All Wraps

Piwakawaka Prototype Hybrid Ring Sling
$159.00 NZD
Tax included.
This is a hybrid shoulder ring sling made from a candy floss pink prototype of our native Piwakawaka (Fantail bird) design, with a creamy white base and birds in pink. It is 100% cotton and has hand-buffed rose gold Sling Rings. Pretty like spring blossoms and sweet like marshmallows...

This Piwakawaka prototype is soft, supple, and feels light in the hand, making it a lovely single layer carrying option for the summer! It will suit from newborn through to toddler and we predict plenty of sleepy dust. This is a two of a kind item, from an unreleased prototype.

We are able to ship ring slings to New Zealand and Australia only.

Your ring sling will arrive in loom state and requires washing before use to set the weave. We feel it's better to leave the choice of washing detergent up to you in case of any sensitivities.

We hope you enjoy wrapping your babies in Aroha, made with love in New Zealand

Toetoe Prototype 'Rust' Hybrid Ring Sling
$159.00 NZD
Tax included.
This one of a kind ring sling is made from a prototype colourway of our Toetoe based design, which was released in other colourways/yarn blends as 'Falkor'. It is a rich rusty bronze Tencel weft across a warp of fine black cotton and is so soft and slinky, it's just a joy to use. It has a hybrid style shoulder with hand-buffed bronze Sling Rings, and shows the black side with toetoe fronds in bronze.

The design depicts our beautiful native Toetoe, something so familiar to NZers we probably look right past it sometimes. Toetoe is part of the scenery of life here. It reminds us of fond childhood memories at the beach - hunting and gathering, pretending we had wizard wands. Or beards. And all through the years to the present day, it is part of coastal strolls, bush walks, road trips.

Always there.

Feathery, fluttery, deceptively tough...lovely whimsical fluff.

We are able to ship ring slings to New Zealand and Australia only.

Your ring sling will arrive in loom state and requires washing before use to set the weave. We feel it's better to leave the choice of washing detergent up to you in case of any sensitivities. Additional beach images are to show the design and colour when in use, though they show the 'sister' ring sling which features the bronze side with black rings instead.

We hope you enjoy wrapping your babies in Aroha, made with love in New Zealand

Introducing...#8 'Meridian'

#8 is about ingenuity. The unending resourcefulness of loving parents, regardless of their circumstances. The tireless meeting of varying and various individual needs. The creative solutions. The peace-keeping, the face-saving, and the life hacks.

The number 8 is also associated with luck, and we consider ourselves deeply lucky to know the joy of being a parent in this life. Right now the joyous energy of our children is keeping our days bright and busy, and we feel very lucky to be blessed with the wealth that is a healthy family.

For carrying your little one, Meridian is lightweight in hand and becomes soft and floppy from the very first wash. Woven in 100% fine cotton, this wrap is easy-care perfection for newborns and infants, and in multiple layer carries it will support a hefty toddler comfortably.

When naming this colourway, we thought about how for most humans there are few life changing events as far reaching as that of becoming a parent. It touches every part of life and extends to the deepest depths of our hearts and minds. Parenthood can mean a metamorphosis. A deep and rich experience that isn’t easy to describe, and hard to fathom until you’re living it. For a birthing mother this goes deeper still. The drifting tones of this wrap remind us of these depths. All the waves of learning and shifting tides of life. Layers of feeling, and of meaning.

Every child is like a personal prime meridian. Their arrival clearly marks a separation of their family’s life before and life after.

#8 Meridian will be custom made for you, via an order form which will be available this week in a separate post.

Aroha Mutunga Kore ‘Mura’

It’s been too long since we’ve made a new colourway of Aroha Mutunga Kore publicly available.

This beloved design, whose name means ‘everlasting love’ was created in collaboration with Hirini ‘Heeds’ Katene, head of @thenativestudios. It is based on an original kowhaiwhai that speaks of the incomparable bond of love between parent and child.

