My first impression was that there is a lot more black and less white than I was expecting…excellent, because I am not careful about keeping wraps clean. I threw it in the wash immediately, and dried it on a low tumble. Fresh out of the wash I noticed how textured it is – lots of micro-texture usually means a good amount of grip. After a wash, the next important question for me is always whether to give it a steam iron or not. I have found that I prefer some wraps ironed (Confetti, Hearts, Futurism), especially to help with breaking in (Trillium, Sparkleberry, Klee), and some I prefer un-ironed to preserve the airy pillows (Wingy, Surf Stripes, Fruit Stripes, P2). It’s important to note that ironing can change the feeling of a wrap completely. Since it wasn’t super wrinkled and felt reasonably un-stiff for a new wrap, I decided to give it a try without an iron to see how I liked it. I put LitterHill up in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt and I noticed that Backgammon has that kind of Velcro-stick that makes many Pavos so easy to work with: slippy enough for passes to glide easily over each other, but then sticks in place when you need it to. Delicious.
Even with just one wash/dry and no steam iron, I had no trouble tightening my chest pass, so I will say that while this is not an especially stretchy wrap, it has enough give to be easy to wrap with, fresh out of the tote. It’s a great width for a big kiddo – I could easily make a seat without sacrificing a high-on-the-back pass – but it’s not so wide that it would be overwhelming for a small baby.
Once I tied off, I instantly noticed the Pavo magic: no matter how thin/thick/rough/smooth/stretchy/stiff a Pavo wrap is, they seem to all feel like pillows on my shoulders. Zero dig. Another remarkable thing about this brand new wrap was that I didn’t struggle with it at all! I’m sure it will break in to a beautifully smooshy, floppy pile, but even with just a wash and dry it’s ready to wear.
This wrap is thin enough to be comfortable in hot weather, supportive enough to comfortably carry my big kiddo in a multipass carry, and has a nice amount of grip for ease in wrapping.
I’ll try to compare to other Pavos I’ve tried: #geekery
The thinnish but super support of Granite Apogee. Thicker than Futurism, thinner than LoFi.
More grip than Granite Apogee or Confetti, but not as much as Sparkleberry or Trillium. Maybe similar grip to Penumbra Shadow, but it’s micro-textured, so it behaves a little differently.
Less stretch than Ring System, slightly more than Shadow or Granite Apogee. Honestly the stretch reminds me most of the new Trilliums (Halo, Peony).
I definitely think it fills a gap in the Pavo lineup that I wasn’t even aware was there! Try Backgammon Intersection if you get a chance!
I love it un-ironed, but for the sake of a fully thorough experiment (#forscience), I think I’m going to iron it and see how it feels…more info to come ?
I have been almost exclusively wrapping for a while now, but Onbuhimo carriers have caught my eye, so I am going to review my first non-wrap carrier: Soul’s 100% Linen Onbuhimo in Matcha!
Soul’s Matcha Onbuhimo is a beautiful green.
Soul is a family-owned and -run baby carrier company based in India that is doing great things in the babywearing community to increase accessibility & representation. I previously reviewed a Soul wrap, Flyaway, here, and yet again I am blown away by the quality of their carriers! When I received Soul’s Matcha Onbuhimo, the first thing that struck me was how tiny it folded up. I thought there was no way that such a small carrier could carry my big LittlerHill, but I was so, so wrong!
Full disclosure, I tried to carry LittlerHill in a visiting onbuhimo once before Matcha visited us, and it did not go very well, including *one of us* yelling “NO ONBUHIMO!!!” (hint: it wasn’t me). Needless to say, I was a bit apprehensive about getting LittlerHill up in Matcha, but as soon as I took it out of the bag he said, “Ooooh, what is that GREEN? I loooooove it!” and began rubbing the fabric. Matcha is 100% linen, so it is incredibly smooshy and soft, while also being very supportive. The straps are a beautiful dark grey with padding that is more than adequate for long carries, but is also pretty low profile and not bulky at all even for a petite caregiver.
