Handmade Hand-me-downs

Here is a pair of BabyBird shorts:

Notice anything special about them?

No?

That's ok, they're really not that special. They're a bit faded and could probably do with an iron. But this pair of shorts makes me proud, they give me faith in my brand and the passion to keep doing what I do.

Ok. Ummm.... why?

Well, here are some facts:

- They are one of the first pairs of shorts I ever made under the BabyBird brand.
- They are approximately 2 years old
- They are a size 1 and created from heavyweight cotton
- They have been worn at least twice a week for say, 9 months by my eldest son
- They have been worn approximately twice a week for say, 5 months by my youngest son
- That's a whole lot of wear and tear on the knees and butt. A whole lot of washing, drying, time spent in the sun, on the grass, in the sand, in the dirt and rolling around with dogs.
- They are still in one piece and I've never had to mend them or fix up the stitching.

Most of my customers will notice that I do not overlock my seams - they are zig zagged, just like grandma used to do. It may not look as nicely finished as some clothes you buy, but I think my little roadtesters have shown that the shorts do withstand the rough and tumble of little boys.

BabyBird shorts are not created in a production line. They are not sewn in a factory somewhere in China. They are all made by me, in my sewing room - usually with kids playing on the floor near me. Often they are made late on a Friday night while my husband watches the footy on tv upstairs. They are made with love and care, so they can be passed down from child to child. The fact that they last and last makes me proud of my little brand. I hope you like them too.

'Saturday...'

'When these open doors were open ended...' - Fall Out Boy


Love that song.

So Saturday, the best day of the week, because you know there is still another day of the weekend left after this one. I've been a busy bee over the last few days, with mostly work related stuff. I have been creating:

- Corduroy hoodies lined with flannelette
- Corduroy pants with cute little cuffs
- Women's tees
- New softies

All inspired by the sudden change of season. And yes, I am working on all of them at once, coz that's just how I roll. Here is a picture of one of the hoodies:



This afternoon, we are going on a little adventure to IKEA. I must exercise some restraint and only buy fabric. What's the bet I don't though?

Tell me about your weekend plans...

If I Had Girl Babies...

If I had girl babies instead of my boy babies, here is what I would buy:

Pink Flower Button Snap Set by lulu froufrou. I actually already have some beautiful hair clips from lulu froufrou, so they're not just for little girls.

A Red and White Polka Dot Sun Visor by Twirling Betty.






A Prudence Flutterby Top by Piper+Lily.





Tangerine and Berry Crush Sorbet Seaside Playsuit by Little Red Wagon.





Brown Bows Wool Felt Booties by The Mending Basket.

Hello Archer

Little Archer was only born last week, but he is already sporting the latest in newborn fashion - a customised BabyBird singlet and shoes set. I have a feeling he is going to grow up into one spunky little monkey.

What a gorgeous man and congratulations again to Bel and Shaun.

Neglectful. Again.

Sorry kids, I haven't forgotten about you, January has taken me by suprise and been quite the busy little month. I have brand new fabric, just begging me to turn it into lovely things - so that is my aim this week.

To get the ball rolling, I've just added these lovelies to my madeit store. Eddie (ok, I) likes them so much, he had to have a pair to call his own. I made the porker a size 2 by accident (he can also fit quite comfortably into the size 1), which shows how free the shorts sizing is.

Coming Soon...

A sneaky peek at what will be added to the BabyBird range in early 2010.

Hats:

Little Monsters:

Hodge Podge

My blog posts are often a mish mash of things, aren't they? Sorry about that, but it's a true reflection of my days, I'm often attempting to do six things at once. One thing that often puzzles people is the fact that I make both dog collars and kids clothes. 'How bizarre!' they say. 'What an odd combination!' they exclaim. But I really don't think it's strange. Our dogs came along before our children and I like them to have funky collars, then when the boys were born, I enjoyed making things for them to wear too. As a child, I thought the best part of Barbie was her wardrobe and I loved dressing her up too. Can anyone see the pattern forming?

Last week, the lovely Cindy from Rocstar contacted me to order some collars and leads for her stall at the Boutique Markets at Portside Wharf. I've finished the order and had to share the fact that it's my first order to go out with the new labels. Yay! If you're in Brisbane, pop into the Boutique Markets and check out the Rocstar Stall, Cindy makes a lot of very cool dog clothing. You will also find Love Stamp, Miss Haidee and Little Diva there, amoung the many other incredible stalls.




Just to add to the hodge podge - I made some bunting for Eddie's room this morning. It's my first attempt, next on the list is some Christmas bunting.

And, because my sewing table is already way too cluttered, I thought I'd show you where I do my cutting out - I think I could have a worse office.

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