Archive for the ‘Notices’ Category

Who made your Calyx?

Thursday, February 5th, 2009

I thought it would be fun to introduce everyone to the folks who actually produce the Calyx. T&J Custom Sewing and Design is a small, owner-operated shop in Springfield, OR. They have, combined, over 50 years of experience in commercial sewn product production. In addition to sewing for MBD, they produce a number of products for other companies including cloth diapers, bibs, aprons and blankets, and the have also sewn for larger companies such as Burley, Paul Mitchell, and Boeing.

The shop itself is clean and airy, with natural sunlight pouring through the windows and music playing on the radio. T&J stands for Terry and Julie. Here is Julie, working on a Calyx:

Here is Julie, working on a Calyx

There are a row of shelves along the wall, with cut pieces ready to be sewn. Do they look familiar?

Calyx pieces on the shelves

They have a lot of fun equipment in the shop. Industrial sewing machines and sergers, and also webbing cutters and hydraulic snap presses. Here is Terry, setting a snap:

Here is Terry, setting a snap.

And some more fun machines:

Especially in these uncertain economic times, I am very proud that my little business helps to support other local, family owned businesses. Not only is it important to keep people in our local community employed, it is vital that the skills necessary to design and make the things that we need stay alive in our community as well. Thank you for supporting MBD, and Terry and Julie too.

Calyx slip covers -fundraiser for LLL

Friday, August 29th, 2008

Fundraiser to support La Leche League of Kent, Washington.

La Leche League is a non-profit organization supporting breastfeeding families.

Covers fit the Mama by Design Calyx carrier www.mamagear.com. Covers fit all sizes of the Calyx. Many of the strap covers are minkee lined for softness on the baby’s legs. The hoods provide sun protection. The covers are reversible, side A is one side, side B the other.

Your entire order ships for just $4.00 (first class mail US). Priority shipping is available for $6.00. Please contact us for shipping outside the US.

Order 3 or more covers and your shipping is FREE!

Purchases can be made by contacting Beth N. Paypal accepted. Please include the cover numbers. Each of these covers are unique, so don’t miss out.

We strive for perfection but some of these covers we actually made while NASM (nursing at sewing machine ). We have checked them over carefully. Covers are not returnable, unless we made a huge mistake.

Thank you for your support.

Thank you to Mama By Design for the donation of the pattern and our local quilt stores for fabric.

Hi Rebecca,

Thank you so much for your support of La leache league by donating the use of pattern. We finished the covers and have them in the VFSOT section of the TBW.

Here is a link to the carriers. If you want any other photos I can send them too. We have some pictures of making them too.

We had a lot of fun working on this project. It was a LOT of work (I don’t know how you do it). hopefully this will bring you some business too.

Thanks Again,
Beth

The HUGS Calyx

Saturday, June 14th, 2008

MBD and Help Us Give Slings have teamed up for the Babywearing Conference! These beautiful carriers will be available at the HUGS booth and through MamaGear.com. MBD buys the Selendang slings at full price, and uses the fabric to decorate the Calyx. In addition, a portion of the sale price is donated back to HUGS. As well as the Emerald Green carrier shown, we also have Garnet Red and Ruby Pink.

HUGS is a non-profit family effort that provides baby slings to mothers on both sides of the Pacific. Purchase a beautiful Indonesian selendang baby sling to enjoy the benefits of the traditional practice of baby wearing. The funds raised are used to donate slings to mothers still living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in tsunami affected regions in Indonesia.

MamaGear.com will continue to offer these as a special order Calyx, so don’t worry if you can’t make the conference or need a special size.

Incommunicado

Monday, June 9th, 2008

I will be unavailable until Friday, as I am on an Amtrak train en route from Portland, OR to Chicago, IL. From now until July 4th I will be traveling, and while I can answer emails (probably in the evening) my availability will be limited.

MBD products will still ship, I have some helpers back home assisting with that. I will try to get the new products listed tonight, though I have a million other things to do so please forgive me if they don’t go up until the end of the week.

New Simple Solid Calyx

Post Office Strangeness

Thursday, May 22nd, 2008

For some reason, none of the packages I have shipped recently seem to be showing up on USPS tracking. I don’t understand it, because I helped the mail carrier put the boxes on her truck myself… please let me know when they start showing up, I’m just as confused as you are.

ETA: I have learned that apparently they are only required to scan them upon delivery, and it is not unusual for them not to show up until the last minute. So hang on, don’t worry, your Calyx will be home soon :)

Chicago and the Babywearing Conference!

Friday, May 16th, 2008

I’m really excited about the 2nd International Babywearing Conference, being held at DePaul University in Chicago June 25-28. I grew up in Chicago, my Dad has been a professor at DePaul since I was two years old, and I went to school there myself back in the 90’s. I’m taking my girls to Chicago to see their grandpa and to attend the conference via Amtrak, because I’m crazy. 48 hours from Eugene to Chicago, and no sleeping car.

Here’s the important part, we will be leaving June 10th and coming home July 3rd. All of my current custom orders are scheduled to be finished in time for me to ship them out before I leave, but the shop is slammed right now and I can’t guarantee that I can sneak any more in. I’ll be picking up samples of some new lines, including the Solids and the Amy Butlers*, and some extra-special ones just for the conference…more on that later…

If you are sending in fabric, get it to me ASAP. I will prep it and give it to the shop, and they will work on it while I am gone. (Any fabric received after June 7 is going to have to wait until I come back.) I do have someone to help with shipping. It might be just once/week shipping while I am gone, but orders will go out. I will also arrange to have anything that gets finished after the 9th picked up, so I’m hoping that things can be fairly smooth while I’m gone.

*The really bad news is that some of the Amy Butler fabrics are still backordered, so it doesn’t look like we’re going to be able to squeak those through until later. IF they do happen to come in time for me to get them to the shop before I go, then I’ll put in the order and hopefully they’ll be waiting for me when I get home. I’ll have samples of those and some other things with me in Chicago, look for them in the fashion show.

Away for the weekend

Thursday, April 24th, 2008

I’ll be gone Friday-Monday. I will have my computer and may be able to answer emails at least once or twice,  but don’t be surprised if you don’t hear back from me right away.  I should be able to ship any orders that come in on Tuesday.

I will be in Olympia, WA if anybody is interested.

Suggest a Babywearing Group!

Monday, April 7th, 2008

If you lead or belong to an active babywearing group, please drop me a line! I’d like to make some library donations, and I’m looking for groups with a good membership, regular meetings, and an online presence. Convince me that your group needs a Calyx!
If your group has a Calyx already, but I don’t have you listed on my site, let me know that too. I often have people wishing they could try one on, and I’d like to be able to direct them to somebody local.

ETA- Wow, I’m getting quite a response :)   That’s great!  I might not be able to get one to everybody all at once,  I’m going to make a “wait list”  to fill as I am able.

April Fools!!

Tuesday, April 1st, 2008

I’m totally kidding, you guys :) The Calyx is only available in the same 3 sizes (4, with the clearance carriers). Free domestic shipping today! (I deducted the cost of Domestic shipping from the price of all baby carriers…)

Slipcovers!

Tuesday, March 11th, 2008

We’re excited to announce that Robyn Keays is now making Calyx slipcovers! If you would like her to sew some for you, drop her a line.

And then send me pictures, lol.