Twinkie Tush Cloth Diapering: August 2014

We’ve had tons of requests for custom wipes lately and we want to make them happen for you!! We’ve been talking about the best way to set this up and we’re ready to give you the scoop on what we feel capable of adding to production!

At this point we will ONLY be offering custom wipes as add-ons within other groups (in other words, no wipe-only groups). You may add them to your custom diaper group (mini or large), or your blanket or twinkie togs group! And for now you may only order wipes in a group if you have also ordered another item (diaper, blanket or clothing) in the group. (In other words, no wipe-only members. For example in a custom diaper and blanket group, a member can order a diaper + wipes, a blanket + wipes, OR a diaper + blanket + wipes, but NOT just wipes.)

The minimum number of wipes a group member can order is 3, and the 3-pack of wipes will be shipped together (they cannot be separated into 2 or more packages). If a group member orders 6 wipes they will receive 2 3-packs, etc. The minimum total number of wipes a group can order is 6 (2 3-packs).

For any group containing wipes, there must be an additional column added to your spreadsheet so that group members can state the number of 3-packs they would like to order. The column header must read "wipe 3-packs". If a member writes "3" in their row, they are signing up to order 9 total wipes (3 3-packs).

The cost per custom 3-pack of wipes will be $9 plus shipping. Wipes may be made with assorted velour, either OBV or cv at our discretion, or may be made with the same velour used for the diapers or blankets. At this time we cannot accommodate any requests for specific velour backings for wipes. Similarly, wipes may be made with the same thread color or different thread colors than the other group items, at our discretion.

Wipes will only be made with knit or minky fabrics at this time (swim and velour are fine). Fabric requirements for wipes are ½ yard per 6 wipes, at a minimum 56” fabric width. No exceptions will be made. This yardage MUST be present in addition to your other required yardage (it can be continuous or a la carte). We will measure fabric before cutting to ensure adequate yardage has been sent, and if it has not we will not be able to make your wipes.

As always, any fabric sent in for group customs becomes property of twinkie tush. Any remaining fabric will be used at our discretion.

Sometimes fabric that is sent in for group orders contains flaws, printing or otherwise. We always do our best to spot any flaws and cut around them whenever possible. However, sometimes flaws are missed. twinkie tush does not take responsibility for fabric flaws on fabric that has been sent in for group custom orders.

Please note that, while we are excited about offering custom wipes and are thrilled to be able to do so, it may add a level of administrative, production and shipping labor that we find it is not sustainable for us. We will be doing this on a trial basis over the next month or two and may reevaluate as needed. Thank you so much for understanding! <3

Here is the official custom twinkie togs blog post! :) This post will contain everything you need to know about ordering custom twinkie togs, and will be updated if and when anything changes so that it is always current!

Custom togs may be ordered in groups of 3-15 items. At present we will be offering send your own fabric (SYOF) group customs only. All items within a single group must be the same (eg 10 Flutter Dresses) but group members may choose as many different sizes as they would like. Currently, togs groups cannot be combined or added onto diaper or blanket groups. If that changes we will of course update this post!

Pricing:

Pricing per item for custom twinkie togs, made to your size specifications with the fabric you choose and send in, is as follows (not including shipping):

Playground Tee: $24

Boardwalk Tee: $24

Shortstop Tee: $26
Homecoming Tee: $26

Flutter Dress: $39

Cozy Day Dress: $41

Tea Party Dress: $43.50
Dinner Party Dress: $46.50

Garden Fairy Dress: $48

For the time being, we will stock custom slots on www.twinkietush.com at our stockings. If listings sell out we will re-stock each week, and if we discover that we need to move to a different system we may do so.

The Group Leader, or any group member, can purchase the appropriate group listing, thereby paying for their own slot. And here is where we are doing things a bit differently than we do with diapers and blankets. Due to the limitations of certain fabrics with certain styles of togs, all fabric must be approved by twinkie tush before group production commences. We will not invoice the rest of the group members until the group fabric has been approved. Before purchasing a group slot, you can certainly email groupcustoms@twinkietush.com so that we can weigh in on your fabric. We may be able to approve it based on a fabric listing, but please note that in some cases it is not possible for us to tell until we have a fabric in hand whether or not it is usable for the selected togs style. We are going to do everything in our power to make sure that you are well informed about fabrics so that you do not waste time and money sending in a fabric that will not work. Please take a moment to read through the following section before planning a group.

