Dec 30, 2009

New Diapers, New Year!


Happy New Year everyone! This is just a little reminder that Solo Flyer AI2s will be stocking at Fishnoodles on the first day of 2010 at noon.

There are several prints and solid colors - my favorite at the moment is this pink bubbles print.
I believe there will be some stalking for the Solo Flyers, so they are all listed as Buy Now. (That means the first to cart it gets it). There are also 2 smalls at the same day and time at Bitty Fluff congo.
At Bitty Fluff I'll also have a couple newborn diaper covers (not yet photo'd).
Custom stash orders will reopen for those who are looking for a whole set of Solo Flyers, details HERE.
Hope you enjoy the last party of the old year, and, as my kids told their teachers, "see you next year!"

Dec 27, 2009

Solo Flyer colors survey, round 2

Thank you so very much if you took the time to vote for the new Solo Flyer colors. We've collected 43 votes! I thought perhaps one group would be the clear winner...but the votes are very close among the first three groups. The important thing is, I'm so glad I asked you! It's hard to pick just 5 colors to start with, so the more input the better.
Now I'd like to ask everyone to vote again. I've set it up differently this time as a 5 page survey, where on each page you vote for one. I'm thinking of it like this: a dark color, a warm color, a blue, a green, and something girly. Pick your favorite on each page and we'll see how it comes out this time.
Thanks again, and as before, if have this in your email and you cannot see the survey below (I couldn't see it in my email), click HERE to vote.

Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Dec 25, 2009

Please help me choose

Mamas have been snapping up my diapers faster than I can sew them! So, I've been working on finding good help in getting the popular Solo Flyer AI2 diapers made right here in the USA. While it still may be a few months before they are ready, we are getting started soon. In about 10 days I need to order the colors for the Solo Flyers. We will start with about 5 solid colors (with plans to add prints later). I would really appreciate your help in choosing the colors. I've put together a few color groups. Please vote for the group of colors that you like best for diapers. You may not like all the colors in the group but pick the group in which you like most of the colors. [If you can't see the survey below, please come here to vote] Also, if you have comments, please fire away. Thank you!


Survey Results - GlowDay.com

Nov 18, 2009

28 New Wrapper Covers

For those awaiting side snap covers, here you go! We have three prints stocking this Friday the 20th at noon:

chocolate ice giraffes


blue chickadee


retro cars

There are also four solids: cheerful red (think holiday photos!), seashell, evergreen, and parakeet. There is one per color per size, so be sure to stalk if there is one you *must* have.

This is the last fishnoodles stocking for 2009. It has been a fantastic year, thanks to you, and to all the fantastic mamas who have stopped and shopped, and come back for more. I truly thank you.

Lots of great plans are in the works for 2010, and I'll be talking about that later. For now, we hope you enjoy the holidays with your family and keep your little ones snuggled up close!

Nov 11, 2009

This week's Solo Flyers

On the 13th at noon, fishnoodles will stock ~

spring green


teddy bear



night


retro cars

They're stocked in all sizes, but when they're gone, they're gone. These are last SFs until the new year. I'm sorry that demand is greater than supply right now but I'm working on that.

Next week, it will be lots of Wrapper (side snap) covers.

Nov 4, 2009

Pink, blue & a pop quiz!


Everyone's asking when the Solo Flyers are stocking again...and the answer is: this Friday (6th) and next Friday (13th). Since so many have asked, I've set them up as "buy now" listings, just in case some might oversell.
There are coral pink and sky blue for solids, and two prints this week:

blue chickadees

chocolate ice giraffes

Next week's print will be

retro cars

POP QUIZ
Why am I stocking the above three prints at roughly the same time? What do they all have in common? Yes, they all have some blue and some brown in the design, but that's not it... It's not that I got them in all at the same time.... It has to do with the design... Have you guessed? Give up? They are all one-way prints. That means they have a right side up and an upside down. It's a matter of preference I suppose, but I always make sure to cut them so the print is right way up on the bum, so when your little person crawls or toddles past, you see the cute design. Cutting them all at the same time helps ensure I don't mess up on having them all go the same way.
And if you also guessed that covers in these prints are probably in the works for Nov. 20, you might just be right :)
I've been sharing my stocking plans as a fair warning: I have evil plans to take the month of December off!

