7.01.2022

shop spotlight | hemming birds boutique

30 weeks of pregnancy is already here. It seems like so much further along than 29 for some reason, kind of like when I turned 25 -- it sounded so much older than 24. In two months or less we could be meeting our sweet Poppy girl and little by little, her nursery drawers are being stocked with all of the necessities for a newborn.
Today's Shop Spotlight is one I have been extra excited for because the bibs they make are so, so good. With bright, bold colors + patterns and a side snap that makes life with a new babe just a little bit easier, Hemming Birds Boutique knows whats up when it comes to high quality baby and toddler products that are not only beautiful, but practical too.

tranquil bib / celestial bib / wildflowers bib

There are so many things I love about Hemming Birds, with the first being the shop name! It's so catchy! The second is their bib design -- I absolutely love the side snap, making it extra easy to take the bib off from the front instead of fumbling behind a baby's head. I also love how cozy the backing is -- it's made of super soft fleece which I know will come in handy to wipe off Poppy's face after feedings and meals. This particular style {above} is called the Charlie Bib, and they are all machine washable and made to last wash after wash through all the messes of infancy.

Hemming Birds just released their new summer line on Monday and I seriously cannot get enough of their gorgeous, eye-catching fabrics! I love the bib sets they've put together in their shop, which consist of 3 color-coordinating Charlie Bibs, but if you have your eye on a particular one and want to mix and match, you can build your own custom set of three bibs as well! A bib set would make the perfect gift for an expectant or new Mama, since they're not only a must-have in baby's first year, but also a modern product that every Mama would love to use!


A few of my favorite sets + individual bibs are linked below


In all honesty, I love the wild safari set so much that I would totally let P rock a dinosaur bib. All the bibs are so fun and whimsical, perfect for babies and toddlers.

midnight sparkle + sweet petunia set

Hemming Birds also offers Ollie bandana drool bibs {above}, which are made of 100% cotton double-gauze muslin -- basically the coziest fabric ever. I love the thickness of the bibs because of the double layer, but they're still lightweight enough to provide comfort and work well for all seasons, as well as hang with a beautiful drape.

The Ollie bibs are designed to fit babies beginning at 4 months through two years. They come with a double snap so you can adjust the size as your little one grows! I've never come across a bandana bib this soft and dreamy; I wish I'd had them when Olivia was teething!


Hemming Birds, owned by Yana and her sister-in-law Jennifer, share their story below.

A few years ago my sister-in-law (and current business partner, Jennifer) and I started Hemming Birds Boutique ... we call it “Version 1.” We started sewing bags for adults --bridesmaids gifts and out-of-town guest bags for weddings, however, it just wasn’t the right time for either of us to do it as much more than a hobby. But last spring it became the right time. We were both frustrated with work and how little quality time it left for our family, so we decided to go all in. In May, we launched a Kickstarter campaign which was fully funded in 17-days, and it's been a crazy ride since then!

Our shop name is inspired by a vintage piece of sewing equipment called a “hemming bird.” It was basically a bird-shaped clamp that you would attach to a table and it would act as a third hand, holding the fabric you were working. When we were searching for a name we stumbled upon some hemming birds in a museum exhibit about turn-of-the-century fashion. We both love birds, so it was a total lightbulb moment for us.

It’s funny, neither Jennifer nor I have a background in sewing, fashion, or business. Both of us have undergraduate degrees in biology - I went on to do my PhD in molecular biology and Jennifer into nursing (she is a registered nurse). You can say it might not be the most traditional education for future small business owners specializing in children’s accessories, but you’d be surprised how a graduate education prepares you to run your own business. Beyond the specific skills you learn, it also teaches you to work hard, troubleshoot, be disciplined and honestly it really gives you both the skills and self-confidence to go out and get what you want.  

