Often mistaken for knitting, crocheting is a centuries old needlework technique of interlocking loops of yarn, thread, or strands of other materials using a crochet hook. “It can be a slow process sometimes, but I learn something new with each design I make,” said Bonnie O’Leary of small shop Woodland Stitchcraft. “That is one of the things about crafting that makes it so fun. There is always something new to make or techniques to master. I have been crocheting for five years and have yet to get bored!”

Launched in 2015, Woodland Stitchcraft handcrafts crocheted apparel and accessories, including rompers, dresses, beanies, bonnets, knot turbans, scarves and handbags. I personally love the stitched classic collars, a la Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s iconic dissent collar. “The time it takes to make something depends on a lot of factors, the type of yarn and size of the project. I can make a toddler bonnet in a couple hours and then making something like a toddler romper can take more like five,” O’Leary explained. Wondering what got O’Leary “hooked” on crocheting? “When I found out my nephew was going to be named Maverick, I really wanted to find a gift that was aviation inspired,” she recalled. “I found a picture of a little crochet hat and goggles. It led me to a crochet pattern so I called up my best friend who crocheted and asked her to help me make it and I haven’t stopped crocheting since then.” The shop takes its name from O’Leary’s home in California. “I am located in the Sierras so I have grown up surrounded by forest and exploring the outdoors. Wanting to have a fun way to include the idea of our items being handmade, Stitchcraft seemed like just the thing.”

O’Leary’s daughter Autumn inspires many of the Woodland Stitchcraft creations. “I love crocheting pieces for her to wear,” O’Leary said. “A lot of my designs come from seeing fashion that I think will be cute on her and wanting to see if I can create a crochet version.” O’Leary also injects her own personal style into her designs. “I love vintage. I think that rolls over into Woodland Stitchcraft a lot and I tend to create pieces like bonnets and suspender skirts. I don’t think there is anything cuter than a toddler in a bonnet!”

The shop has grown leaps and bounds over the last four years. “I was making everything and anything in the beginning and was focusing on doing markets. Since shifting to focus online and growing social media, I have found my happy place creatively and in the type of shop I want to be,” O’Leary shared. “I really enjoy creating fashion pieces geared towards children. As a stay at home mom, I spend my days focused on kids so I guess it is a bit of ‘crochet what you know!’”

Are you ready to take up crocheting? Beyond the precious finished pieces, O’Leary also sells crochet patterns. “If you ever think, ‘I wish I could make that.’ Well, you can!” Check out all the Woodland Stitchcraft masterpieces in O’Leary’s Etsy shop and Facebook page, and use the code “SMALLSHOPDROP” to save 25% off your next purchase. Thanks Bonnie!

Cody Bauchman is a small shop OG. The mama monster maker launched Lu & Ed from a finished basement in 2009. “It all started when I moved to Kansas City with my son Gauge and we were living at my then-boyfriend’s mom’s house with little to no storage. One night, I dreamed up a fun storage solution that would take up minimal space by hanging on a door handle or in the closet, one that Gauge would like to learn to use by ‘feeding’ it his toys,” she recalled. “The next day, I drafted the pattern, learned to use a sewing machine with help from my boyfriend’s mom, and made the first ever Mon-stor.” A decade later, Bauchman is still using her original pattern to handcraft her monster wares. “Each time I would post pictures online, more and more people would ask me to make them a monster. After about three months, I had an entire notebook page filled with orders, and I quit my day job to focus on monster-making full time. I’ve been making monsters almost every day since!”

The shop’s monster mania has only grown over the years. “When I first started, I only made one size of Mon-stor (the large size),” Bauchman explained. “Since then, I have added smaller size Mon-stors, Stuffed Monsters, Monster Tooth Pillows, Monster Tote Bags, Monster Sensory Blankets for babies and a few other designs I do on a limited edition basis.” The large size Mon-stor toy storage bags remain a Lu & Ed top seller. “They are perfect for playrooms or bedrooms to tame toy clutter,” said Bauchman. “The large holds almost an entire load of laundry, up to 8 Build a Bear-sized stuffed monsters, over a dozen medium Nerf guns and more – anything you need accessible storage for, Mon-stors can eat! They make cleaning up super easy and fun for children of all ages.” In my home, we have adopted three colorful stuffed monsters and three small Mon-stors (so far) and my boys adore them.