Oct 28, 2009

Behind the scenes

While it may look like all is quiet at fishnoodles (no stocking last week), there's actually a lot going on behind the scenes. One thing is custom stash orders of Solo Flyers. Here's a whole bunch ready to pack and ship. I've now added the custom stash info and ordering page to the store.

Another thing has been my futile quest for a new sort of one size fitted. As I mentioned way back in August, I think it was, I was developing a new type of fitted. Well...that was overly optimistic. What seemed absolutely brilliant in the dead of night (lying awake in bed) turned out to be a dud in the harsh scrutiny of daylight (testing on actual babies). I don't have anyone in diapers at home anymore, so my team of testers rose to the occasion. We tried a number of variations on my new idea, and the diaper was pretty good on younger babies that don't move much. With active toddlers, forget it, the diaper just came loose. So, now several months later, I've abandoned this concept. Maybe I'll bring it back at some point if I have another inspiration (you'll notice I've carefully not mentioned exactly what it is).

In the meantime, I've had a stack of diapers cut out and ready to sew, hogging up part of my main worktable for months. All that testing did give me good fit information, and so I finally sewed up the fitteds and did a fold-to-fit snap front panel. These are nice, squishy bamboo diapers, and I know they fit various sizes of babies well. I'm giving away a free boyish one this week, and there will be a freebie girly one next week.


I also had some Snapper covers prepped and ready to sew, and rather than keep shifting those around my work space week after week, I went ahead and finished them too. Wrapper (side snap cover) mamas, I do apologize. I've been sold out of those for a couple weeks now. Wrappers will be coming soon, I swear!

Solo Flyers have been very popular lately too - just about sold out on them - so more will be coming over the next couple of weeks. Whew! That's about it.

See? It really is busy over here!

Oct 14, 2009

Strange numbers of print solo flyers





Well, speaking of cutting print PUL carefully, as I mentioned last week, it doesn't always go as planned. Sometimes my brain gets the best of me.

I first noticed this back in kindergarten, where I had trouble with "left" and "right". My mind would just switch them on me. No one every talked to me about dyslexia in school, but over the years I've learned to double and triple check myself when balancing the checkbook or recording inventory.

Still, sometimes I mess up. Just recently I had to notify the same customer - on two occasions - that I had mis-stocked one of the items in her order and it was not actually available. Sigh. So embarrassing!

Back to the print PUL: Last week, I *meant* to cut 1 small, 3 medium, and 3 large from each of my prints. Somehow the inners and outers didn't match up when sewing...and I discovered that I cut 2 medium and 4 large from each print. I wish I understood just how that happens in my head. I went back and cut the matching inners, and that's what we've got this week. If you're looking for large, great! Medium, better snag your print. Small, sorry about that.
Once, as a college student driving home, I could have sworn I took the westbound exit. I drove at least 45 minutes before I figured out I was heading east. It's amazing I've survived this far.
Oh...and if you've read this far, then you deserve to know that I'm offering a large olive solo flyer free for shipping this week. Come on over and put your name in between noon Friday and noon Sunday.

Oct 8, 2009

Free stuff for newborns

Bitty Fluff congo, (all newborn all the time) which I am a member of, is doing a whole bunch of free for shipping drawings on Friday October 9 as part of our regular bi-weekly stocking. If you know of an expectant or new mama, send her on over to put in a few entries. I'm offering a bamboo velour prefold with quilted zorb center core - and this is a one size up to an 18" rise. So no matter the age of your little one, feel free to come on over and put your name in.
I was aiming to stock print solo flyers at fishnoodles this week but that's not going to happen until next Friday. I am working on a huge 33 diaper stash for twins! (Why the odd number? She's already got 1 diaper at home :) While it's true that I don't do customs for covers, I will do customs for 10 or more solid color solo flyers. For mamas who have tried them and want a complete stash, they can choose PUL and snap colors for each diaper. Not for prints though - the print PUL is still so hard to find and expensive that I need to cut it carefully so I can offer as many different items and sizes as possible in the prints.
If you're interested in the solo flyer custom stash, just email me to set up your order.

