SPROUTED LOCALLY FOR MAXIMUM CUTENESS

What began as a creative outlet for two local sisters has grown into a thriving business of handmade environmentally friendly baby and toddler apparel!  Mylaine and Veronique began their journey of selling products on Etsy and have sprouted themselves into multiple trendy stores in Ontario as well.  If you’re in love with all things tiny, trendy and adorable, be sure to read on and check out Sprout Handmade Baby Apparel products for the little bundles of joy in your life!

Tell us about yourselves and Sprout Handmade Baby Apparel.

Sprout was inspired by the adventures and experiences of our little ones at is mindfully created for trendy babies/toddlers.  Sprout is designed and crafted here in Sudbury, Ontario.  My sister Veronique and I always had a passion for homemade gifts and when we had children of our own, we wanted to dress our children comfortably while maintaining current comfortable style.  We offer unique prints as well as our own locally designed prints.  We are proud to be able to work with other local artists in designing prints that are exclusive to Sprout. What began as a creative outlet for us and has grown into a thriving business.

Where did the inspiration to create a baby apparel business come from?

We are both moms who love to be creative.  With keeping comfort in mind, we wanted our children to be stylish but still be able to move freely.  We all love the comfort of being in sweats at home, and this was no different for our children.  We added a unique style to prints all the while maintaining comfort.  Our children are our inspiration; their style, interests and imagination help develop creative patterns and prints.

What sort of clothing items do you offer?

We offer a wide range of baby and toddler clothing items.  We offer leggings, harem pants (lower inseam, perfect for cloth diaper babies), bandana bibs, knotted headbands, neck cowls as well as super adorable shorties in the summer.

We noticed you offer organic cotton with water based inks and dyes.  Please tell us a bit more about this.

Yes, our garments are made of Organic Cotton.  Organic cotton is grown using methods and materials that have low impact on the environment.  Organic cotton is grown without the use of toxic and persistent pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. This mean that all cotton sold as organic must meet strict regulations covering how the cotton is grown.  Conventional cotton is treated with pesticides, fungicides and possible GMO’s.  For the printing process, organic cotton is printed with low-impact, water based inks and/or pigments with no heavy metals.  Therefore, no harsh chemicals are used and we feel this is important, especially when babies/children are wearing these garments.  Let’s not forget how many babies have the tendency of putting absolutely everything in their mouths.

Sprout Handmade has undoubtedly expanded over the past few years – how have you kept up with the demand of hand making each piece?

Our little homegrown company has grown so much in the past two years.  We are both full time working moms, so time management has been our saving grace.  This with the help of our partners/family has undoubtedly been the reason we can escape and create. Our mother has been a tremendous help.  From sewing, to cutting threads, passing elastic or just helping with set up, we wouldn’t be able to produce our high volume without her.  We are often working early in the mornings/ late at night, when the kids have gone to bed.  We are definitely looking to grow our team at Sprout in the next few months.

Do you have a popular product/ print?

Our slouchy hats have been flying off the shelves!  They are perfect for all four seasons!  The Sudbury Rocks print is by far the most popular print we carry.  This specific print is exclusive to Sprout and designed by us!  This print is a newspaper style print with articles featuring Sudbury facts and landmarks and offers buyers a little reading material on Sudbury’s history while adoring their little ones.  The articles found on this print range from bare facts, to smoke stack, from Sudbury demographics to Sudbury’s Pond Hockey Tournament.  The art featured on this print is created by Siilvo Hernesniemi, a young local artist who takes our vision and turns it into beautiful art.  Our graphic designer as well as print designer Josee Gervais created a beautiful layout for this print and has created many other popular prints we carry, such as our mustaches and mountain as well as Je t’aime prints.

Where can we find Sprout Handmade products and where can we find more information? 

You can find an assortment of our items at Stitch & Stone downtown on Cedar as well as online at ‪www.sproutbaby.ca.  We have also just launched a Modern Market here in Sudbury every 8 weeks, which offers fair trade products from other Canadian based companies.  Unique baby and toddler items will be featured as well as a great selection for moms and dads!  Follow us on Facebook for location details, sales, and upcoming product announcements.