Branching Out

Note: This post was originally written July 5th, 2013, and was transferred to this site 9/17/13)

Gracie and Sam, LLC, has been on Etsy since 2012. But it's been in my mind since 2008, when I first started making carriers in anticipation of our first child. One carrier became two when my husband wanted his own fabric choices for carrying our son. Two became three when I decided to tweak the design a bit. Three became six when I did several more tweaks. Then I started making them for fellow expat moms living in Bombay, India, where baby carriers were hard to find and riddled with import duty expenses. By the time I opened the Etsy shop, I'd funneled 25 years of sewing experience, nearly 4 years of babywearing, and no less than 7 fully formed and used baby carrier designs. I'd grown slightly obsessive in comparing carriers on the market, integrating details that made sense and eschewing gimmicks or designs that seemed flawed in their execution by an actual babywearing care giver.

Thinking the "real deal" of the higher end, big-production carriers must still be better, I looked forward to trying one of the brands considered to be a Cadillac among baby carriers when our second child came along (this time, I was living back in the US). I went to the store to try it on before adding it to the Baby Registry only to be met with mixed emotions; I was sad that after waiting for so long with such high expectations, I would not finally be getting one of these carriers. I was delighted because I wasn't adding it to the registry due to the fact my carefully adjusted carriers had become more comfortable and easier to use!
This discovery combined with a passion for babywearing and a sympathy for frazzled parents looking for an answer to 2 A.M. fussy babies led to the opening of Gracie and Sam, LLC. I truly believe in the efficacy, comfort, and sturdiness of these Mei Tais.

So, I hope you will join me in exploring the many nooks and crannies that make up Gracie and Sam, LLC. We will include everything from fun textiles coming out, interesting tidbits on babywearing and attachment parenting, and plenty of opportunities for you to contribute your opinions and suggestions for new designs! Because Gracie and Sam is branching out. We're taking on new shop space, we've got our own domain name, and we're entering boutiques. It's an exciting time and I'm glad you're here!