It's been 20 wonderful yearsEnd of an era

The sling baby in this photo is now twenty-one. And that means I've been sewing slings for twenty-one years, too, and it's been a business for 20 years. When I started, I never imagined the success I'd have in the mid-2010s, and I certainly never imagined I'd still be making slings when my first "sleeping baby" was a college student.

And in the heyday of the 2013-15 babywearing world, I couldn't predict the changes the sling standard would bring to the babywearing world, nor what it would do to my business. Adding in the easy availability of cheap slings on huge e-commerce sites, the last several years have been extremely difficult for independent sewists like me. The costs associated with testing to the sling standard, insurance, and just the everyday business expenses like fabric and notions mean that several months of sales are wiped out before the break-even point.

With all those factors at play, I've made the difficult decision to stop sewing slings at the end of this year. I can't begin to tell you all how wonderful it's been to be a part of your babies' first years. All the custom slings I was able to sew before the standard went into effect, all the friends I made through TheBabyWearer.com and beyond, all your notes and comments I've cherished... I'm beyond honored to have been able to help a generation of caregivers stay close to their babies. I wouldn't change a thing about SBP in the last two decades, and I'm so glad you've been on this journey with me.

I'll still be sewing slings through the end of 2021, but I'm no longer ordering new fabric to replace what goes out of stock -- whatever is in stock now is all there will be. I held over the 2020 year-end sale and will keep those prices for the foreseeable future, so water slings are $29, French twill is $34 (I'm nearly out of a lot of those colors, fwiw), linen is $49, and Tekhni wrap conversion slings are $99, all with free shipping.

It's truly been a joy to serve caregivers and their children for 20 years, and I hope I can sew a sling for you and yours soon!