Handmade Heaven: A vintage affair

Happy Romanticising

Aimee Brock
28 February 2011

Please see the note at the end about handmade businesses and the Canterbury earthquake

I’m in love with the vintage influence in kids clothing at the moment. Vintage, not retro. Classic, romantic, circa 1900s and definitely pre-1970s. I’ve been on a bit of a window shop (shoppe) and discovered a couple of divine vintage looks to fall in love with.

The first is wee girls dresses literally made with vintage cotton by Laulipop on Felt. With fabrics upcycled from her family’s fabric stash, Laulipop’s dresses are divine and I’ve already bought the blue and purple size 1 for my little one. Or try the divine floaty skirts from Lola – this one with the antique rose pattern is gorgeous.

For the little masters, check out at the range at Vintage Kids – these vintage Hawaiian shorts from Cool Crib or why not splurge on a houndstooth double-breasted coat that would be so funky at a special occasion like a wedding.

I also adore the Hikkepip reversible jackets which remind me of the hooded capes ladies used to wear atop a horse and carriage, or the Little Red Riding Hoods from Free Range Baby.

For protection from this harsh summer sun around New Zealand, why not try the Nella bonnets – sun hats shaped more like a traditional baby bonnet -  or these sun hats from GottaHave.

Happy Romanticising!











NB: Please spare a thought for the designers and crafters personally affected by the Christchurch earthquake last week, including those whose handmade businesses have been affected. New Zealand’s biggest online handmade marketplace, http://www.felt.co.nz, is based in the centre of Christchurch and has been affected. Lucy the owner reports Felt staff are safe and well, but response times may be a little slow. Several businesses have been caught out with broken stock or their studios are in cordoned off areas. To help Christchurch rebuild, many Felt sellers are donating some or all the proceeds of their sales to the Red Cross. Please take the time to browse around www.felt.co.nz and support where you can. Alternatively, you could bid on the handmade auction items up for sale at “Handmade for Christchurch”’s facebook sale

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About the author:
Aimee Brock is a life-long admirer of handmade crafts and gifts, and recently started her own handmade children’s label, lily pad designs.