Sep 30, 2009

New Print Covers Friday

Just a quick heads up to let you know I've got four new prints stocking at fishnoodles Friday October 2 at noon. These are all Snapper diaper covers in poly PUL, for no wicking.

Pink Chocolate Hearts

Wild Cat


Thing One Thing Two


Retro Owls

I'm also in the process of reconfiguring the store a bit. I liked the idea of grouping items into one listing - fewer clicks to actually see the items. However, it has gotten too hard to manage all the sold out items. I've gotten myself confused a couple of times now. So the storefront is a little ugly at the moment but I'll work on that. Everything is still there, it just looks different when you arrive!

Sep 23, 2009

What's up this week

At fishnoodles this week I've been working on stock for my brick-and-mortar retailer. I've also been working on an exciting new project - a one size, snapping, bamboo, turned-and-topstiched fitted. What's so new about that, you say?
Well, it's all about the closure. I've developed a new way to have a snapping diaper that doesn't drown baby in zillions of snaps.
Here's the backstory: about a year ago, I developed a multi-size fitted, but wasn't fond of applying 33 snaps to each diaper - a typical amount for any one-size snapping fitted. I shelved that pattern, though the diaper fit well and had good reviews. But I still wanted to have a bamboo fitted. Over the summer I brought back a closure-free version of that pattern. It's a fine diaper - but it does leave one dealing with pins and snappis. For months I've been thinking there's got to be a better way.
A couple weeks ago I had one of those aha! moments. I think you're going to find this new idea intriguing, maybe even tempting enough to try.
I've got samples out to testers and am working on tweaking the concept. I can't wait to reveal it when it's ready!

Sep 17, 2009

Solo Flyer solids


Up this week are some new Solo Flyers in a great fall palette of burgundy, olive, deep purple and pink. Also, just two in chocolate. Would have liked to offer more but we are sold out of that particular color for now. Check it out at fishnoodles this Friday the 18th at noon. If you could use a medium-long snapper cover now or in the near future, put your name in for another free for shipping drawing!

Sep 10, 2009

Hot off the press!


The snap press, that is. New solid color diaper covers in rich fall colors. There's a little sampling here, more in the store. Stocking Friday Sept 11th at noon, with lots of variety, but as usual, mostly one in each colorway per size. If you've got a size medium LO, be sure an enter the FFS drawing for a free Pumpkin Pie diaper cover too.

Sep 2, 2009

Even better flying


Now boarding, new Solo Flyer all in two diapers, with even better passenger room (new sizing) and luxurious comfort (new soaker style).
Here's the flight plan for the new Solo Flyer:
Size - Over the past year and a half or so of selling Solo Flyers, mamas have let me know that they run large in the rise/leg opening. With the stretchiness of the fabric, the sizing needed to be adjusted, and is now true to size. Medium-long wasn't really needed, again with all that stretch, so it's simplified to small, medium, large.
Style - Between front and side snap, side snap always sells out first, so we've gone with all side snap now. Several customers asked me to attach the soaker just in the back, and that seemed to be a good way to go, so that the soaker can be one long piece for easier cleaning or sunning. And finally, the soaker is now heavyweight bamboo viscose/organic cotton terry - a wonderful, soft and incredibly absorbent fabric.
Prints stock on Friday September 4 at noon. And...there's a drawing for a free fitted too!

Aug 19, 2009

new covers stocking

Thursday Aug 20 at noon, new PUL print covers.


A boyish space print with funny little aliens floating amid lime stars.

The mushroom print I love so much, darling little 'shrooms and a lively dose of red.


Mod robots are hidden in the interlocking squares of this red - white - blue print.

And last but not least, MOM designs' pink and chocolate chickadees.

Front snap and side snap in each print. Limited quantities, so get yours while the gettin' is good.

