Orders Out

We've been home 4 days and I'm so happy with how busy I've been! Vancouver was an rainy adventure, as usual, and we had a good time with family and friends, and doing the fabric-store circuit (well, Little R. and I did the fabric stores; N had to work). We even made it to West Vancouver to see my Organic Soft Block Sets in the Natural Pod display at Whole Foods. I took a couple of pictures, illegally I'm sure, but I knew you'd want to see how the display looks!


Organic Soft Block Sets hanging in their sacks, to the left. The product in sacks to the right are sets of the most beautiful wooden dishes.


With Christmas coming I'm trying to keep time for putting the finishing details on the gifts I'm making (and in one or two cases, getting them started!) while still connecting with folks who have placed orders or who have made inquiries. It's a fun balance that keeps me going and Little R playing at my feet with piles of scrap fabric and empty thread spools.

I thought you might like to see a few of the orders that I've sent off in the past week. I love how simple and unique each compilation is.


A set of Organic Soft Blocks and 3 Teething Bonbons to Paso Robles, CA.



An Ostrich Blanket and Casey Portable Diaper Change Case to Vancouver, BC.



A bundle of Teething Bonbons to New York, NY.



4 Knotty Caps and 2 Teething Bonbons to Penticton, BC.



A set of Organic Soft Blocks and Organic Flannel Burp Cloth & Receiving Blanket Set in Cherry Bark to Brooklyn, NY.

Away in the bigger city

Just a quick note to let you know that I'm away this weekend, visiting and resource gathering in Vancouver. I'll be back home come Sunday and will catch up on calls and emails as soon as I can.

Have a wonderful weekend!

Sweet Relief

Yesterday I got a call from a woman who saw my products at last weekend's Christmas Market. Next weekend she is hosting a gathering for her baby group - a circle of mamas and babies now 4-5 months old, who initially met in prenatal class. She ordered 8 of my Teething Bonbons™ to include in the simple gift bags that she is preparing for her friends. What a fun idea!


Bundled up and ready to go.

I'm thrilled that she's including my Bonbons in her gift and I hope to get other requests like this. I've had a few people suggest that I offer a Tupperware-party-like event for expectant and new mamas.

I have to admit, I really like the idea!

Amie and I have been talking about combining our gifts and skills - Massage Therapy mini-treatments (including Infant Massage!) alongside affordable Organic, Sustainable and Locally Made baby gear in the comfort of your, or your baby shower hosts', home.

When pregnant with Little R., I would have been there in a heartbeat. How about you?


Mmmmm! Sweet teething pain relief.

Media: Organic Soft Blocks on CBC Radio

I heard some great news today - Natural Pod will be featured on CBC tomorrow and they've taken along a set of my Organic Soft Blocks to show off to Mark Forsythe. How cool is that!

Tune in Tuesday Dec 11 from 12:30-12:45pm
on CBC Radio One


1-2-3, 4-5-6

I employed the nimble hands of C. for my most recent round of Organic Soft Block production. I had 30 sets to get together before last weekend's Market. With C. on her machine, me on my Pfaff, we both settled down for a long eve's ... work of stitching and stuffing and stitching some more.

It was well worth all the work - Chick Peas Co. in Illinois and our Island's own Natural Pod were both well stocked, and my Customers at the Moss Street Christmas Market loved them too.


One Set, Two Set, Three Set, For ... you!

I still have a few Organic Soft Blocks sets on hand for your festive gifting delights. There's time to get them to you, if you order this week! (And always available year-round too.)

$27 Set of 3 with Draw-string Bag

I can't seem to find the strike through option for the pricing listed above ...
NOTE: As of Jan 2008 the Nature Inspired Soft Block pricing has changed.

Nature-inspired certified organic cotton prints, stuffed with wool batting. Machine wash cold, delicate. Line-dry.

Organic Soft Blocks are the perfect toy for little ones as they learn to pick things up and then get excited about stacking and sorting. These gentle toys make a thoughtful gift and are perfect for when the little one needs a little something in a quiet place.

For more details please check out the Organic Products on my website.

Moss Street Christmas Market Holiday Craft Fair

Here we are folks, just 10 minutes shy of Dec 8th, and just 10 hrs shy of the start of this year's fantastic Moss Street Market! If you're in Victoria BC come by - all of us Vendors (near 100) will have our wares proudly on display. There's free cider, free admission and a whole lot of good vibes. I have made a pledge this Christmas to only Buy Handmade and already, while setting up tonight, I have put little 'Reserved' notes on a number of beautiful items at other Vendor's stalls.