We got caught in a rain storm without an umbrella! Thank goodness for babywearing to keep LittlerHill pretty dry while we dashed to the subway entrance.
So I mentioned that I was concerned about whether Matcha would fit us. LittlerHill is in size 4T pants now, and weighs at least 35 lbs. Matcha offered a perfectly comfortable ride for LittlerHill. Even though it didn’t reach all the way from knee to knee, there are nice darts in the seat of Soul’s onbuhimo carriers that make it comfortable and supportive for a bigger kiddo like LittlerHill. Carrying him was definitely comfortable for me, which was surprising to me since I usually use a chest pass to distribute his weight when I wrap him, and onbuhimo carriers place the child’s weight on the shoulders by design. I was able to carry LittlerHill all over the city and through a rain storm pretty comfortably, although toward the end of our journey I began to feel his weight on my shoulders. I think I would have continued to be comfortable if I wore this style carrier more frequently.
My favorite thing about onbuhimo carriers is how high they carry the kiddo! LittlerHill could easily see everything, talk directly into my ear, and give me lots of kisses!
My favorite thing about onbuhimo carries is how high the kiddo is!
I think Soul’s Matcha Onbuhimo is great! It would make an especially excellent summer carrier for any kiddo that can sit comfortably and has good head control, but especially for a bigger or more independent child that likes frequent ups and downs, but sometimes needs a supportive and comfortable carrier for a walking break. The linen is airy and cool, and the carrier folds up very small for ease in carrying around in a bag.
I posted this quick review on my Facebook page last week:
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia came to me totally broken in and super floppy, which is exactly what I expected from a Tencel blend. Compared to the linen Heirloom that I hosted earlier, this wrap is much softer and more stretchy. I generally do not like Tencel in machine woven wraps, but this is an exception (as it seems all ABWs are to my preferences!).
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia bumshot.
I used Fuchsia to wrap my 33+ lbs LittlerHill in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt. As I made the seat I could feel the stretch – it is a very stretchy wrap, a quality I usually have a hard time with, so I was concerned about sag with my heavy guy. However, as I made the chest pass, it was clear that this stretch was going to work in my favor – it wraps like an ace bandage, with super snugness and nice grippiness so that my tightening was effective but not overly so.
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia.
The width was very helpful in getting my passes in place with a tall wrappee (over 38”), and tying off gave a medium sized CCCB.
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia in a candy cane chest belt.
On our walk to preschool, I was pleasantly surprised that Fuchsia did not sag at all, event with the amount of stretch it has. Zero sagging. This wrap is super comfortable in multipass carries with a larger wrappee, and I think would be wonderful with a smaller wrappee or even a newborn in any size. Tencel makes for a soft wrap that is easy to break in, and that is perfect for any wrapper that wants something cushy and ace bandagey, and wants a soft, floppy wrap after the first wash and wear ?
Apple Blossom Wovens Heirloom Fuchsia pleats itself!
I’ve had the pleasure of representing Apple Blossom Wovens as a Brand Ambassador for a little while now, and it has been a wonderful, eye-opening experience! Hopefully you’ve seen some of my pictures of me loving Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft on my Instagram and Facebook page, but I am going to give a full review here.
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft took us out for coffee on the snowiest day this winter in NYC.
I will begin with a confession: I am a reformed linen hater. I can’t even classify this feeling as a strong dislike – it used to be that if a wrap was a linen blend, then it was not not not for me. I found linen too hard to wrap with, too stiff, too diggy, and I could hardly even wear a linen blend wrap long enough to tell if it was supportive, but I was sure it was not. Hrumph. I would read reviews from people raving about linen blends, and I just thought, “Oh well, we just must have different taste in wraps…thank goodness for hemp!” (I still love hemp blends.) Just so that you don’t think I came to this conclusion hastily, it is important for me to say that I tried *a lot* of linen blends, and even some of the “all-star” linen woven wraps (Yew for example). Even with all of that, linen blends were still not for me…
Eye rubbing during an early morning walk in Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft.
