Some of my favourite projects start with a simple question: what would make the perfect gift?
When my friend announced she was expecting, I wanted to make something truly personal. Something handmade, something that couldn't be bought in a shop, and something that combined my two favourite things — sewing and screenprinting. That's how Bloomie was born.
A toy with a face only you can make
Bloomie is a softie toy with a screenprinted face. And that's what makes it special — because you print that face yourself, every single Bloomie is unique. The expression, the details, the character — it all comes from you and your hands.
But the real magic happens on the back.
You can add a name. A birth date. A little message. Whatever feels right for the person you're making it for. That personal touch turns a handmade toy into something that will be kept for years.
Sewing and screenprinting — a match made in heaven
I've always loved sewing. And when I discovered screenprinting, I quickly realised how beautifully the two work together. Screenprinting lets you add details to your sewing projects that you simply can't get any other way — a perfectly placed print, a personalised touch, a little piece of art built right into the fabric.
Bloomie is the project that brought those two worlds together most naturally for me. The softie shape is simple enough for confident beginners, and the screenprinting elevates it into something that feels genuinely special.
Made with love — from Australia to the Netherlands
The first Bloomie went to my friend's new baby here in Adelaide. Then I made two more for my nieces back in the Netherlands — a little piece of my studio sent all the way across the world. Seeing their faces when they received them reminded me exactly why I make things with my hands.
There's something about a handmade gift that no shop-bought toy can replicate. The time, the thought, the personalisation — it all adds up to something that feels alive and loved before it's even unwrapped.
Make your own Bloomie
The Bloomie sewing and screenprinting pattern is available in my shop. It includes everything you need to cut, sew, and screenprint your own — including the face design ready to use as a stencil.
If you already have one of my screenprinting kits, you have everything you need to get started. If you're new to screenprinting, a kit and the Bloomie pattern together make a beautiful first project with a truly special result at the end.
Whether you're making it as a baby gift, a birthday present, or just because you want to try something new — Bloomie is one of those projects that reminds you why making things with your own hands is so worth it.
Find the Bloomie pattern in the shop here
Have you made a Bloomie? Tag me on Instagram @ink.oranges — I'd love to see yours.