What constitutes a good togs fabric vs. a not so good choice?

Some choices that would NOT work:

Swimsuit knits: We will not be able to use any traditional poly lycra or swimsuit fabric for togs. Please note that the cotton-like poly lycra options offered as “modern jersey” by Spoonflower or “perfect poly jersey” by Ixat ARE an acceptable choice, however. “Performance knit” at Spoonflower is NOT an acceptable choice.

Wovens: Woven fabrics (sometimes called quilting cotton or 100% cotton woven) are NOT an acceptable choice for any of the togs styles we offer at this time.

Sweatshirting: Sweatshirt knits are not something we can work with with any of our existing styles.

Some GOOD choices:

Euro knits: Euro knits are a very good choice. Etsy and DaWanda offer many Euro knit options. Things labeled “Jersey/Elastin” are an example of a great choice in almost all cases.

Cotton Lycra: Most cotton lycra is a very good choice. Many sellers offer cotton lycra options, including Ixat, Funkalicious, Girl Charlee, Banberry Place, Nature’s Fabrics and Cuddle Muffins fabric (to name just a few!)

Cotton-like poly Jersey by reputable sellers: “Modern Jersey” at Spoonflower and “Perfect Poly Jersey” from Ixat are very good choices.

Iffy choices:

Ribs: Rib knits and baby rib knits work on a limited basis, but do not work well with certain styles. If you are considering a rib knit, please be aware that it may be problematic.

French Terry: French Terry does not offer the stretch and drape we need for our current dress styles, but can be used for tees.

Questionable knits: Very thin jersey can also be problematic, and does not make for durable, high quality togs. It can be very hard to tell from a fabric listing how thin a fabric is, unfortunately. We highly recommend sticking with the recommended fabric types rather than venturing too far into the unknown.

Many fabrics labeled “interlock” or “jersey” would be good choices, but sometimes a very thin weight or lack of stretch can make for a low quality choice. This is an example of something that cannot be approved over email but may be approved once we have the fabric in hand.

Facebook printing groups: While many groups put out high quality prints, we have received some truly awful quality fabrics from some of these groups as well in the course of executing diaper group customs. We cannot recommend any specific sellers in this case and encourage you to exercise caution and ask for feedback from prior customers of a printing group before risking purchasing a fabric that cannot be used. We have had to send back prints on behalf of diaper groups in the past and these poorly printed, low quality base fabrics would not be an acceptable choice for togs either. I do want to reiterate, however, that we have also received lovely fabric from some of these groups, which would work well for togs.

All fabric must be knit, and minimum of 55" wide. All yardage must be continuous.

We will add to this section as applicable so that we can keep you constantly informed as to the best sources and types of good togs fabric, but want to reiterate that we reserve the right to decline a group’s fabric if we feel it will not make high quality items. And we also want to reiterate that if your fabric is not approved over email you run the risk of it being declined once sent in.

How exactly do I get my fabric approved and what happens if it is declined?

Group Leaders MUST email groupcustoms@twinkietush.com with a link to their chosen fabric along with their group spreadsheet within 24 hours of purchasing the group slot, and you must hear back from us BEFORE sending in your fabric. We will respond to your email within 48 business hours. This is to save you the expense of possibly sending inappropriate fabric. If you have had your fabric for a while and no longer have a link to the description, please describe the fabric as best you can and include a photo.

We will respond with either a definite go, a definite no, or a possible go. If you get a definite no, please do not send in your fabric. You can choose another fabric with your group or forfeit your slot (in which case of course the Group Leader will be refunded). If you get a definite go, please send in your fabric! Fabric MUST be sent within one week of our reply email, and you must provide a tracking number to your group as well as to us at TTHQ.

If you get a possible go, you can choose to send in your fabric or elect not to take the risk. If you choose not to take the risk, you can choose another fabric with your group or you can forfeit your slot (and again receive a refund for the leader’s slot).

