Swaddling Memoirs

There was a moment at the hospital I remember so clear like it was yesterday.The visiting hours were over and I was in a room by myself with a tiny baby in a clear shoebox-like container next to my bed.

While she was peacefully sleeping, I had a mini tsunami of emotions swirling in my gut.

 It was a mixture of excitement, relief, happiness and fear - all melted in one big pot of soup.

Do I pick her up?

But why? She is sleeping..

But why not??? I want to hold her!

What if I break her? What if she cries and I wont be able to sooth her?

Now how do I pick her up..? Uhhhmmm...

I could not imagine that a few months later, I would be able juggle three hundreds things simultaneously with a baby propped on my hip.

And to help me get there I will forever be grateful to one person - my mom.

She was there almost everyday  and she taught me everything. First and foremost - SWADDLING!

Thank you , thank you, thank you - goes to the large squarish cotton sheet we call swaddling blanket!
Thank you for gently embarrassing my baby in your soft, cozy layers. Thank you for your great artistry of re-creating that safe, little space she called home for 9 months, thank you for soothing her in your breathable comforting cocoon.

Once I mastered the technique of swaddling, which my dear mom has faithfully kept in her memory for 26 years, just so she could pass it on to me, my life has gotten so much better!
I learned , in a few swift moves, to turn the screaming, cranky, so-want-to-sleep-but-I-can't baby, into a quiet little burrito, snoozing away into a sweet sleeping babyland....Aaaah!

Now, whenever I see a kicking and screaming tiny little baby, a couple months old, and trying so hard to fall asleep in his/her designer little onesie...I think to myself: :I could wrap that little thing into a nice sleeping bundle like a pro!"

"So what is this magic swaddling blanket you are talking about?" - you ask me.

Well, it is just a simple large sheet of fabric.

BUT... there are some rules:

•  It must be natural fiber, like cotton, in order to breath and not overheat the baby

• It must be large, in order to wrap the baby correctly and to last a while

• It must have a cool, hip pattern on it, because your baby deserves to look like a STYLISH burrito!

There are a lot of debates out there on whether you should swaddle babies these days. But if you ask me, it is a matter of a personal choice. To me it was an easy and natural way to sooth my kids. I saw that they needed it, and I gave it to them, in accordance with basic safety rules, of course. Like, never put your swaddling baby on its stomach. Duh??!! Or don't wrap your baby too tight. Again, duh??!!

And when the need for swaddling decreases, you will see it, you will feel it.

The baby will fight you, will kick more, will cry...And you will know- he/she has outgrew swaddling.

But even when that happened to me, I found myself using the swaddling sheet in so many other ways!

• Covering the baby during nap time - lightweight and breathable, it was perfect for naps in an air conditioned room-  the baby wasn't cold and wasn't sweating either.

• Covering up during breastfeeding. There comes the time for all breastfeeding new moms out there, when you are so exhausted and sleep-deprived, you don't care who sees your breasts anymore. The baby needs to eat? HERE. But let's face it - normal people, that are not super exhausted or sleep deprived,  feel just a little uncomfortable. So cover up with a light, cotton sheet, mommy!

• Cover up in the stroller, cover up from the wind, cover up from the sunlight.

• Set up an instant changing station anywhere.

• Throw it in the diaper bag for "just in case". 

My swaddling sheet was the single most used item I had. 

With the exception of a sound machine, which my son still uses to this day and he is 5! Ha!

But if you out looking for some good swaddling sheet options, check out our new, ORGANIC cotton swaddling blankets with modern, fun, stylish patterns. Our swaddling sheets are large 36x40 and will work hard for you well after the baby's swaddling love affair is over.

Plus, our swaddling blankets come with 2 sizes ( what??!) baby hats in coordinating design, which makes this the ULTIMATE baby gift option if you have a baby shower to attend!

And to complete this swaddling memoirs of mine, I will leave you with this link to get your swaddling skills up and going! 