Aug 18, 2009

Advance notice, just for you :)

It's back to school time here in Saint Louis; the kids started today. Even my "little big kid," as she calls herself, is starting preschool this year.
I've been doing some studying myself. Looking at customer suggestions, looking to improve products and streamline how they are made. I'd like to move out the current stock of Solo Flyer AI2s and Freesize Fitteds to make room for the new, coming in September. So this is just a little heads up that I'll be lowering prices on these in conjuction with my stocking this Thursday. If you buy between now and then and put "fishnoodles blog" in the memo field, I'll manually reduce the price of the Solo Flyers to $18.50 [for prints!] and $14.oo for the Freesize Fitteds [for bamboo fitteds!]. Just wanted to give my readers first shot. It's okay if you tell a friend, too.

Aug 10, 2009

Coming storm, August 12

Everyone's gonna be mad at me. I just stocked a big batch of print Solo Flyers. I can pretty much guarantee that whichever size/print/style combination you want, it's not going to be there. Okay, I'm kidding. A little...because I'm sure I'm going to hear from someone about it. You see, I had just so much of some popular prints left, so I cut the sizes I could, and tried to evenly distribute the styles between front and side snap. But that meant only 4 mediums, and all of them oogas. See what I mean? If you want to take a look, the listing is here, stocking 8/12. That's the last of these prints so if you do see something you want, snag it because it won't appear again.
If you do stop by, you'll notice my shop got a great new logo redesign. When he first saw it, my 9 year old son, all boy, who doesn't use words such as "love", said "it's...it's...I can't say it!" "What?" I asked, "you can tell me," thinking it was something awful. "It's the c-word." I quickly started thinking of any forbidden c-words he might know, eyebrows raised: "What?!?" Ashamed, he tells me, "it's...cute!" Oh! I could not ask for better.

Aug 5, 2009

Bring the heat!

...just kidding, it's been a cool summer and even though the tomatoes are just sitting there like green rocks, not ripening, I don't *really* want to bring the heat. This is just a little heads up ~ Cool Flames covers stocking August 6th. These are the Wrapper (side snap) style.

cool flames cover
Cool Flames Wrapper - poly print PUL

cool flames
Cool Flames Wrapper (back view)

Shop for your size here: Small Medium Large
Good for August, no?

Jul 29, 2009

'Tis the season of the cucumber around here. Mr. Fishnoodle asked me to plant more cukes this year so he could make pickles. [I grow the veggies, he processes them; that's our system] Well! You know those long, English type they sell shrink-wrapped in the grocery store? We've got loads of them. Last weekend we'd accumulated about 100 in the fridge, and so we pulled them all out for the pickle-making session. Now we know why they are shrink-wrapped. Some were rubbery, some fuzzy - back they went to the compost from whence they came. The husband turned the good ones into 7 quarts and 14 pints of homemade, organic, bread-and-butter pickles. Quite an achievement that we'll enjoy all winter.
As for me, I've been mixing it up with color that's not exactly pickle-green. Solid color Snappers stocking Thursday at noon, with colorways mostly from nature and a few from highly unnatural cupcakes, just for fun.

Jul 9, 2009

something squishy this way comes...

