While designing the print for the Peanut Butter Jam collection, I also had to design and create the actual garments!
Of course, I started with the toddler tee—because everything is cuter in mini size, and who better to test the samples than my own little peanut-butter-loving toddler?

I drafted the very first pattern onto butcher’s paper, cut it out of fabric, and stitched it up in my tiny spare room studio. At first, I thought a pocket would be cute on the toddler shirt… until I found a whole squashed strawberry stuck inside it. So, no pocket on the toddler tee (I left that design feature for the adults instead). Pockets may make a comeback though, especially now that my toddler is a little older and absolutely obsessed with them!

Every pattern started the same way: sketched out onto butcher’s paper, checked, cut in fabric, sewn up, and then tried on real people! That’s how I made sure each style would actually feel good to wear.

• Men’s Classic Pocket Cotton Tee: Designed with a narrower shoulder line that shows off the arms but is still shaped enough to fit women too—so it’s oversized just enough without feeling like you’re being swallowed whole.
  
• Women’s Relaxed Pocket Cotton Tee: This one was the hardest. I’ve never really loved how basic tees fit me, especially after having a baby when my body had changed so much. I wanted something that would make women feel good—comfortable but still flattering. After trial and error (and a lot of late-night sewing), the Relaxed Pocket Tee was born using a Magya style. It’s got relaxed shoulders that fall nicely, a little shaping at the waist, a dropped back hem that looks great with tights, and it’s perfect tucked in or chopped short if that’s your style.
• The Little Explorer Cotton Shorts: I found most shorts for my toddler either fit the waist or had enough room for the nappy—not both. I wanted these shorts to be roomy enough for a nappy while still staying up on our little explorers.

I spent countless hours drafting and redrafting patterns, trying different lengths, adjusting shoulder lines, and testing fits until everything felt just right. My family unintentionally ended up with a whole set of Christmas tees during this process!

When the drafting and sampling were finally perfect, it was time to digitise them. I teamed up with a local and amazing patternmaker/digitiser, Sew n Design by Gwenda, who has such a wealth of industry knowledge and helped get everything ready for the manufacturers.
We plotted the patterns on this HUGE whiteboard-like computer and then fine-tuned everything in the program to make sure it all matched the physical pattern perfectly.

At the same time, I was also creating detailed tech packs for every piece:

• Exact sewing instructions
• Print placement measurements
• Seam allowances
• Full garment measurements for every size
• Grading rules
• …and soooo much more!

All of this started in my little spare room home studio—drafting, cutting, and sewing during nap times and late nights. Each piece was born right here. It was a long process, but seeing those first finished garments made me jump for joy and has made it all worth it.

This collection isn’t just designed for any family—it’s designed for every family, for your family, from the first sketch to the final stitch.