Mommiedaze

Girls Just Wanna Win Swag: Seedling Textiles & Baby

Rebecca is the winner of last week’s Keyboard Wrist Rest Set from Comfy Creations

This week’s Swag sponsor is Sarah. She’s busy running two Etsy shops, Seedling Textiles and Seedling Baby. “I make vintage and recycled textile accessories.  Everything in [Seedling Textiles] is made from at least 50% vintage or recycled materials.  I focus on tote bags, zipper pouches, headbands, and pillows.  Everything I make has some sort of twist to it like hand screen printing, special pockets, or vintage embellishments. I also hand screen print reclaimed baby clothing.  I recently created a new shop just for my baby products called Seedling Baby.”

A tote from Seedling Textiles

Sara, originally from the Midwest, makes her home in Austin, TX where she’s lived for five years. “Living here is extremely inspiring.  The city is just brimming with creative people,” she says. Engaged, Sara and her fiance plan to marry this spring. When they’re not working they like to spend time, “watching movies and teasing our pound puppy, Greta.”

Sara says that her Seedling shops are the culmination of two aspects of her life coming together. “The first is that I am a fabric junkie, especially when it comes to vintage fabrics.  I love having an excuse to feed my fabric habit. The second is my love of sewing.  I’ve always been into arts and crafts, but I didn’t get my first sewing machine until i graduated high school.  I was instantly hooked.  I taught myself through much trial and error.”  These days Sara says she’s focusing on quality and attention to detail. “I only use quality materials, make all of my own patterns, and take a lot of care to create long lasting products.”

Sara’s designs draw on the past. “I have always been inspired by the 1950’s, specifically the fabrics and simple designs.  But, I have no interest in recreating the past.  So, that influence is not always obvious. Also, I’m inspired by the idea of functionality.  For instance, my tote bags are longer than normal tote bags.  This is to contain everything inside while still keeping it easy to access.  It’s little details that make a good product a great product.”

I asked Sarah what makes the products in her shops stand out from the rest of the marketplace. “I have a knack for finding great vintage fabrics.  Also, I am well known for my custom work.  Because I’m so detail oriented and really listen to my customers, I can create a one-of-a-kind product for anyone made to their own specifications.”

A onesie from Seedling Baby

Sara says there is also a Green aspect to Seedling Textiles and Seedling Baby.  “I think to some people ‘going green’ is kind of overwhelming.  I want to show that recycled products are accessible to all, and everyone can play a role in saving our planet.”

Sara opened her Etsy shops because she loves the idea of working for herself.  “I have been sewing bags for friends for about 10 years in my spare time.  Etsy is an amazing venue for weekend crafters to take their idea to the next level without having to take the scary leap of quitting their day job.  So, that’s where I really started to take it to the next level.”

If you’re going to be in the Austin area October 18th and 19th you can look Sara up at the 2nd annual Maker Faire. “If you are not familiar with the Maker Faire, it’s a 2 day event that brings together artists, craftspeople, performers, and tekkies to showcase their work in a d.i.y. friendly environment.  ‘Makers’ give demonstrations to inspire others to try out different forms of creativity,” explains Sara. “I will be showing how to sew simple recycled and reusable gift bags.”  For more information visit the Maker Faire website.

Win It

Sara is offering a $25 gift certificate good towards a purchase in either of her shops, Seedling Textiles, or Seedling Baby to one lucky reader.

To enter visit Seedling Textiles or Baby then come back here and comment ON THIS POST with the name of one other favorite item from the store. Comments not following the rules will be disqualified. Earn an extra entry by posting about this contest on your blog, and linking to this post and to at least one of Sara’s shops. If you do the extra credit, let me know by leaving a separate comment with the link to your post.

Bloggers and non-bloggers may enter. The contest is open internationally.

The contest will run until 11:59 p.m. EST Sept. 24th. I’ll randomly draw a winner, and announce it on the next edition of Girls Just Wanna Win Swag. The winner will also be contacted by email, and will have three days to reply. If the winner does not reply in three days, another will be chosen. You may also check Prizey Fetch to see if you’ve won.

Keep up with the weekly Swag giveaways. Subscribe to my RSS feed in a reader or by email. Click here.

Have a women-owned business you’d like featured in a Swag giveaway? Send me an email (see the side bar) and let me know.

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Girl Talk: Isn’t that Cute!

Well, I missed Girl Talk last week because we were busy getting ready for The Fourth, and enjoying some family time since my husband was off work for a few days. Today we had the nicest summer weather we’ve had all season, and we were outside most of the day catching some rays and splashing in the pool. Tonight I need to spend some time on a project I’m working on for my husband, so this edition of Girl Talk will be pretty brief. Here’s a few “cute” things I found out on the web recently.

These Cupcake Bath Bombs from Sassy Pink Boutique look good enough to eat!

I found the Lil’ Evening Bag by Belle Bags at the Succulent Wife.

Liven up your next party with these Polka Dot Plates from Wrapables.

The Covet mary jane style shoe is part of Skechers line-up for fall. I need some new cool weather shoes, and these are definitely on my shopping list when sandal season comes to an end.

Poppies is just one of the unique women’s Tees offered by stellarocco. I may have to add this to the shopping list too.

Did you come across any unique or fun finds this week? Leave a comment and share!

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