I love babywearing. I started off with a woven wrap when our oldest was born and used it a lot with her. Over the years I have bought and sold various woven wraps but never used them like I did when I started. So one day I discovered Cari Slings, a wrap maker. They have the most amazing wrap called Owl Post which is themed after Harry Potter, I am a huge Potterhead. I found one in the colour way Fleur and bought it. But Zalah was terrible at being wrapped and I just didn’t have the time to get her up or the patience to re-learn. So I thought that getting it converted into a reverse Onbuhimo would be awesome.
Through a friend in our local babywearing group I discovered carrier maker Mum’s Joy. Vita is the mother of an amazing boy. They live in Langley, BC, Canada. A little about Vita in her own words,
“Sewing became my hobby when I was 12 years old. When I was 14 years old I started to design and sew my own clothing and décor items for my home. Later on I went to Fashion Design School and studied Sewing & Apparel Design Arts.
The love for babywearing began shortly before my son was born in 2012 and after his birth babywearing became a firm part of our life. Babywearing felt wonderful and brought the joy of closeness with my son.
Sewing is my hobby and I am dedicated to making high quality, safe and comfortable baby carriers and other wearable art.”
I love hearing about women who use their passions and their gifts to do fun and cool things. Vita has taken her talent as a seamstress and her love for babywearing to create a business. And her work is fantastic.
I shipped my beloved Owl Post across the country and in 6 weeks time Vita mailed me back this work of art. When having a custom carrier made with a certain pattern on it I find it is very important to convey to your converter what you want. I asked Vita for an owl to be centered and she didn’t disappoint. I decide on a toddler size (for children wearing 18 mos – 3T: Seat 17.5″, 21″ long, 20″ wide at its widest point), and asked for long straps. My wrap was only a size 3 which is very much on the smaller side for a conversion but some how Vita gave me everything I asked for.
Zalah who is just 18 months old is just beginning to fit into our carrier, which means we have many days of wearing ahead of us. One of my favourite parts of a Onbuhimo is how high up baby is on your back. Zalah can see right over my shoulder, but it also means she can lay her head on my neck and sleep.
The reverse onbuhimo is so nice when it comes to quick ups, and getting Zalah up and tightened is getting easier each time I wear her. Like any new style of carrier you try there will be a learning curve. The fun thing with the long straps is I can tie around my waist like in this photo, or I can do fancy chest passes for extra support.
The craftsmanship on the carrier is amazing. You can tell that Vita puts a lot of thought and effort into each of her carriers. If you check out her instagram or facebook page you can see more of her work. One of the questions that is always asked with Onbuhimo carriers is about the padding on the shoulders and legs because of how the weight of baby is distributed. I have to say the padding is wonderful. It is just thick enough that my shoulders are comfortable, but not bulky. And on the body of the carrier there is a great amount of leg padding so that no matter how you need to adjust your carrier baby always has something soft under their legs.
If you are looking for a converter I recommend Vita. Her prices are fantastic, she puts each creation as its own priority so you know that much thought and care goes into each one. Vita was a joy to work with. She will be on vacation until May, but she is worth the wait. She is a BCIA member and compliant with all Canadian regulations for making baby carriers. (but not USA).
So go check out her work. Give her different social media platforms a like or follow and see what beautiful creations she can make you!
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