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.