Custom carriers are for people who love O&A carriers but would like to have more creative control when it comes to the prints, patterns and options. You will be able to choose from two types of carriers, the Full Buckle, sometimes called a soft structured carrier (SSC) or a Half Buckle also called a hybrid carrier. The full buckle carrier has buckle straps for the shoulder and also for the waist while the half buckle carrier has longer straps that you tie to secure and a buckle waist. Both are equally supportive for the wearer and the child, but each has their own set of benefits. You will also choose between the Standard body style and the new Ava body style.
- Standard Body Style- This carrier has a full panel print, includes the infant harness and has an attached flat hood.
- Ava Body Style- This carrier has the pieced body with the pocket
in the center panel, infant harness, dual adjustable straps, and
detachable, cinching hood.You will have a multitude of choices and options to make your carrier truly one of a kind and perfect for you.
Here are a few things to think about when planning your custom order-
- Do you plan to carry an infant or a toddler, or would you like the versatility to use the same carrier for both an infant and a toddler?
- Would you like the infant harness? This is great for carrying newborns but also for an assisted back carry for those not as comfortable with back carrying.
- Do you want a solid patterned body (Standard) or the new pieced body with a pocket (Ava)?
- What type of hood would you like- flat, a hoody style, or a cinching hood? Do you want it to be removable?
- What types of accessories would you like? Strap wraps to protect your shoulder straps, a toy tether, maybe a matching bag to store it in or a special lovey to match your carrier? The possibilities are endless.
Custom carrier slots will be listed HERE on the website as they come available. I know it can be time consuming and sometimes frustrating to keep checking the site for slots to become available but I would prefer to not return to the wait list system. At times I had well over 100 people waiting on me and it's no fun for anyone that way. You will purchase a custom slot for $50.00 and will also pay your shipping charges at that time. Within 24 hours you will receive an email from me confirming your order. At this time I will give you my mailing address if you are sending in your own fabric for your carrier and I ask that you please try to get it mailed within 5 business days to keep things moving smoothly for everyone. If you haven't already chosen your carrier size and style as well as strap color, we will go over those choices and find out what will be the best match for you.
When I finish your carrier I will email you with my paypal address and your balance due minus the shipping and then the carrier will be on its way to you within 3 business days of your payment. In the event of non-payment, I reserve the right to sell your carrier after 14 days. I will not refund your deposit and you will not receive a refund for the cost of your fabric.
When you are looking for your print fabric keep in mind that the panel for the infant size is approximately 16x16 inches and the toddler size is 16x18 inches. This means very large prints will be chopped up and will not look the same as they do on the bolt or online. Also, if you are going with the "Ava" body style, you will need two prints or a print and a solid. You can find a wide variety of fabrics on line if you do a search for quilting fabrics or if you visit your local fabric shop. Also, remember that there are darts in the body to provide a seat for your baby, but they will interrupt the pattern some. On most things it's not noticeable, but for stripes it is visible and if this is something that will bother you, you might be better off choosing something that won't be disturbed by the darts. I am more than willing to use silk, minkee, velvet or suede on your carrier, but please note: anything that needs to be stabilized will incur a $15.00 charge that will be added to your balance. Please keep in mind, not all of these fabrics can be washed or cared for in the same way, just as they will not all wear the same way. It's important that you think about the way you will care for your carrier while you are choosing your fabric.
If you are having your fabric dropped shipped from a vendor Please have them include a note with your name and address inside of the packaging. If you are sending your fabric directly to me make sure that your full name is on the outside of the package and that you include a note with your name and address as well as your email address inside the package. I have lots of packages coming and it is otherwise very difficult to keep fabrics with the right people.
You will need to order one yard of your chosen panel fabric for your carrier, if you are having accessories made please check with me before ordering your fabric to make sure that you order enough. If you want the inside of the carrier to be made from something other than the strap fabric, you will need one yard of that as well. Of course, I am more than willing to discuss your fabric choices with you and help you figure out how much to order, however I cannot help you choose your fabrics or decide between prints. Your fabrics need to be something you want to look at everyday and something that will fit with your lifestyle and that is not something I can decide for you. If you are having a hard time deciding, you can always post a poll at The Babywearer or on our Facebook page. I am pretty certain that most people choosing custom carriers are registered there and the members love seeing what people are planning and will offer suggestions if they can.