Get your swaddling blankets here and practice right now!

NewMomDesigns FAQ

I get a ton of questions from the Etsy crowd on a daily basis, and while I love chatting with my potential customers, I thought I'd make it easier for everyone ( hello, shy people!) by creating FAQ about my fabric and products.

Go ahead, see if your question is answered below.

FABRICS

• Is your fabric woven or knit?

All the fabric we sell are woven. Please visit our Spoonflower shop for other variaties of fabric.

• Is this fabric CERTIFIED organic? If yes, what agency has certified it?

My 12 designs here are GOTS certified, the issuing agency is OneCert.

• Can I get a sample of some fabrics?

Yes, if we have a swatch/ small cuts of that particilar fabric in our studio, we will send you a free sample. Please contact us with your requests.

• Do you have more than ___x___ yards of such and such fabric?

Yes, sometimes the listing says 1 yard available only, but please ask me if I have more. Most times I do!

• I'd like to purchase 1/2 yard of ___x___ fabric. Is it possible?

All fabrics from the 12 designs here, can be purchased by fat quarters, 1/2 yards ( select 2 fat quarters)

I always send fabric uncut, in one continuous piece.

• How wide are your fabrics?

All fabrics from the 12 designs here, are 58" wide. Others are 42" wide.

CUSTOM PRODUCTS

• What is the turnaround times on custom items such as nursery crib set or toys?

If we are not crazy buzy, we ship all custom items 3 weeks after order.

• Can you make Twin/ Full/ Queen/King size duvet from ____x___ fabric? 

If your fabric is one of the 12 designs here, then, YES! We can make any size duvets!

• Can I have a duvet and 2 pillowcases? 

Our duvets come with 1 pillowcase. Any additional pillowcases are $20 each.

• I want 2 different fabrics on my duvet. Is it possible?

Yes, combination of any 2 designs here in one duvet, cost $10 extra. It's like getting a second duvet for only $10.

• Can you make Twin/Full/Queen/King size sheet set from ____x___ fabric? 

If your fabric is one of the 12 designs here, we can make TWIN sheet set ONLY! Sorry, our fabrics are simply not wide enough to accomodate seamless sheets of larger sizes.

• Would it be possible to make this________ to fit my______?
In most cases, YES! We offer complete customization in sizes. Duvets, crib sheets, changing pad covers, pillowcases - all can be made according to your measurements.

• Do you make crib skirts?

Yes, we do. Although, we currently have no pirctures/listings for crib skirts, we have done many as part of complete crib sets. Let's discuss your crib skirt! Prices start at $75.

GENERAL

• How much is the shipping to____x______?

Our shipping rates depend on the weight of the order. So if you need an accurate shipping cost, please provide your full address + the amount of fabrics/products you are planning to purchase.

• Can I get a discount?

YES! Excellent quetion! If you purchase multiple items, say, along with a crib bumper you want a blanket, crib sheet and a changing pad cover, PLEASE, contact us for a bundle price. We are happy to save you some green!

• Do you take on wholesale accounts?

We can only offer certain items from our store for wholesale. Please contact us with your requests. Please mention what items you are interested in carrying.

Tooth Fairy Pillow - now with a note from a Fairy

Our beloved Tiny Tooth Fairy pillows now come with a tiny note from a fairy! 

She gently reminds to brush and floss.

The note is really tiny+super cute! and slides right into a pocket/door on the back of the house.

NewMomDesigns.com

Help me name my new designs - Forest Green

I have created these a while ago, but never had a chance to introduce them to the world. Part of the reason is that I cannot find suitable names for them. Will you help? I need a catchy simple name for each of the 3 designs below. Inspiration photos don't count.

Curtains for Kids Rooms and Nurseries

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Why have them?

Of course there is a number of reasons why people hang draperies on their windows.To add lived-in look, coziness, add a splash of color and privacy. But when it comes to the nursery/kids room, the number one reason for me is to make the room dark enough during the nap times. It's the first thing I ask when someone talks about a difficulty of putting their child to sleep. 

