The Underground Review: Bijou Wear Roxy Alexandrite By Night

Wrap: Bijou Wear Roxy Alexandrite By Night (Alex), exclusive for Koala Bear Square
Size: 6
Wrappee: 10 months old

There are some wraps you buy for aesthetics, wraps you may not love for their wrapping qualities but need to own for their looks. Then there are some wraps that are blanket soft, like your favorite old sweatshirt, whose looks you could care less about because it feels so comfortable. Rarest of all is the wrap that somehow encompasses the best of both worlds: comfort and design, looks and feel. Roxy Alexandrite By Night is that wrap.

Roxy Alexandrite, or Alex for short, is a deep plum hue with black diamond accents. Many women find themselves looking for a wrap that works for any occasion, and Alex does not disappoint. The design is modern and gorgeous, adding an exciting look to a t-shirt and jeans or jazzing up your little black dress for an evening out. Whether you plans for the weekend include a wedding, hike, or shopping the boutiques, Alex shines in a contemporary style.

However, its eye-catching appeal still does not compare to its unbelievably comfortable feel. My first time wrapping with Alex was on a cold rainy day, one of those days you don't even want to change out of your flannel pj's or leave the house. In fact, I didn't even wait to get dressed before wrapping my little one close in the softness of this wrap. While many people speak of various wraps as being blanket or sweatshirt soft, the truth is that kind of true comfort is difficult to find in the wrap world. So, believe me when I say I found a wrap that snuggles you and your baby whether you're babywearing out and about or snuggling together on the couch.

You'll find this wrap to be very supportive with a good amount of cush. There is not a lot of texture with this design, which lends to a nice glide when you wrap. There is no horizontal or vertical stretch, but there's just enough diagonal stretch to make sure this wrap hugs you and your baby nicely in a carry. It's a thinner wrap but not too airy, and it's not so dense that you'll feel heavy when you wear.

One thing to note: this wrap came to me well washed and worn. I immediately noticed a light layer of fuzziness, almost pilling. After talking to both Koala Bear Square and Bijou Wear, it has been stated that although this is a cotton and tencel wrap, it is best to hang dry this beauty if you wish to avoid that fuzzy look. It in no way affects the safety of the wrap, but is the best way to help your wrap stay in excellent condition.

Babywearing Art: Parenthood Art Designs

The time available to us as babywearers often seems fleeting. There are days we wish we could pause time to keep this special memory of holding our little ones close with us forever. Though our babywearing days will end, having your own babywearing artwork created of you and your little one makes it possible to enjoy a keepsake of this time long after these days have passed.

But where do we go for these keepsakes? Which artists are out there and how does it work? And how do I know which artist is for me? This series is all about Babywearing Art: who does it, how they approach it, and how to find the one that is right for you! Today we will begin our series with...

Parenthood Art Designs

Medium: Digital Art
Cost: $33.71
Wait time: average one week
Discount: WILLWRITEFORWRAPS makes price $23.00!
GIVEAWAY: https://www.facebook.com/Willwriteforwraps/posts/984402528306788


Sue, of Parenthood Art Designs, is from Puerto Rico and currently lives in Jerusalem. She is a stay at home mom who is still relatively new to the business of babywearing art, which means a short wait time and inexpensive cost for you! Sue's process includes discussion with the client to better understand what babywearing means to them, multiple drafts to ensure her client has opportunities to give input to help guide the design, and once it's finished she offers a high resolution image (and if you want, a print, tote bag, canvas, etc. at extra cost). She tries to complete her work within a week of receiving a client's photo, but what is most important to her is capturing the beauty of babywearing as the parent sees it. Sue offered to design a babywearing piece for me so I could walk you all through the process, and this is how it went...

Day 1

Sue was incredibly friendly and walked me through the process with great communication. She asked me for a babywearing picture I loved, preferably not at odd angles, and also a word/phrase/theme that I feel represents our journey in babywearing or resonates with me as a mother. I sent her two pictures, one taken of me which I felt was our best babywearing photo, and one of us in my favorite wrap, which I hoped could be incorporated into the piece. I also told her that we have a love for the Beatles in my family, and though I wasn't sure if that was a "theme" it definitely was important to us. At this point I already worried about being a high-maintenance client, but Sue assured me that "it is important [the client] really feels the design encompasses what babywearing means to them".

Photo #1 sent to Sue

Photo #2 sent to Sue

Day 5

Sue told me she likes to have a first draft sent to the client within three days of receiving the photos. With me, I received my first draft in four days. But what amazed me was how little it looked like a draft and how much it looked like a work of art already! She reminded me that this was just a first draft, and at this point I should tell her what I liked and didn't like so we could move forward toward a final piece of art. Remember, in my initial email to her I mentioned how much we loved the Beatles, and she didn't disappoint in incorporating them! The bright colors and Beatles silhouette with "all you need is love" in the background really impressed me. However, one thing definitely needed to be tweaked. The X's and O's on my wrap looked nothing like the wrap's actual design (XOXO by Pavo Textiles). I didn't fault Sue in this at all, since she obviously didn't have a clear image of the wrap to work with, so I sent her a photo of the wrap laid flat so she could better recreate the design. She immediately replied with thanks and got to work!

Sue's First Draft

The photo I sent of the wrap laid flat

Day 6

Believe me when I saw I wasn't expecting another draft within 24 hours, but Sue is amazing! When she sent me her second draft, I was impressed by how well she was able to recreate the X's and O's to match the gorgeous design of Pavo Textiles. I didn't even hesitate before saying this was exactly what I wanted, and Sue then sent me the high resolution image to keep. Doesn't it look wonderful?

Final Artwork

Sue was a great communicator, created beautiful work while always seeking my input and approval, and her turn around was only six days! I was more than satisfied as a client and felt very comfortable being guided through the process and asked for my thoughts. She created a beautiful piece that reflects the colorful, joy-filled world that is babywearing to me. My recommendation is to book her for your own piece of art before word gets out and she gets busier!