Until now y’all! I am a changed woman!!!! When I became a Brand Ambassador for ABW, I chose Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft because 1) I love black wefts, 2) I thought, “well, if I hate it maybe I can trade it when I’m done with my ambassadorship”, and 3) I also thought, “maybe this will be a good challenge for me because I will have to wrap with it!”
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft is super supportive and allows me to carry my big kiddo on my back with ease.
As usual, I was right (haha)! When I received UTSv2, I was immediately blown away by the colors. The black weft gives it deep jewel tones and the gradation is gorgeous, but I have to say that it was not love at first wrap. After a wash and steam iron, it was pretty soft and I mistakenly thought that was close to as broken in as it would get. I like to break in wraps by just wrapping with them – getting sweaty while battling a new wrap is a great workout. When I wrapped with it the first couple of times, I fought against the grip and found tightening well to be quite challenging. I was frustrated, but I persevered and it was totally worth the extra work. UTSv2 broke in nicely and now I am *very* excited to see how it takes us into the hot, sweaty weather of Summer in NYC. This is going to be my first summer with a linen wrap that I like to wear!
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft, under the sea!Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft has taken us many places this winter. Here we were on our way to the American Museum of Natural History!
It is worth mentioning some of the qualities that I love about UTSv2: it is not diggy *at all*, it is super supportive with my big kiddo and much less stretchy than the cotton weft UTS that I reviewed here, but UTSv2 still maintains its ability to make a killer chest pass (even over bulky winter clothes). Possibly my favorite thing about it is the color – it’s beautiful…
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft makes an amazing chest pass over a fleece jacket.
I have mostly worn UTSv2 in my favorite back carry, Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), and I even made a tutorial for this carry (my first tutorial!). I have also experimented with Double Hammock Freshwater Finish, and UTSv2 has been awesome in that carry too. In the months that I have had UTSv2, I have yet to get LittlerHill in a front carry with any success, but I promise to update with my thoughts if it happens.
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft in a Double Hammock carry with a Freshwater finish.
I recommend this wrap for every wrapper, and any size wrappee! It is very easy to work with once broken in, thin enough for a new wrapper, sturdy enough for a big kiddo but soft enough for an infant, and has different colored rails for a newer wrapper to more easily be able to keep track while strand by strand tightening.
Under the Sea v2 with black linen weft in my favorite back carry, Wendy’s Double Hammock with a Candy Cane Chest Belt.
I finally recorded a tutorial that (I believe) is not terrible! It’s Wendy’s Double Hammock with a Candy Cane Chest Belt. Please visit my YouTube Channel to see the video !
Before you read any further, this post is about stripping DYE from fabric!
Trillium Snow in the snow.
I just had a fun adventure with my first dye-stripping experience. I sent Pavo Textiles Trillium Halo to my friend Sarah at Blake’s BabyWearing Blog for a new look!
Pavo Trillium Halo before stripping.
Sarah did an AMAZING job, y’all! I sent Halo with some of the supplies I had purchased when I foolishly thought I would undertake this project myself (hahaha!), and Sarah got it started right away, sending updates throughout the process. She assured me that she would take all of the recommended safety precautions (as a chemist, I was concerned about chemical exposure), and that she follows the instructions exactly, so the results would be very even.
Trillium Halo enters the pot!Trillium Halo turned purple when the stripping began!
Halo is a light aqua color, and it unexpectedly turned purple when the stripping chemicals began working. I am so thankful that Sarah sent so many pics – it was great to feel like I was part of the process from afar. You never really know exactly how stripping will affect a color, so I was thrilled when she told me it was getting all the way white! Sarah was able to wash, dry, and steam iron it by the next day – her turnaround time was incredible! She shipped super fast, and Trillium Snow arrived exactly when expected, and even more wonderfully snowy white than I was expecting! If you’re thinking of stripping a wrap, Sarah is available through her blog and Facebook page, and her results are impeccable!
Trillium Snow is everything I was hoping for!Trillium Snow giving a shiny bum shot.
I had the pleasure of hosting not one, but TWO wraps from Rhockett Weaving‘s beautiful Nox warp…Noxes (like foxes, right?).