Getting ready for this Market was no small feat. Previous posts, and posts composed in my head that didn't make it to blog land, have made reference to this great Event. I will have all of my Baby & Toddler gear at the Market, plus a few tantalizing treats for anyone on your list, mama or papa or not, including these decadent Lavender Eye Pillows.


Asian Print and Organic Lavender Eye Pillows .... mmmm heavenly.

Two weeks ago I sat down at the sewing machines and for a couple of hours focused soley on these lovely eye pillows. I have two kinds available: the Organic Pillow made from organic cotton prints, organic flax seed and BC grown lavender flowers, and the Asian Pillows made from stunning Japanese prints, flax seeds and BC grown lavender flowers. These eye pillows are a dream - gently rest them on your eyes and let yourself melt into a state of relaxation. They are also ideal for easing headaches, sinus congestion and just plain keeping the light out.

Organic Eye Pillows $14
Asian Print Eye Pillows $11

A handful of unscented Organic Eye Pillows are available too!


These are the first eye pillows I made when living in Oxford. I used scraps of fabric that I had brought with me from Canada and stitched them up with my Aunt Maud's teeny tiny portable sewing machine borrowed from her home in Leamington Spa. (Seriously, that thing was the size of a 2 month old kitten, it was so small.) I bought organic flax seed from a health food store down Cowley and tucked in lavender that I dried after nicking from one of the colleges. Ah, (delinquent) bliss!

Feature: Teething Bonbons™

The sewing machines have been buzzing in the Blue Room all week! I've had a few orders to fill and plenty of preparation for the upcoming Moss Street Christmas Market. It's an exciting time. I finished over 60 Teething Bonbons™ this week and thought now would be a good time to share with you how the Bonbon was born.

This year, many parents turned a keen ear and eye to every news cast that mentioned the recall of children's products. The reality of global manufacturing set in - it's hard to truly know how something has been made and to trust the safety of products marketed for children. Before this new(ish) era of product recall and worry, Little R's papa and I had already been considering the kinds of objects she would play with - especially the ones that would end up in her mouth! Little R started to teeth early and I began all manner of experimentation with organic toys, face cloths and natural wooden toys to sooth her discomfort, all with varying degrees of success. Then, in late summer at the Moss Street Market, a parent asked if I made any teething products ... sparking me to spend the following week consulting my earlier 'test results' as I designed a practical, yet fun solution to help ease teething pain. I weighed the pros and cons of each of the methods I tried with Little R, took the best of each and came up with Teething Bonbons™.



Teething Bonbons™ Feature:

• Organic Cotton - certified and safer
  
• Soft Stuffed Centre - making grasping easy and comfortable for little hands (doesn't get cold!)
  
• Two Knots - just the right size for a good chomp and hard, yet yielding, when frozen
  
• Easy to Clean - washer/dryer friendly
  

To Use

• Soak the knots in cooled, boiled water and toss them into the freezer till needed. The baby chews on the frozen knots while their hands are kept warm with the wool centre.

And they couldn’t be more convenient! Teething Bonbons™ work just as well when not frozen given the density of the flannel knots, and are available in 3 different stitch colours so you can keep track of which Bonbon is on the go.



For December: $7 per Bonbon (Reg $9, $24 for Set of 3)

I can't seem to find the strike through option for the "For December" pricing listed above ...
NOTE: As of Jan 2008 the Bonbon pricing has changed, and they are no longer available in sets unless by Special Order (send me an email to arrange a Special Order).




The Making of the Bonbon

I use certified organic cotton flannel for the body of the Bonbons and begin by pre-shrinking the fabric. After a minute under the iron to get all the wrinkles out, I draft my pattern onto the material and get busy with the scissors. There's a lot of snipping to these little treats, and tons fun pieces left over that I'm crafting into a fun little something that I'll show you later. To get this last batch of orders filled in time I employed the nimble fingers of K, and together we set up an assembly line of stitching, turning, stitching again, stuffing, and stitching some more, and celebrated our efficiency with a little rum & nog.