Young monsters like mine inspire each of Lu & Ed’s designs. “I love children’s creativity, their love of color and different textures, and how play is so important to their development,” Bauchman shared. “Each Lu & Ed monster is made to ignite imaginative play, learning through play – counting eyes and teeth, naming the colors on the monster, describing the different textures, as well as learning to pretend play and create personalities for the monsters. Often, monsters are handed down to siblings or passed on to other family members when their children outgrow playing with them and I love seeing that magical love of monsters spread.”

Something significant about the shop that stands out to me is that Lu & Ed is completely zero waste. “Each monster toy I make is handmade with textile discards, like robes, blankets, curtains, sheets, pajamas and other fabrics otherwise headed to landfills,” said Bauchman. “Each Mon-stor is made from textile discards either collected through donations or scavenged from salvage centers. I use a closed loop recycling system, meaning even the tiniest bits of fabric get used so there is absolutely no landfill waste from the production of my monster toys.” That also means that no Lu & Ed monster is alike. I love that!

Beyond creating positive climate change by reducing landfill waste, Bauchman is also passionate about hunger relief and supporting children living in food-insecure households. In 2018, she started the Lu & Ed Lunch Program and, since then, has donated almost $300 to help end student lunch debts in American schools. “I chose to donate $1 from every monster sold because I have 13 nieces and nephews and 6 great nieces and nephews. The majority of them are enrolled in schools where a large majority of the students are below poverty level and sometimes, lunch at school may be the only meal they get. I have donated to 7 schools so far, nominated by fans of Lu & Ed.” You can nominate your local schools to receive a Lu & Ed donation here.

Feed a mon-stor toy clutter and help Lu & Ed feed the kiddos. Sounds like a win-win to me. Check out the small shop’s current monsters waiting to be adopted on the Lu & Ed website and join the Facebook VIP Monster Squad here. If you use the website link here, you will automatically save 15% off your next purchase. Thanks Cody!

Did you know weather plays an important factor in creating bath bombs? Nope, me either. “Humidity greatly affects the outcome of the bath bomb,” explained Kimberly Fischer, the mama bear behind Mama Bear Bath Co. “The whole process for all bath bombs takes between three and seven days before they can be bagged and sealed.”

Mama Bear Bath Co. produces high-quality, colorful bath bombs, scented soaps and moisturizing bath scrubs, bubble scoops, and home wax melts. Fischer’s favorite is the shop’s stress relief scent. “Who couldn’t use more of that in their life, right?” she joked. “It is eucalyptus and spearmint and it is perfect for anytime. It is so clean and fresh so that scent is throughout my entire shop in all the variations of products.” My boys love the kid-friendly line of bath bombs, which include surprise trinkets inside. Fischer spends hours online weekly looking for fun, appropriate-sized toys to include in her products. “My son is a lot of inspiration because he is always getting into new things and saying, ‘mommy, you should make this into a bath bomb,’” she shared. “The Minecraft bath bomb was actually his idea. My customers also give me feedback on what they want too and those are ideas I always heavily consider.”

The shop name refers to Fischer’s prior pre-maker career. “I was working as an assistant manager at a local health establishment. I was very protective over all of the younger kids there and my co-manager said that I was the ‘mama bear’ of the store. When I would get protective, my coworkers would always tell me, ‘calm down mama bear.’” She officially launched Mama Bear Bath Co. in December 2016, but started first by creating bath bombs for her own son. “I had bought him a bath bomb from Lush that he loved, but I couldn’t afford to keep buying them for him. I started with some basic ingredients and made very simple bath bombs for him, not eye appealing whatsoever,” Fischer recalled. “After I got better at them, I decided to open up a shop and sell ones so I could buy more ingredients.” Although her son loved them, Fischer views those early bath bombs as, well, bombs. “Looking back now, those bath bombs were so bad, but I learned so much from making them.”