Rhockett Weaving Nox in hand-dyed milk/bamboo weft (top) and doubled SilverSpun weft (bottom).
I am not sure how many wefts Rhonda wove with the Nox warp, but I hosted a hand-dyed milk/bamboo weft (see photo top), and a doubled SilverSpun weft (see photo, bottom). I was especially excited because these are fibers I have never tried before, and they definitely had a noticable effect on Nox’s feel and wrap qualities.
Hand-dyed milk/bamboo weft
This milk/bamboo weft was hand-dyed by Ball Up and Dye in purple, teal, black, and maroon, but the maroon didn’t really come through after weaving so the colors are nicely cooler toned. The most striking thing about this wrap was the weight in hand – it felt heavy, very drapey, and blankety, but not dense at all. Since this was my first try with a milk/bamboo weft, I am not sure if that is the usual feel, but it was extremely pleasurable to handle this wrap. In multi-layer carries, the passes glided nicely and then stuck in place very well, so it was pretty easy to get a nice secure wrap job.
Nox with a Hand-dyed milk/bamboo weft slid right into place and was very comfortable for both of us!
Once wrapped, there was little-to-no sagging, even with a vigorously bouncing LittlerHill on the way to school! Milk/bamboo Nox was very cushy on my shoulders even with a big dude on the back. As I find is common with handwoven wraps, they are thin/thinnish in hand and easy to wrap with, and then surprisingly cushy and supportive. Milk/bamboo Nox is an excellent example of this phenomenon!
SilverSpun Weft
I have been wanting to try SilverSpun since I first heard about it a few months ago because…silver! This weft is a combination of cotton, SILVER, and nylon. I am not quite sure about the details of the fiber, but I know that it is difficult to obtain, and what was used in Nox was thin and so was doubled up – it worked! SilverSpun Nox is incredible! It’s slightly longer than milk/bamboo Nox, but definitely felt noticeably lighter and thinner in hand. In a multi-layer carry, the thinness and texture allowed the passes to glide very easily over each other. SilverSpun Nox has slightly less grip than milk/bamboo Nox, which made it a lot easier to tighten my carry well, but necessitated a bit more careful wrapping as the passes didn’t stick in place when I let go.
Nox with a SilverSpun weft was so glamorous!
Once wrapped, I felt glamorous AF – carrying LittlerHill around in woven silver sounds like something reserved for fictional royalty! This weft also satiated my cravings for monochrome – it is a beautiful combination of greys and black. I noticed a small amount of sag as we walked to school – no where near enough to warrant retightening, but I noted that for the next time I need to be more conscious of the slipperiness (probably due to the nylon content), and to be a little more careful about getting a tight carry. SilverSpun Nox gave more than enough support with our bunchy rushed wrap job, and was also comfortable on my picky shoulders.
SilverSpun Nox supported a big kiddo even with a sloppy wrap job.
The differences between milk/bamboo and SilverSpun weft Noxes are very subtle – both wraps are beautifully woven, magically thin and drapey, and very supportive for my big LittlerHill. I feel so lucky to have been able to host these wraps concurrently, it was a lot of fun to make comparisons. I hope that Rhockett Weaving will continue to weave with more unusual weft fiber choices like Nox (although I am aware that no more SilverSpun is currently available), and I will hopefully have a chance to try some in the future!
Rhockett Weaving Nox with SilverSpun weft (top) and hand-dyed milk/bamboo weft (bottom).
Lucky me! As yet unreleased Emmeline Textiles Amelia Pearl stopped in for a visit – in loomstate – and I had the pleasure of giving first ups!
Amelia Pearl arrived in the cute Emmeline Textiles packaging, including lace doily, ribbon, and stamped notebook.
Amelia Pearl is the second wrap in Emmeline Textiles’ “Ribbon Series” – the first was Eleanor Pearl, and it’s been a favorite here. Many of us in the Coterie (the fan group on Facebook) have been anxiously awaiting the next Ribbon release, and I am here to tell you: Y’all, it was worth the wait! Amelia Pearl is blowing me away, I don’t want to send it on!
