Convertibles - clothes that kids can make!

CONVERTIBLES

Clothes that kids can make and grow with!

You know that feeling, when you’ve made something from scratch, you’ve used your skills and produced something, it doesn't really matter what. What matters is that you created it… it’s that sense of achievement, feeling of worth, empowered super hero like state of mind, where you ‘CAN-DO’ with the skills you own. That feeling is ace.

Photo credit @Rose & Julien 2019

The Convertibles

The Convertibles kit is a wearable puzzle, made of  knitted clothing panels, that grow along the growth spurts of a child, a learning experience as well as a warming, comfy garment, for years to come. A child can assemble their wearable woollen Convertibles kit at home, with the help of parent, grandparents or siblings, and enjoy screen free together times with family. With a tactile tool kit; a chunky wooden needle (safe), chunky yarn and with the help of a guide manual, a child is able to put together their own clothing and practice core life skills like; creative thinking, problem solving and fine motoric skills. At the end of the garment’s life cycle you can give your convertible a new lease of life by turning it into a soft toy or a cushion, capturing forever a chapter of your childhood.

The Convertibles are made with 100% softest Scottish lambswool, durable for many years of adventures and 100% biodegradable, leaving no trace once disposed of.

Let me make my own clothes?

Often, children have little, if any say in making decisions on what clothes they wear. We have created a platform for children to explore and express their creativity from an early age through clothing. It's just very cool too to make your own stuff to wear.

Circular Economy kidswear

We live in an age where clothing is coming out of our ears, clogging our landfills and plastic pollution is taking over. There is no more room on this earth for short life products, and that includes clothing. 

Sustainable thinking is not just for adults. If we help kids learn to make things again, we encourage an 'I can' attitude, curiosity to make connections and understand the world.

Through making your own stuff, an understanding of manufacturing processes is created, giving more value to natural resources and the stuff we make with it. Through this understanding, we could start to buy more long lasting, high quality products, repair more, recycle more often and keep things in use for longer? What do you think?

"Hey, now I know how to make new clothes out of my old clothes!" 

Alice, Edinburgh, 7 years

My journey:

I learned to knit at the age of five with my Finnish grandmother and remember those moments of quiet concentration spent with her like they were yesterday. I later trained as a knitwear designer at Heriot-Watt University, Galashiels School of Textiles and happy to have followed my heritage to present you with Convertibles which I hope will inspire you to discover many exciting adventures for years to come. The Convertibles concept was inspired by the work of early childhood theorists, Froebel and Montessori, who believed that us adults can 'help children learn to help themselves', promoting life long skills and independent thinking. I wanted to merge this educational thinking into my kidswear, to provide meaningful experiences and products with a positive impact on future generations. We are launching our project on Crowdfunder, to fund the production of Convertibles and get more and more children sewing, learning and playing.

Rewards in pictures:

Convertibles Starter kit:

 'Bing Bang Build Your Own Beanie' kit (now available in adult sizes too):

'Tikapuut' Scarf kit: 

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'Join the Dots Jumper' kit:

'Sewing Skirt' kit:

'Three Tier' Dress kit:

Just added:

'Tikapuut' Scarf Kit - for ADULTS - Limited 'Crowdfunding Edition'

'Make Your Scarf Go Further' For adult 'Tikapuut Scarf'

Add a single modular panel to jazz up your Tikapuut scarf of make it into a double wrap!

Colours available (vary from pictures somewhat due to screens):

Midnight blue

Powder blue

Sunshine yellow

Burnt orange

Emerald green

Silver shadow grey

UK postage is included in all rewards. For outside UK purchase, you can pledge to donate to cover the shipping costs, by adding 'International shipping - suggested donation' from the rewards list. :)

THANK YOU EVERYONE WHO HAS MADE THIS JOURNEY HAPPEN SO FAR!

With sewing and knitting love,

Maija