One Small Child » Page 7

Category: One Small Child

A Childs Blessing - One Small Child

About “A Child’s Blessing”

My mother started this company on a shoestring twenty-five years ago. I was a child then, but I can clearly remember her excitement over each new style, the love she put into her designs, how pleased she was to see children in her creations. I also remember her saying often that she wanted each dress to go out into the world with a blessing of peace and happiness for the child who wore it.

Several years later, she and I collaborated on the poem printed on the back of the hangtag attached to each dress or romper that leaves our facility. It is an expression of our sincere wish for every child to enjoy peace, joy, love, guidance, and freedom in life.

Lohrville in Autumn - One Small Child

Checking In

I hope the long Labor Day holiday weekend finds you all well. I’m just a bit sad to wave goodbye to summer, but I LOVE autumn…truthfully, I enjoy every season (except maybe that dreary spell between Valentine’s Day and Easter).

I’ll be spending the weekend keeping up with my family and working on some new christening styles as well as a few upcoming changes and new features for this blog. Any suggestions or comments? Let me know!

Roast Chicken - One Small Child

Summer Barbecue with the Crew

Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to work on a daily basis with many beautiful, smart, talented, hard-working women (and a lone man–my brother Kendall). One Small Child is a team effort–it takes a lot of hands to create, package and ship our products.

We had a little ‘get together’ the other day, and I brought my trusty camera along so I could give you a peek at most of the movers-and-shakers around here. This is the second year of a new company tradition: our summer chicken-in-the-barrel party (we cook our chicken a little bit differently than the recipe on the link…but the main concept is the same, and it is to-die-for yummy). So, without further adieu, meet the crew:

We really had a nice time, the evening was calm and warm, the food was great, the company was fun, and we finished with this:

William Convert-a-Gown with Brakkin Christening Romper - One Small Child

One Small Child Customer Reviews

We’ve been selling dresses for a long time…twenty-five years, in fact! Over the years, we’ve interacted with literally thousands of people. I’ve said it before, we love feedback, and it’s true. We have the best customers.

Of course, we like the positive comments…you should see the bulletin board on the wall in our customer service department. It’s covered with photos and christening invitations and kind notes from thoughtful customers. In addition, we’ve devoted an entire page on OneSmallChild.com to customer comments. Ooooh. I love our customers.

Lest you think we only like the nice things people say, we actually really appreciate not-so-positive feedback as well. As hard as we work to get everything right, we’re human, Murphy’s Law kicks in every once in awhile, and we have a hiccup. Our philosophy is that the best way to get rid of our hiccups is to respond to each issue as it arises, do our best to make it right and then implement strategies to eliminate future occurrences. So thank you for bringing areas in need of improvement to our attention!

Anyhoo…the point of this post is to let you know how much we appreciate comments…if you’d like to know how people feel about our company, you can view the results of our BizRate post-sale surveys here.

Keepsake Bag - One Small Child

Preserving Your Christening Gown

So what do you do with your christening gown or christening outfit after the big day? Here are a few suggestions for preserving your child’s heirloom for future generations:

  • Dry clean or hand-wash the christening gown or christening outfit as directed on the clothing tag. Stains and body oils can irreparably discolor the fabric. If you hand-wash, avoid using harsh soaps, chlorine bleach, fabric softeners, and starch. Rinse the christening dress or outfit well to remove detergent residues.
  • Once your christening gown or christening suit is completely clean and dry, stuff it with clean, acid-free tissue; this will help prevent hard creases that can weaken the fabric. Fold additional tissue into pleats and slip it between layers of fabric.
  • Place the christening outfit or gown in a 100% cotton unbleached muslin bag, we have three different lengths to fit your needs. Plastic or vinyl bags are unacceptable for long-term preservation since garments need to breathe. For this same reason, you should not seal or wrap a cardboard box containing heirloom christening clothing. Never pack mothballs with your christening apparel since they can ruin fabric over time. Also avoid storing the christening suit or gown with metal items. If you have purchased a bracelet for your special occasion, you can find the perfect display frame at One Small Child.
  • Label your storage container (if it is not already monogrammed) with a name and date.
  • Store the christening outfit or christening gown in a dark, cool, dry place (for example, in a closet or under a bed). Avoid storing the box or bag in places where temperature or humidity may fluctuate seasonally (for example, a basement or attic). The ideal storage place has a relative humidity of 55 percent and a temperature of about 75 degrees Fahrenheit.
  • Check your heirloom christening gown or christening outfit once in a while to ensure that it is maintaining its beauty. When you handle your christening heirloom, wear cotton gloves –- skin oils can discolor fabric.
  • When you wish to use your treasured christening gown or christening outfit again, remove it from the storage container and air it out for several days. You may need to steam the item to remove wrinkles; iron only as a last resort, and only on a very low setting.
Audrey Mom Talk - One Small Child

Christening Gowns in My Blood

Audrey | One Small Child Mom Talk

We’re getting things rolling now on this One Small Child blog, so I thought I’d share some background information about me, your friendly behind-the-scenes writer. Here goes:

Christening gowns have been a big part of my life for as long as I can remember. I can clearly recall all the details of the first blessing dress my mother created when I was ten years old. It was sheer and lacy and ruffly with big dips on each side of the overskirt, trimmed with satin ribbon bows. In fact, it was very similar to our current Lucy style…funny that after all this time we’re coming full-circle, back to where we began!

I helped out in our little factory on and off through my teenage years and came to work with the company full time in my college years. I have logged thousands of hours cutting, sewing, trimming, inspecting, tagging, bagging, shipping, planning, scheduling, troubleshooting, answering phones, dreaming, designing, costing, sourcing, writing, editing, sweating, crying, laughing, and loving every minute. I have enjoyed close working relationships with family members, our talented staff, vendors, sales representatives, store buyers and many of our valued customers. I think I can safely say this business is in my blood! (Thanks, Mom!)

Six years ago, I became a mother, and I can truthfully say that this experience is the only thing more all-consuming and rewarding for me than One Small Child. I am truly living my dream: being a mom with a fun job on the side! Don’t get me wrong, I love what I’m doing, but we keep it real. We’re not always perfectly put together or clutter-free or calm, cool and collected…but there’s always tomorrow!

Thanks for visiting–I’m interested in you and what you’re interested in, so let me know all about you! And stay tuned for more information on everything going on at One Small Child.