There are a few similarities between Eleanor Pearl and Amelia Pearl: both come undyed in a beautiful natural color that definitely invokes their names – Pearl – and which gives nearly unlimited potential for Ali’s amazing in-house dye jobs at ET (I’m a huge fan!), as well as dye projects elsewhere (see photo below for my Tiny House Textiles-dyed EP). I remember reading that ET specifically chose thread for the rails and hems of Eleanor Pearl that would take dye , and I am hopeful that Amelia will be released with the same thread for equally amazing dye projects. Both Eleanor Pearl and Amelia Pearl also have the namesake “ribbons”, which are variations in weave that for stripes running the length of the wrap that add all kinds of interesting visual character and specific wrap qualities.
Emmeline Textiles Amelia Pearl rests against the first release in the Ribbon Series, Eleanor Pearl, dyed in a monochrome ombré by Tiny House Textiles.
It is obvious in the side-by-side photo above that there are differences in the ribbon-weaves. Most noticeably different is the thicker, rougher crepe weave “ribbon” on Amelia Pearl!
As I mentioned, Amelia Pearl arrived in loomstate, and it was definitely more crispy than was Eleanor Pearl’s loomstate, but it didn’t really convince me that Amelia Pearl would be much different. I was super jazzed to try out what I believe would be Eleanor Pearl part deux…I mean, how much could those ribbons really matter? (It turns out, a lot). So, I washed Amelia Pearl as instructed by ET – enough to get the “hay smell” out and dried it with dryer balls, but it was still pretty crispy. Not to worry, I love breaking in new, super dense/hefty/thick/hemp wraps, so this 100% cotton was no problem for me! I wavered about giving it a steam iron and decided to wrap first and then decide if it needed one.
After one a wash and dry, Amelia Pearl was not ready to submit!
I am glad I wrapped (a stuffed panda) with Amelia Pearl before ironing because it made the before-and-after difference much more striking. I remember thinking as I wrapped with it the first time “where is the ‘pearl’? the smoothness? the slight give that makes Eleanor Pearl so easy to use? why is my chest pass so baggy? why does my chest pass look like I wrapped with a giant tortilla?”
The different weaves clearly affect Amelia Pearl’s drape! The crepe weave ribbons hug the ironing board much more tightly.
So, obviously, a nice steamy iron was in order, and it made all the difference. After a steam iron, the smoother sections reminded me *exactly* of Eleanor Pearl, while the crepe woven sections were clearly something new, and overall, Amelia Pearl was really ready to wrap with.
Wrapping with Amelia Pearl
We used Amelia Pearl for several back carries. This tester is about a base-2 for us, so the first multilayer carry we did was Shepherd’s carry. I was right about the steam iron – Amelia Pearl made a delicious smooth and moldable chest pass with a beautifully hefty knot. The passes glided easily over each other, but there was just enough grip to keep them from sliding out of place while I adjusted the carry. As I walked with my giant LittlerHill about 3/4 of a mile to a local storytime, there was zero sagging in our carry, even though it was the first time really wrapping with Amelia Pearl. For me, this means a wrap that is super easy to wrap with right away! After the dryer and a steam iron, not much more breaking in is needed to get a good wrap job.
Amelia Pearl makes a moldable chest pass with a beautifully hefty knot in Shepherd’s carry.
I need to talk about the crepe weave. I didn’t notice much of a difference in the texture in hand between Amelia Pearl and Eleanor Pearl, but I think the crepe weave gives AP slightly less stretch and slightly more support. Like I said above, I was just hoping for EP-v2, but this. is. so. much. better.
The crepe weave “ribbon” on Amelia Pearl gives extra support and a bit less stretch to this wrap compared to Eleanor Pearl.
We also tried a single layer carry, Ruck with a candy cane chest belt. As expected from my experience/infatuation with Eleanor Pearl, Amelia Pearl shines in a single layer carry even with a giant wrappee. It gives an excellently solid and supportive carry with enough cush on my shoulders to comfortably meander through rainy, winter NYC streets with my cuddly wrappee. My Ruck wasn’t tied super well, but it did not seem to make a difference in either my or LittlerHill’s comfort.
