Sewing baby carriers has become a daily hobby. I enjoy the creative and problem-solving elements: picking nice colour combinations, refining the pattern, adding new features, and honing the sewing process. At this point, including cutting the fabric, I can make a carrier in 4-5 hours. It’s getting shorter all the time–my initial attempts took more like 16 hours, and the final results weren’t nearly as good.

The problem I am running into is that one woman can only use so many baby carriers. I currently have 2 that I use. I gave my early experiments away to friends at La Leche League, but I can’t afford to keep buying the fabric for carriers that I won’t use myself. So, I am seriously considering making carriers to sell.

I chose a business name – Skookum Baby Gear. Luckily, Jon is already incorporated, so we can run any new business through his company and enjoy the tax and legal benefits. There’s still a lot more to do, though. We’d have to get liability insurance, design a logo, get stationary, create a website, have some photo and video sessions, write carrier instructions, do more broad-based research into textiles and sewing, locate a fabric wholesaler, investigate local seamstresses, and create quality-assurance standards and documents. After all, I’m an engineer, I know that processes and plans are important. You can’t just cirucumvent the development and release cycle.

It’s very daunting, which is why I have some major qualms. At this point, I’m just taking it one step at a time, and seeing where I end up. In the meantime, if anyone needs a cool and functional baby gift, drop me a line.