Origins of Papoose Clothing

So you know that part in Home Alone when Kevin is going through his older brother Buzz's room, looking around in stuff he shouldn't be messing with, and he finds that picture of an unattractive girl and goes, "Buzz, your girlfriend! Woof!" That's exactly how I feel when I look back at what I was making three years ago when I first started out. It's actually quite painful, and I don't know how I sold anything. Even though I had absolutely no clear design aesthetic at the time, I knew I enjoyed sewing and wanted to see if I could make a go at it.

The original Little Papoose

 

As some of you may already know, I started making children's clothes because of this sassy thing up there! None of use knew how much "sassafras" we were in for three years ago, but she definitely keeps us laughing. I wanted to make little keepsakes for her, so I stitched up a handful of items before my sister gave birth. She was kind enough to graciously accept them with praises, but looking back, I can only imagine what was going through her head. "Thaaaanks...(I guess)..." She even let Harper wear some, which is beyond me, as you can see.

 

"Woof" is definitely a correct term!

 

My precious little family members were kind enough to encourage me though, and it coincidentally coincided with a local street fair that was coming up. I decided to pursue purchasing a booth and sewed like mad for two weeks. I really did have fun sewing the items because I just let my creativity run loose. I'd raided my mom's sewing stash beforehand and had collected gobs of trims and fabrics so I really used whatever I had on hand, which didn't amount to anything impressive, just a bunch of mish-mash, unimaginative and boring items. I can see my mix of colors and vintage inspired style though and how it developed to where I am now.

 

My sweet husband staying with me for moral support!

 

How sad is that booth? I just threw things in there and hauled out whatever easily portable furniture we had. Amazingly, I sold a few things, though I spent more that day than I received in sales. It was a blast though, if just for the people-watching factor. Fairs help get your brand name out there, it's good for networking, and you get to eat delicious fair foods! I have definitely grown leaps and bounds from those days, and I am proud of what I've been able to accomplish so far. There is still more to learn though. I can't wait to see what happens next, and I hope y'all can join me on the journey!