About Us

ORIGINS
Even when I was pregnant with my first child, I knew I wanted to practice babywearing. I'd read enough about its benefits that I figured it would be beneficial and it would allow me to continue to work from home as a nonprofit administrator in India. By my baby's 2nd night, I was a convert - when nothing else would calm him, after 5 minutes in the mei tai, he was sound asleep.

A few weeks later, I tried a twist on the design. A few months later, I refined it further. Within the year, I was helping other expat moms living in Bombay, India, by making carriers for them, too.

A few years later and our family was living in rural Pennsylvania with another baby on the way. I made her a new mei tai incorporating all the generations of changes and tweaks, and was overwhelmed with how many people said I should sell them or asked, when seeing mine, where they could get one! I'd saved up and was about to buy one of the leading soft structured carriers that I'd always longed for, but when I tried it on in the store, I discovered quite to my surprise that I really did prefer the mei tai carriers I'd so carefully customized and adjusted according to wearers' feedback. And so "Gracie and Sam, LLC" was born.

HANDCRAFTED
My workshop is the former guest bedroom in our upstairs where I sew on an antique Singer 15-90. My children are often along side me, my daughter chewing on a plastic quilting ruler and my son alternating between learning his alphabet and using my spare hand-crank sewing machine to "stitch" his own creations.

Choosing the fabrics for the mei tais is one of my favorite aspects. I only purchase the twill base and strap fabrics if I can feel them with my own hands to make sure they meet my standards of sturdiness. I can spend hours combing through small artisan fabric outlets such as Spoonfabrics, visiting fellow Etsy sellers' shops, and stopping in to quilting fabric shops to put together a collection of vibrant, sometimes unusual, and varied combos to meet the many tastes of my customers.

I feel a quality baby carrier is an investment that will be used daily for a year or two - it should be sturdy and beautiful and something you love!

WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL
Gracie and Sam (LLC) Mei Tais are compliant with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) requirements.

There are several aspects that set our carriers apart -
* Basic construction includes backstitching at all points of strap insertion, topstitching reinforces this, and box stitching further helps in reducing stress and adding security to weight-bearing seams (See details here).
* Topstitching along the full length of all straps helps them to stay tidy and easily flattened whenever the carrier is folded and especially after laundering.
* Four layers of 100% cotton batting pad the shoulders. This padding is top-stitched into 3 "tubes" to keep it from shifting, prevent tearing inside the strap, and holding its loft so it stays cushioned after extended wearing.
* The length of straps are longer than most to comfortably accommodate the rounder or taller figure while easily integrated into the design for the more petite baby-wearer. What this means - the fuller or taller figure will still have plenty of strap for full knots and ties instead of working with little stubs that just reach, while the smaller individual can easily cross over and double back around and tie off without long tails dragging.
* Design comes in either the traditional sash tie at the waist or a parachute buckle on an adjustable high-quality webbed belt. Both are extremely easy to use and allow for multiple wearers with no fuss.
* Fabrics are chosen with several things in mind - the base fabrics are cotton twills that are the perfect blend of being light enough to let you and baby breathe but heavy enough to be very sturdy and supportive. The "outside" fabrics are of decorators' cottons or high quality quilters cottons with a preference for artisan designers (ie Spoonflower) or through small vendors such as Etsy shops and independent quilting shops.
* Attention to detail is a high priority in Gracie and Sam carriers. From the eveness of a decorative stitch achieved through the use of an antique Singer 50-19, to actually tearing the strap material instead of cutting (this ensures it follows exactly along the warp of the fabric, preventing any unintentional stretching), the 25 years of sewing experience held by the shop's Artisan Seamstress is reflected in every item sold. The final label isn't sewn on until everything is checked and rechecked and deemed worthy of being sent.

Gracie and Sam, LLC is a member of the Baby Carrier Industry Alliance, which "exists to increase awareness of the value of quality baby carriers and to support those in the baby carrier industry. As an alliance of industry leaders, the BCIA is organized to propagate standards across the industry, promote educational outreach, participate in research, and help small businesses comply with standards. We are passionate about babywearing and about the baby carrier industry."

Gracie and Sam, LLC carriers are compliant with Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) requirements.