Tuesday, January 26, 2010

What about the name.....Baumshell?

Coming up with a name can be a tedious task. I tried to come up with witty, fun names. Having no real luck. I began to print out labels with Baum Creations on ribbon and putting them on my nursing covers. I was not thrilled with the name or my "wanna-be" labels. (For all of you who have this label...consider it vintage.) I wanted something that expressed who I was. At lunch with some friends celebrating birthdays, I decided to get their thoughts on some names. There was one name I had thought about for a while, but thought it might be hoakie. So a little scared of saying it out loud... I looked down and then said, "What about Baumshell?" I was totally surprised by their reactions. They really liked it. It was witty. It was catchy. It expressed me. It became Baumshell. What a great name. I have to thank my husband for this. He is the reason I have the last name Baum...I just added the "shell."

Why is it reversible?

The reversibility came by accident. Sewing a nursing cover like the ones you see everywhere would mean a lot of pressing of seams or purchasing a serger. Pressing seams is time consuming. Buying and learning how to use a serger was not in the cards at the time. So I decided it would be reversible. Coordinating fabrics merging together to give options for the mom and ease of sewing for myself. I received countless comments from moms who were given a Baumshell cover. They gained more confidence nursing in public with a little extra weight to drape over the baby and themselves. They liked the stability and durability of the cover. The one comment expressed time and time again is how much their babies loved the cover. They would get excited for feeding time because they knew what was coming as soon as they saw the cover. It made sense. Babies enjoy colorful patterns. Look at all the newborn toys....colorful, fun patterns. Who would have known what began as an easy way to sew a nursing cover would have turned into a stylish and positive nursing experience for both mom and baby? A win, win situation.

Sunday, July 19, 2009

How did Baumshell come to be?


Very simply. I was in need of 4 baby shower gifts within a couple of months, but on a budget. I wanted to give a useful gift that every mother (breastfeeding mother that is) could use. I had seen the other nursing covers on the market, but I wanted it to suit the style of the mom. For sewing purposes, I began making them reversible with two coordinating fabrics. I sewed in a soft, plush, reversible pocket in to hold a pacifier, a nursing pad, or used to wipe the baby's face. I use a sturdy D-ring to keep the cover in place and boning to keep the baby in view during nursing. One of the things I love about this cover is it discrete and others do not even realize what is going on. Another benefit of this cover is it measures roughly 24" x 36". Perfect for any size mother and any size baby. The baby is usually the focus of any baby shower, but the cover is something the mother wears. I do my best to find the fabric to compliment the mother's style. They are all custom made with high attention to detail.



What a blessing this little idea has been for me. I never expected the love of designing these covers to fulfill the creative side in me. What a joy it is to see how excited people are to get one of my covers. I have always loved giving gifts to others, but never realized I would be the one given the gift of such joyous smiles for something I created for them.