Shop Small Saturday

It's that time of year again.  Did it sneak up on you as fast as it did me?  Doesn't matter who I talk to, young and older than young, this year has blown by.  But I LOVE this holiday time of year, mostly because the family makes time to get together, and that's the best gift of all.

Because I am such a traditionalist, we did not put up Christmas in the shop until Thanksgiving had passed.  Thanksgiving is such a grand holiday for America.  We all have so much to be thankful for. Doesn't mean that everything is perfect - goodness knows that the economy has made life difficult, but we've weathered it before and we'll weather it again.  But Americans are free to be what we choose to be, and for that I am always thankful.

Today is Black Friday, tomorrow is Shop Small Saturday and Monday is Cyber Monday.  Today I am just staying out of the fray and finishing up some lovely dupioni silk dresses.  Murphy is on my shoulder and Fuf and Polo are on the ottoman.  It's cozy and quiet.  I'm resting up for tomorrow!

Because tomorrow is Shop Small Saturday and we are offering our special friends/customers some very special specials!  Like 50% off of organic sleepers and sacks AND buy-one-get-one-free organic onesies.  Yes, it's true!  (In shop purchases only, sorry cyber people.)   It's supposed to be 71 degrees and a sunny day tomorrow, so it's a great day to get out and Shop Local.

In the meantime, put your feet up and rest after a busy today and have a cup of tea by a cozy fire.  See you tomorrow!

Happy Holidays!

P.S.  Cyber Monday you can enter the coupon code WAHOO on our website at http://www.justbaby.us/ and receive 15% off of your order.  'Cause our cyber friends are special too!

Smock It To Me, Smock It To Me, Smock It To Me

People are fascinated when they see our smocked baby clothes and even more fascinated when they watch mom smocking on a project.  Beautiful DMC threads, two at a time, taking quick, continuous tiny stitches and the pattern grows.

We do not create the pleats by hand, thank goodness.  Well, we do.  The hand turns the crank and guides the fabric on our magical Amanda Jane pleater, which we purchased from a company in Australia.  Australia, come to find out, is HUGE into smocked, traditional clothing for girls AND boys.  (Insert big sigh right here).  I wish more people in our own US of A were.  There is such a small time in life when babies are babies and there is nothing more precious than a little boy in a smocked jon-jon.  I know.  My little boys wore jon-jons and the pictures in the scrapbook are adorable!  But I digress.

Smocking began in England in the 13th or 14th century.  Linen fabric was gathered into pleats and then secured with embroidery stitches.  Clothing was smocked on the yoke and sleeves, creating an elastic band! (Who thought of this?)   With the use of machinery, the loose garments became impractical and dangerous to wear around moving parts, so smocking died out.

In the early 20th century, smocking began to decorate garments for women and children, which was both popular and fashionable.  But the two World Wars brought availability of cheaper mass produced clothing, rather than the labor-intensive hand-smocked clothes.  And it became less prevalent.

And then!  On to 2009 when Just Baby Gifts & Apparel set up shop and started making smocked clothing again!  We love making bishop dresses for the smaller set - newborn to one year.  The smocked bodice dresses are for 12-36 months.  And they often have ties on the side to make a big bow in the back, just like Mom used to make for me!  Each smocked outfit is unique.  Mom just waits for the fabric to talk to her and then she lets the pattern flow, like magic! 

Here's a beauty that she just finished for the holidays.  It's actually red, not orange (fire the photographer!)  Check out our shop at http://www.justbaby.us/ to see our current collection of smocked baby clothes.  But hurry because there's only one of each.

Don't forget to check out our Facebook page for upcoming sales, and Like us while you're there.  Thank you!