Daylight is the enemy of naps. My children  are 6 and 5 now, and they still nap on weekends. And I know, it is partially due to darkened rooms. 

And partly because I said so.

Lining - do I need one?

So we have established that window treatments are a must in kids rooms. Now, why do you need to have a lining for curtains? Lining can help with the structure, fabric draping, sun fading, insulation, sound barrier and sunlight blockage. Now, If you have separate shades, plastic or wooden, then you probably can get away with a regular lining for your curtains. But if the curtains are the only window dressing in your nursery, then I would recommend black out lining. Wonderful invention - offers 100% privacy ( which probably would not hurt in a master bedroom either) and complete sunlight blockage. You may even use a small nightlight, that's how dark the room will be if you opt out for black out lining. Your little one will fly away to Sleepyland with no problems, in a darkened, quite room like that.

Hanging method

Again, many many options here. My favorite for kids rooms are:

- Simple Rod pocket

- Clip rings on a rod
- Ties
-Grommets

Here are some example of good window treatments.

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Tall, graphical drapes work really well here. Simple rod pocket.

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Another example of well chosen curtains, in this case, for a closet. Great fabric design, length and a clean concealed rod pocket.

via Pinterest

Bold, bright, eclectic - drapes here make the room. Clips rings on a rod.

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So sweet and tender, these curtains sing "newborn is here". Notice a roll of blackout shade on on the back.This way you can enjoy the see through sheer of sweet white curtains, and have the darkness when necessary.

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Another great way to dress windows. Add blackout lining to this, and you are set.

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Awesome drapes! I am a fan of bold stripes, and the contrasting trim just adds that special something. Note the length here. This is ideal - from top to all the way down. Love it!

And here, you can see what I meant by "chopped curtains". 

What not to do. 

I really really DON'T like this way of hanging curtains! Notice the rod placement - such an odd spot! It just sort of cuts through the window frame... I just want to reach and pull it up up up! 

The curtains could have been cute if they were full length, but chopped like this?..hmmm: no-no in my book.

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Aren't these curtain tie backs are adorable??! So stylish and cool for a Nautical theme room!

Tips for awesome window curtains

 Please don't chop your curtains to the length of the window! The room will look SO much better and more elegant if you hang your curtains a few inches below ceiling and go all the way down, so the drapes barely touch the floor. It will make ceilings and windows look higher, and the visual composition will be proportional and well balanced.

If your room is full of bright, colorful patterns + colored walls  - aim either for solid/ textured drapes or very small,tiny pattern that reads as solid from afar. This way you unify the color scheme and not overwhelm it visually. 

If your room is pretty simple, calm with neutral wall color - you can make a statement with bold, graphical draperies, in bright, contrast colors.

Matching curtains to the bedspread is in the past. Better to use similar and /or complimentary colors for all textiles in the room.

Curtains and accessories for kids room don't have to be super cute, over the top cuddly, fluffy and cartoonish, in order to be appropriate. There are so many well designed playrooms and nurseries that use sophisticated color palettes, patterns and textures, stylish artwork and elegant accessories. The rooms still look kid friendly and cozy, plus they grow along with a children.

New Coordinates for organic fabrics!

I have been working on creating fun coordinate fabrics to go well with my 12 Organic Fabrics that currently are the most popular for bedding. Now, you will be able to create a complete bedding set without looking for a matching pillowcase or any additional accent fabrics elsewhere. Although these are not organics, they are created with non-toxic inks and not anywhere, but here in the USA!

Starting with our favorite for little boys - Gentlemen's Necessities fabric. This year it is such trend to pair black/white with mint. I agree, It looks fresh and fun!