Fischer walked me through the soapy manufacturing process. “Creating bath bombs depends on the specific bomb and the detail they entail. All the bases are the same with the exception of scent and color. The base takes about 20 minutes to make from start to finish,” she said. “Forming the bath bombs, using various pans, presses and molds takes anywhere from 20 minutes to an hour. Some have details, such as color or glitters drizzled into the pan for aesthetic purposes. The frosted bath bombs take by far the longest, as they have to dry before frosting and then the frosting has to dry. A usual drop of bombs takes me about a week and a half to finish.” As an entrepreneur, Fischer loves the freedom to get creative and try new scents, colors and recipes. “No batch of my bath bombs is the same, although they will resemble each other and the colors inside are always a surprise! It really just gives me a creative outlet and makes me excited to work,” she said.

Join the fizzy fun in the Mama Bear Bath Co. VIP Facebook group and check out all the new products on the shop’s website here.

“We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch, we are going back from whence we came.” – John F. Kennedy

Much like the ocean itself, Katrina Joy Green’s seascapes are exquisitely serene. She uses resin and beautiful smudges of navy, turquoise and similar shades of blue in the paintings available in her small shop, Katrina Joy Art. “Blue has always been my favorite color and it just so happens that now I live a couple minutes away from Florida’s Emerald Coast. I love the sand and especially the vibrant colors of the water,” she shared.

Although originally from Colorado, Green captures the essence of the ocean in her art like a Florida native. The waves appear wild and wind-torn, pounding on the shoreline, and she applies her designs to the shop’s various housewares, like kitchen trays, drink coasters, hanging wooden circles, ornaments and “Lazy Susan” turntables. “I started painting with resin about seven months ago. When I would go back home to Colorado, my mom and I would try to think of some fun crafts for the family to do together,” she recalled. “It is all adults in the family, so it’s fun to think of more complex, artsy projects. I was on Pinterest and fell in love with the glossy, colorful look of resin. We did a big family test project with it and had a blast. I haven’t been able to stop since!” Green’s subsequent move to Florida inspired a passion for ocean art. “When I first moved here, I started painting the water with oils and acrylic. Then, after my family tried out resin, I thought it would be fun to do it with the colors of the water. I love the lacy white waves and depth of blue you can get with resin. All my resin pieces are circles, because they remind me of looking out of an airplane window over the sea and I love the clean modern simplicity and wholeness of a circle.”

Beyond the sea, Green is also a talented portrait illustrator. “I create what I would love in my own home. Maybe that is a usable ocean resin fruit and cheese tray. Or if it is a pencil portrait, I am meticulous with the eyes to darken them, give them expression to stand out against the rest of the face. If it is an ocean resin, I layer and layer each piece until I see that ocean come alive. I would never sell a piece that I personally am not 100% proud of,” said Green. She finds design inspiration in her spirituality. “I believe God was the first designer, so I’m simply copying the beautiful things He has made – a mountain, the ocean, a smiling face. I put my own twist on what I see in the world around me.”

Green has built a fan base through word of mouth by posting her works on social media. “All my art is sold through Instagram or Facebook. Most of my pieces sell soon after they are posted,” she exclaimed proudly. “My favorite part is seeing someone’s joy when they see something I have created for them, whether that something is a portrait of a loved one or keepsake ocean of their favorite beach vacation.” Bring a little beach to your house and view all of Green’s handmade creations on her Facebook page or Instagram account here.

