Information and answers to the most frequently asked questions.
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Enter the name for this tabbed section: Price For Summer Amautis
*Prices are in Canadian Funds*
Within Canada & USA
Sleeveless/hoodless Amaarutik
Details: criss cross style
$130, regular shipping included
With little hood for baby, $150, regular shipping included.
Arctic summer amauti
Details: Patterned or print cotton shell with quilted lining.
$275, regular shipping included.
Within Canada & USA
Sleeveless/hoodless Amaarutik
Details: criss cross style
$130, regular shipping included
With little hood for baby, $150, regular shipping included.
Arctic summer amauti
Details: Patterned or print cotton shell with quilted lining.
$275, regular shipping included.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Prices For Winter Amauti
Due to cost, care, and time consuming labor that it takes sewing an Amauti, you are looking at prices anywhere from $400+ $700 for custom made Winter Amauti.
Prices will vary from seamstress to seamstress, below are my prices.
Canada
Medium weight
$435 - Expedited shipping included (to most places).
Xpresspost shipping $445.
Heavyweight
$485-Expedited shipping Included.
Medium weight
$435 - Expedited shipping included (to most places).
Xpresspost shipping $445.
Heavyweight
$485-Expedited shipping Included.
Europe
Medium weight
$465 - Parcel surface shipping Included (3-6 weeks, no tracking).
Xpresspost shipping, $495
Medium weight
$465 - Parcel surface shipping Included (3-6 weeks, no tracking).
Xpresspost shipping, $495
US
Medium weight
$445 - Expedited shipping included.
Xpresspost shipping, $455.
Medium weight
$445 - Expedited shipping included.
Xpresspost shipping, $455.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Payment Methods Accepted
I accept INTERAC e-Transfer (previously INTERAC Email Money Transfer) and Pay-pal. Full payment must be made in Canadian funds, before I start on your amauti. No echecks.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: How Long Will It Take To Complete My Amauti?
When materials are in stock, it takes me anywhere from 7-12 days to complete an amauti (sometimes quicker). If I don't have the colour you want and I have to order, it can take a week for materials to arrive so it's a good idea to check with me and pay ahead so I can order the materials. I also have an energetic 4 year old so I do have to balance my sewing and quality time with her:)
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Measuring
Wearing normal clothing I need the following measurements with measuring tape and 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.
Body description. Tall, petite, short waisted, square, pear shape, top heavy, etc. Any extra info doesn't hurt.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Temperature Range
Temperature Range
These are just rough guidelines.
Medium Weight - Minus 15 to minus 30 celsius. Most versatile weight.
Heavyweight - to about minus 40 degrees celsius or colder.
These are just rough guidelines.
Medium Weight - Minus 15 to minus 30 celsius. Most versatile weight.
Heavyweight - to about minus 40 degrees celsius or colder.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Returns/Refunds
Returns: All Custom made Amautis are non-returnable but I will do alterations, if needed, free of charge and free return shipping to you. They must not have been altered by any other Seamstress.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Amauti Pattern
Pattern:
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.
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.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: 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 to just anybody, even if your Inuk. I only share with those that I trust and know personally as it's important to me to keep the amauti pattern protected within the Inuit culture.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Childs Age
In my amautiks, you can amaaq (carry) a child to the age of 2-3 years old.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: In general what should my child be wearing?
In general, what should the baby be wearing inside the amauti?
It depends on the weather and how warm your amauti is. Just normal inside clothes like yourself if it's not too cold with a hat and mitts if you don't plan on using the hood much. If it's cold outside you will want baby to wear a winter jacket, hat, and mitts to keep upper body warm especially if your little one like to look around as you carry him.
It depends on the weather and how warm your amauti is. Just normal inside clothes like yourself if it's not too cold with a hat and mitts if you don't plan on using the hood much. If it's cold outside you will want baby to wear a winter jacket, hat, and mitts to keep upper body warm especially if your little one like to look around as you carry him.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Leg position in the Amauti
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.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: My upper back gets cold
My upper back gets cold when wearing my amauti
Dress for the weather, wear scarves or neck tubes with flaps, layer up, wear a sweater, or close the hood.
Dress for the weather, wear scarves or neck tubes with flaps, layer up, wear a sweater, or close the hood.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: The Amauti is riding up to my neck
This sometimes happens and it is normal since the collar of the amauti sits close to the base of the neck and sometimes it will ride up. It doesn’t make the amauti unbearable, In my case, I would just 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.
Enter the name for this tabbed section: Sore Back/Shoulders
This may happen to you if you are new to the amauti. Your back may be sore for up to two weeks. There was about a seven year gap between two of my children. When I finally got to amaak again, I experienced back pain for about two weeks. It seemed my back strength increased with my baby’s gradual weight as she grew:)
Enter the name for this tabbed section: 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 blanket and positioned facing away from the mom, back to back, sideways, or even facing your back as I myself have done. If you have an amauti with a large pouch, not a small pouch, then you will probably want to put in a small pillow or blankets to make the pouch less deep or tie the rope up higher over the pouch. In the past with traditional skin amautis, additional pieces would be added to the pouch to make it bigger as the child grew. Nowadays Inuit moms start with an amauti with a small pouch and as the child grows, it means getting another new amauti with bigger pouch. This is easier for us Inuit since almost everyone knows someone in their family or locally who can make an amauti:)
Wash/Care of your Amauti - Important
Outer-shell- machine wash in cold water and hang to dry or tumble dry. The inner (insulation), machine wash in cool water on gentle and hang to dry. Do not iron or put the inner part which is made with Thinsulate in hot dryer, Thinsulate will melt. If the outer shell is attached to the insulation and liner, machine wash in cool water. Hang to dry.
Outer-shell- machine wash in cold water and hang to dry or tumble dry. The inner (insulation), machine wash in cool water on gentle and hang to dry. Do not iron or put the inner part which is made with Thinsulate in hot dryer, Thinsulate will melt. If the outer shell is attached to the insulation and liner, machine wash in cool water. Hang to dry.
Amauti Style I Offer
At this time I only make the skirt style amautis.
At this time I only make the skirt style amautis.
Trims
After payment I will email you pictures of the current selection of trim/ribbons that I have.