The Baby Hobo Mothership!

Phew.  It is done.  Behold the Baby Hobo International Headquarters!:

300 sq. ft. of pure disorder, coming right up.  I sort of failed to budget for storage solutions, so after this photograph was taken and I proceeded to move in all my other equipment and fabric, it became not pretty, rill fast.  But that is how it goes.  I will iron it all out over time, then post an honest picture of the place as it actually operates as a workroom.

I need to build a bigass cutting table, and procure just a couple of shelves/ carts, then I'll be good. I will report back from the floor shortly.  I am currently just trying to bust through a couple of orders and reel in the dough, you know.  So I can buy me a Mercedes Benz.

Wanted: Shoemaker's Elves

OH I ALMOST JUST WROTE "I COBBLED TOGETHER THESE TEN PAIR OF BABY SHOES".  Then I stopped myself.

But I did make these, and by golly they are going fast, y'alls.  It seems that The People want some soft baby shoes that stay on and promote sartorial self-respect at the same time.  I've told you before not to underestimate a baby's desire to dress well.  And look at this way: the better dressed your baby is the more people will want to hold him or her and the more times you can claim you "just have to run to the bathroom" while you hide in the loo and shoot a few rounds of "Words With Friends" on the sly.  Good plan, no?

Now, I need to talk sewing.  Thems be buggers.  I am having a nice time sorting out the technical issues of baby shoes, and there are many, so it may take a while.  Call these the Beta Shuz.

These fit a 6-12 month foot, per the guideline set by those most ubiquitous of baby shoes, the Robeez.  I realize of course that these are not styled so different from Robeez actually, but to me that like saying, "Hey, your t-shirt is shaped suspiciously like those other t-shirts!", as there's only so many ways to wrap a baby foot in fabric.  The difference we have here is in my patented Not So Damn Ugly® feature. Also, these stay one like crazy well.  But the elastic doesn't strangle the baby ankle either.  So take that.






So, it took me a loong time to make all these, because I have like 8,000 kids.  What I need is an intern!  Now that my studio is in the works, I'll have a respectable place to house an intern, and hopefully get this party started some.  For now, these are mostly sold before I posted them, but there will be a few available at Green Genes in Chicago, and a couple on Supermarket soon too.

Next up: the 0-6 month size.  I have to figure out exactly what is smaller about a younger baby foot and what is not.

Shuz II

I lost those rad shoes I made for Griffin!  BLERGH!  I am so mad.  Though I was a Smarty McSmartytown, and made a pattern before I sewed them.  Ha ha!  Take that, bastardly Gods of Lost Baby Shoes!

New Shuz:

Seamless Hats for Tiny Noggins

So I was making hats for baby Simon when an odd thing occurred to me.  All the seams inside a hat seems gnarly and cumbersome up against such a fragile, sensitive noggin.  That's why we all ended up putting that boring little hospital-issue hat on baby for the first month at home.  Lame, people.  Lame.  Babies need style too.  That's when everyone is coming to check them out, and the last thing they want is to be seen in that ratty little thing with a giant "Northwestern Memorial" stamp on it.  So now I am making seamless hats for newborns (and older babies too), that have all flat, internal seams.  They are double layered jersey, so they are quite cozy.

Here's pictures of them seen from the back, where they are shamelessly emblazoned with the Baby Hobo tag. It's not nearly as intrusive in real life as it seems in these pictures. 

Made from old t-shirts, as is the Baby Hobo custom:

Trapped Inside? Super Toddler Cape is the Answer.

I know this isn't the newest idea on the planet or anything, but I  find that a little person, like ages 2 through 5, really enjoys having a super cape with which they can transform their foot-walking earthbound selves into super heroes with unlimited powers. 

I'm trying to make them in colors and textures that are fun for the kids and not an eyesore to the parents of the kids.  Shiny red polyester and satin just really makes me squick.
Here's an example of a set I made for a set of twins:

Adult-sized cravats from Baby Hobo are here!

I know, you were sitting there on one of your self-imposed bi-hourly cubicle breaks,  munching on BB-Q Cheetos, lost in a staring zone with that crazy sunglass-wearing cheetah when it occurred to you:  "When is that Baby Hobo (TM) going to bring adult sized cravats made from re-purposed materials to the masses?  It's freezing up in this shizzy.  Adult-sized cravats are overdue.  Overdue."

Then this post popped up in your Google Reader and you were like, "YES!" And you frantically searched for a tissue or something to wipe the greasy, radioactive red powder off your hand so you could scroll down and see these pictures of the first batch.  Finally, you settled on using the edge of your office chair thinking that hey, your pant leg would probably brush it off over time. That's what happened.

Look for these at Green Genes in Chicago on Clark Street.

As Promised, the Shrinking Shorts

What better way to show off some long rolly legs than in a pair of shorts even shorter than the last.  These are made looser, and as is my custom of late, feature double sewn seams for durability and fashions.  The cuffs are a bit looser especially, but still prevent a view of London and France during multi-directional playground athletics.

These will be part of the Baby Hobo line sometime soon.  If you want a pair now, e-mail me and I'll make you some for dollars numbering 28 + shipping.  I will.  You can be an Early Adopter.  Of baby shorts by Baby Hobo.  Heck, I will go so far as to handcraft these in larger kids sizes should you have the wherewithal to measure the waist of the kids in question.

Oh, and speaking of Baby Hobo, I'm going all out and including a little half-inch side tag on all my garments (disclosure: it's not like there are rolling racks of the Baby Hobo collection lining the walls, but there might be in the coming months if I can figure out, from scratch, how to begin a small children's clothing label). 

Designed by the fabulous Libby Vanderploeg.  Check it out:

We're in Business

Am I going from Art Dealer to Baby Cravat Dealer? We've had our first sales of the Baby Hobo cravats from the awesome Green Genes store.

Perhaps it was the spokesmodel that is responsible:

Becoming Wealthy Through the Sale of Miniature Scarves; A Guide

Okay, I probably won't ever become wealthy, but some peoples love the baby cravats, (an example of here):

and now they've gone commercial.  They are for sale in several varieties at the amazing store in Chicago, Green Genes, which is a eco-friendly boutique for childrens and bebbes.  They have so many awesome things and I am quite proud to have my wares theres.  It is on Clark Street in Chicago.

GO.