I stuff the center of the Bonbons with sheep wool. It is clean and carded, and has come from New Zealand. There, the wool is washed with a biodegradable detergent that complies with NZ strict environmental laws. I perfer wool over cotton stuffing because wool is naturally anti-bacterial and to a certain extent, self cleaning, while having the added benefit of being considerably flame resistant too. Not that this should be an issue for something kept in the freezer. I hope to eventually use Alpaca wool because of it's lanolin-free properties, but in the meantime, if wool isn't an option for you, I do offer Organic Cotton Stuffed Teething Bonbons™ by special order ($9.50 each, Set of 3 $26).



The ends of the Bonbon are finished off with a simple knot. It's a tried and true method for easing teething pain - many folks tell me about tying knots in wet facecloths and freezing them for their little ones. A good standby, yet I always found the facecloth a bit too drippy for my liking, and invariably it would end up mopping up spilled food on the floor.

I've sold over 100 Teething Bonbons™ now and received strong positive feedback from many parents. It's exciting to have such a fantastic response. Teething Bonbons™ comply with Health Canada's standards, and I'm currently working with a lawyer to protect the design and function of the Teething Bonbons™. If you or your little one has had your hands on a Bonbon, I would love to hear what your experience has been.

Newly Posted

Just in time for Holiday shopping, or for that Baby Shower right around the corner, I've listed a few of my products to my Etsy shop!


Organic Cotton Flannel New Babe Set: Pumpkin Spice

Etsy is a remarkable online marketplace for handmade everything. To make purchases on Etsy you need to create a username and password. This might seem a bit pesky to some, but it's Etsy's way of making sure that sales can be tracked to protect both the buyers and sellers. Etsy has a fantastic privacy policy, and you never hear from them. Ever.


Organic Soft Block Set: Nature Inspired

Ready to shop? Select the item you'd like to purchase, and follow the next steps as they come up on your screen. You won't be sprung with any surprises as you click through the system - payment is the final step, and is separate from your order. I accept payment through PayPal (or by cash/cheque if you happen to be in Victoria and Area) but don't worry - you don't have to have a PayPal account to use your credit card.

Once your order comes through, I package up your treats and pop them into the mail. For folks who live near enough to arrange some sort of pick up/drop off, I happily do.


Organic Cotton Knotty Caps

And, as always, a phone call or email will secure you any Dress Me Up item too - whether it happens to be listed in my Etsy shop or not.

Ostrich Picnic Blanket

I've just finished up a special order: a beautiful Ostrich Picnic Blanket in cozy cream and green and yellow wool blanketing and steamed-milky coloured faux ostrich leather. This particular blanket is heading to a yet-to-be born babe in Vancouver - a perfect gift for a family in a rainy city.



I search charity shops, linen closets, church sales and garage sales for just the right wool blankets to create my upcycled Ostrich Picnic Blankets from. I prepare the wool in a warm/cold water cycle with a phosphate-free, natural detergent and let it air dry. This gets it clean and bright, letting it felt up just ever so to give more depth to the wool, and making it very easy for you to care for at home - simply machine wash cold and line dry.



The unique backing is faux ostrich leather - a flexible, fabric-backed vinyl that is printed to look like ostrich leather and has just a touch of texture. It's water resistant, durable and easy to care for making it perfect for outdoor blankets. Combined, the wool blanketing and faux ostrich leather make simply the best outdoor blanket ever and boast a retro, nostalgic flair. They are both water resistant and insulating, keeping the wind, rain, snow – and dew – at bay.

Here are 5 ways that you can use your Ostrich Picnic Blanket in adverse weather (not including fort making):

• Drape it over your infant car seat as you lug it to and from the car, or navigate public transit.
  
• Tuck it around your little one in the stroller or wagon.
• Slip it into the shoulder straps of your baby carrier, front or rear-facing.
• Wrap it around your little one’s shoulders for an impromptu jacket.
• Or just use it to stake out a little picnic spot on the ground!
  
  

Full of character and warmth, every Ostrich Picnic Blanket is absolutely one of a kind and makes a fantastic gift that will grow with your little one. I have just enough material for a second blanket in this wool/faux ostrich combination. Contact me to scoop it up, or to see what other blankets I have in stock.

Holiday Events

I hope you'll come to see me at one of my two Holiday Events!

Tommorrow!
Winter Wonderland Festival
Sat Nov 24th, 5:30-9pm
St Alban’s Church Hall, $3
1468 Ryan Street. This family-friendly public event is a fundraiser for Lansdowne Cooperative Preschool. In addition to a wide variety of hand Crafters, you’ll find a crafts area for the children, Silent Auction, Raffle, tasty Foods and more!

