Cry Baby General Store

HOWDY. Been cranking away on new sweatshirts and some patches, rearranging the shop, stocking up on new customizables, and wrapping my head around 2024. Will I get caught up? Probably not. We’re going to reopen on Friday anyway.

In the meantime please enjoy a sneak peak of these beautiful deadstock sweatshirts I found on eBay and ruined with my s**t. The last one threw a fit when I asked her to pose. Available this weekend.

Hi there, Shawn here! I’m the owner/stitcher/only person who works here. In February, Cry Baby will celebrate one year open, which is a relief because I can’t imagine doing anything else. I’ve made so many friends, and learned a lot about people, myself, and chain stitching. Cry Baby was always intended to be a general store, and the embroidery came along after signing the lease and needing something to do with my hands during construction.

As it turns out, chain stitch is a bigger draw than hammers and towels. Don’t get me wrong, you all seem to like the stuff we stock! But the majority of my time and effort this year went to stitching, to the tune of half of Cry Baby’s revenue. My back is killing me, but it’s the most fun I’ve ever had.

Unfortunately, I’ve always managed the demand poorly. I’ve never had a formal commission process, a clear pricing menu in-store, or a way to take breaks regularly. People are still waiting on rainbow Kentucky sweatshirts, commissions, and who knows how many emails I just sort of lost. I spent the entire year working above my own physical and mental capacity, which is how the first year of small business ownership goes. But it’s been difficult to grow when I can never catch up.

Like plenty of other people, I took the last few days to rest. I cleaned my house, took walks, watched Saltburn, and thought about what 2024 could look like. And it looks like we’re going to try to take the chain stitch of it all more seriously, scale back on the general store, and give you the order form system and customization options you deserve. Do you know how to run this business? Me neither. We’re learning together.

All of this is to say THANK YOU to everyone who trusted me with their chain stitch projects. There were a few fails in there, but overall you allowed me to do work I’m genuinely proud of and that means everything.

We will be closed January 4-7 to give the shop a little spit shine. Please come see us this weekend and take home a nice blanket or matchbox so we can make room for 2024. Thank you for a great year!

Hey friends! Cry Baby is taking a little extra day off because we need it. Back open Friday 12/29 thru Sunday. See ya soon!

Wowowow our first holiday season has been holly jolly! It has been a pleasure meeting so many new people and catching up with familiar faces, too. We’ll be opening a little early on Saturday at 11am, and from 11am to 3pm on Sunday (Xmas Eve). See ya soon!

What we lack in caption ideas we make up for in cute, useful, thoughtful STUFF. Coffee beans, pillowcases, socks, pencils, pipe cleaners, slingshots, glue, toilet paper, soap, ashtrays…come and get it! Open Saturday and Sundee.

Santa should have wrapped it, but I got a new machine! I emphatically recommend if you’re looking for a chain stitch machine or parts for your existing machine. Griffen is super communicative and swift, and the machine itself was up and running beautifully right out of the box.

Let me stitch your stuff! It’s easier than ever! Open at noon Saturday and Sunday 🪡

Cranked out a few extra gift-able (to yourself or others, not my business) sweatshirts. These are in-store only for the time being. We’re open Thursday thru Sunday and we’ve got stuff for every weirdo on your list.

I’m currently in over my head with holiday commissions, so apologies to anyone waiting on an email or anything at all from me. The 12-hour days I’m pulling aren’t cutting it, but I am doing my best with your special projects and Kentucky Pride sweatshirts. Thank you all for your patience and kindness while I wade my way through Cry Baby’s first holiday season.

Doesn’t matter what you come in here for, we’re just glad you showed up. Print by , window painting by , and yes that’s the same person.

Hey friendos! We’re open 12-6 today, with an extra special event featuring Louisville’s own Shelby Rodeffer! If you’ve ever stopped to admire our gleaming windows you’re familiar with her work, and now you can take home a piece of it in the form of the gorgeous print on the last slide. Amazing stuff.

