To us, the rest of the world ceases to exist as we walk along the river on this crisp, winter morning. She sleeps so peacefully and we enter a mysterious realm that we have created; it is our little secret. I can feel our spirits fuse and dance together. I can feel every breath she takes, so much life and so much love. Oh, how fast her little heart beats. Her head rests against my back; snuggled against me. The warmth of my skin, the smell of my hair, the sound of my heart and the motion of every step I take through the crunchy, cold snow. We stop to just cherish every second that passes us by. The bond between her and I is strengthened beyond anything in this universe.
There is a certain glow and beauty of a woman wearing an Amauti, when you see her you know that there is a happy baby being worn with love.
~Minnie
Welcome to Amauti Baby
regular pull-over parkas
Also taking orders for regular pull-over parkas.
Contact me for price.
Lovely photos from Paula
Information
Amauti Style, Colour & Trim Options
Pictures of trims and colors available will be emailed to you after order is placed.
Trim placement options are:
A) Sleeves and hem of Amauti or
B) Hem of Amauti and edge of the hood.
Materials used
The materials used for sewing a winter amauti are Made in Canada.
Outershell : Commander fabric: 75% polyester/25%cotton blend. 6 oz./square yard. Long wearing, easy to care for. Breathable, wind and water resistant. Fabric has lots of body with a firm hand.
Insulation/Liner: Polyester, quilted Holifil.
Temperature Range
These are just rough guidelines.
Regular weight Amauti:
Minus 15 to minus 30 degrees celsius.
Time to complete an Amauti
When an order is placed, I order the materials from Canada. This takes a few days. When the material arrives, I begin working on the Amauti. It takes about 1.5 - 2 weeks. Sometimes longer around the holidays.
Cost for Regular Weight Amauti
Price change due to cost of everything going up.
USA & CANADA
Price $475
EUROPE $495
Shipping with tracking is included.
Price are in US dollars.
Payment Methods
USA - Venmo
Canada/International-
Paypal
Full payment must be made before I start on your Amauti. No echecks. Returns/Refunds - All Custom made and pre-made Amautis are non-returnable/refundable.
DUTY FEES: You are responsible for any duty fees on your end.
My Amautiks are handmade at home. I adjust the sizes of my patterns according to your measurements for a custom made Amauti that fits you.
Measuring
I need the following measurements (you can do this by yourself, it's easy).
Measure all around the following areas:
Shoulders, Bust, Waist, Hips, Arms: Armpit to wrist. Your height.
Body description. Tall, petite, short waisted, square, pear shape, top heavy, etc. Any extra info doesn't hurt.
Frequently asked questions
New Baby
You can use the amauti with a new baby! It is best to get child used to the amauti from early age. Young babies can be carried swaddled tightly (not too tight) with a blanket and positioned facing away from the mom, back to back, sideways, or even facing your back. Sometimes putting in small blankets to make the pouch less deep helps or tie the rope up higher over the pouch.
Up to what age can you carry your child
In my Amautis, you can carry a child from newborn to about the age of 2 (maybe 3). Depends on your child's size.
What should the baby be wearing
It depends on the weather and how warm your amauti is. Sweater if it's not too cold outside with hat and mitts if you don't plan on using the hood much. If it's cold outside you will want your baby to wear a winter jacket, hat, and mitts to keep upper body warm especially if your little one likes to look around as you carry him/her.
Child's leg position
With a small baby it is good idea to wrap baby in blanket. A comfortable position for babies newborn to 5 months is in a curled position with their feet close together or a froggy style. An older child may prefer a wider sitting position with legs apart over to the sides. Your child will have his/her favourite position.
Upper back getting cold
Dress for the weather, wear scarves or neck tubes with flaps, layer up, wear a sweater, or close the hood.
Sore Back & Shoulders
Amauti riding up to your neck
This sometimes happens since the collar of the amauti sits close to the base of the neck and sometimes will ride up. Hold/pull it back with one hand or pull down at the base of the waist rope loop. It may also be the rope needs adjusting. It may be the child's position in the pouch or the pouch is too big yet so you may want to try tying the rope up higher over the pouch to see if that helps.
This may happen (and is temporary) to you if you are new to the Amauti. Your back may be sore for up to two weeks.
As your back strength increases as you get use the Amauti, using the Amauti actually feels pretty good for the back.
Wash & Care
Machine wash on gentle cycle in cold water and hang to dry.
Amauti Pattern
Can I get an Amauti Pattern from you
No. The amauti pattern belongs to all Inuit women. Due to the sensitive nature of the amauti pattern, I do not give patterns away. It's important to me to keep the amauti pattern protected within the Inuit culture.
Inuit are concerned that their artistic creations and cultural heritage is being misappropriated by non-Inuit. These activities are undermining such small-scale, community-based enterprises like my own. If southern manufacturers start producing Inuit-inspired amautik, they will put me and other Inuit women out of business and Inuit will lose control over one more element of our culture. The kayak, the anorak, and the parka have already gone down this road.
A few years ago Donna Karen from New York City (DKNY) sent a representative to the Canadian Arctic to buy old traditional Inuit clothing. DKNY wanted to use these traditional creations as inspiration for a fall clothing line. No credit or compensation was given to Inuit for our remarkable clothing heritage. Nowadays, Inuit representatives are working hard to protect our cultural heritage. For example, negotiations are taking place at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) in Geneva, Switzerland about different ways to protect the various creations made by Indigenous people around the world.
It is with these concerns in mind that I must refuse all requests to give away or sell my amauti patterns. The amauti is a particularly important Inuit creation that is receiving a great deal of international attention as Inuit seek ways to protect it. I hope you appreciate my concerns and understand that we Inuit are struggling to retain what is left of our culture and our way of life. Until there are laws that protect Inuit creations I cannot sell what belongs to all Inuit.
Donna Karen didn’t end up using the amauti for her fall inspirations...other aspiring fashion desingers should follow the good example of their peer Donna Karen.
The Amauti is the intellectual property of the inuit people.
Borrowing of our amauti design and patterns are not permitted by non-Inuit.