HazelBleu initially intimidated me. When I first discovered the vast community of small shops, I heard whispers of how hard it was to purchase new apparel from the shop during a HazelBleu drop. I saw that gently-worn HazelBleu shorties and joggers were later resold by moms online for two or three times the retail price. And, even recently, I watched women clamor and enthusiastically outbid each other during a charity auction for a one-of-a-kind design from HazelBleu. The winning bid was over $500. Five. Hundred. Dollars. With all of the mystery and intrigue surrounding HazelBleu, I had to meet Brie Akers, the wizard behind the brand.  

In October 2014, Akers began sewing clothing for her youngest son, who was just four months old. “I couldn’t find anything that fit him and was versatile for his growing, changing body. I bought a machine, measured him, and hand drew a few patterns,” she recalled. “I posted a picture of him in a Facebook group of my small group of friends and people started asking me where his clothes were made. When I told them I made them, they asked me to make some for their kids.” With some patterning tweaks and adjustments for additional sizes, Akers began to slowly build a following. “Eventually, those friends told their friends and the word spread. Because of the demand, I set up an email and started selling on Etsy at first. When the brand took off even more, I knew I had to create a different platform.” Enter HazelBleu.

The small shop now offers joggers, shorties, skirties™ and tops for kiddos in unique, hand-drawn print designs. Akers employs a full-time designer who creates exclusively for HazelBleu. “I have zero graphic design skills, but I have a ton of ideas. My designer and I work together really well in that I can tell her what I want and she somehow just knows how to take my thought and put it in to print,” she said. Past collections have included animals, florals, various food items, colorful rainbow prints and more. The shop’s “comfortable but trendy” style remains steadfast, although the original patterns that Akers created have evolved over the years. “We have also changed the way we cut, sew and package to be more streamlined to allow for more products to be made,” she explained. HazelBleu releases 7-10 new designs, all ready-to-ship, every 4-6 weeks and I am not exaggerating when I tell you they sell out virtually instantaneously. “If you want something, you have to grab it quickly. Once it is gone, we do not bring it back,” Akers cautioned.

So what is the source of the HazelBleu magic? Is it the adorable print designs only available from the shop, the custom fit of the apparel, the adrenaline rush of scoring during a limited drop, or maybe a combination of all three? I think the credit goes to Akers. “I love creating the clothing, but more than that, I love the community I feel like we have built. I have had such an amazing support group and it feels like it grows every day,” she shared. “Because our brand is doing so well, we are able to give back a lot to the community, which is something I have always wanted to do. I want to change the world. I want to put a smile on as many faces as I can. Something as simple as paying for the coffee for the person behind you can change their day. The world is full of amazing people and I have had a real chance to get to know a lot of them. If you put good out, you get good back. If you have made it this far in reading this and you are able, do something nice for someone today. It will make them feel good, but it will also make YOU feel good.” I just love this.

Mark your calendars now because the next HazelBleu release is next Thursday, April 25^th at 6pm PST and it’s going to be a doozy of a drop. In the meantime, join the “BleuCrew” through HazelBleu’s VIP Facebook group and check out photos on the shop’s website here.

“Let her sleep, for when she wakes, she will move mountains.”- Napoleon Bonaparte

“The zippy is where it all started,” said Maradith Frenkel of Little Sleepies. “I started Little Sleepies after my son was born. I searched high and low and could not find anything for him to sleep in that checked all the boxes: super soft, good for his sensitive skin, comfortable, cute, functional and reasonably priced. I spent almost two years researching and designing before the company officially launched.”

Little Sleepies, like the name suggests, specializes in pajamas, infant gowns, headbands, swaddles and blankets made of the softest, stretchiest bamboo fabric. Why bamboo? “Bamboo is naturally hypoallergenic, antibacterial and regulates body temperature, making it perfect for year-round wear,” Frenkel explained. Little Sleepies’ cozy pajamas are made without snaps, buttons, interior tags, chemicals or other baby irritants, and they are compliant with all CPSC safety regulations. The shop’s zippy pajamas feature foldover hand (in sizes through 6-12 months) and foot cuffs (on all sizes), which transform the romper into footie pajamas covering little feet at bedtime. Obviously designed by a knowledgeable mom, the zippy also has a double zipper for easy diaper changes. Genius! “I aspire to stand out not just by having a wonderful product, but also by having amazing customer service,” Frenkel said. “There is seriously nothing more important in my business life than happy customers.”

