Monthly Archives: September 2010

Etsy Faves Heidi & Finn

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As you know, I’m very committed to making the Peach’s clothes for Fall. I think sewing little dresses will help quell my fear of sewing bigger dresses for moi.   There are so many grand patterns out there for the wee ones, but I found some particularly delicious patterns that from my newest obsession, Etsy shop, Heidi & Finn. And I think you’ll like them too!

For example, I’m going to make this pinafore top for the Peach–like four of ’em!  That pleated pocket detail is just darling!

And next summer, I’m making four of these great tops out of linen for the Peach, so she won’t burn up. Sigh…the Peach is so pale.  We call her the mushroom baby–she lives away from the sun!

Oh and then there is this ruffle jumper–such a nice twist on the standard one.

Speaking of nice twists on standard style,  this great pant pattern with a cool pleat detail fits that bill too. I’m sensing a great theme here…

Oh, and the coats. The yummy wearable coats.

I am head over heels with the wearability of this wrap yoga sweater.

Now I must admit that I’m always impressed when I see cool patterns for boys clothing.  And Heidi & Finn doesn’t disappoint on this front.  Like this slim fit military style shirt for boys. And this great unisex hoodie is adorable.  Just change the button and fabric choices and you got a sweet outfit for your boy to boot.

But here are the top three reasons why I’m so bananas for this brand:

  1. They are available as PDFs, so talk about instant gratification! You can make one of the patterns tonight if you wanted to.
  2. A lot of these patterns use knits, which is so great for that cozy factor we love for kid’s clothing, plus easy wash and wear.
  3. These patterns have two special magic words on them that make my heart flutter just reading them: “EASY. SEW”.

Not a seamstress? Not a problem! They also have an Etsy shop of finished items from their collection. Including this little gem which is so much fun and perfect for parties–wearable cozy yet effortlessly charming/borderline fancy.

So, I’m off to purchase the 4 patterns for $21 special they are running right now!

Guest Blogger: Steph from Bondville.

Guest Blogger, International Kiddo, , , , , ,

Hello there, Kiddos! it’s Steph Bond from Bondville and Alix asked me if I could do a guest post for you all.  I always get a thrill when I see a Weekly Kiddo wearing Australian designs. There are a *huge* amount of talented kids fashion designers in Australia and many of these hard-working entrepreneurs are Mums, working their butts off. So in celebration of the little guy/gal, and the dreams and determination of these folks, here is a showcase of 5 of my favourite Australian kids fashion designers:

Olive’s Friend Pop
If you love the nostalgic sweetness of the 1940’s, then the sweet-as-pie designs from Sydney-based Olive’s Friend Pop are for you. These are hard-working, stylish pieces that your parents (and grandparents) will love too. You can find Sydney-based Olive’s Friend Pop at stockists around Australia, online and in South Korea.

LUV Child
Brisbane label LUV Child launched to much acclaim at markets in Australia last year, immediately capturing everyone’s attention with lace capped tanks, bloomers and angel wings for little angels.The LUV in LUV Child stands for Little Urban Vintage which perfectly describes the collection. You can find LUV Child in the label’s E-Boutique.

Paperwings
This one is a bit special. Paperwings is the lovechild of movie costume designers (Moulin Rouge, Star Wars, Peter Pan) Jason Gibaud and Michelle Fallon, based in northern NSW. Each piece is theatrical and yet made for play. Truly head-turning. You can find Paperwings at various stockists internationally and you can view their collections on their gorgeous Website (a highly recommended experience for a hit of creative inspiration).

Tutu du Monde
“Dancing Dresses” are major at our place, so I thought a Tutu du Monde dress would be perfect for my big girl’s 3rd birthday. She hasn’t taken it off since! Tutu du Monde dresses are simply divine works of art (and a welcome alternative to polyester princess frocks), designed by fashion designer Andrea Rembeck in Sydney. You can find Tutu Du Monde in the online store as well as at stockists in Australia and the US.

Tea Princess

Oh, it’s all lovely crochet, doilies and floral prints at Sydney label Tea Princess. These are clothes for girls who want to be girls. Tea Princess also has a lovely range of Special Occasion pieces for weddings and christenings that are just heavenly. You can buy Tea Princess at the online store and find Tea Princess stockists listed on the website.

A little (a lot) girl-oriented, I know. But I promise to let you know about great design for boys another time. Thank you so much Dottie and Alix for the invitation to drop by Modern Kiddo for a while. It’s been lovely. Please stop by at Bondville (Australian design for Mum, Kids and Home) and Bondville Kids (Australian Kids Fashion) to say Hi,

Steph Bond
x

PS – all images credited to their respective labels.

……………….

