In my other life, I teach high school math and am mama to a two-year-old daughter (Joey) with another daughter to come (July 2013).
I've now been in a few situations where I've been left wanting or needing a blog to link to my store, so here we are!
WHERE IT ALL BEGAN
It all started with some bamboo terry and a sewing machine.I had just gotten my own sewing machine as a gift for Christmas. I asked for one because I always remembered my mother making us outfits as we grew up, then (when we had outgrown the mom-made-outfit stage) she would help sew costumes for our theatrical ventures or create the perfect curtains for the house when nothing she found in stores was quite right, throw pillows, school projects... She taught me to sew, so I grew up with my own little sewing projects along the way.
At the time I asked for my sewing machine, I had a six month old and wanted to start playing around with making some baby items. We used cloth diapers from the start with her for two reasons: to save money and to help the environment. We had always used cloth diapers with disposable wipes. I wanted to try to venture into cloth wipes, so I did a little bit of research and decided that I wanted to get some soft, organic materials to start making some of my own.
I found the 70% Bamboo, 28% Organic Cotton, 2% poly double sided terry and took the plunge. I'm so glad I started with that material - it's really the best. It's so soft and squishy. I made a bunch for a friend, who recommended these wipes to other friends, who continued to recommend them to more friends, and in the course of a little over a year, I've made and sold over 700 wipes.
WHERE IT'S GONE FROM THERE
My next venture turned out to be wet bags. I had two that had delaminated and I needed to get more. I figured instead of buying some, I should try to make my own. So I did. And so I have for many customers (over 100), adding new sizes all the time.
I next started on woolies from recycled sweaters and fleece soakers, and every once in a while you'll find something completely new and different in my shop on Etsy. I love making woolies because I love finding the sweaters to create them. It's like a little thrift shop treasure hunt, and I've definitely found some treasures!
WHERE IT'S HEADED
There isn't much I won't try, especially when a friend/customer has a specific request. Requests from friends are really where most of my offerings have started, and I just can't thank them enough for having faith in me and my work to ask me to try something new for them. It's been amazing to see the growth of this little side job, and I'm excited for where it will take me next.
I'm currently in contact with a local cloth diapering shop in order to sell some of my items in-store. This makes me nervous and really excited. I'm nervous because it's always hard to put yourself "out there" in new and unknown ways, and I just don't know what to expect. On the other hand, I'm excited to get my brand out there a little more and reach new customers.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM THE BLOG
Some posts I have planned:
- Product features and explanations
- Specialized care instructions
- Links to reviews and giveaways
- NEW product teasers or testers
- Participation in the next Great Cloth Diaper Hunt
- General tips and information on cloth diapering
- Some of my personal favorites and recommendations
Yay Laura! You're wipes and bag are AMAZING! I can't wait to order some wool from you!! In July I will start working at a cloth diapering store called Rosie Posie Baby! Mail me a stack of your business cards so I can hand them out to mamas looking for amazing cloth wipes!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kari! Will do!
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