“In a zig zag along the length is the manawa line, this is the heartbeat. From here come two mangopare. One is to represent strength and guidance from Mum and Dad. The other is made up of three puhoro to represent the bond between mother and child and their journey in life.”

The name Mura refers to the bold red weft and the emotional intensity of parenting. It means to glow, to be ablaze. Mura is densely woven from fine black cotton and glossy red Tencel, making it beautifully soft and easy-care with reliable grip provided by the richly textured design. It is soft and pliable from the first wash, and would suit wrappers of any experience level.

We made a really small amount of this colourway because friends had asked for it, and they have the wraps that exist. We have used the remaining amount to make a few ring slings available to you (the draw to purchase those will open this weekend). For those who miss out this time, or would like a wrap instead, we hope to offer a pre-order in the near future.

SO, who loves ring slings?!
Do you need to gently cradle your napping newborn? Or to support a tired toddler while you finish the food shopping and the school run?
You can do it.
You and Mura could do it together with ease

We would like to give some lucky family a new ring sling for Valentine’s Day!

This unreleased design is called Paua ‘Dear Delight’ and it is a sleek and sophisticated, smushy 100% cotton snugglefest. A weft of delicious dark blue and deep plum, enriched by a fine black warp.

The prize is one wrap conversion ring sling, with black rings and hybrid shoulder. Our ring slings measure approximately 2m in length. *Please note that our photographs show an actual wrap worn with rings as a ‘no sew’ ring sling*

Kowhai Retro is our first release for the year and it's a very small one. We are running things one baby step at a time after several months lost in the fray of daily living. Please understand if there's not quite enough to go around!

There is just two of each of the options up for grabs, as Kowhai Retro is strictly limited at this stage.

This is what is available:
Size 5 $215
Size 6 $235
Ring sling conversions $195
Life has been a summery daze around here the past few months. And hazy since before then if I’m honest. Long hot hazy days and time has flown by, marked clearly only by the new things one child does, or the new words the other has learned to say.

This design is a prototype that has been waiting ever so patiently for me to cast some light onto it and give it a name. As an offshoot of the original design idea, gradually it won my heart over the more predictable interpretation. So, with other floral ideas in progress elsewhere, this version of kowhai felt like it’s own sort of special.

Kowhai Retro feels friendly, familiar, quaint and comfortable. A lot like the childhood memories of summer holidays at the grandparents place. Or at the bach if you were lucky enough to have one! This design seems to evoke quite different remembrances for different people. Fond remembrances. Does it look a little classic, a bit kitsch? It’s Mabo, it’s the vibe. Your family could make future nostalgia with Kowhai Retro!

The fine cotton ecru warp and the olive Tencel weft combine to give Kowhai lovely looks and wrapping qualities. Just the right natural leafy tone like warm sun glow on summer grasses. And also the kind of retro character that i love so much. It’s light and drapey yet strong, and softens up beautifully with use. It will suit all ages and levels of wrapping experience.

There will be a handful of pieces available (size 5, size 6, and made to order ring slings) which will be sold via random draw. Entries will open this weekend.

Kowhai Retro is the first of a few micro releases to come over the next few months. It feels great to start a new year and to welcome more beautiful babies to our little corner of this world.

Luminosa ‘Constellations’

Constellations is the first official release of our Luminosa design which we prototyped last year. Last year?? (screams internally)
Yes.

It has been a low key and whānau focussed winter and Aroha Textiles HQ has been hibernating. Now it’s time to shake it off and reveal some new goodies for you to wrap those babes in aroha!

From our previous post about the design:
"Luminosa is inspired by Arachnocampa Luminosa, the Titiwai, a species of glow worm that is unique to Aotearoa. These little larvae create stunningly beautiful galaxies of bioluminescence within caves and under sheltered ledges in our native bush and forests. The larval stage is the lengthiest phase of life for these little creatures and can last around nine months. As you might agree, a lot of wonder can be made in that amount of time.

