A Middle-Earth pattern, based on the original drawings of J.R.R. Tolkien.
Lotus
A lotus flower pattern, designed by Oscha customer, Eugenia who is an illustrator and mother of two kids from Ukraine.
A little note from the designer: “I love children, plants and draw patterns, especially patterns with plants. It is incredibly happy and proud that Oscha wove my pattern and now mothers around the world will wrap their little ones in wraps with my pattern.”
The first release of the pattern was Lotus Paige, released in 2020.
Realm of Middle-Earth
Formerly known as Map of Middle-Earth, “Realm” depicts just that, a map of Middle-Earth.
Andaluz
More information to follow.
Meander
21 March 2013:
“Here are some pics of the final test weave of Meander (this is in black and ecru so obviously the pre-order colours will be different).
This design is an exclusive for the Finnish Babywearing Community, designed by Annamaria Mitchell and woven by Oscha.
The pre-order closes on Saturday 23rd March at 11pm GMT.
A 10% non-refundable deposit is required to secure your order. An invoice for the balance will be sent once the wraps are ready. Orders cannot be changed or altered once placed. Please allow 3-4 months for the items to be completed.”
Comment by Annamaria Mitchell:
“The linen ones are 50% medium weight linen, aiko will be probably comparable to JK aiko chiisai for example (or at least I’m guessing so?). the cotton one I’m sure will be as supportive as all of oschas very toddler proof cottons, and the pattern would probably make the wrap quite grippy.”
Phaise
This pattern was first introduced as part of the 2013 Deep Forest Collection. Phaise Juniper was het first run, although (of course) a tester had been woven.
“Introducing a new pattern, here a fade of colour is created using subtle patterns in the weave. The first few images are of Phaise Juniper, which is part of the Deep Forest Collection, this is in 100% cotton. The last few pictures are of a tester wrap, we’ve included these because the close up images show the small weave patterns nicely. Please note the ecru/grey version is not currently for sale.”
15 March 2013
As requested, here’s a review of Phaise, kindly written by Leigh:
“I was really interested in the Phaise design since I first saw a test swatch and felt the weave. It felt quite different in-hand from other wraps due to the texture present in the weave, it felt like there were lots of mini ridges and troughs in the areas where the stripes come through. These very textured areas are interspersed by areas of flat ground. I was curious how this would feel to wrap with – would… there be too much texture? So I was excited when I got a full sized wrap to play around with. I found that after a wash, dry and steam iron, the highly textured areas felt much less defined, they softened up and the ridges were less pronounced. I’ve found that this provides a good amount of grip but it certainly doesn’t go overboard, especially combined with the smoother areas.
In terms of wrapping qualities, like other 100% cotton Oschas I’ve used, this feels very supportive. I would say it is a relatively thick cotton wrap, thicker than my JKZO. It softened up very quickly and is pretty easy to wrap with – passes slide with ease but the wrap isn’t slippery. It feels cushy with some stretch and a small amount of bounce. No sagging at all, once wrapped everything stays where I put it. I really enjoy using this wrap, it was great when Ben was a newborn as it was nice and soft and squidgy for him, and it continues to be great as he grows. A friend of mine borrowed this for a month or so to use with her toddler and she also fell in love with it so it is toddler-worthy as well.
It is probably worth mentioning that the ecru cotton Oscha uses often breaks in more quickly than some of the dyed cottons so it is possible that other colourways of this design might require a bit more breaking in to get to the same state, but they will be well worth it!”
Eden
A teaser went out for this pattern on 5 January 2012: “So is anyone ready to see the third new design?”. Eden marked the third new design of the Winter Solstice Collection, after Strato and Roses.
A post on 6 January 2012 contained both Eden Caprica and Eden Blue Ice. Eden Caprica was a 50% linen blend; Eden Blue Ice was an all cotton release.
Victoriana
First released as ‘Victoriana Nahua’, this pattern was originally considered a ‘group exclusive’ pattern but was later released to Oscha for general use and could thus be used for preorders too. Victoriana Nahua was a small preorder of 19 items and a few extras.
Designed by Jaiken O’Dowd, this is what she says about the design: “I’ve always loved traditional English style and so the design was inspired by original Victorian tiles I once came across somewhere. Thanks everyone who has posted babywearing pics of the wrap – it is so lovely to see other mamas and their little ones enjoying it!”
Orion
Released after the successful Starry Night Pattern, Orion has remained something of an underdog compared to Starry Night. However it has gained its own fanbase and remains a steady presence in Oscha’s diverse range of patterns. A few have gained something of a unicorn status, mostly due to the blend, like Orion Argentum (Sea Island cotton, wool, silk and cashmere). The first Orion released was Orion Reef… maybe… but that needs verification.