Amelia Pearl makes a beautiful Ruck wrap!Amelia Pearl in a single layer carry was perfect for a large wrappee and extra snuggles. Also, look at the pleats!
It is not easy to improve upon something that is already amazing (Eleanor Pearl), but Emmeline Textiles seems to be able to always go that extra distance. Amelia Pearl is a slam dunk/home run/touchdown! It is perfect for wrappees of any size, for short or long ups, for wrappers that enjoy a medium to thick wrap, is a gorgeous standalone neutral, and is perfect for limitless dye projects. I can’t wait to see Amelia Pearl out in the world when it releases later this month!
Bijou Wear’s Decadence lives up to its name! I am already a huge fan of Bijou Wear since I have really loved wrapping with their hefty Eco2cotton and low Tencel blends. Bijou Wear is a company that is conscious of inclusivity, and they offer most of their woven wraps and ring slings in longer lengths that make their products accessible to babywearers of all sizes. I’d heard many good things about Decadence as it has been traveling around the babywearing world, so when I was offered the opportunity to try it because it “fits my preferred wrap qualities” I was thrilled! Yes, it definitely does fit my preferred wrap qualities (WQs). In case you are unfamiliar with my preferred WQs, here they are: thick, cushy, thick, blankety, thick, toddler appropriate, and thick. But really, Decadence is more nuanced than that, please continue reading…
Bumshot of Decadence Premiere in Wendy’s Double Hammock.
I received Decadence in the “Premiere” colorway, which is a black warp with lemon-lime-gold wefts that appear to change color depending on the light. I am a huge fan of black warps and monochrome everything right now, and the Premiere colorway goes well with the standard NYCBlack that we all don for winter, while adding an exciting bit of color to a otherwise dreary season.
Our first carry with Decadence Premiere was Wendy’s Double Hammock with a Candy Cane Chest Belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), which is my favorite go-to back carry at the moment because it has a chest pass for extra support, two leg passes for a bouncy/leg straightening wrappee, and a candy cane chest belt (CCCB) to keep the ruck straps comfortably on my shoulders. As the weather has changed into to the cooler part of Autumn and the beginning of Winter, LittlerHill and I have begun to navigate wrapping on the outside of our winter clothes this year. I will cover what we have figured out with regards to winter babywearing in another post, but I want to say here that Decadence Premiere was very forgiving and patient with me while I took my time wrapping (LittlerHill was less so).
What made Decadence Premiere so patient was its texture – it is textured all over, but it does not have the same texture all over. Instead, each section of the pattern has a slightly different texture – it is smoother on the yellow areas and rougher on the black areas. I think that the texture differences are noticeable due to the large scale of the diamond-shaped geometric pattern. It is pretty cool and unique to be differently-textured throughout the pattern, and it makes Decadence Premiere not like any wraps I have wrapped with before. Decadence Premiere’s interesting texture made it super easy to slide my passes into place, and then held them there while I worked on tightening. Its ability to stay put means my Wendy’s DH CCCB was wrapped excellently (for a change!) and therefore it was super comfortable. LittlerHill even remarked, “this wrap is comfortable!” while we walked to preschool – there is no better endorsement than one from a picky toddler!
Decadence Premiere is textured differently in different areas of the pattern.
Decadence Premiere has little-to-no horizontal stretch, but has a good amount of diagonal stretch. This means that it has zero sag with a heavy wrappee, and can make a beautifully tight chest pass. LittlerHill felt super light on my shoulders, and I would have been happy to carry him in our Wendy’s DH CCCB for hours – I think any multilayer carry would have felt just as comfortable. Decadence Premiere is pretty thick, as I mentioned above, due to a double weft that gives it a nice cush for picky shoulders and makes it a perfect fall/winter wrap. Decadence Premiere also has a nice drapey feeling in-hand that makes its thickness feel manageable and not at all overwhelming.
