Try Handmade

Shopping blog featuring products made by people not factories.

Product Showcase: Baby’s Here!

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Lately it seems like all my friends are announcing that they’re expecting! I suppose it’s inevitable at my age but since I still feel about 16 I’m surprised every time. I love to knit and crochet baby items as they’re super fast and easy to whip up. When I don’t have time to make something, I look for a unique gift that someone else has made instead.

This product showcase is a roundup of my latest favorite handmade baby items.

The gorgeous card above is from Storeyshop and was created when the designer’s friends started having babies. Helen wanted to design some cards with nontraditional messages as an alternative to the usual ‘New Baby Girl’ messages. I think it turned out wonderfully!

nellsmith’s adorable baby T-shirt would make a great gift for new parents. Nell’s work is inspired by retro design and toys, Japanese cartoons, and all things cute. She loves using bright, bold colors in her work to try to keep it as fresh and modern as possible.

This baby vest from FruteJuce is a must-have for any trendy baby. Alison designs nontraditional baby clothes inspired by the adult world. The inspiration for the cassette, record deck and headphones vests comes from her family’s strong relationship with music and will start any future musician off the right way.

Any modern baby needs a cool hat and this skull-and-crossbones beanie from MaisieLiddel fits the bill. Handknitted in a punk-inspired pink and white, this little gem is made from a luxurious blend of merino, silk and cashmere.

Keep baby warm with bettyandtodd2’s pretty stroller blanket. Debbie’s mum has always loved hedgehogs and when she and her brothers were growing up, her mum received many different types of hedgehogs as presents. Hedgehogs are a real part of English wildlife so Debbie created this colorful blanket in a small size to easily fit a stroller or car seat.

The inspiration for Quite Contrary Crafts’ card came while Mary was on her stall at Greenwich Market in London, when a customer asked whether there was a New Baby card available. She hadn’t – but she brainstormed new card ideas while her toes were getting rather chilly at the quiet market. Mary had always thought that Silver Cross Prams were very elegant and loves the curl in the handle of the pram in this design. Simple yet effective and elegant.

This gorgeous baby sweater from IrishWoolen was inspired by traditional Irish Aran knitting techniques. The sweater vest was custom-designed for a friend of the designers. The stitch in the center of the jumper is symbolic of the hard working bee and is a traditional stitch of the Aran style of knitting the Aran style. The light flecked wool used is a modern alternative to traditional Aran wool. It’s a great take on the original fisherman’s jumper which was a traditional and staple uniform for so many working men in the past.

I’m thrilled to see how much adorable and unique handmade clothing is available for babies. Despite not having children of her own (yet!), Jane of thedoghouse printed this onesie with an image of her greyhound, Max and the caption ‘doggy’ because she thought that is she did have a baby, this would look so adorable on them!

Brighten up any nursery with this hand-embroidered hanging heart from elissahill. Baby will adore the pretty colours, and even better the heart can be embroidered with any message and picture you desire.

I’d love to discover more handmade baby items, post yours below!

Urban Baby Bonnet

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While touring the aisles at the ABCkids show in Las Vegas last week, I came across these thoroughly modern, vintage style baby bonnets from Urban Baby Bonnet.

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I love how these bonnets look, but I also love how they challenge my ability to classify and generalize as well. It’s like my penchant for Ikea got together with my love of Little House on the Prairie. Who knew? They are sweetly old fashioned, even as they are sleek and modern. Does this make them postmodern? Whatever you call them, you cannot deny that they are utterly adorable. The simple design is downright refreshing after seeing so much same old same old. We love new old!

Urban Baby Bonnets come in cotton, organic and fleece lined versions, for those in cold climates. Fabric choices are fun and funky and include masculine and feminine prints. Flip the brim forward for sun shade and back to change up the look.

Usagi Rabbit

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When I first came across this shop, I immediately was reminded of the Japanese animated film My Neighbor Totoro. So it should come as no surprise that Jacqueline, the artist behind UsagiRabbit is infatuated with Japanese culture. A student slowly working her way toward a college degree in linguistics, one of her goals is to learn to read Japanese. These whimsical bunny creatures are part Totoro and part Care Bear and so cute! Some are just for loving and cuddling, while others are put to work protecting your small electronic devices.

Jacqueline got her start in handmade when she couldn’t find the things she wanted in the stores. Though her shop has only been open since May she’s been creating art since she was old enough to pick up a coloring book – from making clothes for her dolls to patching up her jeans.

I used to knit scarves and a friend suggested I try selling some of them at a small local craft fair. I took the plunge and it was a blast! I loved meeting all those other crafters and artisans. Artists are some of the nicest people you can be around. Finding Etsy really got me thinking that I could make a go of this. It’s full of so many inspiring stories and helpful fellow sellers. I really want to try my best!

Her skills have been honed over the years with help from her mother (a lifelong seamstress) and various friends and teachers along the way. Isn’t it wonderful how the creative community came together to help this artist learn the skills to realize her vision?

There’s something about the feeling of the wool in my hands and the slight hum the thread makes that fills me with satisfaction.

Jacqueline first starts planning her creatures with a drawing and some key concepts.When she’s inspired a piece can come together very quickly; sometimes the process can take days or weeks. Once a design is decided on, she chooses colors and felts and cut out the pieces. The most time consuming part of the process is sewing the pieces because it takes a long time and the stitches have to be just right! Lastly, her creation is stuffed with pure cotton and sewn shut. Thus is born the latest addition to the UsagiRabbit family!

Well, I love all my finished creations (even though some of them can be quite beastly during the making) but if I had to choose just one I guess my favorite would be the orange rabbit with a yellow flower on its belly. It makes me smile when I see it.

Born and raised in New Jersey this Texas transplant is inspired by her travel and experiences of other cultures. She has no sales so far, so let’s get her started – shall we?

Tim's Sally

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Tim’s Sally: Painting for me, is a nostalgic descent back to my childhood – a time when dolls were a huge part of my life. Today is not altogether different. I think of my paintings as play sets where I dress my dolls up and create their own environment. Sometimes this “land” is a sweet setting of animals, nature, and innate innocence while others are captivated by a mysterious engulfing darkness. I can relate.

Memories of playtime and my special collection of “neat stuff” that I kept in a wooden trunk made specially for me by my uncle were treasures to me. Baby doll heads, vintage dolls, sweet scents of everything yummy are areas of great inspiration. Artists such as Mark Ryden, Joe Sorren, and Casey O’Connell also capture my heart with a sweet tenderness encompassing subtle moments of time we all would like to revisit; a dream state so unique one could only wish to take part.