Huge, Huge Changes for Ceewee Baby in the Coming Year

So my plan in this post was to write about how Ceewee Baby was going to expand. I was going to go into larger scale production, place many more products in a wider range of retail outlets...really ramp things up. This season has been great and although I have been keeping up with demand due to some out of character good planning, I realize I need to move things to the next level.

And then......

Because of the very public recalls of children's items that have happened in the past year, congress passed a new law (CPSIA) which gives the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) new guidelines for all apparel, and especially onerous ones for children's items. All children's items must be rigorously tested to ensure they conform to standards, such as minimum lead. While this sounds great (as a mom of 2 small boys, I do appreciate it), because of the way the law & subsequent regulations were written, it will effectively reduce, if not put out of business, many small & medium sized designers.

For instance, let's look at the Funky Monkey Sleep sack. Children product manufacturers must test the end product, not the materials used. I would have to test each color used in that fabric, but so would each and every other manufacturer that uses Funky Monkey fabric as well. We can not rely on certified testing from the fabric mill. I have heard estimates that for printed fabric items, testing can run upwards of $4,000. I will have to test each and every sleep sack print I offer. A more reasonable testing program would be to have 1 sleep sack tested, and then secure certifications from each fabric mill that the different prints are free of lead, etc. I think all manufacturers would be wiling to pay a few pennies more for fabric certified by the supplier, than to repeat the same test 1000 times on the same fabric.

But the law and regulations are written differently, for now. I am hoping for an amendment that has a more reasonable burden for manufacturers. If not, Ceewee Baby will hopefully be able to survive, but will more than likely only offer organic sacks. I know small manufacturers have been swamping the CPSC and hopefully new guidance/regulations will be offered. Hopefully.

Holiday Schedule....

Eeks! It is already November! Time has certainly flown here. I have been busier than ever, but doing my best to turn around orders in approximately a week. Now is my truly busy time, mostly because it is my son's birthday, then Thanksgiving, then Christmas. Oh, and Ceewee Baby...did I mention that? So, without further ado, here is the official schedule for holiday orders & the annual holiday studio shut down:

Ceewee Luxe & Organic sleep sack, pillow, nap blanket & burp cloth orders: Must be received by 12/12
Ceewee Basics sleep sack orders: Must be received by 12/18

All orders in the pipeline will be shipped by 12/19 via Priority Mail as usual, which will ensure Christmas delivery.

The studio will then shut down from 12/19 and re-open on Monday 12/29.

Please note than between 12/12 and 12/19 you will not be able to order Luxe or Organic items, but can browse the shop. After 12/19, you can still browse but no orders will not be taken until 12/29.

New Sleep Sacks are Here & Other Business

Its been a long time since I posted...but really doesn't feel that long. Summer is over and the fall crunch is here. Just in time, the Ceewee Baby Basics sleep sacks are here as well! As promised, they are one of the most affordable natural fiber sleep sacks available. They are padded, available in 5 prints, in sizes 3 months-2T, and ready of immediate shipment. The only down side is once they are gone...they are gone. Order early!

Other news: A wonderful shop called Green Baby Gift Box has opened online. This shop is the perfect place to 'gift' a new baby and/or an older sibling. Sarah MacMillian, the owner, has put together different green gift boxes and arranges them by theme, like 'Tree Hugger' or 'Adventure Calls'. And just take a guess at what is one of the featured items in the 'Sleepytime Sleepyhead' gift box???? Take a look at this gorgeous store & find out!

Also, Ceewee Baby now has all organic toddler pillows. Organic inserts, organic pillow cases...the whole nine yards.

On a personal note, both my 'babies' started back at school this week. I think it was rougher on me than on them. My oldest officially started kindergarten. This past month has been amazing with him. He graduated into the regular tae kwon do class out of the preschool program and has been doing astonishingly well. He spontaneously told me I had to take the training wheels off his bike & just rode off on his own after I did so. He figured out how to divide numbers all by himself and began driving me crazy by asking complex math problem when I am most tired ("hey mommy-what's 435 divided by 62?"). And then, he goes off to school all by himself and is so excited about it. I don't know what clicked in his little mind, but it is like he is going through a renaissance. Next year will be even harder with my youngest, I imagine. Maybe I'll homeschool him and teach him to sew so he can help me. He can already sew a mean button. Is that considered education or child labor though?

Back to the studio....