I will try and keep a variety of strap colors in-stock for you to choose. If for some reason I do not have a color you want and you don't want to substitute a color I do have, you will be able to order a different color from the retail website of the supplier that I use. The fabric will have to be shipped directly to me to ensure that it is only ordered from the approved retailer. Please understand that special ordering strap fabric will set your order back by approximately 2 weeks while I wait for the fabric to be shipped and then cut.
I will not pre-wash panel fabrics or strap fabrics. All of our strap fabrics have been pre-washed by the mill and will not bleed. If you are afraid something will bleed, please have it mailed to you first, so you can pre-wash it and iron it afterwards. If for some reason you are not able to have it shipped to you first and need it pre-washed, there will be a $5.00 surcharge added to your balance per fabric. I also want everyone to be aware I have a dog and a cat. They do not sleep on or play with the carriers, but they are in the same house. I do lint roller everything very, very well before I pack it, but if you have extreme allergies please be aware of the possibility of stray hairs.
Most of this will depend on how soon you get your panel fabric to me and how quickly we can get your details worked out. Assuming that you have a good idea of what you want when you place your order, (or respond to emails promptly when we are working out the details) and if you mail your fabric right away, I would say that you could expect to have an email notice about your carrier with in two weeks of my receiving your fabric. If it takes a while for your fabric to arrive or if we need to spend some time deciding what you need that will back the order out some. I do allow a 4-6 week time frame but rarely is it needed and as always, communication is extremely important to me so you will always be aware of where I am at with your order.
Full Buckle Carriers
- Standard Body Style- This carrier has a full panel print, includes the infant harness and has an attached flat hood.
- Infant Size- $144.99
- Toddler Size-$149.99 (Toddler carrier can be made with the infant harness at no additional charge, but is not a standard feature on this size)
- Organic Infant Size $154.99
- Organic Toddler Size $159.99
- Wrap conversions Infant Size- $120.00
- Wrap Conversions Toddler Size- $125.00
- Ava Body Style- This carrier has the pieced body with the pocket in the center panel, infant harness, dual adjustable straps, and a cinching hood.
- Infant Size- $164.99
- Toddler Size- $169.99 (Toddler carrier can be made with the infant harness at no additional charge, but it is not a standard feature on this size)
- Organic Infant Size- $174.99
- Organic Toddler Size- $179.99
- Wrap Conversions Infant Size- $140.00
- Wrap Conversions Toddler Size- $145.00
Half Buckle Carriers -These carriers are not made with the infant harness
- Standard Body Style- Same features as above Standard Body Style
- Infant Size- $154.99
- Toddler Size- $159.99
- Organic Infant Size- $174.99
- Organic Toddler Size- $179.99
- Wrap Conversions Infant Size- $120.00
- Wrap Conversions Toddler Size- $125.00
- Ava Body Style- Same features as above Ava Body Style
- Infant Size- $174.99
- Toddler Size- $179.99
- Organic Infant Size- $194.99
- Organic Toddler Size- $199.99
- Wrap conversions Infant Size- $140.00
- Wrap Conversions Toddler Size- $145.00
Additional Options
- Hoody Style Hood- $15.00
- Cinching Hood (for standard body)- $10.00
- Detaching hood- $8.00
- Pocket (for standard body, will cover entire panel, large pocket)- $15.00
- Dual Adjust Straps (for standard)- $4.00
- XLT Straps- $6.00
- Petite Straps- $0.00
- Appliqué- TBD by design, min. $10.00
- Swatches- $2.00 (includes postage)
- Pre-washing and ironing fabric- $5.00
- Stabilization for special fabrics, i.e. silks, knits, stretchy fabrics- $10.00 per yard of fabric
- Stabilization for delicate wrap conversions, i.e., Didymos Indio's or other wraps with a dense pattern that is prone to unraveling- $35
