Introducing J. Lea Designs....

I am proud to to announce the opening of my online shop at Etsy.  I began pondering the idea of what I could do to help support our family soon after I found out I was pregnant with baby number two.  It wasn't until after our Sweet baby girl was born, that an idea sprouted out of trying to make do with what we had.

I had to try and figure out how to reuse my burp clothes from my son Jackson who had severe reflux.  Those of you that know us, know when I say severe I am not joking.  So most of them had a few stains and others were almost not salvagable.   So, I got the idea to use fabric to cover at least one side of my burp clothes, from a gift that was given.  This at least made one side for the cloth clean and also trendy.   This was absolutely a fun idea especially when I new I was having a girl.

       My darling daughter brought about another idea that I have in my shop as well.  We all know that there are some super cute receiving blankets on the market, however even I who is a mom of two preemie babies, think they are way to small.  Avenlea was a pretty cranky child for the first three to five months of her life.  We won't say the C word but you all know what I am talking about.  So I learned from a family member, the burrito wrap.  I am telling you it is a miracle done with a blanket.  This was great until we had a normal size baby and you couldn't get a blanket big enough to work.  So I decided with the help of my mother in law to make a few.  She went with me and helped me with the amount of fabric I would need and we went on the adventure of matching fabrics and trying different combinations.  This is what we have come up with.  I personally have four of them and I can't tell you how fun it was to get some sleep.

The next thing we carry came from a gift I got was from my dear friend Kara...she introduced me to the pillowcase dress.  I can't tell you how much fun these are to accessorize and make.  The coordinating of fabrics and acessories never ends.  They are adorable as a dress, but common how cute is it with a pair of jeans and a crocheted hat.  I also had a great time adding leggings, jean jackets, and many other cute combos I am sure we will show you in the near future. 

The great thing about these dresses is that you can make them work year round and to top it off if you wear them a little wide when they are young, they work great as a top later on.  So it is the gift that keeps on giving.  I have found them to be a stylish addition to Avenlea's closet. Oh and speaking of accessories....we thought we would offer you some.

WE, my sister in law, and I are crocheting hats.  We have been working on some boy hats, these adorable little girl ones, this newsgirl one, and some others we have in the works as well.  We have all kinds of options for color combos, you just have to ask and we can probably due it for you...so if you have a favorite team you want to support or just a favorite color combo...let us know.   We would be happy to make one for you. Don't let these fool you, they aren't just for the fall and winter. 

I had another idea after I began making outfits for my daughter and the ideas just keep on coming. So continue to check back for more ideas at our website.  We are working on cloth diaper bags, crocheted blankets, ruffle pants, a variety of different tops and baby bundles for your next baby shower.  Whether you have a friend who is expecting or a mom that could just use a little something to brighten her day I am sure we have something that would work.

We have been blessed in Fall of 2009 by some of our close friend that found out about what I was working on through word of mouth and it has since found its way to an etsy site. Etsy is a great place for individuals like myself. Most are stay at home moms, individuals who have had a life altering experience whether it be medical or otherwise and all of us are there to try and make a living.  I can't tell you how excited I am to see where this goes.  COME CHECK IT OUT!!!  J. Lea Design at Etsy.com