What an amazing selection and it makes me want to fly to Australia and meet the masterminds behind these gorg kiddo clothes. And of course to hang out with you, Steph! And a super special thanks to our gal, Ms. Steph from Bondville for rocking out such a great post for us. And we’d love to see what you have up your sleeve as far as Australian Boys companies.  Let’s set a day for that post!  Can’t get enough of Ms. Steph? Well, neither can we–and that is why we stop by Bondville every chance we get and suggest you do the same too!

Winner of the Back to School Giveaway!

Giveaways, ,

Well well well! We have a winner for our first ever back to school giveaway which included great gifts from Parasols Boutique and Mabel’s Labels.

And the winner is: Angie from Working Title!

And thanks to everyone else who participated in the giveaway. But never fear, another great one is coming up next week and I think you’ll all be super excited about it. Whoohoo!!!!

My dream site: Swedishness

International Kiddo, , ,

If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, well then, you know my ahem…obsession with Sweden. I know you think IKEA would have scratched my itch for all things Swedish.   I know. I have a problem…

But problem solved with Swedishness!

Really, how could I not love this site with all things Swedish? Like these shoes. These beautifully designed little shoes. And exquisite little animal puppets…

A charming little twist on the nesting doll trend. Who says only Babushkas should have all the fun? Sweden thinks otherwise. And Sweden puts little ears on its nesting dolls.

They even have these divine knitted goodies. Oh those impossibly small mittens and booties. If they were made for Swedish winters, I think they can handle the Bay Area on a cold day…

And check out this lush little dress that is joyous with color. Yeah–made in Sweden, natch.

Brio, only the coolest toy company in the universe… Based in Sweden. Yup.  And it is a dachshund. The coolest dog too!

Oh, this lovely site is just whetting my palette for Sweden.  I wish I could hop on a plane right now and go there!  Is it wrong that I want to celebrate St. Lucia although I’m not Swedish? Would it be wrong to put the Peach through her Swedish paces and invest in a little wreath with candles on it? Anyone actually dressed up as St. Lucia? Was it amazing?  Did it change your life? Inquiring minds want to know!

Vintage Kiddo Retro Round Up!

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I don’t know what is in the air right now, but whatever it is my family is getting crazy sick from it! Actually, I did find out what is in the air. Turns out my little hamlet is a “Victorian town”–makes sense since it has more Victorian houses than any other town in California.  And with these little Victorian houses comes exotic plants that were popular at the turn of the century and are in bloom right now and playing havoc with everyone’s sinuses. Sigh!

Anyway, I hope you all have had a lovely weekend–when I wasn’t blowing my nose, I was searching every nook and cranny of the Internet to find you some dandy vintage goodies for yer youngins! On with the show!

From Etsy seller the Foraging Follies, we have this darling Opie gingham boys shirt.  I’m in love. Just love! Bike with darling bell not included, sadly…

I love these sassy vintage scooter skirts from eBay seller Bibliowhiz. I imagine they belonged to two young cousins  who created a whole dance routine to Build Me Up Buttercup and Aunt Beverly made them these matching skirts. I’m just sayin’…

According to my dapper husband, pea coats are all the rage this fall for men.  So, let’s kick it up a notch with adding vintage into the mix with this charmer of a coat.  From Etsy seller, our favorites at Our Retro Toybox.

Strawberry Fields forever with this divine little top here as sweet as summer.  From Etsy seller, SammyLee Vintage.

Who would want a truck, or a dog or a truck on their little boys outfit when you could have a gymnast like on this terrific one piece “roper”.  Talk about going for the gold, Etsy seller, MotherMidnight.

Check out this great two tone Ben Franklin shoe in boys size 10.  From Etsy seller LilyBelle Shoes.

You can just see a little girl wearing this darling little teal jumper combo.  With the little ribbon tie. I just melt a bit. From Etsy seller The Green Nectarine.

Oh, this top–with built in bow-tie and nautical them to boot.  I just wish there was a button inside the coat to make the red bow tie spin.  From Miss Lishyloo! I gotta admit this–Lish’s stock this week is just insane. I could have done a full post just on her stuff, so I recommend a little stop by her shop, if you can…

Our gal Heather from Etsy shop 3 Ring Circus found the holy grail of awesomeness–a vintage brownie’s shirt. I’m so tempted to just buy this now for the Peach.  Brownies are like the mafia where I live.  We had to buy six boxes of cookies so we could walk the streets.

Oooh. check this out!  Who doesn’t love a bandanna? And a built in bandanna with matching fabric up the sleeves–and all in one shirt? Well, color me sold, ladies!  And I’m sure this will be sold soon too!  From Etsy seller, Vintage Pickle.

As you know I’ve been trying to make some of the Peach’s winter wardrobe. And although there are terrific fabrics out there, my heart always flutters when I find sassy delightful fabrics that make me smile from ear to ear. And I was grinning like a fool when I saw the great stash Frecklewonder has in her lovely shoppie right now.

Well, that’s it!  Only four days left in the week! Hurrah to that, I say!