ring sling with overlapping pleat shoulder

CheckoutToday's message: The kids are out of school for the summer, so while I'm doing my best to keep up with orders, there may be days where I get a little behind so that I can take the kids to the pool or on a day trip. Please don't expect 24-hour turnaround during this time.
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Please read about infant safety in baby-holding devices (every parent, babywearer or not, needs to know about this) and sling safety!

faq about ordering and shipping:

I want to order a ______ sling. Do you have it in stock?

The fabrics shown on the website are currently in stock. (A corollary to this: if it's not on the site, it's not available.) However, please keep in mind that it is the *fabric* that is in stock. I sew every sling individually as it is ordered -- unlike larger manufacturers, I do not keep a completed inventory on hand, as there are so many variations possible. Every sling is a custom sling!

If I want a sling with custom fabric, can I have the supplier send it directly to you?

Absolutely! Please email me for my address.

Why don't you have pictures of finished slings instead of just swatches?

Because I sew everything to order, I've usually got just enough time to do the sewing and shipping each day. If I had more time, I could probably take a picture of each sling that I sew, but I'd still need to process each picture and add it to the site, which is not a trivial undertaking with as many fabrics as I offer. I know a lot of the other well-known manufacturers have pictures of completed slings, but their slings are sewn in large batches and (not to put too fine a point on it), they charge a lot more, and some of the price includes things like photography. Not many people realize how much it costs to hire a good photographer and models with babies, and scope out a good shooting location, not to mention cropping and color-correcting the photos once they're taken. What it boils down to is that I'd need to raise my prices in order to include photos of each sling, and I'm just not comfortable raising prices for that reason.

I really liked this particular fabric you used to have. Are you going to get more of it?

I'll let you in on a little secret. Because I'm a small manufacturer (if that term even applies for a person who does all her own sewing), I buy very little fabric in wholesale quantities. I get most of it from online retail stores, like fabric.com and denverfabrics.com. Both of those are "jobbers" -- they buy fabric from fabric manufacturers at a lower cost (usually it's the ends of bolts and such) and then resell it on their sites. This means their inventory changes frequently, and barring a few specific fabrics, most of what they have is available only for a limited time. So when they offer something like the linen/rayon blend I had for a while, I buy as much as I can afford to at a time, and then it's available on my site for as long as it lasts. Once it's gone, it's gone until the online fabric store gets more... if they do. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don't. There are some fabrics on my site that are reorderable -- the linens and most of the organic fabrics in particular, since I get those from non-jobber/reseller sites -- and I'm working on getting more, probably some lower-cost twills. The rest of the fabrics are really dependent on when I can find them, and I can't guarantee availability on them beyond what's currently listed.

How much is shipping?

Please read through the shipping page. If you wish to estimate postage, my zip code is 03824, I ship in the US via USPS Priority Mail, and you can go to this page to get an estimate. Most slings weigh between 10 and 20 oz, with lighter fabrics being correspondingly lighter to ship. If you are international, you can go to the same page, and enter your country. Select the shape "package" for both.

How long will it take to get my sling?

All slings are sewn to your specifications after I receive your order. While I work from home, I prefer to keep regular business hours in deference to my family's needs, so I do not make it a practice to sew or ship on the weekends. Unless I am completely overwhelmed by orders, I will have your sling out on the next business day after your order. (This does mean that if you order on Friday, I won't have your order out until the next Monday). Occasionally I receive more orders than I can sew in a single day; in that case, I will ship as soon as I can. Barring unforeseen or extreme situations (like the birth of a child, spraining my ankle, or being hit with a 9-day power outage...), I have never had an in-stock order take more than a few days.

I ship via USPS Priority Mail. The PO claims this takes 2-3 days, though your mileage may vary. Californians may find that shipping takes more like 4 days, while those on the East coast may receive their slings within a day of shipping.

All told, once I receive payment, you should have your sling within a week, assuming there are no complications. In Canada, this can be as long as 2-3 weeks -- Canada Post being notoriously slow.

I live in Canada/Europe, and I don't want to pay the customs handling fee. Can you mark the sling as a gift?

No. Marking a purchased item as a gift is mail fraud, and I would be the one breaking the law (and hence, the one who would be punished if the package were opened -- further information is available on the shipping page). I will mark the package with the value of the sling alone (without the shipping costs). The amount you will pay will depend on your province; if you dislike paying taxes on purchased items, I would suggest contacting your representatives. If you prefer not to pay the customs handling fee on your purchase, you might want to order from a Canadian sling maker or distributor: Mother's Helper, Up! Mama, Milkface, Honeybunch Baby, The Extraordinary Baby Shoppe, and Hip Bundles are all based in Canada, and shipments from them within Canada will not incur a customs handling fee, just your provincial tax.

What is your return policy?

It's here. Please understand that the $5 restocking fee is added not because I want to be difficult or take your money, but because as a very very very small business, every moment and every dollar counts.

I'm ordering this as a gift, and I want it to be a surprise.

I know it's nice to have a surprise gift, but a sling is a pretty personal item. I think it's best to let the recipient pick out the size, color, and other options -- pockets, rings, etc. Returns and exchanges are possible, but difficult. I think it's better to get it right the first time, even if that means spoiling the surprise. I am now able to offer gift certificates, which might be a better option for you.