the circle

I just finished a special request order and had to share it with you!



I know the bibs you've seen, but I just love the double stack buttons on this one!



And the little scrappy applique came together just perfect!  It reminds me of a stripped beach ball.



And here are a few more circles that I appliqued onto the burp cloth.  I had so much fun making this gift set!  I just didn't want to put this fun fabric down.  Is it silly to be so excited and inspired by my own work!



I do love how it all came together again using just vintage and organic fabrics.  All inspired by a circle.

treasury

My baby jean organics has been featured in an etsy treasury!  It features all shades of softest blues.



http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=91502  Be sure to check it out and view talies items too.  She uses a unique combination of plastics, papers, and fabrics for her fun eco friendly creations.

baby jean

I added some new items to my organic etsy shop over the weekend.  I'm starting to sell my sets as individual pieces now.  So people can choose their price range a little easier.

This is the blue moon burp cloth set.  The blue fabric with brown stripes is flannel and the solid blue is sateen.  They are both backed with organic terry, soft and absorbent.

 Whispering Grass cuddle blanket.  This is my favorite pattern because it is gender neutral, but still pretty enough for Momma to love.  And this is one of my favorite colors too.

If organic is important to you than these fabrics will be a treat .  I do love vintage, but I have never felt anything softer.  Organic fleece is what I use for the back of the blankets and the don't pill up like other fleece.  And they feel like the most expensive of cashmere.

These fabrics are designed here in California by Harmony Art.  Look over at her website to learn more about organics and see some of her new fabric patterns.  Let me know your favorites!

baby jean organics - fresh, green, fun!

happy day!

It's Earth Day!  My kids are picking up trash at school today.  And they aren't happy about it.  I guess the kindergarten class picked up trash yesterday.  But my huge 7 year old wants no part in it.  I always think their school looks great.  I had no idea there was trash lying around.  Maybe they are a little messy leading up to Earth Day so the first graders can be put to work.

Well since it is Earth Day I am doing a special giveaway.  I have a wonderful collection of organic fabrics from Harmony Art.  And I haven't really been sewing with it lately like I should.  But I do have one of my stuffed elephants all made.  It's made with 100% organic fabric and stuffing.



I made this elephant with the inspiration from a vintage stuffie that my hub had as a baby.  His grandmother from Kansas made it for one of his older siblings and it has survived being passed down to each child and the many grandchildren.  I took this old elephant and just laid it down on my copier and enlarged it a bit.  Cut up the copy and there was my new pattern for "Ella".  The ears even have a bit of stuffing in them too, just like grandma Myrtle made it.

The "Ella" that will be in the giveaway is the blue one in the middle of the photo, with the small leaf pattern on the ears.  The last date of the giveaway will be next Wednesday, April 29th.  Just leave a comment to enter!

Happy Earth Day and thanks for participating in the fun!

bjo on etsy

I have this finally set up! There are still some individual items to post. But you can see the entire gift collection now. And I love my new banner, made by banner bee. Isn't it cute?

baby jean organics

I know (hope) you've seen some of my flickr pictures of baby jean. And I am so excited about it! These are some of the softest fabrics that I have ever seen. The softest that I have ever used. I have really enjoyed cutting into it. And here is the info on organic and what makes it special...

Organic cotton starts from the beginning. Seeds are left untreated without insecticides and are not genetically modified. Crop rotation is used to build strong healthy soil so no fertilizers are needed. The soil also retains water more efficiently thanks to the increased organic matter in the soil. Weeds are physically removed rather than using herbicides to kill weeds. Organic pest control is used by having beneficial insects. To harvest the cotton in an organic way relies on the seasonal freeze for defoliation, not on toxic chemicals. Conventional farming devours roughly a third of a pound of pesticides and fertilizers to produce enough cotton for a single t-shirt. All of this information was found on About Organic Cotton.

Well, here is the good stuff! My new line of baby jean organics. It's a small and simple collection for now. It consists of a blanket, burp cloth, wash mitt, and ella the elephant. I might be persuaded to make a bib! To see the rest of the collection visit my website.

sewing

I have been sewing like crazy! I so love this new organic fabric. It is so soft and a really great quality. I have my favorite pattern, and I am looking forward to the spring release of some new fabrics from Harmony.



I have been sewing so much and not really making it out of the house, I think I'm saving money! My husband must be happy because, I'm not out shopping. Just to buy thread. I even had a sewing dream last night. And then I was at a craft show selling my new organic baby line. I had made a little baby coat with a hood that was really cute. I might have to make one of those in August or September. I think they are so cute with the little baby buttons up the front. I just need to get comfortable with the button holer attachment on my new sewing machine. It should be super easy, right?



My next project will be making some pillowcase items for my friends at Lark Books. I'll tell you more about it later...
But, they are looking for pictures of your pillows and some special memories that you might have about a special pillow in 200 words or less. Just go to their website www.larkbooks.com and click on the Submissions page. If you are featured in their new book you will receive photo credit and get a free book copy.

I've already sent them pictures of my vintage embroidered pillowcase collection. I was so surprised to see how many I had. 18 in all. How did that happen? I'm sure you know how easy it is to buy them when they are just the right price and have such pretty handy work. So, I hope you have fun with it and send them some pictures and maybe even some words.

first cut

This past week, I finally cut into my new organic fabric. It felt so great! I have washed and dried each piece and now I get to start sewing! The fabric is so incredibly soft. I really like the sateen fabrics and the cotton flannel that I bought to back the cuddle blankets. I can just imagine them covering up a cuddly brand new baby. That extra soft fabric against an extra soft baby!



The burp cloth is kinda of an organic shape. It is just a pattern that I drew by hand and it actually reminds me of a jelly bean. Should they be called a bean burp cloth? No, what then?? They are backed by the softest terry cloth, and it's thick too. I used the same terry for the wash mitt. Next I need to make my first stuffed elephant toy.


Here are the photos. Shown: cuddle blanket, burp cloth, and wash mitts.

baby jean organics

Some exciting news! I will be adding a new line to katie jean in June called baby jean organics. I have also begun a new blog and etsy shop just for baby jean organics. I will be able to give you more info on them when I have something made to post.

It will begin as a small collection, containing four items, a baby blanket, burpcloth, wash mitt, and stuffed toy elephant. I was able to find some beautiful organic fabric from Harmony Art. Made by a designer here in California, living near Fort Bragg. She has created some beautiful prints and coordinating solids in a diverse array. I have chosen five differing prints that are all so cute, yet clean and modern.

My first real love is katie jean and my love of all things vintage. You know the best thing is the hunt, finding all of those special fabrics that were once hidden away. Creating with organic fabrics just seemed like a natural next step. It's fun for me to continue working in an environmental way. My mom always called my katie jean work "recycling". Now it is considered "repurposing", which sounds so much nicer!

A special thank you to my friend Rene for encouraging me to begin this new line. She helped me search for fabrics and find my first baby jean customers. You are great, thanks for keeping me going!