Frenkel offers imaginative and playful fabric colors and prints, like the Little Sleepies newest whimsical “Breakfast Buddies,” “Dalmatians,” and “Wildflower” designs. My little one has both the Breakfast Buddies and Dalmations prints and they are adorable. “Our two original prints – ‘Unicorns’ and ‘Bananas’ – are the most popular with customers,” she shared. “We can’t keep them in stock.” Frenkel finds inspiration in her two kiddos, Sienna and Gavin. “I am also drawn to fun, happy designs because I believe that is what childhood should be all about!” Childhood should not be spent fighting cancer, which is why Frenkel admirably donates a portion of all Little Sleepies proceeds to Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation, an organization that funds research and raises awareness regarding childhood cancer.

Big things are in the works for Little Sleepies. Literally. “Not only are we expanding our selection of prints and solids, but we are also going to be launching some amazing new matching mama styles soon – as well as a few other surprises!” Ready to make bedtime a “zip?” Check out all of the Little Sleepies designs on the shop’s website here and join Frenkel’s VIP Facebook group for the next drop date. Dream big, little ones.

Brittney Andersen puts her heart and “sole” into everything she sews for small shop Bare Soles Moccasins. “The hours that go into our business, the passion we have for creating something fun for our customers and the feedback we get with every pair received is what drives us to continually do more.”

Andersen launched Bare Soles after creating matching footwear for her own two boys. “I actually hand-sewed the first pair of moccasins while wearing a headlamp in the car on a late night road trip. My husband thought I was crazy,” she laughed. “I’m a self-taught seamstress; I’ve never taken a class, just a whole lot of trial and error to get us where we are today. Some of the very first moccasins sewn for friends and family were cut from the back panels of leather couches that we found.  Leather, at the time, was expensive, so this ‘upcycling’ was a way for us to jump into using leather without the big cost.”

Today, Bare Soles is wildly popular with small shoppers looking for unique leather designs and matching accessories. Andersen credits her “Mocc Daddy” husband Jeff for the expansion of the Bare Soles brand and new shop items including the Bare Bag, the Crossbody and all the Bare Necessities (like fuzzy blankets, car sear covers and even dog collars). “He has figured out how to streamline our cutting process, he created an entirely new workspace for me, which allows me to sew faster and more fluidly than ever before, and he is constantly coming up with ideas that just keep getting better,” she shared.

I personally love the shop’s “Space Doodle” print, but Andersen’s favorite is the Disney-inspired “Magic” design. “Being a Disney girl at heart, being able to design something that speaks to my Mickey-loving soul makes every pair extra special for me.” Customers enjoy the ability to completely design and customize the footwear based on their preferences. Options include size (obviously), sole color, the addition of a bow or front fringe, and the inclusion of fringe, a scalloped back and a leather toe cap in over 30 different colors. The shop also offers “specialty bows,” like Mickey Mouse ears, Halloween bats, and holiday holly berries. “Through our customers and their unique suggestions, we feel that we have developed a process that allows you to select, modify, and create some of the most one-of-a-kind moccasins and handbags available,” Andersen exclaimed. “I love seeing all of the fun and incredible ideas that our customers come up with. The options are literally endless!” One of the most unique pairs she has created came from the world’s most iconic print design. Literally. “When my best friend was pregnant with a surprise gender baby, I had this crazy idea to cut up a genuine vintage Louis Vuitton handbag and use the leather panels to create two pairs of moccasins to surprise her with at the hospital,” Andersen recalled. “The way my heart raced making that first scissor cut into the handbag was definitely intense. Looking back, I can’t believe I actually did it, but now, that pair is one that she has treasured for years and the other, she passed on to another expecting mom.”