If tracking is not received or another fabric is not selected within one week of our response email, your group will be cancelled.

When your fabric arrives we will give final approval and invoice all remaining group members. The payment window is 48 hours from the payment link email - all payments must be received within that timeframe.

If your fabric is not usable, we will email the group to alert you and we will invoice the Group Leader for return shipping so that we can return the unusable fabric to you. We highly recommend Group Leaders refund group members’ payments for unusable fabric. That means that the financial risk of a potentially unusable fabric would fall to the Group Leader. This is not required – the final decision is yours, but all members should be aware of the Group Leader’s policy with regards to what happens in the event that the group’s fabric is unusable. (Members - ask your Group Leader about this before submitting fabric payment.) Again, please take advantage of the guidance offered above and our opinions via email so that you do not end up sending in something that will not work. It is our hope that 100% of the fabric that makes its way to TTHQ for custom twinkie togs is approved!

What must be included on the Group Spreadsheet?

The group spreadsheet should be a google doc or attached excel spreadsheet, containing all of the following for each group member:

1 - Full member name

2 - Member name as it appears in paypal account

3 - Member contact email

4 - Member paypal email

6 – Size preference (Please make sure to select a size we offer for your chosen style – that info is below.)

It is essential that the group name includes the togs style (eg Fiona Tea Party Dress Group).

All Tea Party, Flutter and Garden Fairy Dresses will be made with a single print, which you send in. All tee styles and the Cozy Day Dress style will have solid color sleeves and neckbands, which we will provide. You can express a group preference for this accent color if you would like to. It must appear on your spreadsheet in a single line (not different colors for different group members). Eg “brown sleeves if possible”. You will ALSO need to convey this preference in your initial group email which contains the fabric link and the spreadsheet. If you do not express a preference in BOTH the email and the spreadsheet, we cannot guarantee we will receive your preference. And please note that while we will do our best to accommodate such preferences, we may not have the color you ask for and we may feel in person that it is not the right choice. Final selection of accent color will be made by Gretchen at TTHQ.

What sizes are offered in each style?

Boardwalk Tee (short sleeved girly cut) : sizes 6m-8 and now size 9/10 and 11/12 as well!
Homecoming Tee (long sleeved girly cut) : sizes 6m-8 and now size 9/10 and 11/12 as well!

Playground Tee (short sleeved boyish cut) : sizes 6m-8 and now size 9/10 and 11/12 as well!

Shortstop Tee (long sleeved boyish cut) : sizes 6m-8 and now size 9/10 and 11/12 as well!

Flutter Dress: sizes 12m-6

Cozy Day Dress: sizes 12m-6

Tea Party Dress: sizes 12m-8 and now size 9/10 and 11/12 as well!
Dinner Party Dress: sizes 12m-8 and now size 9/10 and 11/12 as well!

Garden Fairy Dress: sizes 6m-8

Please see the sizing charts at the end of this blog post.

Fabric requirements for all styles can be found at the end of this blog post.

At this point we are not offering special print placement options, but we will always do our best to get you the optimal cuts for your togs.

Other things you should know:

*Sometimes fabric that is sent in for group orders contains flaws, printing or otherwise. We always do our best to spot any flaws and cut around them whenever possible. However, sometimes flaws are missed. twinkie tush does not take responsibility for fabric flaws on fabric that has been sent in for group custom orders.

*Custom twinkie togs will ship within 4-6 weeks of the end of the group invoice period.

*Once invoiced, group members have 48 hours to pay for their slots, or they will be forfeited. We reserve the right to cancel a group and return fabric at the group’s cost if the majority of the group fails to pay for their slots.

*Shipping of the fabric to TTHQ is the responsibility of the group, as is return shipping in the event that a fabric is deemed unusable.

*All approved fabric becomes property of twinkie tush and may be used in whatever way twinkie tush sees fit once a group order is fulfilled.

*Pricing and policy is subject to change at any time.

Below are the size charts and fabric requirement charts! Have fun planning – we can’t wait to make your custom twinkie togs for you!!