Just back, restored and refreshed from our annual summer vacation at Summer Haven. This is a magical place on Lake Michigan I've visited every year since I was a little girl. I have family in the area - one uncle is a captain who does sailing charters.
Just before and after the trip I was sewing like a madwoman, determined to finally bring some long-gestating ideas to life. The ideas started when another diaper maker asked me to review her website. Like me, she makes covers and all-in-ones. "You need something to put in the covers," I suggested, "maybe some prefolds." I later got to thinking I should really take my own advice.
I had purchased a roll of bamboo velour and another of fleece for this venture and it was still sitting there, looking reproachfully at me. So I got to work on my three ideas. The first is a sort of prefold-fitted hybrid I call the "flipfold." It folds into different sizes, like origami. "You should patent that!" said my dear husband (he's so supportive!). And maybe eventually I will...this one is not ready for prime time yet.
The second idea was for a really plush bamboo prefold, with Zorb in the center. The point of Zorb is to move moisture quickly. Often my babies' diapers would be sopping wet in the front and dry in the back, so my thinking was that if the pee could be better distributed, it would make for fewer leaks. This one, the AbZORBent prefold, is done and stocked.
The third idea was to bring back the Fishnoodles Fitted and make it better. The problem with multi-size fitteds is that you end up with a heavy array of snaps, and - speaking from the maker's point of view - god forbid you set a snap wrong and waste all that expensive fabric and effort. So, I decided to get rid of the snaps and make it a fold-to-fit type diaper with maximum adjustibility. I also wanted to make the fabric wrap at the legs, since soft leg openings are something mamas often look for.
I've finished the first of these new Freesize Fitteds and have them stocked for next Monday.
So that's the something squishy...the absorbent pieces to complement the covers. Hope you are having a lovely summer!

Jun 20, 2009

What's in a label (and why mine may be wrong)

My garment label reads: "fishnoodles made in USA." Until recently, I did not know that "made in USA" means that the garment is sewn in the US [check; mine are] AND that the fabric was also milled in the US [Oh, really? Doh!]. I have always purchased from US sellers but did not know to ask and have not kept any records about where the fabrics were actually milled. But beyond legalities, why should this matter to anyone?

In 1989 and 1990 I had the opportunity to travel in East Germany and Poland, just before and after the fall of the Wall. The environmental destruction we saw was heartbreaking - forests of dead trees, polluted unswimmable rivers and lakes.

Now think about China: remember how some athletes refused to participate in the Beijing Olympics due to the severe air pollution? Textile production has the potential to be a very polluting undertaking. I have no way of knowing if factories in "emerging markets" (where 60% of the world's fabrics come from; 40% from China) are following good environmental and labor safety practices - though we have reports of situations such as rivers running red with dumped dyes. But I do know that in the US we have labor laws, human rights laws, a Clean Air Act and a Clean Water Act.

As my business grows, I want it to grow better, not just bigger. So I've just ordered new organic cotton and bamboo fabrics for my Solo Flyer AIOs from a mill in the USA.

Buying from US sources is something I'll be looking at with every future step of fishnoodles. Sure, imported fabric is cheaper. But I didn't get into cloth diapers just to save money (over buying disposables) -- thinking a few generations ahead matters too. How sad will today's Chinese children feel as adults, when they see what has become of their land in its rapid industrialization?

Jun 12, 2009

Six New


Hi everybody! I've got six new covers stocking on Monday the 15th - 4 prints and a solid. Hey wait a minute... 4+1 only makes 5.

Well, okay, I took one of the prints and trimmed it two different ways, so I'm counting it as six.
Would you like a look? Here's the preview link: http://hyenacart.com/fishnoodles/index.php?c=0&p=61373

Solo Flyer custom slots are stocked and available as well.

Hope you're having a great summer! I'm doing Mommy & Me swim lessons in an unheated outdoor pool and its been cold this year ;) Let's just say I'm WIDE awake when we get out of the pool!

May 26, 2009

Secret codes

For my cloth diapering friends, some secret codes--
1cover = $1 off any cover
2covers = $2.50 off any two covers
3covers = $4 off any three covers
Share with friends and enjoy!

May 19, 2009

AIOs stocking

May 25 at noon, AIO custom slots will be stocking. Should be plenty of Solo Flyer spots to go 'round since I've stocked 24 total. 3 in each size, solids & prints. Oh, and I've added on more diaper covers too.

One diaper cover that I've put up, the Nubots Diaper Cover, is the new hybrid I mentioned in the previous post. You see, to have my covers sewn by someone other than myself, I needed to change the pattern a bit. In the process of doing this, I also did a fit merge of the Snapper and the Wrapper.

This new diaper cover is front snap, with rounded wings, still has the gussets, and a nice fit for any type of diaper. I'm thinking of it as the "Snapper 2.0" but I don't want to confuse anyone. I'll just call this new one a generic diaper cover for as long as I'm still stocking the Snapper.

