Tuesday 29 December 2015

PinkNova Cloudless Birds of Paradise Review



PinkNova Cloudless Birds of Paradise
75% Egyptian cotton/25% Mulberry silk / 240 GSM
1 year and 22 pounds

The first thing I thought looking at Cloudless Birds of Paradise was this is a unique pattern and placement for a woven wrap, you catch glimpses of the pattern, but large spaces with no pattern, just the cool, calm colors. The cream silk side has a fine and not too slippery feel and is a nice contrast to the light cool blue cotton side. Both sides have a smooth flat feel with a low amount of texture.




This wrap will appeal to someone wanting a soft and spare looking wrap that has a subtle elegance. There is an understated luxurious feel and look. Wearing this wrap I felt very calm and serene and and wanted to keep the rest of my attire rather simple to complete my look.

Wrapping with it, there is a lot more slip than I had anticipated just feeling it in hand. Considering this I think a more experienced wrapper would enjoy this wrap over a newbie wrapper. Tightening and maintaining tension is more challenging, particularly for multi pass carries.


 

I really enjoyed Cloudless Birds of Paradise in my base and in a double hammock and FWCC, but it also has the chops to pull off a simple ruck, it is dense and sturdy, though it is on the thinner side. This is definitely a toddler worthy wrap and I would recommend it in either a shorty or base for more experienced wrappers. It is also lovely and velvety soft once broken in for newborns.




PinkNova has an aesthetic that I find very appealing and I think their thoughtful designs are current and modern feeling without being trendy. I've had the pleasure of testing a few PinkNova wraps and love that they offer thoughtful design combined with wrapping qualities that are superb.

Thank you Judith and Ilse at PinkNova for the opportunity to test this beauty!

For more information on PinkNova please visit their website: http://pinknova.com/





Tuesday 22 December 2015

Ethos Solace Vesper Review




Ethos Solace Vesper
100% mercerized cotton / 260 GSM
11 months and 22 pounds

Ethos Solace Vesper is a beautiful monochrome wrap, but also more importantly a remembrance wrap. A portion of the sales of Solace Vesper will benefit Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep, an organization providing photography services for families experiencing the loss of a child. Ethos is a fantastic babywearing company, making woven wraps from accessible budget friendly machine wovens to luxurious handwovens and donating to worthy charities.


 

I love monochrome wraps, so Solace Vesper appealed to me right away. The pattern is complex, but the cool purple toned gray and black make this a go with most anything wrap. Right side or wrong side they both look classy.




Solace Vesper has a very unique feel in hand, it feels flocked and embossed and slightly starched. I haven't felt anything quite like this before and was curious how it would wrap. Pulling diagonally there was a wonderful amount of stretch.




Wrapping with Solace Vesper was a tactile pleasure. Thin and dense, there is also a good amount of give here that makes tightening and adjusting a dream, and because the wrap is narrower and thin, it is very easy to gather up in your hand as you pull and tighten strand by strand. Passes do not stick and there is more glide than the texture would suggest, that same texture keeps the wrap from slipping though while you are pulling passes over and adjusting. Once wrapped there is a surprising amount of cush for a thin wrap and a lovely bounce that makes for very comfortable carries. There is a lot of support here and not a lot of bulk, so knots are small and my CCCB was on the skinnier side. Solace Vesper is not drapey and floppy, at least not when I tested it, though with use it will get there, but there was still a good amount of pleating.


 

My tester was a size 6 and though I did shorty carries like ruck and rebozo I prefer this in multi pass carries like double hammock and FWCC. That perhaps is my own preference. I don't tend to use shorties as much. If you are looking for a supportive wrap that is on the thinner side Solace Vesper is the one for you. Also if you are looking for a meaningful memorial wrap, this is also for you.


Thank you to Ethos Babywearing for allowing me to test Solace Vesper.

For more information on Ethos Babywearing, please visit here where Solace Vesper is also currently in stock.








 

Friday 18 December 2015

Bijou Wear Cleo Chicago Review




Bijou Wear Cleo Chicago
45% cotton/55% mercerized cotton / 290 GSM
11 months and 22 pounds

Sometimes you receive a tester that feels very "you", my first glance at this wrap I was very pleased and looked forward to wearing and reviewing. Cool toned blue gray and natural cream, the pattern has an Art Deco vibe that is right up my alley.


Bijou Wear Windmills Equinox and Cleo Chicago

In hand Cleo Chicago is dense and feels fairly smooth, but a touch dry. There is some texture due to the pattern and more grip here than the pattern or feel would suggest, think medium grippiness. It's also very stretchy which gave me more to look forward to as I love stretchy woven wraps.




Style-wise Cleo Chicago has a Bohemian feel. The gray and cream are neutral and would work with a lot of other colors or look especially classy with an all black outfit. If I was going on a European vacation I could see myself packing just this and feeling very chic, with the added bonus of how thin it folds up for travel.


