I guess you could consider me an "Empty Nest Entrepreneur" - except that my daughter moved back home...

I started the company almost 2 years ago now.  It was a strange time in our lives.  My father had passed away on Christmas Day, my daughter moved out on January 3rd, and by the 10th I had been laid off from my job. 

Even if I wasn't facing the big question: "What do I do with the next 50 years of my life?", it would have been a little challenging. 

However, then I had an epiphany of sorts.  I was watching one of my favorite Judge TV shows, and watched two women who had gotten into a physical fight (no kidding) because the "Defendant" objected to the "Plaintiff" nursing her infant child in the waiting area of a popular chain restaurant.  The details of the case are unimportant, although fun to listen to!  

Given that I was a nursing mother when Dinosaurs Ruled The Earth, I was surprised to find that public perception had not evolved to the point where we could all be adults about it.   And the case made me think about when my daughter was an infant, and I needed to find a way and place to nurse her when we were out on sales calls. 

I remembered parking at the farthest end of the parking lot, and throwing an old knitted poncho (circa 1969) over my head, like some strange navy blue mushroom, and crouching in the back seat to feed my daughter in between appointments.  There had to be a better way!  Then I started wondering if I couldn't come up with a solution.

You see, I have always loved clothes!  My mother and grandmother were both dressmakers (back when people actually did that kind of thing), and I learned how to make my own doll clothes before I went to school.  Over the years, I found that having the ability to sew was not only fun, but it saved me money and was more and more unusual.

That is how I started making wraps - I thought I might find a way to make something affordable, that would be more of an accessory than a functional item (like a fuzzy blanket with puppies on it thrown over your shoulders), and could also be used for more than just breast feeding.

With encouragement from my husband and family, I got started.  With suggestions and requests from friends, neighbors and customers, I began to find out other items that people wanted. 

• One friend's sister had surgery for breast cancer, and had limited mobility, so having a suedecloth wrap was perfect for her when she went for chemo or out to dinner in Arizona.
• One neighbor's mother was in a wheelchair, and so I started making Shorti wraps so that there was less fabric while there was still fuzzy warmth.
• My mother takes medication that leaves her cold all the time, so based on what she wanted, I expanded on my comfort wraps even further.
• A friend's son would never keep his robe on when he was sick.  I made my first Wrap-Itty for him, and he still runs around the house with it as his Superman cape - and he is always cozy when he is in the car or watching TV.  I made one for his little sister to wear in her car seat, too.

As time went on, I added to the styles of wraps I decided to make.  The purely selfish aspect is the pleasure I get selecting fabrics and colors.  The rewards I get are the lovely comments from people who buy a wrap, and will call me weeks later to say that it was the perfect gift, or that they wear it every night when they are watching TV with the family.

Since I work out of my home (my living room and dining room are my 'studio'), feedback and contact are very important to improving my product.  Now that I am going to craft shows and home shows, I have a wonderful opportunity to meet new people that I never had in my previous office jobs. 

So, out of a potentially chaotic time, I got a chance to start a new chapter, and I hope that everyone who puts on one of my wraps feels just that little spark of excitement I have in my life every day when I make them!

Sandi Tuttle - The HomeBadger

PS - lots of people have asked Why HomeBadger?  Well, I have worked at home for many years, even before I started this business.  The children always called me 'Badger' because they knew that if they needed me to "have their backs", I could be a badger for them.  OR, if they didn't do what they were supposed to do, I could be a badger TO them...  Thus, the Home Badger was born.