I’ve been sewing since I was really little, but really picked it up again during graduate school. My mom is an incredible seamstress - she made all my adorable dresses growing up and even my prom dress - so she both taught me when I was young and also inspired me. A few years ago Jennifer took one sewing class and was completely hooked.  We’ve both spent the last few years perfecting our craft, and I think our natural tendencies to strive for perfection in what we make has really pushed us to create the best quality products possible.  Why did we start making children’s accessories? It started when our friends and family began having babies! We both LOVE to make rather than buy gifts, and so we began sewing for little ones and eventually designing our own patterns.  

My absolute favorite thing about running my own business (and I know Jennifer will agree 100%) is having the flexibility to spend more quality time with my family. When I was working in academia full-time we were just “surviving,” but honestly really not enjoying life. Running a business still means we work a lot, however the hours are flexible (we do a lot of work after the kids have gone to bed).  I really can’t say enough about how it has changed our family life for the positive.

I think our favorite part of what we do is picking new fabrics to make our products out of as well as designing new products.  Both are challenging, but a lot of fun.  Hearing back from customers  about how much they love what we make is also up there.  I can’t tell you how much joy it brings to have repeat customers, or ones that say our bibs are their “favorites” or “go-to bibs.”  It makes all those late nights sewing worth it!


Finally, because it seems everything these days in our life has to do with babies {no complaints about that!}, it's so much fun to discover products for Olivia and other toddlers her age.

Yana and Jennifer offer a "big sister" package in their shop, which combines any three Charlie bibs for your newest arrival and a little girl's purse for your older one. In lieu of a purse, I chose an art smock for Olivia as part of her big sister package, and some days I can't get her to take it off! It is perfect for any + all art projects, but our favorite thing to do while wearing it is play with play-doh. I keep a clear container of play-doh and all our cookie cutters and tools in a cabinet in our kitchen and every time I turn around, Olivia is hauling it out to play with. I love that I can easily slip her smock on her to keep what she's wearing clean. It crosses in the back and snaps over the shoulders, making it super easy to get on and off. It has pockets in the front that are just darling and Olivia loves putting random little things in them. It's also reversible.

Hemming Birds' newest art smock is in a pattern called Make Believe, which is bold and colorful. All art smocks are offered in three sizes -- small, medium and large. Olivia wears a medium which in general is equivalent to a 2T. They are also great for another favorite activity of ours -- baking! Any time I'm in the kitchen, Olivia grabs her stool and pulls it right up next to me to help. She loves to put fruit in her smoothies in the mornings and mix brownie batter alongside me. We've had a lot of fun putting her new smock to good use, and I love that it was a special gift now that she is becoming a big sister!


coupon code || Because I want all of you to be able to try out Hemming Birds' bibs, you can save 20% off your total purchase using the code BLESSEDNEST20 at checkout. This exclusive discount for readers is valid from Wednesday, July 1 through Sunday, July 5 only / P.S. This means you can get any Charlie bib set of three or build your own set of three favorites for right around $20!!

>> start shopping here <<

giveaway || And because I can't feature our favorite bibs without a giveaway, Yana and Jennifer are so generously offering a $30 shop credit to one lucky Blessed Nest reader! You can apply your credit toward any set of three Charlie bibs, a set of two Ollie bibs or even a purse or art smock! This giveaway is open to US residents only and runs from Wednesday, July 1 through Tuesday, July 7. All entries will be verified and the winner is responsible for contacting A Blessed Nest within 24 hours of being announced. Happy Wednesday!

8 comments:

  1. I'm obsessed with wildflower!

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  2. The Splendid Garden trio is adorable! I love that she uses different colors, like the orange fabrics.

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  3. Gosh... LOVE these bibs (her whole shop) & her fabric designs are so fab!! I literally kinda love them all but my fav has to be the Charlie Bib Kick-starter set! Love that you can pick your 3 fav fabrics. Thanks for the super sweet chance! xx

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  4. my favorites are the splendid garden or the vivid dreams!

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  5. The purple set is so cute!!

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  6. My favorites are Steel Blue and Tranquil!

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  7. My favorites are Vivid Designs & Blue Steel! My twin boys would look sooo cute sporting these!! -Lauren

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