When we were babies, clothes were hand-me-downs from older sibling and cousins, bibs were often ripped from constant use and burp blankets were always plain white -- or whatever mom could find that wasn't already covered in food or vomit.
As far as most kid clothes go, there's no doubt that the great apparel pass-down still exists -- and should, environmentally speaking. At the same time, when it comes to that special blanket he cherishes, it's a refreshing concept to give your kid his own unique identity, rather than whatever cousin Kyle had already worn out.
The way Abby Olson sees it, there are just way too many great fabrics and patterns out there not turn them into cozy quilts, baby blankets and heart-warming little head wear. Under the crafty umbrella she calls Orange Peel Baby, Olson creates some of the hippest, cutest kid gear around.
"I really can't compete with the 'made in china' crowd," she says. "The thing people have to realize when they buy from me is that they are paying a little more for a blanket or bib than they would at, say, Target, but it is a completely different product."
Having two kids of her own, Olson knows all too well the important of durability when it comes to kids', well, anything, and therefore places precedence on the fabrics, methods, and designs used rather than the lowest cost.
"My products are my art -- my creative outlet -- and I'm way more concerned with making them fun, functional and beautiful than I am about my 'bottom line.'"
Aesthetically, her keen, new-wave craftster sense transforms a quilt that would traditionally be a little bit country into a completely contemporary piece with clean lines and modern fabrics and colors.
"I have been leaning more and more towards a mod look lately, but I hate to hem myself in by declaring sole allegiance to any one genre. Every once in a while I will get the urge to make something unashamedly shabby chic or just plain pretty with flowers and lace."
Many of Olson's items are one of a kind, garnering them a perfect fit for DIY boutiques such as Paper Boat Gallery and the Third Ward's Freckle Face. Outside of city you can find Orange Peel Baby at Studio Café & Gallery in Thiensvile and Bellies and Babies Boutique in Menomonee Falls.
Look for Orange Peel Baby -- accompanied by 219 other artists and craftsmen -- at the Holy Hill Arts & Craft Fair, Saturday, Sept. 15, on the Holy Hill grounds. And just in time for fall, Olson is introducing her newest addition -- the little kid winter cap, surfacing in either beanie style or with little earflaps. Fewer things are more precious.
"The hats are really fun," she says. "I have two little boys who keep losing hats so I decided I better find a way to stock up. They are crocheted from thick washable wool in rich solid colors with a coordinating stripe. I almost feel like I need to get an old VW van to drive around because they just look like the cutest little hippies in them."
OnMilwaukee.com staff writer Julie Lawrence grew up in Wauwatosa and has lived her whole life in the Milwaukee area.
As any “word nerd” can attest, you never know when inspiration will strike, so from a very early age Julie has rarely been seen sans pen and little notebook. At the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee it seemed only natural that she major in journalism. When OnMilwaukee.com offered her an avenue to combine her writing and the city she knows and loves in late 2004, she knew it was meant to be. Around the office, she answers to a plethora of nicknames, including “Lar,” (short for “Larry,” which is short for “Lawrence”) as well as the mysteriously-sourced “Bill Murray.”