Mayura
Nov 14, 2017: “We see Pavonis as a development of the design and we would prefer to weave it as Pavonis- however we could weave Mayura on request.”
Pavonis
Nov 14, 2017: “We see Pavonis as a development of the design and we would prefer to weave it as Pavonis- however we could weave Mayura on request.”
Matrix
12 April 2013:
“1st prize: Matrix prototype grey/ecru 100% cotton, size 4. This is a new design that has so far only been woven as a prototype. It is made up of small detailed lines of pattern that are interupted and then re-emerge.”
The wrap that went up as the prize for a charity draw was the first presentation of this pattern.
First released as ‘Matrix Satori’, Matrix wasn’t a very popular pattern, until the release of preorder wrap Matrix Adara (black weft on a blue-purple warp). It was suggested that the popularity of Matrix was then increased by the popularity of striped handwoven wraps. Whatever the reason, Matrix has since become a popular pattern, both as regular releases and part of preorders.
Inspired by the movie ‘The Matrix‘ where green numbers flow vertically across a black screen, the release of Matrix Satori was accompanied by a fun photoshoot that featured clothes and accessories (sunglasses!) reminiscent of the movie.
Sekai
First introduced in the hugely popular Oceania Part One collection, Sekai has since become a steady favorite. Sekai, believed to be derived from the word ‘seigaiha’ (meaning ‘wave’, source: Immortal Geisha) is often also interpreted as ‘dragon scales’ or ‘WiFi signals’. It was first seen on the border of the Okinami and Kasumi patterns. A variation on this pattern is SekaiLove.
Ancients of Gondor
“Our first Middle-earth design, Ancients of Gondor, is inspired by the lineage of White Trees. The original White Tree was much beloved by the Elves. Emanating silver light, it is said the Moon was formed from its last silver flower. Each tree thereafter is seen to symbolise divine qualities of goodness, wisdom and purity.
These gorgeously intricate trees are representative of a line starting with Celeborn – the last White Tree to grow in the original dwelling place of the Elves, leading to Nimloth – a sapling of Celeborn that was planted in the land of Númenor, and finally to a sapling of Nimloth that became the first of the line to be found in Middle Earth – the White Tree of Gondor.”
In J. R. R. Tolkien’s high fantasy universe of Middle-earth, the White Tree of Gondor stood as a symbol of Gondor in the Court of the Fountain in Minas Tirith. The White Tree also appears as a motif upon Gondor’s flag and throughout its heraldry combined with the seven stars of the House of Elendil and the crown of the King. Source: Wikipedia
Sundara
Sundara
Sundara is a mehndi inspired pattern. Mehndi or henna is the application of as a temporary form of skin decoration. It is practiced mainly in India and the Arab world (source: Wikipedia).
Sundara Roesse is the third colourway in which Sundara is released. First was Sundara Bonie Bell (Northern Isles Collection) and second Sundara Pearl, a Boutique item.
Shui Lóng
Shuǐ Lóng
“Presenting our new design, Shuǐ Lóng (Water Dragon) the divine mythical being possessing wisdom, protection and power. The dragon’s power is intimately linked with the natural world, the symbol and source of this being the pearls held in its claws. We have first woven it in the Caprica and Ember colourways as we wanted to take the opportunity with the red warp reweaving. However as we didn’t want to go into red overload, and also considering the season, we have only made a few in these colours. Shuǐ Lóng will be available in the next collection in some other colours and blends.”
The Tibetan Water Dragon – Shui Long was among the first patterns released by Oscha. The design has been especially popular with parents whose children were born in the Chinese Year of the Dragon (February 2012 – February 2013) but it has attracted other fans as well. It’s not a pattern for everybody and thus has a relatively small (but dedicated) fanbase.
There was an early teaser for the pattern hidden in the comments on Facebook on January 17, 2012: “Funnily enough (…) we have been looking at creating an Asian-style dragon, still very early stages with that design though.” Followed by another comment in the same thread: “Hhmmm, good point that it is the year of the Dragon! I actually quite like the scary dragons, but I guess they might need to be tamed a little considering the purpose 
” to which someone commented “If you want to be really colour and element specific, this year’s Dragon is a Black Water Dragon.”
Dragons were requested in a February thread in the comments on a post asking “If you could pick 3 Oscha wraps, real or imagined, for in-stock wraps, what would you choose?“.
A short poem was posted as a teaser on 13 April 2012:
Vast and majestic,
I am every hue of the rainbow
I may eat you, I may heat you,
I hide within your stories.