Fall Prints are Arriving

The new designer fall prints are slowly starting to arrive. I received a few yesterday, and expect a couple more by next week. The remaining ones will be here right around the beginning of September, just in time for the busy fall season. I anticipate ordering one or two more to round out the collection after one particular designer I love introduces her new fall fabrics. I think I am a little 'slow' given how most retailers operate. We went to buy summer sandals for the boys at the end of May, and I received a Back to School coupon for shoes in the bag. Sheesh!

A Sneak Peak

The fabric has all (almost) arrived for the Ceewee Basics line & thought I would give everyone a sneak peak at the new fabrics! As stated earlier, these sleep sacks will be ready made, affordable, natural fiber sleep sacks. No polyester at all, promise. I tried to select some neutral, some fun, and one unisex for a total of 5 different flannel fabrics. Those of you who have bought over the years might notice the friendly frogs fabric...its been with me from the start & is always popular so I decided to include to introduce the new line.

OOO--and I almost forgot! Ceewee Baby organic sleep sacks are featured on neatostuff.com! Check it out!

Attack of the Clone...or Why Karma was Right

I love my 2 boys, but every once in a while I toy with the idea of adopting a little girl. Two boys I can control. Three, I am not too sure. Hence, adoption and guaranteed gender selection. Whenever I get these pangs, I have my 6 year old niece come to visit. I love her to death--she is the only girl in the family, and gets her fair share of deserved spoiling because of it. As she gets older though, the drama increases. Yesterday she was carrying around a pad and a pencil, keeping a copious tally of what my boys had done to please or displease her royal self, so she could equitably select who she would sit next to at dinner. My boys treat her like they would a fairy pixie. They are enchanted by her, but a little wary of losing favor with her and suffering her wrath.

So today we went to the pool to burn off a little steam. As I stood there in the pool, watching her have a fit on the side because I was standing back too far to catch her in the 3 feet deep section (which she can easily stand in), it hit me. Why I love her, yet am so perplexed by her over-dramatics and general craziness. She is me. I remember acting the exact same way when I was her age. I then thought of 3 things: 1) my mom was a saint to have not strangled me, 2) my sister is a saint for not strangling my niece, and 3) I was meant to be the mom of boys. Jumping out from behind doors to scare them, squirting a hose at them while I water the garden, wearing silly teeth at dinner. It all makes them roll with laughter. My niece just rolls her eyes.

I hope she has boys, too.

More on the new line next week..I am enjoying the remainder of the nap brought on by the swim at the pool, and then back to action!

Re-opened....

Sunday night I 're-opened' the store again after a wonderful vacation. We toured Colorado--saw Golden, Rocky Mountain National Park, Vail, & Denver. It was the perfect storm of boy vacation: dinosaurs, trains & cowboys. It was a blast and the weather was perfect. A few people apologized for the warm weather, but after escaping the 100 degree heat of North Carolina, the 80 degree days felt lovely. After Colorado we went to Tennessee for a reunion with my husband's family. it was great seeing family again we hadn't seen in a while.

So I am rejuvenated, incorporated (finally got the LLC--check something else off the to do list!), and ready to get to work. Some new fabrics came in while I was gone. Other fabric should still be coming, if the mills still have stock left. Right now is just an "off" time for fabric between the spring lines & fall lines being introduced. I am looking forward to fall lines though--that is primarily when great new flannel becomes available.

I updated the website a bit to make things easier to navigate. Other changes were made to the sacks as I mentioned in a previous post. I also moved a bit of fabric out of the store and into the clearance section. That was now 3 days ago--and it is going fast! I want to move older fabrics out of the studio to get ready for introducing the new Basics sleep sacks for this fall. I found a great lady to help me work on getting the new line ready and am getting really excited--if only the rest of the fabric were here so we could finish it. Hopefully in the next couple of weeks it will arrive so the line can "debut" by the end of August for the cooler fall weather.

And in case some of you haven't noticed...funky monkey is back. I wrangled a bunch of it this time, so hopefully it will be around through the fall & winter. Hopefully.

Say Cheese!

Summer is here and the boys are home! All. The. Time. I underestimated how much energy two 5 & 4 year old boys have. Obviously, more than their mommy. I think I will start going to bed a little earlier at night. The summer vacation started off with a bang...I took them to a great park about an hour away that has a train ride, gem mining, carousel, etc. We got there and after a half hour my oldest threw up. He later told me he was sick all morning, but that he didn't want to tell me because he really wanted to go. It was a long drive home.