Andersen left her 10-year teaching career in 2018 to take on Bare Soles exclusively and she hasn’t looked back. “I never thought in a million years that I would take this leap and pursue this passion full time. My last year teaching I was not only working what turned out to be two full time jobs with mocc-making, but I could not skip one beat as a mother and a wife either. It all required lots of coffee and very little sleep. The change has been an incredible one and one that I am so thankful to have made. I get my weekly teacher fix by volunteering at my boys’ school each week, and that is plenty!” Her new(ish) full-time role with Bare Soles also allows her the freedom to focus on the creative end of the business. “We like that we can offer an affordable, truly handmade product that is made in the USA, to a group of parents who genuinely appreciate our craft, workmanship and our love that goes out into each pair or bag made,” said Andersen. “The families we’ve met, the friends we’ve made and the thousands of kids we’ve watched grow in our brand is something, that as a family, we truly cherish.”

Watch the Andersens live every Monday evening at 5:30 PST/8:30 EST for “Mocc Chat Monday” and join the Bare Soles VIP Bunch Facebook group to learn about upcoming new releases on the shop’s website here.

“Just a small town girl, living in a lonely world. She took the midnight train going anywhere” – Don’t Stop Believin’, Journey

Dusti Shivers started making clothing for friends and family from her hometown Liberty, South Carolina. In February 2016, her husband Connor was offered a career opportunity in Knoxville, Tennessee and the Shivers family headed north to Knox county, the birthplace of Mountain Dew, HGTV and small shop Liberty&Knox. “I started an Etsy page so I could continue my hobby,” Shivers recalled. “Living in a brand new state with no friends, it was a great way to fill the extra time. It quickly turned into a second full time job and within five months, I was able to leave my job as a loan underwriter to make shirts!” The shop was named for both locales because “these places have really shaped me as a person as well as the shop.”

Liberty&Knox creates vinyl and printed t-shirt designs for little ones and their mamas. Shivers described the style as “very fun, pop culture inspired, but age appropriate comfortable t-shirts.” The shop has matured from early basic designs to more complex ones. “As I’ve gained experience and knowledge, I’ve been able to create more detailed designs. I’ve also recently stepped outside of my vinyl comfort zone and added printed designs to the shop,” said Shivers. Her personal favorite is a “tie between any of The Office designs,” but I adore all of the custom monograms, the “Y’all” state designs, and the personalized names in script shirts. “My most popular shirt would have to be the ‘You Serious, Clark?’ baseball raglan,” Shivers shared. “Every year for the past three years, I’m making hundreds between August and December. I get the various orders throughout the year, and as a Christmas fanatic, it always makes me happy to be making a Christmas shirt in the middle of summer for a fellow fanatic out there.”

What else makes Shivers happy? “I love being able to exercise creativity on a daily basis. I find so much inspiration from the members of my Facebook group. Liberty&Knox is not just designs I’ve come up with, but also custom orders that have been requested by members of the group. Custom orders give me the chance to brainstorm with so many other amazing moms and constantly get feedback on current trends,” she explained. “The best part about creating kids apparel, though, is getting to interact daily with such an amazing community of women from all over the country, many of whom are in the same chapter of life that I’m currently walking. Throughout the years, my tiny 50-person group has turned into thousands of members that I truly consider friends. I feel like the luckiest person in the world to have this job.” Don’t stop believin’ / Hold on to the feeling…

The new Liberty&Knox website has the current listings for Shivers’ designs, including her latest Easter t-shirts. Plus, members of the shop’s VIP Facebook group have exclusive access to certain designs, so request to join here.

“Excitement was plentiful during my two years’ service as a Pony Express rider” – Buffalo Bill

In the era before electronic communication and transcontinental telegraphs, the Pony Express was the thread that tied east to west during the mid-nineteenth century. The short-lived mail service became synonymous with the “Old West” and was hailed for its efficiency and adventurous spirit. That same adventurous spirit can be found in the plushes handcrafted by small shop Colorado Pony Express. “The Pony Express, in its heyday, was the connection of the East Coast to the West and I try my best to promote my products and bring love across the globe,” said owner Stefanie Hokashou, explaining the origins of the shop name. Based in Colorado, Hokashou launched the Colorado Pony Express in spring 2018. “I always wanted to be a painter, but never had the patience. With fabric, the cutting and gathering, the way it shapes, it inspires me to try new things.”

