guest post- Hanky blankey

You met my guest blogger earlier this week with her clever post about bookmarks. Today she is sharing a new item she's sewing and ready to start selling. It's called a Hanky blanky. She's apparently an inspiring entrepreneur. I interviewed her this morning at breakfast.

Mama Bee: How long have you been sewing?
Bee: 12
Mama Bee: days? 12 days?
B: maybe
M: What kind of fabrics do you like to work with?
B: flamingo, princess, zebra, flower
M: How did you get the idea for the Hanky Blanky?
B: My brother has blankys and so I just thought of it.
M: Are the hard to make?
B: No
M: How long does each one take?
B: 1 hour
M: What is your favorite part of making the Hanky Blanky?
B: They are my favorite job.
M: Have you though about selling them?
B: yup
M: How much will you be charging?
B: They used to be $33. Now they are $2.
M: Are they selling better?
B: Oh yes.

M: Do you have an etsy shop.

B: not yet, I need business cards first.
M: Where is your favorite place you like her get your fabrics?
B: Where ever my mom gets her fabrics- I take her scraps.

M: Do you have any projects you are working on for the future?
B: Yes, I'm thinking about painting my fingers and doing some finger stamping art.
M: OK, thanks, that will be enough to write.

B: Can you read it all back to me, I wan to make sure that you got everything?

M: (I read it word for word)

B: yea, that sounds OK.

With out further delay, here is the hanky blanky. Right from my 4 year olds little sewing hands.

She finds a piece of fabric from my scrap box and squares it up with her little sewing scissors (she and Lou are both surprisingly good at cutting. They also both enjoy cutting fabric- which is enough to make a mama proud). She gathers the fabric up at one corner. Then she takes a threaded needle and sews the tip together.

Occasionally she experiments with fleece, which has proven thicker and a little harder to sew by hand. She added a ribbon tag for her brother since he has to have a tag to hold onto.

Here she models the correct holding of a hanky blanky. She insisted that she pose with her thumb in her mouth and laying in bed. "Children will sleep with their Hanky Blanky, so we should take the picture there."

I just love having a sewing friend, or two really. She and Lou love to go through my scrap fabric box and cut fabric and remember what projects they came from. They play in my yarn, they sit on my lap when I'm at my machine. Lou uses the play iron to iron doll clothes. Bee has a children's machine, but it doesn't really sew well, but they both take turns pretending to sew with it. I just love that they show some interest and are content playing in my sewing room with me while I get some much needed work done. Bee may be ready to take over Mama Bee Designs soon.