Shui Long Ember was the first SL pattern introduced/teased on Facebook on 21 April 2012. The official introduction followed on 22 April 2012:
“Presenting our new design, shuǐ Lóng (Water Dragon) the divine mythical being possessing wisdom, protection and power. The dragon’s power is intimately linked with the natural world, the symbol and source of this being the pearls held in its claws. We have first woven it in the Caprica and Ember colourways as we wanted to take the opportunity with the red warp reweaving. However as we didn’t want to go into red overload, and also considering the season, we have only made a few in these colours. Shuǐ Lóng will be available in the next collection in some other colours and blends.”
“They’ll be listed next week sometime. The red is the same on both but possibly darkened slightly by the black thread on Ember, not a huge amount in it so far as the red goes, overall look is darker on Ember though. The linen is the same as in Aiko but its the ecru cotton that makes it so fluffy! Ring slings to come in both colours as well.“
Nouveau
Nouveau
An Art Nouveau pattern designed by Mike Masters, co-owner of Oscha Slings (Zoe’s father). The Nouveau pattern was later further developed into the Liberty and Libero patterns and it’s a true Oscha classic.
“Nouveau is inspired by the Art Nouveau movement of the 1890- 1910. It was a time of harmonising with the natural environment and the belief that art should be a way of life. At Oscha, we truly believe in this ethos and it is always at the heart of our designs.”
Japanese Knot, Nouveau, Starry Night, Strato and Roses were the first jacquard woven patterns released in 2011.
Kasumi
Kasumi
Kasumi and Rei are both based on the Okinami pattern, but they feature only the lower wave part. While Rei shows only waves, Kasumi has a border with a pattern that became known later on as Sekai.
Kasumi is a Japanese name (quite a few Manga characters bear the name) as well as a few other things. It literally translates to ‘Mist’. I haven’t been able to find the source of the pattern name.
Façade
Bay
Braid
“The Oscha Braid pattern has become an Oscha classic. Although it may be surprising to know that this pattern was not originally designed in-house. Back in 2012, we were contacted by members of ‘The Babywearer’, which was the hub for US and international babywearing chat, to make an exclusive wrap. They wished to have a unique design made by members of the group, the winner was the ‘Tree of Life’ pattern. However Zoe and Mike were personally interested in another entry to the design competition by Jamie Vandeloo; Braid. They were drawn to the strong, simple lines. It seemed to fit very well with the Oscha style of design; timeless, classic and elegant.
The pattern became an instant hit, with colourways such as Obsidian, Mallo, Pine & Rosehip being much appreciated by Oscha customers.
Braid has since been woven in a multitude of colours, from soft Islay to bold Brighid. It also lends itself very well to the multicolour fades. Even though it didn’t play a part in the original Oceania collection, it has since shone through in the Winter Solstice collection with Braid Norse. More recently it has featured in the recent Northern Isles collection as Braid Reel. Both home in on the northern spirit of Oscha and Oscha’s Celtic roots.”
The first Braids (Rosehip and Harvest) were introduced on 11 September 2012. Modeled by designer Jamie Vandeloo they were presented as part of the Autumn Equinox collection: “This coming Collection has had help and inspiration from a few members of the wider babywearing community through two Oscha competitions so we’d like to start out by mentioning them.
Much of the collection was inspired by the winning entry of the Natural Mamas forum competition, which was to create a new theme for a Collection. Not sure if the winner wants to be mentioned here so I’ll leave that to her if she’d like to out herself!
Through the Wrapper’s Paradise Competition we saw a new design that we instantly loved and felt would fit really nicely with our current range, so it is featured in this Collection
Lots of pictures and info to come shortly, we hope you’ll enjoy it!”
Strato
Japanese clouds on a wrap
Alto
List of all Alto’s?
Roses pattern
Oscha introduced the Roses pattern with the Winter Solstice Collection at the end of 2011. Roses Noel was the first edition of this Mackintosh-inspired design. Oscha teased a second run of the pattern on 22 December 2011: “Yes we have one in 100% cotton as well (not in this colourway)”. This turned out to be Roses Ember.
They were available in small numbers: “Just to say that I’m afraid we don’t have so many of them since we didn’t have any feedback on the design when they were woven and there’s so much in this collection”. But there was hope: “We’ll have a chat about weaving more of these, we had no idea that it would be so popular.”
“Our popular design which takes much inspiration from Rennie and Margaret Macintosh.”
Roses Islay
Linen/cotton ecru warp with violet cotton weft. This elegant sling has a lovely handle and a gentle shimmer. 20%linen / 80% cotton.