 

First ups in a FWCC and I could tell Cleo Chicago is a great option for new wrappers, easy enough to tighten and secure. There is grip to work with, but not enough that should deter a new wrapper. Passes will need a bit of effort to get into place, but the grip will hold them secure. There is a great amount of stretch here that will help the wrap give as you work to get passes into place and result in a snug and supportive feel once you have the carry in place. Nice support as well for a thinner and not so heavy wrap.




After using this wrap in both front and back carries and in simple rucks to double hammocks I'd recommend Cleo Chicago in a base size for multi pass carries as first choice, but it would also be a great shorty. This wrap is for those who like grip and stretch and it's best quality is the excellent support without being bulky. Also for anyone looking for affordable elegance, as it is priced from $130usd. This wrap could work well for newborns, but in my opinion is ideal for midweight babies up to toddlers. A final note about Bijou Wear is a portion of all profits are donated to The Carrying On Project which provides baby carriers to military families in need at no cost.




Thank you to Jaime at Bijou Wear for letting me test this lovely wrap!

For more information on Bijou Wear please visit bijouwear.com where Cleo Chicago is currently in stock.




Saturday 12 December 2015

Handwoven Melodies Behind the Wall (semi custom) Review




Handwoven Melodies Behind the Wall
100% cotton / aquamarine weft
11 months and 24 pounds, and 2 years and 37 pounds

I was lucky enough to win a draw for a Handwoven Melodies Behind the Wall semi custom wrap back in October. This was my first foray into handwovens and I couldn't have picked a better weaver than Morgan at Handwoven Melodies to take me thru the semi custom process. Behind the Wall is a wrap designed to help raise awareness about the issues of domestic and sexual violence and was inspired by the purple and teal colors of the awareness ribbon for these issues and named for the Tracey Chapman song. Morgan donated half the proceeds from an auctioned Behind the Wall ring sling to a worthy women's charity.




Morgan was an absolute delight to work with and patient with me as I asked to sample many different colors. The process of seeing different color wefts woven in was incredibly interesting. I couldn't believe how different the warp could appear depending on weft color. I ended up selecting a cotton aquamarine weft, and the result is a bright and vibrant jewel toned wrap. Morgan is a true artist in how she puts colors together on the loom. Talking with her about what colors would work best and enhance, or which would detract from the warp was eye opening and I really appreciated her thoughts and time talking me thru choosing the weft. From start to finish the entire process was much faster than I had anticipated. I was drawn a winner on October 10th and the completed wrap arrived November 18th.


 
 
In hand I was surprised how soft this all cotton wrap felt right away, no breaking in needed. I had also learned from Morgan that handwovens are wet finished and ready to wear when received. When something this beautiful arrives you don't want to have to wait to wear it, so I loved that I could wrap with it right away. I was also surprised how weighty it is folded up, I had 4.4 meters woven for me. The colors were exactly what I was expecting from the pictures, just slightly more saturated in real life, beautiful deep purples and bright teals and greens with a few hits of creams and dusty blues. The wrap is thinner and fairly smooth and appears very densely woven, but if you hold it up to the light you can see some airiness in the weave and there is a delicate texture clearly evident which I felt may help hold carries in place.




The colors together are beautiful as the pictures will attest. I've long admired the simple aesthetic of a herringbone weave and here it works perfectly. I received this wrap in the Fall, but can imagine wearing it all year round, the colors are just that good! This is also stunning dressed up or down, a perfect jeans and tee woven wrap in my opinion...a wrap that will make you feel pretty and put together no matter what.




I have worn Behind the Wall in FWCC, ruck, double hammock and DH variations such as TAS and CCCB. I had anticipated there would be a little grip and there is, nothing difficult to work with, just enough to stop this from being a slippy wrap. What stands out to me is that there is a nice feeling of cush on the shoulders, but this is not a thick wrap, more thin to medium. I wore both my 11 month old and my 2 year old. My 2 year old actually has brought this wrap to me on more than one occasion which never happens, as I got into wrapping with my younger son and I've had to beg my older boy to go up before. I was able to wear my 2 year old, who is 37 pounds in a ruck and the comfort was satisfactory, which I think says a lot for an all cotton wrap that is thin to medium in a single pass carry with no additional chest belt support. Floppy out of the box, Behind the Wall continues to get even more floppy with use. Excellent drape and effortless pleating. I love how small the knots are and a CCCB is just perfect in this wrap, not too bulky at all. As a lover of stretch there isn't a lot of stretch here for me, just a very small diagonal stretch, but I find for the most part I do not miss my stretch.




