When a young mother could not bear to discard her first baby’s clothes, she decided to make them into a keepsake for her daughter. That baby was my granddaughter, Hollie and three years later, Hollie was joined by Imogen.
Laura, their mother, kept everything… making them gorgeous family scrapbooks, patchwork quilts, and stuffed toy keepsakes with their outgrown clothes and special outfits. Not only was I impressed by her skill with a needle, I loved how much care she put into the designs, cherishing each memory for future years in a very practical way.
Laura writes, “I was on maternity leave after the long-awaited arrival of my daughter, Hollie Olivia. I wanted to keep hold of as many memories as I possibly could. So when it came to her outgrown clothes, passing them on wasn’t an option. Living in a one bedroom maisonette at the time, there was nowhere to store them. That’s when I decided to make her a teddy and a blanket. Fast forward three years… we moved into our first house together, the little one is now at playschool and in summer 2017 our family of three became four and we welcomed our second daughter, Imogen Lucie.”
Friends and family saw the stuffed animals and quilts and, thinking it was a lovely idea, they passed bundles of clothes to Laura from which she crafted teddies, reindeer, blankets and a whole menagerie of animals. Each keepsake is personal, most are hand embroidered with names, dates and special messages. At first, it was all about new babies, but then she was asked to create keepsakes of other special events, like weddings and birthdays. The most touching were the memory bears she made for those who had lost loved ones, crafted from items that were known and loved too.
I have watched her skills grow, from the first hand-embroidered gift tag on the home-made chocolates she and my son made as Christmas gifts many years ago, to the beautiful things she now makes, each one crafted with just as much love. She takes each story personally and I have watched her smile and weep as she has shown me what she has made over the years.
Knowing the difference it can make to a child to have a parent at home, the idea of using her skills to help her daughters in a more practical way began to grow. In today’s world, both parents are often obliged to go out to work, but a possible solution was right at Laura’s fingertips and, with the proud support of my son, With Love Keepsakes was born.
Laura has just launched her new website and shop. There are many pictures of her work and a brochure that tells her story, and I hope that some who read this will visit her site and fall in love with her work. What the brochure does not tell is the personal story behind the keepsakes. She called it ‘With Love’ because each unique keepsake really is made with love, both that of the person who chooses one and that of the young woman who makes them, and it is the love of a young mother for her daughters that brought the idea into being.
Visit Laura’s website at With Love Keepsakes
What a great idea. I wish her the best of luck.
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Thanks, Ken. I think so too…and I have every confidence in her.
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What a wonderful story, Sue, and a fabulous idea. I wish Laura every success with her venture.
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Thanks, Mary. She really is talented. You should see some of the things she has made for the girls.
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It is a beautiful idea and the personal touch is even more so knowing that these gifts are made from items belonging to a particular individual.
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Laura takes such trouble over these…and loves doing it too.
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It’s wonderful Sue.
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I think so too.
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This is a wonderful idea and I wish your daughter in law all the very best in her new venture. I shall definitely be visiting 💜💜
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Thanks, Willow. there are so many ways these keepsakes make wonderful gifts…even for oneself. ❤
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Yes truly a brilliant idea 💜💜
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❤
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Pingback: With Love… – The Militant Negro™
Thanks for sharing 🙂
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Wonderful story, Sue, and gorgeous toys. If I EVER become a grandmother, I’ll keep this site in mind.
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Please do, Noelle. Laura sends her work all over the world 🙂
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Laura is incredibly talented. I am impressed with people who develop a successful cottage industry. I’m sure she will do very well. xo
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I agree and I hope so, Darlene. She has worked very hard to hone her skills.
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These are adorable and a wonderful idea – best of luck to Laura in her new endeavor.
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Thanks, Eliza. I think she will do really well…they are a lovely way to keep memories (without filling the cupboards 🙂 ).
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Reblogged this on Smorgasbord – Variety is the spice of life and commented:
To leave you tonight a heartwarming post from Sue Vincent who introduces us to a very special mum.. to Sue’s two granddaughters.. Laura has a very special skill and that is to create something beautiful from baby and toddler clothes into a keepsake… do head over as Laura now has a website… very special #recommended.
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amazing and she is a natural talent
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She does seem to have a gift with a needle.
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They are awesome
When my grand daughter started Kindergarten
I sewed all her school dresses
I wonder if my daughter stashed so away.
My granddaughter is now 18 and a freshman in college
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Then it would be lovely to give her those memories 🙂
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Really lovely work. A little far away, but i wish you all the very best with the venture!
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She’s sendingher work all around the world… so I think she will do well 🙂 Thanks, Marilyn.
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Thank you for all your kind words and wishes ❤😚 xx
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❤ xx
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How amazing, Sue. So nice that Laura could turn her creativity and passion into a business that lets her work from home. Going back to work away from your kids is a total killer in my view.
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The littlest one is only a few months old… I love that Laura can do this too 🙂
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Reblogged this on Die Erste Eslarner Zeitung – Aus und über Eslarn, sowie die bayerisch-tschechische Region!.
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A really wonderful idea.
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Thanks, Michael, I really hope this works for Laura 🙂
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Reblogged this on anita dawes and jaye marie.
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Thanks for sharing, Jaye x
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What a wonderful idea!
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I think so too…and the things she makes are gorgeous!
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This is lovely! Such a wonderful idea.
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It is, and her daughters will learn such a lot in the process too 🙂
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Yes they will.
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Reblogged this on firefly465.
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Thank you so much for reblogging, Adele x
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My pleasure, Sue. xxx
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xxx
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Hi Sue! I’m just surfacing back into blogland after returning late last night. What a beautiful post and a fabulous idea to make such items with love indeed. ❤
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Her work is so good, Debby, as are her reasons for doing it… I really hope she does well ❤
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Me too Sue. It’s a beautiful idea. ❤
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She’s just wrestling with her first wordpress.org site now 😉 xx
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Ouchee, I know all about that! 🙂 xx
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She’s learning 😉 xx
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How beautiful these items are for you and the children to talk about! Laura is truly talented! Best of luck to her in her new endeavor – making things from love! Thanks for sharing these lovely items with us! hugs xx
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Thanks, Janice. They really are lovely and she puts so much into them… as if the clothes from which she makes them were those of her own loved ones. I believe in her 🙂 xx
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Lovely… Wish her all the best
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Thank you 🙂
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You’re gladly welcome Sue
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🙂
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