Only a few more days until the studio is closed for new orders until July. I am finishing up the orders in hand right now and have some ideas in my head for streamlining the web site. I also have a great idea for something new this fall: splitting Ceewee Baby sleep sacks into 3 separate lines:

1. Ceewee Baby Basics: Ready made natural fiber sleep sacks, available in 5 different prints. These will be an affordable option for those who want a natural fiber sleep sack with the same standard of quality of a ceewee sleep sack. Sizes will range from 3 months-2T. No twiddlers or other customizations.

2. Ceewee Baby Luxe: The custom created sleep sacks that are currently offered. Fabrics will be high-end flannel, and twiddlers will continue to be available at your option. You can choose white bodice or not, and sizes will go up to 3T.

3. Ceewee Baby Organic: Same 3 weight currently offered: lightweight organic sleep sack, midweight organic sleep sack, heavy weight organic sleep sack. Same great all cotton organic fabrics will be used with colorgrown cotton trim.

I have already ordered the fabric for the Basics line and hope to get working on stock after I return from vacation. I have also ordered most of the Luxe line fabric, but need to round out the boy's fabric more. I saw a sample of some new fabric that will be available this fall, and hope that will bring some nice options for boys. Being the mother of 2 boys, I am super sensitive to maintaining a balance, and not following the 4:1 ratio in favor of girls other retailers seem to follow. Right now with all the spring prints available, it has not been easy. Maybe I should just design my own fabric ...hmmmm.....

It is Time for a Nap!

I am closing the studio for summer vacation & retooling from June 10th-June 29th. During this time you can browse all you like, but no orders will be taken. I will reopen on June 30th.

This spring season has been super busy, and frankly, I am exhausted. I am looking forward to a vacation with my family to rejuvenate myself. After I return, look for some changes:

-A few design modifications. Some of those who have ordered recently may have noticed I already have been incorporating some changes based on feedback. The neckline is lower, the front flap is rounded off so no need for scratchy velcro anymore. The zipper on sizes L-3T is also longer. I have also been reinforcing zippers.

-All sleep sacks will be longer in length. For instance, the popular L size will now be 35" from shoulder to hem.

-A small price increase to cover increase in my cost of materials and the longer lengths.

-New fabrics (hopefully they will be in) and a return of an old favorite. Yes ladies, and you know who you are, I scored some more funky monkey! It will be a few weeks for it to arrive, however.

-Weight-based shipping costs. Right now the flat rate is a boon for those who live farther away, and a bust for those closer. I am going to move to everyone paying what it costs for me to ship--no upcharge or handling fees will be included.

-Some small changes on the website to clarify questions many have had, and make shopping easier.

Off to plan my son's 4th b-day party. He had his school party today and looked like SUCH a little boy! He will always be my baby though. I told him the other day he was getting too big almost for me to pick up, and he said "That's ok mommy, I will carry you."

I *LOVE* Organic Fabric!

I have to say that although things are incredibly busy right now, I absolutely adore working with organic fabric. First, the smell. It smells, well, like cotton. It always brings a smile to my face when I roll it out and catch the whiff of cotton aroma like I just came off of a cotton farm. Second is the feel, especially of the fleece. It is so soft and cuddly, it puts other fleece to shame. I already have plans in the future for pjs for the family next winter (hopefully i can find some time). My younger son gets bad eczema from polyester pjs, so he has always been envious of my older son's fleece sleepwear---no longer! This organic cotton fleece will be just right for him.

Jinxed myself.

So in my last entry I wrote about all the great things I was going to fix on my web site because things were "slowing down." Ha. Right after I wrote that, I had orders coming in out of the woodwork as well as a couple of wholesale orders (more on those later...). Most orders are for the new lightweight organic sleep sacks--I think I seriously underestimated demand! So, any more tweaks are on hold for the time being.

In addition to tweaking the site, I am contemplating introducing a back zipper option for the larger sleep sacks for those little escape artists out there. Also, I plan to work on introducing an organic swaddler for next fall. I had hoped to work on one earlier, but I think fall is more realistic. I have a problem with more plans than time sometimes......

back to the studio!!

Time to Upgrade

The spring crush is slowing down now and I am trying to upgrade some of the website. So over the next month you may notice a few changes. Nothing drastic like the "big" overhaul in January (or was it February? I tried to block it out...), but some tweaks, new pics, etc. that will make shopping a bit easier. My first order of business was to take care of that wreck that was the organic page. I threw it together in a hurry because I had customers waiting to order. I streamlined it, fixed some photos, and made it easier to shop for your organic sleep sacks. In case you haven't checked out, the organic sleep sacks come in infant sizes and toddler sizes and three weights: one for summer, one for spring or fall, and one for winter. You can peruse at : www.ceeweebaby.com/organic.html.

