Day 16 - Sydney, baby clothes review

I'm into my last week now, babysitting the twins. Rose and I have been thinking about baby wear. There are many choices around and lots of brands to choose from, however it seems that some basics are being overlooked by the manufacturers and designers...

Miss Rose suggests:

1. Clothes need to be easy to work with - the less buttons,
zips and snaps the better. Here I am in my Baptism long
gown  - very fancy, but only one button for my Mum to do up. 

2. Fabrics that look grown-up but are stretchy
are more comfy for us to to wear

3. It is physical being a toddler - we need to be able to move easily as we crawl and roll around

4. Plain, no patterns, make a nice change and means
 we can mix and match our separates more easily

5. Dark or strong colours are good as they don't show  little splops (that my brother Mario makes)

6. Anything small and fiddly (hairbands, socks, hats and gloves) is
a nuisance. Built in hoods and feet covers are great, as we can't lose them.

7. And finally, sometimes you just have to let
your Nana jazz up your classic look a little bit!

Quilt-Essentials

We went to the Recycling Centre and dived headfirst into the fabrics and linen bin. Found lots of clean, newish sheets, pillow cases and beautiful old tablecloths in good cotton fabrics. I tried to choose retro looking patterns and plain colours and eventually decided on a bag full for only ten dollars.

That was about two months ago; since then I have been crazy-busy washing, ironing, cutting, designing, piecing and quilting them into covers. I haven't used patterns; just ideas that seemed to suit each one. They are all so different, and they each have their own personality. So I have given them names - Aroha, Cosmo, Bella and so on.

The great news is that two local shops want to stock them. Five of my 'babies' have gone to Black Cat Vintage, in Annesbrook Drive, and three have found a nice shelf at Madcat in Founders. (What is it about cats and retro-vintage shop names?) I hope people buy them, because then I can make more...

It's what quilting was supposed to be about - reinventing, or up-cycling fabrics into something new and beautiful. Its fun to be creating again - especially with the lovely view out over my trusty old sewing machine of the mountains and the sea.

Lizzie