In my last blog I told you all about how my story started, the reason I started sewing and how I sewed myself happy (please read it if you've not done so already, you can find it here) and it ended at the part where I found out I was pregnant again with my Rainbow Baby! 🌈
Here's the first picture of me as a mummy to 3 girls! 🥰
The phrase 'After Every Storm There is a Rainbow of Hope' means so much to me and for those mums reading this that also have a Rainbow baby, I'm sure it's super special to you too. I first discovered this phrase from a small sewing business on facebook (it's sadly closed down now). The lady made gorgeous items and one that really caught my eye was a beautiful white baby grow with this phrase embroidered on the back in an array of beautiful rainbow colours! I instantly fell in love with it and knew I had to have it for my baby! It was actually the first piece of handmade clothing I ever bought for any of my children. When it arrived I can't tell you how happy I was. The feel, the quality, nothing will ever beat handmade in my opinion! I remember laying it on my bump thinking 'It wont be long little one until you get to wear this!'
It was buying this special baby grow that ignited something inside me and the obsession with all things handmade began! This then lead me to become totally obsessed with jersey fabric and all the bright, bold and stunning fabrics that were available out there! So I set to work and created Grace some super special items and made her a one of a kind capsule wardrobe (I'll show you some pics in my next blog) 🤩
A really lovely part of my story is that I ended up buying the embroidery machine off the lady that made the baby grow for me! She kindly gave me her Rainbow Baby Design as she had created it herself, and gave me her blessing to use it to create my own items and to make special items for other mums too, and thats what I did!
Here's some examples of the ones I've made for rainbow babies over the years. The vests are available to order on the website here.
Grace was born in October 2016 and my family was complete! She wore the gorgeous reversible rainbow romper I made for her as her coming home outfit! Wearing the pink side obviously, and making me a mummy of 3 girls!
She was definitely the best dressed baby on the ward! I got so many compliments from everyone that saw her wearing this outfit! It was a size New Born but it fitted her until she was about 4m old! It was and still is my favourite outfit I have ever made. It's certainly my most cherished item and comes with me on every Pop-Up event I do too! Everybody loves it!
(there's more examples of reversible baby rompers on my website here)
Once I'd settled in to life as a mummy of 3 girls I knew I had to make a real go of making Lola-Pops a successful business, a brand that people would love and a name that people would recognise when they saw my items out and about! Looking back I have no idea how I survived those early days! Looking after and raising 3 children under the age of 4 whilst setting up a business from scratch without having any clue about what I was doing (ex teacher remember)! But somehow, I did survive, in fact I'd go as far to say I thrived! It was, and still is to this day, the hardest and most challenging thing I have ever done. Setting up my own business and going fully self employed! It's defo not for the faint hearted let me tell you! But what kept me going was the unbelievable support and encouragement from people just like you reading this blog now! I can only describe it as having a massive group of cheer leaders behind me pushing me forward and shouting about me from the roof tops! So THANK YOU! 🥰
I've grown Lola-Pops to what it is today through word of mouth alone! From mummies seeing other little ones at baby classes and asking 'oh where's your baby's outfit from?' I'm truly blown away every day by the amount of support I've had from close family and friends, new and old colleagues and complete strangers, who over the years have now become some of my best friends! Never in a million years did I think all those years ago, when I was sat watching 'The Great British sewing Bee' and I decided to buy a second hand sewing machine off Ebay, did I think I would be the owner and creator of a successful small business! But that is exactly what I have done!
I'm a huge believer in the powers of the universe and although there's some awful things that happen to some people that can never be explained, I honestly know that I had to go through my journey of baby loss to find the path that I was meant to be on. I wasn't destined to be a teacher forever, the universe had other plans for me, and for that I'm so thankful! This business has given me the freedom to be there every single day for my girls in the early days, It's allowed me to take them to school every morning, to pick them up every night, to be there at their sports days, Christmas plays and Mother's Days performances. Things that I definitely wouldn't have been able to do if I was still teaching.
Now my girls are all at school I have been able to dedicate more time to Lola-Pops. I know what I have in my hands, I know the opportunities that my small sewing business can give me. This is just the start for me, I have so many crazy ideas and plans that is going to take my small business to the next level! I can't wait to tell you all about it and share my ideas and plans with you!
I'll leave you with one of my favourite affirmations I think or say to myself every day:
I can, I will, watch me!
Love
Debbie x
P.S. If you'd like to receive my weekly newsletter full of behind the scenes info, special offers, new collections and surprises, then make sure you've joined my mailing list! It goes out every Friday morning. You can sign up here!