The Creative Cubby: Introducing :: A Desi Lu Production

When we met almost 8 years ago, I never would have imagined that my friend Desiree and I would be crossing paths as we are now. While working together at a theatre, we would casually discuss our various creative endeavors, but it wouldn't be until many years later that either of us would allow those skills to manifest into anymore than personal crafts. However, in recent years, Desiree has turned her truly amazing gift for sewing into an Etsy-based baby boutique called A Desi Lu Production. Seriously... how cute are these?!

I sat down with Desiree to ask her a few questions about her inspiration and her shop... {Pst... she's also giving away one of these adorable bibs to a Creative Cubby reader. Enter below!}

1. Tell us a little about you.

I'm a curly-haired Texas girl who loves singing, reading, going to Broadway shows, and being with family. I met my husband when I was attending Arizona State University and we recently moved back to my home of San Antonio, Texas. I'm a board certified music therapist working with individuals who have developmental disabilities and I'm in the process of starting my own business called Blue Skies Music Therapy. I'm also a part time stay at home mama to our 21-month-old daughter, Lucia Wren. She is by far the best thing I have ever created.

2. Your pieces show a lot of skill. When did you start sewing and how did you learn?

You could make a pretty convincing argument that it's in my blood. My mom is a retired fashion and costume design teacher and I can't remember a day of my childhood that didn't involve the background noise of the sewing machine. My two sisters and I wore a lot of matching dresses, designed our own prom dresses, had the best dressed dolls on the block, and got to be exactly what we wanted every Halloween. If there were pants that were too long, a top that was too immodest, a dress that just didn't hang right, she could fix it. As I got older, moved away from home, and then had a daughter of my own, I realized how incredibly lucky I was and what a completely necessary skill it was to have a basic understanding of sewing and garment construction. My poor mom had tried to corral us girls and teach us when we were younger, but sewing and crafting were so different in the 90's! In the minds of me and my sisters there was nothing cool about sewing or making crafty things so we resisted her at every turn. I'm so excited that websites like Pinterest and blogs like yours have really changed the face of crafting and DIY projects and inspired so many young people to create no matter what the medium. After we moved back to Texas I told my mom that I wanted to learn EVERYTHING. For my birthday two years ago I had an enormous surprise package on my doorstep; she had bought me a used sewing machine and it's just been an exciting and fulfilling learning experience ever since. She taught herself to sew when she was a teenager and now I am learning from her. It's a legacy that I am proud to continue.

3. What inspired you to do baby bibs?

I originally found the business bib pattern through another seller on Etsy who allowed me to become a licensed seller. I had seen similar shirt and tie bibs online and I felt that while they were cute patterns, they were lacking the authenticity of menswear. Which sounds silly because we are talking about babies, but as a new parent I noticed that the clothing that I was drawn to buy for Lucia were the outfits that looked like something I would wear, but in miniature. The simple fact was that most parents wanted to dress their baby up in something that was similar to their own style. So I decided to look at the trends in menswear and use classic patterns like plaids, argyle, gingham, and stripes and pair them in a way that I felt even my own husband would wear while sticking to color palettes that keep a youthful feel. Being the oldest of three girls and having a daughter of my own, the challenge of doing items for little boys interested me, and I had heard from so many of my friends who had little boys that there was a general lack of stylish baby boy merchandise out there. I like to think that I am helping to close that gap a little bit.

4. Are there other products that you make?

Currently in the shop I also have baby bow ties and bunting. Right now I am planning on expanding the bow tie selections and planning some bibs for spring. I get asked all the time about little girl items, and I may expand into that in the future, but I don't want to offer new items unless I can ensure a high level of design and craftsmanship after testing and experimenting.

5. What is your favorite part about making your products?

The designing and shopping! I do most of my searching online or at independent fabric stores to find truly unique prints. Every time I tell myself that I'm done with the business bibs and maybe it's time to start looking at something different, I find another print that is just too perfect to pass up. I try to keep a mix of the trendy and the classic so that there is something for everyone. It's also been exciting and validating to see how the designs that I feel are my most inspired are the ones that sell the best. There have been times when I have ventured into something overly cutesy or not quite my style and I would use it anyway, thinking that it would be a big seller and instead it just sits there. It's taught me to trust my instincts when creating and design what I love.

6. Anything else you'd like the readers to know.

I welcome your ideas and custom orders! Some of my favorite designs came out of conversations with customers who were looking for something very specific.
I also just want to encourage everyone to create and improve. Try something new. Take a basic skill to the next level and challenge yourself. We are all inherently creative. Whether you are creating a baby bib, a wall hanging, a healthy meal for your family, a safer country, a loving and respectful child, you are putting something good out there and making our world more beautiful!

Are you just dying over these adorable bibs yet? Enter to win this super cute blue bib from A Desi Lu Production through the RaffleCopter host below.