Next came my yard. The drought really took its toll last summer on a lot of my plants and shrubs, so I have been trying to prune and remove what I can. My herb garden is going gangbusters though! Look at all the great lavender I trimmed:



And how did I accomplish this with a 5 yo and a 3 1/2 yo boy running underfoot? Simple. Dirt. I emptied out the long forgotten sandbox and filled it with topsoil. Apparently, dirt is way 'neater' than sand. And much, much messier. But, if it lets me work outside and enjoy the sounds of them playing, so be it. I stopped at allowing them to pour buckets of water in their dirt box, however. I now have a great supply of organic lavender to make dryer bags. I use these in the dryer when I 'fluff' the sleep sacks prior to shipment. Enjoy spring!

Green Agapantha

I just received another new fabric a couple of days ago...I have been so busy with orders, I haven't had time to post about it! It is called "green agapantha" and features a light green agapantha plant on a richer green background. Agapanthas have beautiful flowers, also called Lily of the Nile. I love this print, and think it is great for either gender (it is not too "flower-ee" for a boy, given the larger seed and smaller petals, I feel). It is also a nice, soft understated print for the spring.

A New Fabric for the Kid on the Go

I have a new fabric in! I call this one "Transportation"--it has firetrucks, buses, bikes, boats, trains, trucks, cars, planes, wagons, etc. Everything your little transportation enthusiast could want. This will replace "Let's Go!" that is running dangerously low in stock right now.

I have to admit I ordered this because some upheaval in the fabric distribution world caused it to be a great price for only a few days. I won't bore you with the Machiavellian machinations of Michael Miller (ooo, that sounds like I am a real writer!). But out of all the fabric I threw my hat in the ring for, this was all I got. I wasn't thrilled with the print, but was ok with it. After I received it, I realized it looks MUCH better in person. The colors have a vibrant vintage look and the print is a little larger than I thought. The size adds a nice 'kick' to the print. All in all, a great choice in retrospect.

Read Ceewee Baby's Interview!

I am so excited! My interview for the WAHM Spot is up today. Take a read a let me know what you think!

Totally off the subject, I recently bought The Flip. If you haven't seen one of these, it is a 60 minute video recorder the size of a small (or these days medium) camera. I absolutely LOVE this thing. I carry it in my purse and when my boys are doing something crazy I can whip it out and film them. I come home, plug it directly into my computer, and download it. It is super easy! Yesterday at tae kwon do I had to film jumping jacks. If you have never seen a group of 15 3-5 year olds do jumping jacks, it is a sight to behold. Makes me laugh for the rest of the day.

FINALLY!!!!

I finally finished some organic samples and they have their own little page and are available for ordering!

Yes, the pics and layout are not what I would like them to be. But, I am totally swamped right now so it will have to do until I get a break. I had thought I could get them posted quick, but of course it took much longer than anticipated. I'll try to post some organic pics here when I can take a breath. I don't remember being this busy in March last year. But that's a good thing, right?

I also included a product photo gallery so customers can get a better idea of the different fabrics in actual use. I hope to add more over time, but need to be careful not to add too many--the page takes long enough to load as is!

Those Blasted Velcro Dots

They are history. I was roped into Velcro's clever advertising about their "fabric fusion" which claimed that all I had to do was apply heat and it would "bind to fabric". In fact, the more you washed it, the tighter the bond would be! Amazing! In theory. Apparently they aren't all they are cracked up to be, as many of you have pointed out. The dots all came off. So, I switched to a sew on velcro that is supposed to be soft for children's garments. However, as many of you are letting me know---it's not so soft after all. So for the time being, there will be no velcro or other fix at the top. This really won't change the operation of the sleep sack in the least--the velcro was more a little extra if anything.

So what to do? Do I need something there to keep the zipper flap closed? Snaps--seem too hard right near the baby's throat. Hooks & eyes can come off and pose a choking hazard. My husband suggested magnets, but the only ones strong enough are fairly chunky magnets. Not too soft and cuddly, to say the least. I am going to work on devising some sort of pocket to tuck the flap into...I think. I'm going to mull it over for a couple of more days first. If you have any ideas, please let me know!

Working hard....

I have been getting a slew of orders recently...everyone is getting ready for the spring and ordering lightweight sleep sacks for their little ones! This time of year for me is just as busy as October. The last of my organic fabrics arrived today and I am itching to make some samples for the site. Why did I decide to do this right now? Who knows--I think I thrive on chaos.