Next one is - Sport Puzzle. Try finding something nice for a boy these days...sports especially. Everything looks as if a sport store warehouse exploded - balls and rackets and whatnot are flying all over in a chaotic manner... And the colors!? Ugh...Sorry...it is just...not for my taste. But I won't judge you if you like that kinda staff. For those that prefer clean lines, subtle sport theme reference and color scheme that's under control, please proceed to my store and stock up on the following:

Another collection would make a good looking bedding for a boy:

Tractrors in Blue/Green and Grey/Green has already been available for a while, now coordinating color Tractor Tracks will join them to create this modern interchangeable Mix-n-Match group! 

Up next - ever favorite - Mustaches!

Grey pairs so well with mustard, and it works equally great for boys and girls!

If you cannot get enough of the mustache mania - this is the option for you!

Hope you liked the new guys! To purchase, please visit my Etsy shop

Check back my blog for more upcoming coordinates AND completely NEW designs for baby blankets!.

Drawings come to life and become softies!

I already mentioned this on my Facebook page and just wanted to quickly share a bit more info about our newly added service: Making 3-D toys from your child's drawing. My mom is the genius behind this work and she LOVES it! 

Each toys is individual of course, there is no knowing in advance what materials she will have to use, once the order comes in, she goes on a hunt for the right fabrics, clean scraps, strings, trim, felt, buttons, rope, she even make use of old baby clothes ( because they are so soft and yummy!). So this is a GREAT way to upcycle and re-use INSTEAD of tossing. 

Very eco-friendly business if you ask me.

Here is another example of what I am talking about :

I am amazed at my mom's precision, she really tries to replicate the drawing to the tiniest details.

Imagine the expression on a child's face when they see their drawing came to life! My son was so surprised when I brought this out, he said "Oh!! I love him!" 

And hugged him tight. Oh....

Order your today and share your story!

Organic Vest for your little gentlemen!

Remember my fabric "Gentlemen s Necessities?"

Well, I am so excited to introduce my new product made out of it: Reversible Vest for boys!

And guess to who totally rocked it while modeling for my photo shoot? None other than my own little gentleman , my son Alan. He had such cute faces on every photo, I had a hard time selecting just a couple for my shop...

Now, if you subscribe to our newsletter, you can get a free shipping on any item in my shop, including this organic reversible boys vest, or should I say, Gentlemen's vest?

ORGANIC kids bedding: What the heck is a duvet cover?

I have been incredibly busy with my Etsy shop and custom orders - that's good news! But I have completely neglected my blog- and that is really really sad :-(
I do want to start popping up here more often, to keep updates on my creative developments.

For today, I want to explore the land of duvets and duvet covers for kids.
As an immigrant from Eastern European country, I grew up using duvet covers on a regular basis. We really did not know any other way.
A duvet is French for "down". So nowadays under duvet, we assume any fluffy, stuffed comforter. When I was little, we would take any warm wool blanket or a down comforter ("duvet") and enclosed it into a bag-like cover, that would have buttons, zipper or ties as close the opening. Just like a pillow case you would take the duvet out at the end of the week and throw it in washing machine. Easy - peasy!
When we came to America, I learned about fitted and flat sheet. Fitted sheets  - Wow! What a revelation! We did not have those back where I was from, we used  flat sheets and tucked all the edges under a mattress, but the fitted sheet was so much better! But then what does one need a flat sheet for?? I was confused.
Later, when I stayed at the hotel for the first time, I learned the hard way that a flat sheet here is used for under the comforter. Waking up all tangled up in that sheet was....well..pretty annoying. I was an adult then, and it was difficult to imagine how people or kids, for that matter, sleep that way!
Anyways, I have nothing against a flat sheet, but we are not friends when it comes to covers. Until this day I use duvet covers and dearly miss them when on vacation. Luckily, I don't have to make the bed while on vacation, but my heart goes out to poor maids, who have to untangle my flat sheet from a giant ball it becomes by the morning.
All this talk about my discoveries in bedding dept is not meaningless, I do have a point. And here it is: if you want to make it easier on your kids during the night - use duvet covers for their blankets/comforters. Not only does it provide a more comfortable sleep, it is easy to wash and it can really change the look of the room in minutes! Plus making the bed is SO much simpler!

