Handmade baby and children's clothes sewn with love in Berkshire
Updated: Jul 6, 2021
Popsy and Mama make handmade and made to order baby and children's clothes in the leafy county of Berkshire.
Popsy and Mama lovingly make handmade and made to order baby and children's clothes in a home studio in Thatcham, Berkshire.
View my latest Collection here.
Hi, my name's Sam, and I founded Popsy and Mama, an online shop selling handmade and made to order baby and children's clothes in Berkshire. If you haven't guessed yet, I'm the Mama surrounded by all the little people in the picture above. And if you're wondering if all these babies are mine, I hope I won't disappoint by saying no! I have one daughter called Poppy who's now 7 (top right). She was the inspiration behind my business' name. The other gorgeous children are my Brand Reps who have helped Popsy and Mama enormously on its journey!
Why I sell handmade baby and children's clothes
Ever since my Nana taught me to sew at 8 years old, it's rare you'll find me without a needle and thread in my hand. My Nana loved sewing and passed her passion onto me. I quickly discovered I was naturally pretty good at it and won competitions at school for my skill. I then went on to make my own clothes, as well as my friend's clothes, during my teenage years and beyond.
Fast forward a few decades when Poppy was born. I stopped sewing outfits for me, as I enjoyed sewing for Poppy much more. As Poppy got older, I loved watching her smile and twirl in the new clothes I'd made. People would ask me where her outfits were from. When I told them, they all said I should sell my clothes. After many years spent thinking about it, I finally took the plunge. I launched Popsy and Mama.
I pinch myself everyday that it's worked out. It's down to all of you, so thank you from the bottom of my heart!
The benefits of buying handmade baby and children's clothes
Another passion of mine is finding ways to look after our planet. This passion heightened after having Poppy. Perhaps because it bought everything closer to home; our actions now (good and bad) will be experienced by our children's generation, their children's generation and their grandchildren's generation. That worries me, a lot.
I try my best to make sure everything Popsy and Mama does is environmentally aware. Some of the actions I take are being careful with fabric orders to avoid waste, I plan production to ensure the amount of electricity used is efficient, and I use fabric cut-offs to make plastic-free baby wipes.
Shopping with small businesses who make their own products has become a bigger trend as it brings lots of environmentally-friendly benefits. These include:
1. Less energy is used when items are made to order
Most handmade clothing retailers deal on a made to order basis. Therefore, a garment will only be made once an order has been processed. This means there's less energy used compared to larger retailers who mass produce clothes in a factory.
2. Less waste is produced when clothes are handmade
As small businesses tend to produce items when an order has come in, there's very minimal waste. However, big retailers mass produce garments before they are sold. Many of these items do not sell and eventually become waste. This is what the industry calls fast fashion. Fast fashion is the second largest polluter of our world.
3. Less fuel is required to deliver clothes purchased from small businesses
If you purchase handmade clothes, especially clothes that are made near where you live, less fuel will be used to deliver your goods. Many mass produced garments are made overseas as labour is cheaper. This means there's a long-distance shipping and truck journey before that item of clothing reaches the store. Even more fuel is then used by you getting to the store in your car or by the delivery van bringing your purchase to your front door.
4. Handmade clothes last longer, which makes them more sustainable
Made to order clothes will be made with more care than an item of clothing produced on a production line. Why? Because, fast fashion is made using cheap labour and often unsafe working conditions. These factories produce thousands of garments every single day which means the item of clothing you buy will be one of many churned out. However, when you buy your clothes from a small business, your garment will be among a smaller customer base and therefore be made with a lot more care (and love). This means your clothes will be robustly made and therefore last longer.
Latest collection
My latest launch is my Summer Collection for 2021. You can view the showcase catalogue here:
Guide to shopping with Popsy and Mama
Thank you for reading this far on my blog post. You really are the best!
If you're not a regular shopper with Popsy and Mama here's how it works.
STEP 1: CHOOSE YOUR PRINT OR FABRIC
The easiest way to shop with Popsy and Mama is to start by choosing a print or fabric you like. You can find the newest prints and fabrics on the 'Homepage' and an even wider selection under the 'Shop Popsy and Mama' and then 'Shop Prints' tab on the menu bar. Once you've found the fabric or print you like, simple click on it and you'll be taken through to STEP 2.
STEP 2: CHOOSE YOUR STYLE AND DESIGN
You'll find a drop down bar next to the fabric or print you've chosen. This is where you choose your preferred style or design. If you want to see Popsy and Mama's full range of styles click on the 'Shop Popsy and Mama' tab on the menu bar and click on 'Shop Styles'.