The Colorado Pony Express mixes different fabrics and materials to create stuffed animals inspired by familiar characters, like the Grinch, Pikachu and Hokashou’s favorite, Mushu dragon. “He turned out perfectly. My Gringotts dragon was also a close second favorite.” Hokashou designed her own patterns and subsequently sought patent protection for certain unique designs, including the shop’s “Chubby Plushies,” its large unicorns, and several Harry Potter-themed creations. “More people should take the steps to protect themselves,” she encouraged. Hokashou also creates custom designs based on customer requests. “I love when I get clients with weird custom ideas. It makes for a fun creative vibe,” she shared. “I also work in every fabric medium. I like the differences, the textures and the challenges they all provide.

Like a Pony Express rider, Hokashou has found a way to spread joy globally through the Colorado Pony Express. “I love knowing that I can fill a need, a void, a dream. I love hearing that the love and imagination I shared with the plushie is now getting a chance to pass that along to another person.”

Hokashou is planning a large scale ready-to-ship sale on April 13, “which will include more dragons, and Labyrinth characters, getting back to my super nerdy roots and hopefully inspire the open market by bringing childhood characters to life.” Drop details will be available in the Colorado Pony Express VIP Group here.

“Freckles and Fancy started on a borrowed serger and a fold out table that I would put away after each nap,” shop owner Kat Lavery recalled. “Then, I got a little corner of my basement and would put away my fabric in a single plastic tote. Now, I have two rooms full of fabric, industrial machinery and a giant cutting table.” Just celebrating its third birthday on February 25, Freckles and Fancy has reached the big leagues of small shops.

The shop is home to brightly colored peplums and dresses, holiday-themed pajamas, hoodies and rompers, and monochrome leggings and bummie shorts, just to name a few. “Stripes and florals will always have my heart. My mom still makes fun of me for my obsession with stripes,” Lavery laughed. You have probably seen Freckles and Fancy’s signature red truck bum flap holiday pajamas. “It has been a crazy popular design over the past two seasons and I think we will bring it back again for Christmas 2019,” she said. For me, the bunny raglans and dresses are so adorable for Easter.

The Freckles and Fancy designs, much like the shop name, are playful and “reflect the fun of childhood, sun, and the life of being little.” Lavery draws inspiration from all over. “Sometimes finding a piece of trim or fabric will dictate the piece. I love seeing where it takes me.” Like many moms, Lavery is also heavily influenced by her own three kiddos. “They won’t wear anything that is not comfy,” she explained. “It has to be at the comfort level of pajamas or they won’t wear it. So, the biggest thing for me is cute and comfy. I am way more adventurous with pattern and style choices for kids clothing.”

Lavery found a passion for sewing when she was just a tot herself. “My mom still has little bunny and kitten that I made when I was only five years old. I have always kept busy sewing or crocheting ever since I was a little girl,” she said. “When my twins were born, we were stationed in a very small town without much access to cute children shops. I got tired of my limited options and started to learn how to sew kids clothing. I absolutely loved making all the adorable outfits for my girls.” This sewing background lends itself well to handcrafting apparel for Freckles and Fancy. “I love making every pattern with my own twist. Very rarely, I will leave it as pattern calls for it and not change a thing,” Lavery shared. “Next step would be drafting my own patterns, but I can’t draw for the life of me so I think I need to learn digital programs first.”

Wish Freckles and Fancy a happy third birthday in the shop’s Insiders Facebook group and check out all the latest offerings on Freckles and Fancy’s website and Etsy shop. Plus, use the code “frecklesandfancy” to save on your next purchase – thanks Kat!