Sweet success with handmade baby items

Kimberly Whittle takes the plunge to open business providing everything for newborns

Wanting to offer other East London moms handmade baby items and with no sewing experience, resident Kimberly Whittle decided to start Sweet Adeline.

Kicking off her business in 2018 after the birth of her daughter, Whittle, 35, said she had no clue how to sew at first.

“I started this business because of the birth of my daughter, Adeline.

“I just felt EL didn’t offer the things that I wanted for my daughter, and I was so blessed that my mom could make them for me as I didn’t want to order online,”  Whittle, who previously worked as a nurse, said.

“I wanted to offer other moms the same thing.

“I was nervous to start my own business as I was working before and had a steady income when I was nursing.

“I stopped nursing in 2017 when I was seven-months pregnant.

I loved nursing and do miss it, but I wanted to be home with my daughter and right now, I need to be with my family and watch them grow

“I loved nursing and do miss it, but I wanted to be home with my daughter and right now, I need to be with my family and watch them grow,”  Whittle, who is now a mom of two, said.

“I also only started sewing when Sweet Adeline started in 2018, I literally never knew anything at first,” she said.

“My mom has been sewing for years, and she taught me how to sew in the first two years of Sweet Adeline.

“She helped me with the first orders, and we work so well together! It’s a lot of work, and I couldn’t have done this without her.”

Today, Whittle can often be found designing and even sewing a range of baby items, from dummy clips, bibs, baby linen, feeding pillows, mobiles, Toy barrels, cot bumper, Minky blankets, and so much more.

Still very much a part of the business today, Whittle’s mom is still a big source of inspiration and support.

“My mom is definitely the one who inspired me to start my own business and to start sewing.

“My sister and I watched her sew when we were young. She sewed dresses and kids clothes. Later she started doing the dog beds too.

“My mom made all my sister’s dancing outfits for years, and she also started her own business when we were in school,” Whittle said.

“While I sew a lot of the items myself, my mom still helps me a lot.

“And our bigger items such as the carry cots and play ponds are done on an industrial machine with the help of our wonderful seamstress.

“She is amazing and sews with so much love,”  Whittle said.

While Sweet Adeline already offers a wide range of items, Whittle is not averse to making custom orders.

“If I see something that I really like, I will make it. If a new mom asks me to make something I will do it.

“I am always looking for new ideas. It also depends on the fabric we can find,” Whittle said.

She said fabric shopping was one of her favourite things to do for the business.

“When we find good fabric, we will make something and then just look at it for days,” Whittle said.

She said her favourite item to make was baby linen.

“I didn’t get to do this with Adeline. I had someone else make it for me and I absolutely loved it. I just wish I had started sewing a year earlier.

I love making baby linen, especially when customers tell me it’s for their first baby. My heart just explodes with excitement

“I love making baby linen, especially when customers tell me it’s for their first baby. My heart just explodes with excitement.”

And while she would have never imagined herself running a business, she loves every part of it.

“I do all the pricing, quotes and invoices on my own too and then also sending photos back and forth to confirm orders.

“It all takes time, but I don’t like rushing moms. They need to be happy with their order and their final decision.

“It’s something so special, and I love every minute of that process.

“I love talking to moms about what they want and how they would like all the items to look,” Whittle said.

“I think the most challenging part of running a business is not having enough time in the day.

“The day goes so fast, and sometimes you don’t finish some items that you wanted to, especially if it’s a big order.”

Growing from strength to strength each year, Sweet Adeline has been an incredibly rewarding journey for Whittle.

“Sweet Adeline started off with just a few items and now has a long list of things available. Seeing that growth has been amazing.

“But the thing that’s most rewarding is seeing photos from all the moms-to-be once they have their items.

“I love receiving the photos from the baby showers, or their nurseries once they have completed them,”  Whittle said.

“Each item is made with a lot of love and care and I love making each and every thing, but I couldn’t have done this without my mom and husband, they have both been so supportive.”

 For more information, visit the Sweet Adeline Facebook page.


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