mixing things up a little. The appearance of Artipoppe and Pavo Textiles this year have certainly added a bit of excitement into the wrap world. The handwoven wrap market has also significantly expanded this year, and I was lucky enough to buy my first Uppymama wrap, aswell as a Warped & Wonderful, making two of my wrap wishes come true.
Here are a few of my favourite wraps from this year, with a short comment to explain why. I could honestly list almost all of the wraps I've been lucky enough to try, but I've attempted to be selective:
Bebe Sachi Khadi, both Twilight and my ring sling.
These stunning, handwoven, ethically produced wraps are amazingly supportive and full of character. I feel so lucky to own these two unique wraps, and they have been my two surprise favourites of 2013.
Baie Slings Trowen & Magma
I'm so excited about this relatively new company, and have completely fallen in love with their Trowen wraps. I adore the fact that they arrive feeling so blankety soft, and are also supportive with my toddler. Having been lucky enough to try their stunning Magma wrap, I can see Baie Slings going from strength to strength in 2014.
Didymos Flamenco Hemp Indio (both versions)
So incredibly comfortable and supportive, and very soft and easy to wrap with when broken in, the two versions of FHI (both of which live here) are two of all time favourite wraps.
Firespiral wraps, particularly Seafoam and Pomegranate Fractal Spirals
Firespiral are another very exciting company, whose wraps are unique and beautifully designed, arrive already feeling beautifully soft and are very easy to wrap with. I love all four of my Firespiral wraps, but I particularly love my Seafoam as it wraps into place so easily and is very supportive, and my Pomegranate Fractal Spirals as I love its soft cush and texture. I can't wait to see what Firespiral has in store for us this year!
Pavo Textiles wraps, particularly Sylvan and Fuchsia
A lot of people have commented that they feel 2013 has been the year of the Pavo, and I can understand what they mean. These wraps are totally different from anything else I have tried, and are being designed amazingly well. I also feel that the way the lovely ladies behind Pavo Textiles are marketing and releasing their wraps is perfect, as they are obtainable (with a little bit of luck), yet not in such huge supply that they still involve the 'thrill of the chase' that many wrap collectors enjoy. They are constantly coming up with new designs, each of which appears to have slightly different wrapping qualities. Two of my favourites from 2013 are Parterre Sylvan for its amazing supportiveness - one of the first wraps I have ever tried that made my toddler feel weightless, and Etini Fuchsia, which also wraps beautifully, but I particularly love the Etini design in this colourway.
Artipoppe, Two Birds Akka and Silvester
Another company which has exploded onto the scene in 2013 is Artipoppe. With beautiful designs, and amazing/creative/unique wrap blends, and many little clues and riddles before new wraps are released, Artipoppe have had a huge impact. I have been very lucky to have tried three Artipoppe wraps this year, and my two favourites are Two Birds Akka and Silvester, both of which wrap so easily and are really supportive, plus the Two Birds pattern is my favourite of the Artipoppe designs.
Oscha wraps, particularly Eden Copper Beech, Roses Aphrodite and SN Marina
Although the hype surrounding Oscha has calmed down significantly this year, Oscha are still very much here to stay. Their wraps are beautiful, and the Okinami design appears to the favourite of many people. However, three of my favourites from this year are: Eden Copper Beech, which wraps so easily it was the first wrap that I could truly rely on for getting a perfect double hammock each time. Roses Aphrodite, which I was so thrilled to get in their Valentine's Day release as I had longed for red roses for a while and was certainly not disappointed with these. Starry Night Marina, which was a very limited release, but is the first thick woolly Starry Night wrap and in the most perfect shade of turquoise, making it a comfortable, beautiful wrap.
Monkey Mei Tai conversions
I cannot do a review of 2013 without mentioning my Monkey Mei Tai wrap conversions. I have gained three new conversions this year, and I have to admit that now my toddler likes to be up and down all the time, they are three of my most used carriers. They are beautifully made, with Helen clearly having an artistic eye, and are so incredibly comfortable, that I would have at least four of my other wraps converted if Monkey Mei Tai's waiting list wasn't well into 2015.
So these are some of my wrap highlights of 2013. In terms of babywearing highlights, there have been many. The European Babywearing Conference in July was wonderful, and Natural Mama's Big Camp was a huge amount of fun. Whilst at camp, having a photoshoot with Ali Dover was a bit of a dream come true. Working with Bebe Sachi to take the pictures for their instruction booklet was a privilege, as was testing wraps for two new companies. I have also made some really great friends through babywearing, and I love going to my local sling meets, sling walks and sling dance class. I also did the Race for Life this year whilst wearing Joey, and I loved seeing people's reactions! Although Joey is getting bigger, I really hope that I get many opportunities to wear him in 2014, and doing my consultancy training in February will mean that I will still be involved with the babywearing world even as Joey continues to grow.
I hope you've all had a wonderful year, and hope 2014 is even better for you. Thank you so much for reading my blog and leaving me comments in 2013. Happy New Year! x