Moss Street Christmas Market
Sat & Sun Dec 8 & 9th, 10am-4pm
Fairfield Community Place, Free
At the corner of Fairfield Road and Moss Street. Three buildings full of hand-crafted delights await you! My table is located in the Fairfield Community Place off of Fairfield Road.

Buy ... nothing?

Today is Buy Nothing Day. As a crafter who sells her wares, I have always struggled with Buy Nothing Day. I buy nothing, and want to encourage others to buy nothing too ... but when an order comes in and what do I say? "Please order tomorrow, today is Buy Nothing Day." No, sadly, not yet. One day I will be able to say that and to not worry about loosing a customer. For today though, I'll keep my wallet tucked securely in my bag, and simply welcome any order that comes my way.

After all, each of my Dress Me Up products are created and sourced from the most sustainable, low impacting materials - organic cotton, wool, and recycled vintage cottons - and in their own way, are on the outer edges of the consumer machine.

Quiet and content

This weekend was busy. On Saturday I prepared piles of fabric to be sewn into all manner of Dress Me Up delights - organic flannel burp cloths, organic flannel receiving blankets, upcycled soft blocks, organic cotton soft blocks, drooly bibs and organic teething bonbons. After I drafting and cutting, I stacked them all up in their appropriate piles, waiting for the time when I can sit down and sew. Sunday found me digging into a few of those piles, and today I made a hefty dent.


Drooly Bibs waiting to be sewn, from upcycled vintage cottons and corduroy.

I am expecting a follow up order through Natural Pod for Whole Foods in West Vancouver. This holiday season, Whole Foods is carrying a number of Natural Pod's natural toys for a special Children's product display, and they have included my Organic Soft Block Sets! The soft blocks are doing very well in all places that are carrying them - and I have two other orders waiting to be filled ... I'm just waiting for my own order of the organic cotton prints to arrive so that I can get to cutting and sewing and stuffing, stuffing, stuffing.

Today I drove a darling parcel of two Upcycled Soft Block Sets, one Organic Flannel Receiving Blanket in Cherry Bark and three Teething Bonbons into Cordova Bay. Nearing my customer's house I had to slow down earlier than expected - in the middle of the road was a young deer, shaggy with her winter coat. She moved to the side of the road and then down the drive, keeping just ahead of me as I pulled in. Waiting for her on the other side were two more young deer. They watched as I made my way deeper into the property and then stepped surely aside and out of sight.

After dropping my parcel at door, I saw them again while pulling out of the drive: all three nestled under a small grove of trees looking quiet and content. I slowed the car to see them better and called to little R in the back seat, "Look, see! Deer!" but she was too taken by her corn puff snack to look up.


Two sets of Upcycled Soft Block sets from upcycled vintage cottons and stuffed with clean, carded wool. Three Teething Bonbons from certified organic cotton flannel and stuffed with clean, carded wool. Cherry Bark Organic Flannel Receiving Blanket from certified organic cotton flannel. All of my organic flannel is certified, grown and even milled in the US.

Tiny Blankets

I love teeny tiny things, and was so happy to fill this little order of 11 doll blankets and pillows for Natural Pod to include with their beautiful doll cradles.



I put my pile of Dress Me Up projects aside and spent and hour or so measuring and cutting and stitching and stuffing.



Stacked up all together, the quilted toppers of these minature blankets are so inviting. I wished I was a little pea tucked into this fluffly cotton mountain while listening to my favourite big person read my favourite picture book.



Today these little cozy delights will go into the post, to make their short journey north to the land of imaginative delights.



Made from new cotton flannel and sweetly stitched like quilted patchwork. The pillows are stuffed with clean, carded wool. The blankets are batted with certified organic cotton.

Coming Soon: visual delights

I've been thinking about getting this blog started for about two weeks now, though I created it months ago. My website is a good place to see the broad strokes of Dress Me Up, and my blog will be a good place to keep up to date on the specifics.

My friend Devon has a nice looking blog that references the design, just ever so, of her website. It's simple and provides continuity between the two and I would like that for my blog as well. Soon I'll get to work seeing about how to make that happen.

In the next weeks this stark white page sans photos (or anything that's interesting to look at), will transform into a visual delight of Little Things for Little People made by me. Stay tuned.