Another benefit of duvet covers: when your toddler is too big for that tiny, stamp-sized
 baby blanket (36x50 or less) but too small for a twin comforter, what do you do?? I found that some stores sell throws that are just the right size, around 40x50. Also, places like ToysRus or Target carry lots of Disney themed comforters/blankets that provide good coverage. If you anything like me, and enjoy seeing your child's room as a-well-designed-place that fits within the rest of your house, and not as if a cartoon has exploded there, then you might want to purchase a duvet cover, and hide those neon- bright, wide-eyed, polyester characters from the recent animated picture, with a fresh, modern, original cotton cover.

There are tons of online retailers carrying duvet covers, but if you want something unique and not mass-production-y, check out My Etsy shop - I just started making kids bedding! Duvet covers, pillow covers and fitted sheets. All custom sizes to fit your existing comforters, blankets and pillows. So just contact me via Etsy to get a quote. Or just email me: newmomdesigns@yahoo.com. I can do twins as well.

I am using my ORGANIC cotton in 12 designs that arrived this summer.
( My 4 year old son was so sweet (!!) and gladly modeled for me)

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Organic Cotton just arrived!

Since last August I have been working very hard to produce 12 of my most popular designs overseas and offer my customers better prices.

Finally they are here! 

Printed on Premium 100% Organic Cotton these beauties are now available 

at my Etsy shop for just $16 yard!

Come on over and get yourself some!

See you!

Custom ottoman slipcover

This has been the longest blog-free break I have ever had. I have been busy with my Etsy shop and I just had to prioritize my duties.
Anyways, I have some pretty cool before & after photos of a project I worked on around the holidays. It was for my good friend and looks like they are happy with the result.
Take a look at the custom fabric design for an ottoman:

The "before" shot shows how the ottoman looked straight from the store. Not too bad, but my friend wanted a bit more personality and color.

 The "after" shot shows the new, custom designed ottoman cover. My friends LOVE books, so I used the idea of  a bookshelf that wraps around the sides. It features various books spines with different patterns, colors and sizes, as well as decorative objects that tend to rent some space on people's bookshelves. To make the ottoman a bit more practical and fun, I integrated a magazine pocket, and secret flap for their daughter with a cute surprise behind it.

I had such a blast designing it and it really pushed my thinking into "how would it look on the actual piece" kind of direction.

Hope to have more projects like this :)

Holiday Fabric ships worldwide!

Yesterday I was busy cutting, weighting, and packaging my most popular holiday fabric "Decorating Team". 

So exciting, LOVE when the orders come pouring in!!!

I still have a couple a fat quarters available and ready to ship if you need to make something special for someone special this holiday season! :)) Visit my Etsy shop to purchase.

Library inspired fabric

Here is a little sneak peak of what I have been working on,
What do you think this is?

All right, I'll just tell you ;)

One of he readers of my blog have reached out for help to spruce up her living room. As a young family of three with an adorable little girl, they needed  fresh, modern fabrics to fit the feel of their new apartment. Frankly, they both have done a great job decorating their home - just needed a little help with textiles, such as throw pillows and a new fabric for an ottoman.
We quickly decided to do a custom fabric for the large brown ottoman.
The idea is - library bookshelves wrapped around the ottoman. Not only it is a unique, eye-catching design for two book-lovers, it also pick up and ties together all the colors in the room.Texture is inspired by Holli Zollinger, one of the most popular Spoonflower designers!

Cannot wait till it's all done!

Custom Pillow for Less!

I have been so busy with current projects and happening, I have completely neglected my poor little blog!
Today I want to share one of the projects I have just completed. It is a customized version of this pillow I have in my Etsy shop. It was ordered for a little boy who is about to have his 2nd birthday. So, to make it extra special, I sneaked in a number 2, plus instead of making 3 pockets, I made 2 (velcro locked) little flaps that hold cute surprises inside.
Now, here is another news: if you can sew, and would like to make this pillow on your own, I will have the DIY kit available in my Etsy shop for $25. You will have all the perks of CUSTOM design - I will make all the adjustments, change the name, message, colors to make it perfect for you, then I will mail you a big sheet of fabric with all the details for you to cut out and sew! That's a custom piece/gift for $25! Should I say more??? LOL!

