Today we have the pleasure of getting to know Ruth from Little Lambs a little bit better, so Ruth¦

Tell us about your business:
I design and make retro inspired baby clothes. Ive loved just about everything retro for as long as I can remember really. My clothing designs are inspired by vintage style fabrics and prints; bold use of pattern and colour characterise my designs. Kids clothes should be fun so this is what I try to do. I hope that the style of my clothes will take other mums down memory lane and remind them of some happy times from their childhood.

What inspired you to start your business?
My background is in teaching Design and in particular Textiles. When I became a mum starting a baby clothes business was a natural progression. I started by designing for my son Coen as I couldnt find any retro inspired clothing for boys. Our family then expanded to include a baby girl and my business just evolved further. Design is my number one passion, after my family of course.

Is there an interesting anecdote behind your business name?
Lamb is my marital name and so my children are my little lambs¦.(ahh)
What is the most satisfying part of what you do?
Seeing my clothing worn by children is a great feeling and knowing that I designed and created them from scratch. Its wonderful to get feedback from other people that love my clothes.

Have you tried something in business that didnt work as planned, or on the flip side “ worked out better than expected?
I designed and had some fabric printed for a ladies collection a while ago but didnt use it. When I was making samples for the A-line dresses with Peter Pan collars I made one up using that fabric thinking theres no way it would work. It turned out to be my favourite and also gave me my first online sale.

What would be your best tip for someone thinking about selling their handcrafted goods?
Testing is very important and could make or break all of their hard work. When I first started making boys retro T shirts I produced the most adorable little boys T shirt with an appliqued train. No matter what I tried the fabric shrunk in one direction and stretched in the other after each wash. So, I always get my kids and their friends to test out each piece before they go to market.

What is your favourite item you make?
Well, Im quite excited about some fabric that Ive recently purchased and am dying to get some new designs made up. But from my current collection, my favourite would be this Purple A-Line dress with heart buttons. This is the fabric that I mentioned earlier, I designed it for a different label which didnt go ahead. It was screen printed in Australia.

Any personal or business highlights in the last year:

The personal highlight has to be giving birth to my gorgeous baby girl Iris 9 months ago. Business wise I just launched my business a few weeks ago, so I guess making my first sale would have to be the best! It has taken a long time and a lot of hard work to get here. There have been so many little milestones along the way such as having my first lot of labels printed, finally developing a business card and the buzz of my first market stall.

3 things about you (not business related) that people might not know:

• Im a closet saxophone player.
• Love to watch Madmen.
• Im a bit of a control freak!

Thank you Ruth, it has been a pleasure meeting you, the maker!

Meet the Maker – Little Lambs