In any event, I will be offering 3 weights:

Summer: 2 layers of organic cotton jersey
Spring/Fall: inner layer of organic cotton jersey, outer layer of organic cotton fleece
Winter: inner layer of organic cotton jersey, middle layer of organic cotton padding, outer layer of organic cotton fleece.

Hopefully, I will have everything ready by the end of the month. Look for an introductory sale as well on these organic sacks! Off to read more of James and the Giant Peach to my 5 yo......

The New Ceewee Burp Cloth

I whipped up something new for the boutique--a burp cloth. One side is flannel, the other side terry cloth. Together, this is the softest, most useful burp cloth ever! Its a perfect add-on to a sleep sack order, or order a few for a gift.

Organics are Coming

I have been getting quite a few inquiries about organic fabrics. I looked into it briefly, but on a special order basis for individual customers it was too expensive. Way too expensive.

But, because there have been so many inquiries, I have decided to begin to offer organic sleep sacks and other organic items as part of the regular ceewee line. I am currently reviewing samples from the mills. There will be likely 2 organic sleep sacks I will offer: 'winter weight' with organic all cotton fleece as the outer layer and an inner layer of organic flannel, and 'summer weight' with 2 layers of organic flannel.

The fabrics likely will be natural in color. The process used to dye most fabrics is harsh, so I am staying away so these sleep sacks will be as 'organic' as possible. I am also going to make my own bias tape out of a couple of organic fabrics that are 'colorgrown', ie, the color is grown into the fiber before the fabric is milled. So again, no harsh dyes but a little added snazziness to the sack. Unfortunately, I haven't found an organic twiddler source yet.....

Hopefully by the end of March this new line will debut! It will come at the perfect time to stock up on lightweight sleep sacks for the warmer months.

I have a couple of other new announcements coming up sooner though ;)

A New Fabric is In!

I admit. I love this fabric. It is so soft, and such a great understated print. It is almost 'mature' but the bunny gives it away. It is great for both babies of either gender. Did I mention I love it? The photo doesn't even do it justice. When I was selecting fabrics, it was my favorite, but took forever to get in. Its here! Bunny Love. Or Funny Bove, as my 3 yo would say. He is now switching the first sounds around of almost all the words he says to be funny....I am starting to worry more and more about his preteen years.

What a beautiful baby!

One of my repeat customers sent these pics in of her little one before bed. Isn't she beautiful? She assured me she went right to sleep, after I commented she didn't look so tired :)

Almost makes me want to have another baby...almost.

Best Thing About the Flu?

I have wanted to kick my coffee habit for a while now. I was great when I was pregnant & nursing, but slipped back into my old ways. Now I am suddenly "dry" again after the flu. How long will it last? I give it until Saturday.....

Look at this great sleep sack I just finished...I love it! The best part is I have some of the fabric left and its on clearance right now. Since its a flat cotton I marked the price even lower than the other clearance flannels.

New Site, New Orders, the Flu. Oh My!

I got the site ready ahead on my own imposed schedule--I was so excited!  Take a look at Ceewee Baby at www.ceeweebaby.com and let me know what you think.  It has a brand new logo, new design, new fabrics, new shopping cart, etc, etc!   I was so busy I didn't have time to write.  New orders started rushing in and I was happy to be back behind my sewing machines again instead of gazing bleary eyed at the computer.  I needed to take a break from the screen. Luckily I was ahead of my schedule for sewing as well, as my 5 year old came home Thursday from preschool with the stomach flu.  This weekend most everyone in my home was quite sick, so I spent no time in my studio.  Thankfully it was short lived (although a bugger while it was here) and we are all better.

Look at this sweet picture of a babe in a ceewee sleep sack...don't you wish you could still sleep that blissfully?

Tentative Date for new site

I hope to have the new web site up and running the first week of February.  I have most of my new fabrics in, although I am still waiting for 2 more.  I ordered all my new tags, labels, etc.  Get ready for all new & improved packaging as well.  

All this "newness" is very exciting for me, albeit a bit stressful.  New sewing machines, new website, new shopping cart, new logo, new name, new photos, new fabrics.  The transition seemed to be going smooth...until my web host decided to"upgrade" my server at the beginning of the year.  I finally gave up yesterday and signed on with a new web host.  This may push things back a bit as I have to migrate everything and need to actually contact someone at my old host.  That is easier said than done :) Wish me luck in escaping the joy that is iPower!