Luminosa depicts the silk lines the glow worms use to capture their food, zhuzhed up to emulate the starry sky effect of their glowing tails. As a child, I spent a lot of time at Lake Rotoiti, where there was a small glow worm filled alcove near the bottom of our driveway. A beloved evening ritual was to go for a walk and wish the glow worms goodnight. I made wishes on them sometimes and they filled me with the wonder of nature. I still find them utterly bewitching. Beauty really can come in such tiny packages. And it can be found in simple moments that become treasured memories. But if you’re a parent you already know this well..."

The warp of fine navy cotton and the silvery grey weft made of cotton and Tencel yarns evoke a beautifully starry night sky. It possesses our favourite wrap qualities of being light, soft, and strong, with a touch of stretch and a lovely drape. A perfect way to carry your little one, from tiny newborn days through to adventuring preschooler. We have loved this for our growing toddler.

Tomorrow the form will be available to place Constellations orders

For carrying your beautiful little one, Midnight Garden is lightweight in hand, moldable, soft and floppy from the very first wash. A 60/40 blend of fine cotton and slinky Tencel, this beauty has wonderful drape and glide. It's gorgeous for newborns and infants, and yet in multiple layer carries it has the grip and support for a hefty toddler.

Sweetheart 'Stay Gold'

Welcome to the draw to purchase for the last available pieces of 'Stay Gold', a special colour-way produced in response to suggestions from our chatter group members.

Tomorrow we will open orders for our new colourway of Taura Here Manawa (the cord that binds me to your heart), designed - and modelled - by Hirini 'Heeds' Katene of The Native Studios and his beautiful whānau.

Heeds gave this colourway the name Te Āo Pounamu, which means Treasure the World. It also refers to the lush green of the fine cotton weft, woven across a deep black cotton warp.

Te Āo Pounamu will be available as wraps and ring slings for carrying babies and little ones, scarves, and throw blankets. Everything will be made to order, with orders open for the last week of this month. More info with the order form coming tomorrow...

Heartwood Resolute...will be available via a draw to purchase opening next week on Thursday 20th.

This release was a ‘just couldn’t resist’ kind of thing. We had a black warp on and were so happy to squeeze some Heartwood onto the end of it. The warp is cotton, the weft is cotton and Tencel in a silvery grey. Very elegant, and very handsome.

The year we’ve had has meant that Resolute has been patiently waiting...waiting to woo you with classic good looks - simple yet sophisticated.

This new Heartwood is the last one for a while. Sultry black and sophisticated silvery grey...the essence of fashion here in NZ, right?!

As a small run, Resolute has already been cut into wraps which will be finished and hemmed to suit your preference. There are currently 7 wraps, though this will become 6 wraps plus 2 ring slings if the requests are drawn that way.

Resolute has lovely wrapping qualities - it is soft from the first wash, supple and supportive, and suitable for all levels of experience.

Falkor at Daybreak is lightweight and strong, an approximately 80/20 blend of cotton and tussah silk. It has both grip and glide, in good measure, and will mould around a smaller baby as well as hold rock solid around a bigger one.

Hello, my name is... Luminosa

This design was first glimpsed a year ago...so i thought (after slowing everything down by having a new baby) it would be fitting to release the first finished ones to celebrate this year’s Matariki, Maori New Year.

Luminosa is inspired by Arachnocampa Luminosa, the Titiwai, a species of glow worm that is unique to Aotearoa. These little larvae create stunningly beautiful galaxies of bioluminescence within caves and under sheltered ledges in our native bush and forests. The larval stage is the lengthiest phase of life for these little creatures can last around nine months. As you might agree, a lot of wonder can be made in that amount of time.