£69.00
Roses Zen
Linen cotton ecru warp with black cotton weft, which has a delightful lustre. This sling has a lovely handle, is durable and comfortable. 20%linen /…
£69.00
Tree of Life
2011 (website): Your chance to buy the last of the Wrapper’s Paradise Exclusive Oscha. Featuring the stunning, competition-winning, Tree of Life design by Cindy Szymandera and woven in soft sea green and ecru. These mid weight slings will be woven in a 20% linen/80% cotton fabric….a very supportive and comfortable combination.
20 July 2012: “For all of you who have pre ordered the Tree of Life series of wraps, here’s a taster….we hope to start shipping them next week, but it may take a few weeks to complete as some are still being made up.”
21 July 2012: “It has come out really nicely. Something about the pattern, the soft colours and the subtle sheen give it a somewhat ethereal quality (imo!). We will have extras and they will be listed on the website once we complete the pre-orders. I’ll see if we can sort an action picture.”
Tree of Life Wrap
Linen/cotton ecru warp with canton green cotton weft. This elegant sling has a lovely handle and a gentle shimmer. 20%linen / 80% cotton.
£69.00
Tree of Life Toy Sling
Linen/cotton ecru warp with canton green cotton weft. This elegant sling has a lovely handle and a gentle shimmer. 20%linen / 80% cotton. Let your…
£35.00
Tree of Life Scarf
Linen/cotton ecru scarf with canton green cotton weft. This elegant scarf will have a lovely handle and a gentle shimmer. 20%linen / 80% cotton….
£26.00
Starry Night
2011 (website):
Inspired by traditional Japanese patternwork, this design has a wonderful texture and evokes images from children’s stories of twinkling stars in the night sky. The design uses concentric circles and alters depending on how you look at it.
The result is a fabric of great quality and refinement, which wraps beautifully, with a considered density and tension to the threads for great support and ‘give’ when carrying your little treasure!
16 August 2011: All the Starry Night wraps we have at the moment are 100% cotton. They are medium/thick but don’t feel thick to wrap with as they are soft, squishy and extremely mouldable. Oh, and they have a lovely shine to them too ;).
Art Dyed
About Art Dyed
2011 info: The linen for our art and gradation dyed slings is sourced from a traditional manufacturer in Ireland, where it is woven on a famous old loom. Irish linen is amongst the finest in the world, with its finely spun yarn, its softness and strength. We then hand dye the linen using high-quality dyes to ensure long-lasting vibrant colour.
Our Irish linen is sourced from a traditional manufacturer, and woven to the highest standards. Irish linen is considered to be the best available. It is strong, durable and finely spun. The result is a wrap that supports wonderfully, wears remarkably well, and once broken in, feels silky soft. It also looks great when worn.
Of all textile fibres, linen is one of the most ecologically sound. It needs less fertilizers and pesticides than most other crops – it is low input and therefore more environmentally friendly. It is also renewable with a short growing cycle and every part of the plant is used. Flax fibre is stronger than cotton fibre and its properties were recognised as early as Phoenician times when it was used to make linen sails.
A 2012 comment suggests that the method used for dyeing the Art Dyed wraps is called Shibori Art dyeing: “I know you are talking about the Shibori Art dyeing, but would this go for the grads as well? Can they be requested too, or just the shiboris?” (The question was about custom requesting certain colours)
2013 info: Our Irish linen is sourced from a traditional manufacturer, and woven to the highest standards. Irish linen is considered to be the best available. It is strong, durable and finely spun. The result is a wrap that supports wonderfully, wears remarkably well, and once broken in, feels silky soft. It also looks great when worn.
Of all textile fibres, linen is one of the most ecologically sound. It needs less fertilizers and pesticides than most other crops – it is low input and therefore more environmentally friendly. It is also renewable with a short growing cycle and every part of the plant is used. Flax fibre is stronger than cotton fibre and its properties were recognised as early as Phoenician times when it was used to make linen sails.
Nov 2014 info: The linen for our hand dyed wraps is finely spun, light and breathable making it a good choice for warmer weather and climates. This high-quality fabric is then hand dyed to create beautiful, elegant and vibrant gradations. A truly stunning sling.
We use plain white and natural English linens to create subtly different effects from each colourway. The white linen is lighter and somewhat finer than the natural, which is a little more dense. Each creates a slightly different but equally supportive sling.
We use a number of different techniques, which we are always developing, to create a series of unique, one of a kind, wraps and ring slings. For our current selection of art-dyed slings we use a technique inspired by shibori dyeing. This process creates beautiful, regular patterns, mottled fades and glowing light effects. These wraps can be made to order on either natural or white linen.
