Vintage Lace Cottage began six years ago when I was on maternity leave with my youngest. I was upcycling furniture into a shabby chic finish, but ran out of room to store my furniture. After some research I decided to work on smaller decor pieces for the home, starting with my customized wooden letters which were perfect for little ones rooms. (These pieces I now finish with my customers personal choice of colours and room themes. I run all personalization options past each customer before I begin their project.)
When my maternity leave ended, I returned to full time employment which meant putting my little business on the back burner. Due to Covid 19, I was furloughed back in March. After a couple of months of DIY in my home I decided now was the perfect time to get started again. I was ready to try building my little business up to where I wanted it to be.
Even though I have now returned to work, I have found that I am able to balance both my business and my work well. My children are a bit older now which makes things a little easier.
My mum unfortunately lost her job a couple of months ago. That was when we decided to become a team. She hand makes all of our clothing, blankets, cot storage pockets, pyjamas, and garlands. With over 30 years experience (which includes making adult clothing for designer labels) she truly amazes me. A few years ago she made my wedding dress to my exact specifications, and added that little extra touch by hand sewing around 1500 pearl beads onto it.
Our room decor designs come mostly with a little help from my customers. They give me a colour scheme to work with and say ‘do your thing’ and that is exactly what I do. I love being able to make things pretty with my wide range of prints and embellishments.
The majority of our room decor, apart from the garlands, are made with MDF wood. I chose this specific material because it is more affordable compared to solid wood, which I feel is more appealing to a wider customer base.
For our clothing, we keep a wide selection of fabrics in stock for our customers to choose from, and then they choose which item they want in that fabric. Whether it be rompers, t-shirts, etc., they can send me personalized requests for any of our clothing. For example, if they like one of our fabrics but want it in a specific style of dress, we will make it for them. (Or should I say my mum will!)
Our clothing and blankets are either 100% cotton, soft cotton jersey (oeketex), or super soft double fleece. We have found these to be very good quality fabric, which we believe is what all customers want for their children.
A lot of love goes into our products, both the decor and the clothing side. Our customers appreciate all the care and attention to detail we put into each and every product. It makes us so happy when we get feedback from them saying how much they love their purchases.
The thought that people have our handmade decor displayed in their homes, or their children are wearing our handmade clothing, makes me feel so proud. We have come such a long way even though we have only been back up and running for the last three or four months. We know this is all thanks to our customers, and that is what pushes us to continue to grow our little business.
You can find us on Etsy, Facebook, or Instagram.
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