Greetings, glögg frogs! Join us Saturday evening from 4-6PM to snag one of ’s gorgeous prints and sip on some festive juice. The artist (Shelby) will be present, and we’ll have plenty of stocking stuffers for your weird lover.

We also have totally regular hours this week, so stop in for some last-minute monograms and doodads. Open at noon every day, Thursday thru Sunday.

Well if it isn’t Lindsay, the world’s greatest proponent of cloth napkins, stunting on us in her Cry Baby Le****ns sweatshirt. We’re open noon to 5pm on this and every Sunday. See ya soon!

Everyone looks good in a Cry Baby. Kurt is taking this purple number home, but if you swipe through you’ll see an unclaimed baby sweatshirt just for you. Come and get it. Open Saturday and Sunday.

Hi Barbie! Come on down to Cry Baby and stuff your stockings with slingshots, toilet paper, smell goods, free Narcan, pillowcases, etc. The chain stitched sweatshirt buried in the bottom of this shot is a large and it would look great on you.

Open noon til 6 Friday and Saturday, 5 on Sunday.

Greetings fellow champions! Cry Baby is wide open all weekend and we wanna see you. And if you’re out there running your little errands and getting your little treats, don’t forget to tip well, be nice, and stay on the right side of the picket line. Shoutout to my pals and for keeping me awake, and for holding the line. ❤️

Speaking of , don’t forget to throw a few dollars on their community card to help them take care of our neighbors in need of a warm-up.

Not really enough stock left to do anything fun for Cyber Monday but shipping is free! These guys are on the website, link in bio.

Sunday Sunday Sunday! Thank you so much to everyone who turned out for Small Business Saturday. It was our busiest day ever! We’re gonna do 10% off again today because I want these cuties to find good homes. Open noon to 5.

Just updated the website with every sweatshirt currently in stock, including this bad boi. Link in bio.

We’ll be closed Thursday this week, but ready for you Black Friday/Small Biz Saturday/Slime Sunday/maybe even Cyber Monday.

Generally the sweatshirt-making process is finding a friendly sweatshirt and just kind of doing what it tells me. Color(s), how it looks on a mannequin/person, repairs needed, and the general vibe of shop visitors over time dictate the process, since I’m not making these for myself. I don’t really do them by request because there’s no time (grateful for that:)), and I hate disappointing people with how long my customs take. But once in a while it feels like I’m being invited to be part of a Collection and I can’t say yes fast enough. Anyway, that’s what happened here.
****ns

Apparently we’re in our crop top era.

Did you know we do walk-in custom beanies? Come get the good colors before they sell out.

Decided it was time to make a serious one so I added skulls. Something comfy to wear as you gaze into the abyss. It’s on the website if you want it!

Happy Monday! We’re open 1-5 today, and this extra special bad boy just entered the chat. A cropped 2X, which could really fit any size from small to 5X. Swipe through to see it on a 5’9” size medium human. Available online or in-store.

You all took home half the rack of sweatshirts yesterday! Time to make more. Here’s a real time process pic, followed by a trail of rad dudes in cozy one-of-a-kinds. Send me your Cry Baby sweatshirt selfies! This is fun.

Here noon-5, and 1-5 Monday. Come get something monogrammed while you lallygag. 🪡

Are you a bad boy? Come to Cry Baby to claim your sweatshirt. Available in-store only because we’ve had like four customers this week and I miss you.

Well, well, well. If it isn’t another suspiciously nice day in Shelby Park. Let’s get to the bottom of this together. Open 12-6 today and Saturday, 12-5 Sunday.

Just gonna leave this here. You can go get it on the website or take it straight home from the shop, up to you.

Heading to one of your silly little gatherings? No need to show up empty-handed. From toilet paper to googly eyes to sweatshirts to bars of soap, we’ve got something for your somebody.

Open 1-5 Monday, come get this particular sweatshirt. 😎

Who needs a filter when you’ve got weather? Come see us on this sunny Sunday!

You and your bestie need matching short sleeve sweaters, stat. Open Sunday 12-5, come and get ‘em.