Luminosa depicts the silk lines the glow worms use to capture their food, zhuzhed up to emulate the starry sky effect of their glowing tails. As a child, I spent a lot of time at Lake Rotoiti, where there was a small glow worm filled alcove near the bottom of our driveway. A beloved evening ritual was to go for a walk and wish the glow worms goodnight. I made wishes on them sometimes and they filled me with the wonder of nature. I still find them utterly bewitching. Beauty really can come in such tiny packages. And it can be found in simple moments that become treasured memories. But if you’re a parent you already know this well...

This is a micro release, of Luminosa in our prototype colourway, with only a handful of pieces available. There will be two size 6, one size 5, and two ring slings available via draw this weekend.

Further details are yet to be announced ... they will magically appear **here** when the draw opens tomorrow!

Falkor at Dusk is a smooshy and strong quad blend of cotton, possum, merino, and silk. It has grip and cush and wonderful support with a gentle touch of stretch and a perfect bit of bounce. In hand it feels blankety and medium to thick. If you have felt Sweetheart Deep Purple, our first possum blend, then you will recognise many of the same gorgeous wrapping qualities in Falkor. There is more texture here and a loftier feel, it slinks into place and then stays put.
We loved this all summer with our newborn - so much squishworthy snugglefactor and breathable softness. It has likewise shown it’s strength and support, and proven itself fantastic for cuddle bouncing the smile back onto an older sibling’s face.

Falkor at Dusk is a special blend and a special limited release.

This design is our nod to the iconic work of NZ artist Gordon Walters. His career fused the geometric abstractions of Modernism with traditional Maori motifs to produce paintings of universal appeal whilst uniquely representing New Zealand.

Our sincere hope is to achieve something similar with the textiles we design and make for you and your families to enjoy.

We were seeking something eye catching yet timeless and think that Walters fits the bill perfectly. A cleanly modernist character with a retro feel, it references our love of fine art and bold simplicity.

The Te Henga colourway is named after one of our favourite places on earth. Also known as Bethells Beach, Te Henga is a glorious haven on Auckland’s west coast.
That sand. That black sand.
That dark rock. Home to a host of our fond memories. We love this lush teal weft and the rich black warp together. Ready for new memories to be made in. You and your little loves, together.

Te Henga is woven in 100% fine cotton. It is smooth, supple and soft from the first wash. It supports beautifully in single and multi layer carries, being blankety & mouldable for smaller babies and with enough give and grip for a wriggly toddler.

We have a small number of Te Henga wraps and several ring slings will be available also. These will be made available via draw on Friday 4th May, further info and exact timing tbc.

Introducing...Pohutukawa 'Rhubarb Jam'
Custom order opens tomorrow

In Aotearoa we are never very far from the coast. And the Pohutukawa, a typically northern coastal beauty, is beloved throughout our islands. The mere sight of it can feel like the warmth of the sun, like the carefree joy of childhood, and reminiscent of the fun of summer adventures.

The flowers are colourful and delicate, while the Pohutukawa tree itself is rugged and resilient. It happily braves the wilderness, bringing a splash of floral fireworks to steep unforgiving cliffs as well as serene beaches. It will not shy away from the elements, not even an active volcano. This flower represents adaptability and fearlessness, things the world is asking of us all more than ever.

This second ever release of our Pohutukawa design is the delectable Rhubarb Jam, woven in a blend of 78% Cotton and 22% Tencel. It is soft, drapey, and moldable after the first wash, making it a summer breeze to wrap with. Divine for a new squish, it will just as easily support your toddler in comfortable and breathable multi-layered carries.

This limited release will be sold via custom order on a first come first served basis. You can choose your size of wrap and how you would like it hemmed, or for ring slings you can choose your ring colour and the style of shoulder.
(We will edit this post to include the form link where you can enter your details.)

Pricing in NZD will be as follows: ring slings 195, size 3 is 210, size 4 is 225, size 5 is 240, size 6 is 260, size 7 is 280, requests for other lengths absolutely welcome!