Nighty night!

Is there a chill in the air where you are? There certainly is here in Melbourne – wander outside and you immediately need to brace yourself against the cool air and icy winds. Brrrrr! I have a love/hate relationship with winter. During the day, it’s a bit of a trial – having to add all those layers, not being able to send the kids outside to let off steam, that interminable drizzle and those overcast skies  ... But at night, I adore it. Warm pyjamas and ugg boots, snuggling on the couch under a thick quilt, bowls of warm nourishing stews and soups for dinner – yes please!

Speaking of quilts, here’s a business crafting some absolutely divine baby quilts and bedding sets. It's called Smallish, and Cassandra de Vaus is the woman behind this label.

All Smallish products are handmade by Cassandra in her Melbourne home. Her philosophy is an eco-friendly one, so Smallish creations are made only of natural fibres – from the stitching and material you see, to the fill that you don’t! Cassandra is a big advocate of bamboo, so the label use plenty of bamboo fabrics – as well as being kind to the earth, few fabrics are as fabulous for making baby garments and bedding as good old bamboo. Read more about its benefits here. With so many of the baby bedding found in stores made from artificial fibres that don’t breathe well, it’s nice to know there’s such a stunning alternative out there!

Smallish does a roaring trade in custom made bedding sets. Can you imagine a more beautiful gift for a new baby than a gorgeous cot set, crafted with the colour scheme of the nursery in mind?

Cassandra recently made this quilt for her daughter – it has a frill in the middle of the quilt – now that’s something I haven’t seen before!

Smallish also have a sweet range of bamboo fleece blankets, change mats and burp cloth sets.

Cassandra is mum to a five-year-old and three-year-old. When she’s not busily making beautiful bubba bedding or running after her kids, Cassandra squeezes in some part-time study: she’s striving to finish her Bachelor of Education.

(Wow, no wonder she makes quilts and blankets – she must often feel like a good lie down!)

Cassndra cites the three things she can’t live without as her hair dryer and straightener, the internet (she loves that it enables her to have exchanges with other real life adults during the day!), and music and books.

If you love the big ideas in baby bedding coming from Smallish, you can find their stall at Mathilda’s Market in Melbourne on Sunday 30 May at the Malvern Town Hall.

Peta x
Mathilda's Market blogger