I was intrigued with how Decadence Premiere felt so solid but also had beautiful diagonal stretch, so I wanted to try it in some single layer carries. We wrapped Decadence Premiere in Ruck tied Tibetan (Ruck TT) and in a Ruck tied in front (Ruck TIF), and as I suspected, Decadence Premiere shines in both multilayer and single-layer carries with my huge wrappee. LittlerHill didn’t budge at all, and all of the passes stayed in place even with the combination of a slippery coat and a bouncing wrappee. As amazingly comfortable and easy to wrap as Decadence Premiere was in Wendy’s DH, I ended up defaulting to various Ruck variations even with the super long tails, so I think I would pleased with Decadence Premiere in any size!
Decadence Premiere rocks a sloppy single-layer carry like Ruck TIF.
Summary
I think Decadence Premiere shines in any size – shorter for single-layer carries, and base or longer sizes for multilayer carries – and would be excellent with an infant through preschooler wrappee. Decadence Premiere is definitely on the thicker side and may be a lot to handle as a caregiver’s first wrap in a base/longer size, but I would otherwise recommend it to any wrapper and any sized wrappee, or to a newer wrapper in a shorter size if they were not yet used to handling the fabric. The Premiere colorway, lemon-lime-gold and black, is gorgeous for fall, goes well with neutrals, and gives the perfect pop of color without being overwhelming. Decadence Premiere would make a great first wrap for someone starting back carries, since the passes glide over each other easily but stay in place while the wrapper is tightening.
Decadence Premiere makes a beautiful chest pass and Candy Cane Chest Belt.Decadence Premiere is a cozy wrap for Fall & Winter!
carries tried: Wendy’s Double Hammock with Candy Cane Chest Belt (Wendy’s DH CCCB), Ruck tied in front (Ruck TIF), Ruck tied Tibetan (Ruck TT)
wrap qualities (WQs): cushy, thick, medium density, textured, dry, good balance of glide/grip, moldable, supportive, solid, good diagonal stretch but otherwise not stretchy, toddler worthy, no sag, no dig, medium-to-heavy weight
If you have any spare dimes, please consider helping Carol, a woman I know and love:
The following narrative is from a GoFundMe page that is raising funds that will go to her, directly:
Carol* and her two young children need your help. They have endured a lot that no one should and at the hands of someone who was meant to love, cherish and protect them more than anyone else.
She survived the last attack at 34 weeks pregnant as did her oldest child. For kidnap, torture and rape, their husband, father and also attacker was sentenced to only 8 years.
Worse, he is being released now after serving less than 3 years of his sentence… and he has every intention to continue hurting Carol and the children as evidenced in his written threats to her life.
Appeals are in progress to try and stop this but unfortunately, the chances of the due process completing in time to be effective are very very slim to none.
Carol and her children need to flee. They are working on an exit plan. These efforts cost resources including money.
Carol is someone I know personally and have known for years. Not only is she a kind and brave individual who has overcome this kind of personal hell to rebuild her life.
She also channels her pain and past experience to help other domestic violence victims in the community and has successfully kickstarted various grassroots organizations that are helping others in need.
My first impression was that there is a lot more black and less white than I was expecting…excellent, because I am not careful about keeping wraps clean. I threw it in the wash immediately, and dried it on a low tumble. Fresh out of the wash I noticed how textured it is – lots of micro-texture usually means a good amount of grip. After a wash, the next important question for me is always whether to give it a steam iron or not. I have found that I prefer some wraps ironed (Confetti, Hearts, Futurism), especially to help with breaking in (Trillium, Sparkleberry, Klee), and some I prefer un-ironed to preserve the airy pillows (Wingy, Surf Stripes, Fruit Stripes, P2). It’s important to note that ironing can change the feeling of a wrap completely. Since it wasn’t super wrinkled and felt reasonably un-stiff for a new wrap, I decided to give it a try without an iron to see how I liked it. I put LitterHill up in Wendy’s Double Hammock with a candy cane chest belt and I noticed that Backgammon has that kind of Velcro-stick that makes many Pavos so easy to work with: slippy enough for passes to glide easily over each other, but then sticks in place when you need it to. Delicious.
