I thought it only fitting that my first blog on my new errr blog should be about the cornerstone of my little cottage industry (although I live in a Victorian terrace in Nottingham but still).
The need arose one crisp February morn when it occurred to me that there must be a way to deal with my then 3 month olds never-ending dribble. Being a new mum and enjoying shopping for my little one more than shopping for myself, I set about the task of finding, as I described it to my husband, “funky” bibs.
A few weeks and several experimental purchases later I realised that I either had to pay through the nose (£10!) for some bandana bibs in a few limited prints or opt for the cheaper plain standard bibs which covered most of his outfits and look a bit ordinary. Definitely not funky!
A glass of wine, an old sewing machine and a few cuts of material later I had made my first dribble bib for my beautiful little one, See photo for evidence of just how beautiful he is
These bibs were were winceyette backed so were much thinner than the current model but did the job for my little dribbler. They were also cut a little longer at the drop so covered more of his front. This made them ideal for mealtimes too.
Pretty soon (the next day to be precise) friends of mine were asking me to make some for their babies. Then friends of friends, women at singing groups and baby groups even a random shopper at Asda.
By September of 2009 Oscar was 10 months old and I was pregnant with our second little bundle of joy. SPD kept me away from the sewing machine so sewing went on the back burner for a while (although I did make some very nice hand sewn quilts).
Fast forward to June of last year and Freddie arrived. Spare time was sparse but the old sewing machine came back out to play making various bits and pieces for our new arrival.
Time went on and Fred soon started teething (he cut his first tooth at 4 months). Now, I thought Oscar was a dribbler…boy was I wrong. Fred soon soaked through all of Oscars stash of bibs wetting his clothes every hour or so. This wont do I thought and so set about finding a suitable alternative. After much research and some helpful suggestions from friends I settled on the wonder fabric that is fleece. Fleece wicks away moisture and air dries quickly. Perfect for bibs.
Just so I have no favourites here is a picture of Fred looking equally as beautiful in his mummy made bib.
The dribz have had a couple of further alterations along the way. They have been made longer across the neck with two press studs as standard to ensure a good fit for a long time (up to 5 years approx). They have also been made shorter on the drop so that they fit both babies and toddlers without looking like they are drowning in fabric. The quality and wide variety of designer fabrics (Michael Miller, Robert Kaufman, Amy butler etc) remains the same.
I have to say that although I have been making these bibs the longest out of all of my products and they are very uniform in the making, I still enjoy making them. They are my first thought when choosing fabric and I am as proud of them now as I was the day I made my first.
Congratulations Carrie on your first post. I love your dribz, I too have a huge dribbler and the fleece backing on bibs really does save me from having to change his t-shirts all the time. Coincidentally, I have been thinking about making bandanna bibs for my son but just haven't found the time yet. I'll go check out your store.
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