In summary Behind the Wall is a soft, floppy, and easy wearing wrap. Lovers of softness and airy cushiness will be delighted. If you are looking for perfect weaving and flawless selvedges this one is for you! I would not recommend this wrap to someone looking for a thick, very dense, or grippy wrap. Depending on your wrapping style this could well be a one and done wrap from newborn to toddler. It has the softness for a newborn, and is thin enough not to overwhelm a very small baby. For toddlers the support is here, even in a ruck and even better in multi pass carries. This wrap shines in a double hammock and I would recommend it most in a base or base - 1 size. Finally I really love supporting Canadian weavers and Morgan is also local to me in BC, so that's even better. Thank you Morgan for designing and weaving such beautiful creations!






Monday 7 December 2015

Ethos Phoebe Natural Handwoven Review




Ethos Phoebe Natural Handwoven
cotton/banana silk / 350 GSM
11 months and 22 pounds

This Ethos Phoebe is a weighty and organic feeling natty. Wraps of course are often described as blankety and this wrap is actually blankety. The texture and nubs make Phoebe an interesting looking natty, even with a straight twill weave, while the banana silk adds a slight sparkle and sheen. There are many variations in the weave which speak to the handcrafted nature of the wrap and add to the organic look.


 

In hand there wasn't much stretch, just a bit diagonally. Folding and unfolding is a workout as this is a heavier wrap. The handspun yarn gives Ethos Phoebe a beautiful slub texture, but I anticipated a grippiness that will suit slightly more experienced wrappers.

I don't own a natty and tend to prefer patterned wraps, yet the simple handcrafted aesthetic of this wrap appeals to me. Testing this in the Fall was perfect, as the wonderful nubby texture fits right in with cozy sweaters and toques.



 
Perhaps its watching Frozen one too many times with my toddler, but wearing this wrap is best described as a warm hug! As I had anticipated some work is required to get passes into place due to the grippy texture, but once you do what a soft, snuggly, and supportive carry you'll experience. Using this wrap more, in FWCC and DH, I couldn't think of a wrap I've used to compare it to, it's unique. Airy and Cushy. Soft and mouldable. Yet this is also a heavy wrap, and most heavy wraps I have tried don't have such airiness, nor mould and pleat like Ethos Phoebe does. The longest I wore my baby at a stretch in Ethos Phoebe was 2 hours and no adjustments were needed, but what a knot!



 
Ethos Phoebe was an absolute pleasure to test. I love that banana silk, while soft and strong, is also eco-friendly and vegan! Banana silk isn't silk at all, but is a fiber made from trunks of banana plants and has a similar appearance to silk. Ethos sources their banana silk from Nepal where the wraps are also woven on traditional looms. These handwoven wraps are a great cost-effective option at $70usd/meter, as well as being fair-trade and sustainable. I would not recommend this wrap to a brand new wrapper. Even though it is breathable, it is heavy and could be cumbersome without a little experience. The lovely texture also gives this wrap a grippiness that a slightly experienced wrapper will be able to handle. Phoebe will be a wonderful cushy and supportive wrap from a shorty to your base size, particularly with babies 20 pounds and up and well into toddlerhood.



 
 

Thank you Ethos Babywearing for the opportunity to test Phoebe Natural!

For more information on Ethos Babywearing, and their handwovens please visit here where Phoebe Natural is also in stock.






 

Wednesday 25 November 2015

Pavo Present Seattle

 
 
This past weekend I had the honor and pleasure of attending both days of the Pavo trunk show in Seattle as a guest. I arrived at the Hotel Vintage one hour before VIP entrance on Saturday to meet up with a friend. This was something I saw a lot of as I waited in the hotel lobby, many friends meeting up, brought together by babywearing and Pavo, some meeting for the first time in real life.
 
 
There was so much excitement and love in the air. The event space was intimate and elegant. Saturday had a particularly tasty pomegranate martini and I will admit I enjoyed a few. The food was equally scrumptious. I've attended wrap company trunk shows before and the Pavo experience for me was unparalleled. I have heard and read many comments and opinions on the two events, my experience was delightful. While taking photos I observed many happy people on both days. I am grateful I had the opportunity to attend, as it wasn't simply a trunk show for me. I left inspired. I got to meet two women I admire, and met and chatted with many other mothers, and dare I say, new friends.
 
 
The wrap selection was varied and interesting, with two exclusives, one for each day. The stand out for me was Duet Railroad, which had previously been known as Chambray. Definitely one I now regret not buying. I also loved Fuchsia Otomi and De La Sol Wintermint. From my chatting with different pavotees there was a lot of interest and excitement about the woollies, Aquaria, Sea Star, and Unicornio, the Sunday exclusive.
 
 
Pavo creates beautiful wraps to carry and comfort our babies and children in, but Jennifer and Erin also put so much time, effort, and love into connecting with us and creating a beautiful community. I left Seattle feeling like I was a part of something special.
 
 
 
 
For more information on Pavo Textiles visit: pavotextiles.com