Custom fabric project

I am very excited to share with you guys this very special project I am working on. The lovely owner of My Brooklyn Baby store, which soon coming to downtown Brooklyn, has contacted me to help her out with some fabrics to decorate her store. After a little brainstorming, we have decided to create a completely new unique design based on the logo. The fabrics will be covering a seat cushion and pillows on a super long lidded toy box in the play area. I can wait for it all come together because Darcy ( the owner ) has some pretty cool ideas!

Colors are so awesome too: coral and soft turquoise...

I played around with the logo and here are a few samples I have came up with:

 Now we just have to wait for the actual fabric samples...

Dancing triangles- my new fabric

  I just received my new fabric "Dancing Triangles" which I ordered for my living room pillow covers. I designed it a while ago, but only now I appreciate how beautifully it came out!
Very crisp and simple, with a deep ink blue background and sharp white triangles.
I made my pillow cover immediately using my envelope closure pillow covers instructions 

If you like to get some "Dancing Triangles" for yourself, head over to my Etsy shop ;)

The storm is coming...with you!

I love contests related to pattern design. My friend has sent me a link to "Threadless Love" contest ( thank you Friend!), and I have entered my 'Rain Clouds" fabric design as a pattern for a tote.
There are over 100 of great designs ( at this point, but number is growing) that have been submitted by other talented people for either a tote, a wall decal, a scarf, or a piece of apparel. Each entry is given 7 days to collect as much scores as possible. If you like to see the participating designs, including mine,and score, click here:

Here it is - my "The storm is coming.." entry.  7 DAYS to go...

Christmas Pillow anyone?

I know it's the middle of summer, almost 4th of July, and I am talking Christmas Pillows. Crazy, right?
Well, I had a fresh piece of my "Decorating Team" fabric just asking to be used, and I wanted to show off the cuteness of this fabric, because it is NEVER too early to start crossing out those items from the Christmas shopping list, right? Now, whether you have a modern setting or classic, this pillow cover will fit perfectly on your favorite chair around the holidays. Get one for yourself or for a loved one HERE while they still available!

I am a semi-finalist!!!

So I have been absent for a loooong time, sorry!!!!
But I have a good news to share: out of nearly 1000 entries on Project Selvage contest, I got into the top 75 semi-finalists! Big Yey!!! Here is my entry for the "Baby Boy" fabric design that passed into the next round:

The top 75 designs were selected by Spoonflower and M. Miller judges, now the voting is open to everyone, to select the top 10. 

This is where it gets tricky - a lot of people use every possible social media to advertise their designs and practically beg for votes, some even host giveaways in exchange for votes ( !!!) Now, I don't see anything wrong with announcing the news about the contest and displaying one's design while providing a link to the voting page, however if someone wins just for the sole reason of having tons of friends and followers on Facebook who vote as a favor, that's not fair. It's a big contest and for some talented designers out there this win could the big break, a life-altering opportunity, and I think it should be well-deserved, not well-promoted. Oh, well, we'll see what happens...

Either way, I have started to work on some coordinates for my entry design, so no matter what the results would be, I'd have complete collection of "Baby Boy" fabric coming to my shop.

Now, if you genuinely like my design and want to see it pass to the next round, you can vote for it here.

My clown has finally arrived!

I ordered a fabric with my "Little Clown" design on a fabric a have not tried before -  organic cotton sateen. Oh, you should see it in person: soft, smooth with a hint of pearly-slightly glossy finish! So delicious! What a luxury bedding it would make! Check out how my design looks on this fabric:

Up for sale now in my Etsy shop.