1.61 and Moving Forward: A Letter from Our Hearts

Hello Friends, Family, and Everyone in Between,

For those who don’t know us well: we’re a husband-and-wife team who grew up in different countries and met in Los Angeles. Since meeting, we discovered our shared passion for creating things and, in 2011, began making products to sell on Etsy. We started with a line inspired by bike commuting culture—durable products with timeless aesthetics that held up to everyday use. Since then, we’ve continued traveling on this creative journey together, and as we face new chapters and fresh challenges, we’re excited to share this next phase of 1.61 with.

We hope this year has brought you fulfillment, or at least a bit of peace amidst its ups and downs. For us, this year has been quite the journey, with surprises, challenges, and deep joys, both expected and unexpected.




A New Chapter as Parents

The year kicked off with an exciting (and frantic!) countdown to the arrival of our first child. While we had anticipated his arrival in mid to late April, our little one had his own plans, joining us in late March! We were thrown headfirst into parenting, feeling like we were stumbling as we learned to care for a newborn. To allow Diana the space to focus on recovery and motherhood, we temporarily marked her handcrafted items as “out of stock.” The early months were an intense whirlwind, but now, as we enter the seventh month of parenting, we’ve found our rhythm as a family.

 
 
 

Looking Toward the Holiday Season

With a new sense of balance, we’re excited to return to the workshop and explore fresh ideas for 1.61. For this holiday season, we’re trying something new: a pre-order batch system. From November 6th to November 27th, the items typically made by Diana, which have been sold out, will be available for pre-order. We’ll produce this special batch and ship all orders on December 16th. If there’s something you’ve had your eye on that’s been unavailable, now is the time to place your order.

This batch system is something we’re testing to see if it helps create a smoother experience for us as makers and for you as our valued customers. If it proves beneficial, we may consider batch pre-orders as a regular option in the future.

Thank you for your ongoing support, patience, and kindness as we navigate this new phase of life and work. We’re excited to keep creating, growing, and sharing 1.61 with you all.

With all our gratitude,

The 1.61 Studio Team

 
Stroller at the workshop with a car in the foreground.

Already at the workshop, eager to work!