May 16, 2009

About customs

I've been getting a LOT of emails asking "when will there be custom slots?" Well, it takes a bit to explain...and I'm just going to lay out the whole ugly truth here. You see, we did taxes in April and figured out that even though I've been working full time on this business through all of 2008, I actually made a profit that is laughably small. $2 an hour, I kid you not. Doing all customs is not the way to run a business, it turns out.

I've noticed that Lands' End has some semi-custom items for which they charge a substantial premium. And this spring LL Bean is offering some simple tote bags that you can have made in custom colors, for about $15+ extra per bag. For custom diaper covers, I should be charging $30-40 each.*** Why? Getting out the fabric, smoothing, finding the correct pattern pieces, cutting out fabrics, putting fabric away, threading the machine with matching thread, sewing just one of something (rather than the economies of speed with batching multiples of an item), getting out and putting on the customer's chosen snaps....it all adds a LOT of time. As an experiment, I sewed some multiples of the same diaper cover. I could not believe how much faster it was.

Nonetheless, being a creative type, I also found that sewing multiples of the same thing is deadly dull for me. At the same time, I keep thinking of new things I'd like to try. In the past this had already gotten me into the mess of introducing more types of items than I could reasonably produce. I have 3 new items in my head right now that I'd love to be experimenting with, rather than sewing diaper cover after diaper cover.

SO...what to do? First off, I'm working on getting my diaper covers manufactured. This is not easy because I want to have it all done in the USA. As you're probably aware, a lot of manufacturing of clothing moved overseas and the few remaining places have high minimums. But I'm going to go for it! They will likely be ready late summer/early fall.

Second, I am going continue to stock diaper covers until I can get them made for me. I'll make small batches of the fantastic prints I've been collecting. But I'm not going to take any more custom orders for diaper covers. Oh, and I had to revise my pattern for manufacturing...a hybrid of the Snapper and the Wrapper...a front-snap Snapper 2.0...is what I'll be doing, so when the manufactured ones are ready they'll be the same style. Same great fit with some nice tweaks. I'm very excited about this revised pattern!

Third, I'll be doing some custom slots for the Solo Flyer AIOs. What? Custom? Well, you see, with those I can pre-make the insides. There are far fewer fabric choices for the outsides and I don't have to keep changing thread colors. So it still makes sense to do these as customs.

Ideally it would be great to make everything as customs. Hey, wouldn't you love to go to your favorite clothing store and say I want this style, in this print, with this trim...and not pay a couture price for the priviledge? I think that may be in our, or our children's, future. Technology and manufacturing -wise, we're not there yet, and those that are doing mass customization charge a pretty penny for it. But we'll get there one day, I'm sure of it.

***Wait a minute, how is it that all these other WAHMs are doing customs and not charging $40 a diaper cover? I admit I'm a slow and picky sew-er. There are also a lot of at-home moms willing to make little if any profit. They are doing it more as a hobby than a business. This situation is debated often in the seller's forums. Sewing diapers is a relatively easy business to enter in terms of startup costs. You don't have to write a business plan or seek investors or even take out a loan. You can experiment with selling a small amount at a low profit and be pleased that you are contributing to the family finances. This is how most of us start out, but it eventually leads to a need to severely limit stockings, burnout, or turning to manufacturing (or all three!). It also depresses prices for diapering products, which have a lower profit margin than just about any other type of sewn product. Many diapers are more like a structured purse than a t-shirt in sewing complexity, yet sell at t-shirt prices. To sell a custom handbag at a t-shirt price is not a workable business proposition for the long run.

May 12, 2009

Good to go!







All the previews are now up for this Friday's big diaper cover stocking. I've added a couple of cute jungle / safari themed prints: Pink Hippos and This Place is a Zoo! There's also a garden bug print and a tropical floral print. Good summery stuff for little girls and little boys alike.


Next up: you heard it here first, folks. A limited number of custom Solo Flyer AIO slots will be stocked on Monday, May 25 at noon.