The Green Parent Ethical Fashion Special

Oh my goodness, more press news... here we are in the fashion pages of The Green Parent magazine, Ethical Fashion Special, February/March issue.

fame!

Olivia and I are in the local paper, thanks Carly for the lovely article

Little Bird says something about respect
by Carly Lockhart

"A local artist has opened a children's clothing business that sells 100 percent organic, fair traded cotton T-shirts for children aged six months to six years.
Jerseyborn Joanna Craven (34) launched virtual shop Little Bird at the end of last year with her first collection of long sleeved T-shirts for autumn and winter.
The T-shirt designs by Miss Craven feature Carmen Miranda of the Allotment and the Acorn Boys, who look like two boy scouts.
But the Little Bird best seller is an owl design which was inspired by Miss Craven's daughter; Olivia Howell (4), and her favourite toy, Phunt the elephant.
'Her friends think she is called Olivia Owl' said Miss Craven, 'and the pattern of the owl on the T-shirt is modelled on her favourite toy.'
Miss Craven started thinking about Little Bird about two years ago when she discovered what little choice there was for children's clothes.
'A lot of T-shirts that you can buy have slogans across them and are not very respectful for children' she said.

Illustrations

'I thought about how I could use my art work to make something myself. I wanted the illustrations on the T-shirts to reflect a child's world and lifestyle. Then I started thinking about how they would be made and what they would be made from. I realised that they should be made from organic cotton, and fairly traded, to make a product that was respectful throughout.'
The T-shirts cost £18 and are available to buy at www.littlebirdbypost.co.uk. They are made in a Fair Trade factory in Turkey and printed using organic ink.
'Sometimes prints on T-shirts can feel plastic, but these are really soft,' said Miss Craven, who added that the T-shirts are also durable.
'I knew they had to withstand washing and ironing, and often people pass on children's clothes to siblings and friends so they had to last.'
After the success of her Little Bird autumn/winter range, Miss Craven will launch her spring/summer collection featuring short-sleeced T-shirts with seaside designs.
She plans to change the T-shirt designs every six months to fit in with the seasons and ensure that there is sufficient choice."

Joanna x

on carry calm keep... Olivia H.

Olivia has a new passion for letters, she traces them in the air and then just has to have a pen and paper and copy them down. She works Chinese style from bottom to top, hence the rewording of this old classic. It's back to school tomorrow and she can't wait to tell her teachers that she has mastered the most tricky letter of all... "e"

Joanna x

"we break up, we break down..."

I am going to write myself a reminder for next December, to not expect to achieve anything... I always forget that this month is spent in a furious hurry and then feel disappointed that I haven't managed to do all the things that I would have liked. It was a relief to break up from school today and have no commitments at all.

Today was a beautiful, sunny winter day, we spent the morning cycling along the beach front singing "We break up, we break down, we don't care if the school falls down. No more English, no more French, no more sitting on the old school bench" at the tops of our voices. A lady walked past and smiled, then turned back to tell us she had been enjoying watching our slow sedate pace, she'd been in town this morning rushing about in a Christmas frenzy and we had reminded her to slow down. I shared my mother-in-law's favourite saying "We're built for comfort, not speed".

PS. Sorry Mrs du Val for teaching Olivia the above song... as much as we will enjoy the holidays I would care very much if school fell down in our absence

un hypnotiseur

"Un Hypnotiseur" from "L'Imagiers Des Gens" by Blexbolex

Last night we went to a refresher Hypnobirthing class in preparation for March. I'm so pleased that we did, there was so much that we have forgotten in the four years since Olivia's arrival. So our heads are full of sleep breathing, balloon breathing and J breathing and most of all, full of hope and excitement as we get closer to meeting our "Bambi". Meanwhile I'm off to bed with my iPod and Marie Mongon's relaxation hypnosis, tomorrow my dear friend is taking me for a pedicure and then a long browse around Waterstones - what a weekend!

Joanna x

another handsome model...

Look at this handsome chap in his tee shirt! Please keep these pictures coming, I love them. Also, lots of friends have been emailing kind words to us to put up on the site.
Here's what they are saying...

"I can sincerely tell you I love the tee. Its actually a great fit and J had compliments all round when he wore it last Saturday - it so simple and unusual." Helen, South Yorks

"A LOVES the shirt so much … she insisted on sleeping in it." Sharilyn, Lovely Design, Canada

"Thank you so much for the lovely T-shirts. J put his on right away and went to bed in it. It is the first time that they have identical pieces of clothing - I hope it will encourage some positive bonding!" Carla, New York

"The kids love the t-shirts, though the stickers and balloons were the immediate hit and we love the bold designs." Jo, Jersey

"It's arrived! Thank you so much for the very exciting parcel. E was chuffed to bits. The stickers and balloons were such a delight too. The quality of the top is wonderful and fits beautifully... I am spreading the word....little bird is fab!!!" Emma, Hastings

“Thank you so much, they are stunning and brilliant quality” Jeni, Jersey

“many thanks for the lovely t shirt” Andrew, Jersey

“wow I love them” Francey, London

“oh how gorgeous is your t-shirt! I have enclosed a picture of O wearing his new t-shirt so you could see how happy he is in it.” Sabine, Australia

“The T shirt is so soft and comfortable, was wondering when you plan to do slightly larger sizes for 21yrs and over” Jo, Jersey

“Stunning!” Sarah, Rye

“The shirts are awesome” Joel, USA

[North Star Child] “he’s pretty darn cool, looks like he needs a starry hug.” Sarah, Hastings

"Our little bird tees arrived late last week and my girls have pretty much been wearing them, washing them, wearing them, washing them... I love them, and wish they came in my size!!” Molly, USA


Word of mouth is the best recommendation we could have, it’s also the greenest and most honest advertising. I'd love to hear from you...

Joanna x

never work with children or animals...

I've been receiving some lovely, lovely photos of Little Bird models. We spent a frustrating afternoon at the beach trying to take some photos of our girl modeling the shirts for the website. However after about half an hour of cajoling, bribery and finally beating my fists into the sand I decided that product shots might work better... How do Mini Boden do it? How many sweets do you think they have on standby? I went through a whole packet of Party Rings and some left-over chocolate birthday cake to get these shots and what happens, she runs off in her knickers, some loyalty to her mother's blossoming business...

Thanks for your photos, please keep them coming, they all look so fabulously gorgeous in their tee shirts! And your kind words keep me smiling

Joanna x