STEP 3: CHOOSE YOUR SIZE
Once you've chosen your print and style, you can then choose the size you want. Popsy and Mama makes clothes for sizes 0-3 months all the way up to 9-10 years old. If you're not sure about measurements you can view our Size Chart here.
STEP 4: OPTION TO CUSTOMISE
Did you know you can customise your little one's clothes with a name, slogan or message. You can either tell us what you'd like on your garment, or you can pick from one of our Personalised Items where you choose a letter, initial or number.
STEP 5: PAY AND WAIT FOR YOUR DELIVERY
This is when I see your order and I do a little happy dance! Popsy and Mama is currently working on a 2 weeks delivery basis. That might seem a long time, especially in a world when we're used to a next day delivery service! However, as your order is made by me in my studio things take a little longer. My promise to you is every single garment is made with a lot of care and a lot of love.
Popsy and Mama's handmade baby and children's clothes you'll find this spring
Now you're a pro at shopping with Popsy and Mama here are some styles and prints currently available.
DRESSES
I have a range of handmade dresses for babies and children including the:
T-shirt Dress
Pinafore Dress
Gathered Dress
All styles have been made with comfort in mind. After all, girls love to run, climb and roll-around-in-the-mud too!
SKIRTS
Skirts have certainly made a comeback! I love making Poppy cute printed skirts to wear with a top or jumper to make them all year round items. Popsy and Mama offers 1 style of handmade skirts for babies and children, which is:
Skater Girl Skirt
LEGGINGS and HAREM LEGGINGS
No baby or child's wardrobe is complete without a pair of leggings these days. My Poppy lives in hers. Popsy and Mama has handmade:
Leggings
And, Harem Leggings - perfect for pulling over nappies!
DUNGAREES and SHORTIE DUNGAREES
Dungarees are super comfy for babies and children, that's why Popsy and Mama has three styles of dungarees:
Long Leg Dungaree (in a printed jersey or knitted corduroy fabric)
Shortie Dungaree (a shorter length style for warmer months)
Bummie Dungaree (high cut legs, perfect for hotter days on their own or with tights)
SWEATSHIRTS and HOODIES
Layers are essential for the english weather, which is why Popsy and Mama has a jersey Hoodie in the collection. Our Hoodies and Sweatshirts can have matching or contrasting collars and cuffs. See example below.
LONG and SHORT SLEEVE T-SHIRTS
Again another essential item for a child's wardrobe - the Long and Short Sleeve T-shirt. The stretchy jersey fabric used to make Popsy and Mama's T's means they're super comfy and durable for morning walks and afternoons spent at the park.
ROMPERS
The romper is a must for any baby on the move. They look pretty cute too! Because Popsy and Mama's handmade rompers continue to be popular, we now have FIVE style options to choose from:
Full Length Romper for a twist on the dungaree-look but with poppers on the shoulders
Button-Up Romper for a classic all-in-one look
Bummie Romper which is even shorter for the extra warm months
BUMMIES
Popsy and Mama customers go mad for Bummies and I can see why - they're super, scrummy, bummie cute! Our Bummies are a bloomer style with a ypga waist and cuffed leg bands. Perfect for hot summers and wearing under skirts or dresses.
BLANKETS
When I had Poppy I had many blankets to keep her warm and content. I used to lay her on blankets when out and about too. I make Popsy and Mama's blankets with a jersey front and a sherpa fleece lining. This makes them extra soft and extra comfy.
Eco-friendly and plastic-free BABY WIPES and FACE WIPES
Plastic baby wipes are ruining our world, but it doesn't seem that brands or supermarkets are doing anything about it sharpish. That's why I use my fabric off-cuts to make reusable baby wipes and face wipes for your little people. They look cute in matching prints too!
MATCHING MUMMY AND BABY CLOTHES
Finally, I couldn't let you leave without telling you about Popsy and Mama's Twinning Outfits. Whether you like to dress your little people the same, or you like to match your son or daughter, Popsy and Mama has matching sweatshirts and t-shirts for the whole family!
Thank you for taking your time to read about my handmade collection of baby and children's clothes and how Popsy and Mama is trying to do its best for the environment.
If you like what you've read, you might be interested to read next week's post which is all about Mother's Day!
See you next week,
Sam x
P.S. Want to see more of Popsy and Mama's collections? Why not check out my handmade printed leggings , handmade rainbow clothes for children and handmade toddler dresses blog posts.
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