New Bloombub t-shirts and singlets

Given the success of the embellished t-shirts earlier this month, I have put my fingers to work to create some more colour schemes for groovy babies and toddlers. Not everyone loves pink (!), although Little C certainly does.

Order through our Madeit store if you’d like one of these spring-inspired shirts. Singlets, short sleeve and long sleeve t-shirts are all available in white from size 000 to 4, and black or grey in selected singlet and long-sleeve sizes.

L-R: black and white; red poppy; black and silver.

Lavender; sunflower.

Madeit.com.au Marathon

Phew, what a weekend!

I spent hours (and hours) this weekend crocheting, stitching and sewing the 8 orders I received for embellished t-shirts and singlets between last Wednesday and Saturday morning.

That’s as many orders in three days as I’ve had in the previous two months. Not that I’m complaining, but I have noticed a sore spot on my fingers where the crochet hook as been digging in.

This explosion in sales was largely due to having our embellished t-shirts featured in Madeit’s Wednesday newsletter… WOW! I should know the true value of publicity, but nevertheless 8 orders was a bit of a shock to the system! I had to go and restock my singlets and t-shirts and I made a few in larger sizes than our normal range, but when it’s only stitching a rosette on a t-shirt, at least there’s no pattern making involved.

I also took the opportunity to make some little labels for my work. Previously this has been a bit sporadic, as I’ve not had any professionally printed. But I went the DIY route with some twill tape and iron on transfers and I think they turned out quite nicely! I have enough to see me through a few more orders, but I think an order of properly printed twill tape might be required (plus some size tags for the mini-pinnies and Garden Party dresses).

I also had the opportunity to try our my new all-recyclable packaging with so many orders to post. I have been keeping my packaging really simple until now, but a post from Tania at the CHA made me rethink my presentation. After-all, as she says, online shopping is a somewhat impersonal activity, and sellers need to make the buying and receiving process as warm and friendly as possible to maximise repeat business.

Kylie asked for gift wrapping of her Birdie gift set (above), so cute spotted paper was located, as was genuine ribbon, and all tied up with a crochet flower embellishment.

Our standard packaging however is just as sweet – brown paper bags (for small orders,  brown craft paper for larger); a strip of spotty paper and a business card to finish it off. I’m working through those business cards pretty quickly – I think it might nearly be time to engage a graphic designer to create a unique look for Bloombub.. any referrals?

The sale has inspired me to repost one of my newest creations, a sunflower t-shirt (available in white t-shirts and singlets, or grey long sleeves and singlets). Maybe a little bub in your life needs a pretty flower to warm up their winter?

Woolly jackets and spring skirts

Here’s a few things we’ve been working on for a while.

~A turquoise cashmere swing jacket~

We found this pattern in a book called Cute as a Button at the local library. There were lots of other patterns as well, but this Swing Jacket for toddlers caught my eye. Also included was a pattern for embroidery, but I know it won’t get worn enough to justify the HOURS of work that goes into those kind of embellishments. We finished it off with our cute ‘airfent’ (as Claire likes to call them) button from Lou (see what happened to her cat buttons too).

The fabric is repurposed from an unsuccessful jacket we made for Miss G many years ago – it was just too short in the arms so never got worn. The fabric itself was also a score from the Lincraft remnant bin – i think it cost less than $20. I think it’s gone to lovely use here, one where I have more control over the number of times it gets worn anyway!

~THE Patchwork Twirler~

So, it seems sorting the pattern pieces is the hardest part of patchworking. After I got through that conundrum, the rest of this skirt when surprisingly easily. The gathering was a little tricky, but not too much to deal with. I managed to get all the sewing and gathering done during Project Runway last night, and finished off the waist and elastic during nap time. Once again, thanks to Ally at Sunshine and Stitching for the free Charm Squares – Claire is still wearing this (in bed), 5 hours after she insisted she put it ‘mon’.

~Next crafty post: The retro panda dress and a geometric corduroy skirt. Stay tuned!~

Stitch-a-thon – Singlets!

Autumn and winter are most definitely singlet season, but instead of hiding them away under your clothes, why not make them a feature and wear themon the outside – superhero style.

Here’s a few singlets we stitched up this weekend, to brighten up your bub’s winter wardrobe (I think a few adult size ones may be in order too…)

new fat quarter mini-pinny available in these fabrics

$12.50 – introductory price for April

Peppermint Patty & the new FatQuarter Pinnie Top

I love fat quarters.

All the prettiest designs come in a fat quarter, they’re usually the smallest (& cheapest) way to buy designer fabric, AND, as I’ve been discovering, are exactly the right size for Bloombub’s revamped swing top, newly entitled the Fat Quarter Pinnie.

When one 'bobble' is not enough...

As modelled by the cheery Miss C in our favourite Tiffany Blue with chocolate spots, the Fat Quarter Pinnie is perfect for spring, summer, autumn (with a cardi) and winter (over a long-sleeved top).

I’ve also made some matching peppermint  flannelette trousers for her, but we’re saving them for when it gets a bit cooler.

So, what do you think? Soon to be added to the MadeIt and Etsy store catalogues, and always available for you to custom order. A fat quarter will cover sizes 000 to 2 – any larger and we would have to look at different straps (but of course, that’s never a problem.

I’ll post some of the fat quarter fabric I already have in stock on the Bloombub Facebook page for you all to peruse…(don’t forget to become a fan so I can offer you all a free embellished singlet with every order…).

If you order this weekend I can express post to you to have in time for Easter! Don’t you just LOVE spots!

new in the bloombub etsy store:

singlet and bloomer sets – size 000
plus
swing tops size 0-1

Bloomer & singlet sets

Leaping into the deep end

Master R & Lil C tussle over Dora

The time has come for this crafty mumma to Do or Die – we either have a go at this baby clothes shenanigan as a commercial enterprise, or we consign the sewing machine to the hobby pile.

I’ve been making original (and some pattern-based) outfits for Lil C, Master R, and their little baby friends for nearly two years now. My fabric stash is growing larger by the day, and my skills have evolved to a point where I’m ready to show them to the world. While everyone is always appreciative when they receive a Bloombub original as a gift, the ‘commission-based’ word of mouth business I’d been hoping for hasn’t eventuated. So, it’s time to whip up some samples, take some constructive feedback, and setup that Etsy store. If that goes well, I’ll knock on some online retailer doors and perhaps the boutiques in my corner of town. All of this in the hope that I can reduce to two days of ‘office time’ in my day job, and sew fulltime one or two days per week by the middle of the year.

STAGE ONE of my big adventure: Genuine market research.

Clockwise from top left: upcycled singlets, bloomers (boys and girls), swing top with ribbon straps, garden party dress, swing top with halter neck.

If you have a 3 month to 3 year old child, and would like to ‘test drive’ one of my prototype Bloombub outfits:

‘upcycled’ singlet + matching bloomers;
swing top + bloomers;
or Garden Party dress

drop me a line or leave a comment here with your childs’ size (000 to 3) and any colour preference and I’ll whip you up a sample by the end of the month. In return, I’ll ask you to fill in a quick survey about yours and your child’s experiences with the outfit, rough ballpark for how much you’d be willing to pay for this type of item, and any other relevant feedback you have about the Bloombub business ( you can email or post it back to me). If you LOVE your outfit, please tell all your pals about my new venture and where to find me!

Wish me luck!

Oriental folk diva

A cute little kimono style top, adapted from an Amy Butler pattern. Yellow checks and red-rose trim on soft white cotton give it a folky charm. And the cheesy grin helps too!

Non-matching shorts complete the lounge lizard look.