Although we strive to make each sling to the highest quality, there may be occasional irregularities that are part and parcel of a non-mechanised process. Because our slings are hand dyed there will be some variation and each is essentially unique, colours may turn out to be slightly different to the images here. All of the dyes used in our gradations are non-toxic and free of heavy metals and other pollutants.
Your linen sling will take a short while to ‘break in’ – use it regularly and you will find it softens beautifully and becomes easier and more rewarding to use. You can also tumble dry it, sit on it, run it through banisters or sling rings, braid it… there are many ways to break in a sling!
Dyed Gradation
About Dyed Grad
2011 info: The linen for our art and gradation dyed slings is sourced from a traditional manufacturer in Ireland, where it is woven on a famous old loom. Irish linen is amongst the finest in the world, with its finely spun yarn, its softness and strength. We then hand dye the linen using high-quality dyes to ensure long- lasting vibrant colour.
Our Irish linen is sourced from a traditional manufacturer, and woven to the highest standards. Irish linen is considered to be the best available. It is strong, durable and finely spun. The result is a wrap that supports wonderfully, wears remarkably well, and once broken in, feels silky soft. It also looks great when worn.
Of all textile fibres, linen is one of the most ecologically sound. It needs less fertilizers and pesticides than most other crops – it is low input and therefore more environmentally friendly. It is also renewable with a short growing cycle and every part of the plant is used. Flax fibre is stronger than cotton fibre and its properties were recognised as early as Phoenician times when it was used to make linen sails.
July 2011: “The yarn for our recent batch of white Irish linen is even more finely woven than previously so the wraps have a different feel. They are much softer, glide more easily and are more lightweight.”
May 2012: “As some of you know we’ve been slowing down the gradation dyeing to work on our next collection. We’re also nearly out of natural linen and there will be a few months wait until we have more ready.
We’re going to stop taking requests for gradations for a while so that we can do it in a more relaxed way and hopefully have time to make some new colours as well!
If you’ve already been in contact we’ll sort things out individually but won’t be taking any new requests from today. Thanks for your understanding”
2013 info: Our Irish linen is sourced from a traditional manufacturer, and woven to the highest standards. Irish linen is considered to be the best available. It is strong, durable and finely spun. The result is a wrap that supports wonderfully, wears remarkably well, and once broken in, feels silky soft. It also looks great when worn.
Of all textile fibres, linen is one of the most ecologically sound. It needs less fertilizers and pesticides than most other crops – it is low input and therefore more environmentally friendly. It is also renewable with a short growing cycle and every part of the plant is used. Flax fibre is stronger than cotton fibre and its properties were recognised as early as Phoenician times when it was used to make linen sails.
Nov 2014: The linen for our gradation dyed wraps is finely spun, light and breathable, making it a good choice for warmer climates. This high-quality fabric is then hand dyed to create beautiful, elegant and vibrant gradations. A truly stunning sling.
We use plain white and natural English linen to create subtly different effects from each colourway. The white linen is lighter and somewhat finer than the natural, which is a little more dense. Each creates a slightly different but equally supportive sling.
When gradation dyeing 100% linen, and more so when using certain colours, the dye moves into or away from the linen’s natural creases and sometimes creates thin, faded or more deeply coloured lines across it. Sometimes we seek to make a feature of this, often they are just a subtle part of the overall effect, which works well with the natural qualities of the linen and is part of the charm of a hand dyed sling.
Although we strive to make each sling to the highest quality, there may be occasional irregularities that are part and parcel of a non-mechanised process. Because our slings are hand dyed there will be some variation and each is essentially unique, colours may turn out to be slightly different to the images here. All of the dyes used in our gradations are non-toxic and free of heavy metals and other pollutants.
Your linen sling will take a short while to ‘break in’ – use it regularly and you will find it softens beautifully and becomes easier and more rewarding to use. You can also tumble dry it, sit on it, run it through banisters or sling rings, braid it… there are many ways to break in a sling!
Japanese Knot
2012 (website):
Oscha Slings are delighted to introduce Japanese Knot, a jacquard weave wrap inspired by traditional Japanese designs. Japanese Knot will be available in a larger and smaller version of the pattern, Ooki and Chiisai respectively. By altering the size of the pattern a whole new look is created – one strong, bold and vibrant, the other more intricate and refined. We will be using using blends of the highest quality cotton and linen yarns.
The result is a fabric of great quality and refinement, which wraps beautifully, with a considered density and tension to the threads for great support and ‘give’ when carrying your little treasure!
5 March 2013, Facebook comments: “Have you seen pics of what people call the tester JK Sand? I believe it is the same as that, so more contrast than the original Aiko.”
“It” refers to Japanese Knot Ooki Aiko V2.