Category: Baby Kimono

abbrigate*

Once upon a time, back when I lived in Argentina and met my knitting group, a friend and I partnered to create abbrigate*. It was a lot of fun to bring to life the idea of making a business out of a passion, name it, create a brand and its personality. I remember fondly how much fun we had mixing sight, smell and taste when we were coming up with names for our chosen colors (rain!, raspberry!, cotton candy!).

With our transfer to Panama, in May of 2010, and running abbrigate* on my own, context changed dramatically: from a four season country, where knitted garments were a necessity in winter, to a two season, tropical country, where the weather was either warm or warmer, the only thing that was cold, or colder, in Panama was air conditioning. That’s where I saw a need: to protect babies with blankets, embroidered with love messages.

abbrigate* took off, and soon I was embroidering baby blankets for the many babies born during our time there. I loved combining local kuna patterned fabrics with solids, plus the very portuguese love messages reminiscent of the northern Portugal tradition of embroidered “lovers’ handkerchiefs”.

In 2013, time came to move again, to Lisbon, our hometown. Many changes ensued: I found a fantastic studio space in a beautiful Lisbon neighborhood, I restructured and streamlined my design and illustration services (and launched the Embroidery Club!) and today I am ready to share with you that abbrigate* has moved from its previous blogger-hosted home to my virtual home at air design and illustration studio. There’s still a lot of tweaking in the works (plus an online store in the near future!), and your suggestions are all welcome.

Until then, you can do like my friend J. and mail me your special commission, or like my friend R., who received her two blankets for her twins, who are expected any day now.

Have a great weekend, everyone! I know I will: it’s my birthday tomorrow, yay!

Era uma vez, há uns anos atrás na Argentina, uma amiga tricoteira e eu juntámos as nossas agulhas para criar a marca abbrigate*. Dar-lhe vida, personalidade e uma imagem foi uma experiência fantástica. Lembro-me com carinho de uma tarde em que misturámos olfacto, paladar e visão para baptizarmos as cores escolhidas para as nossas peças: chuva!, framboesa!, algodão doce! (mnham…!)

Com a mudança para o Panamá, em Maio de 2010, e já sozinha no projecto abbrigate*, o contexto mudou totalmente: de um país onde havia inverno e lãs, passámos a um país com duas estações (seca e húmida) e absolutamente nenhuma necessidade de roupa quente. A única coisa fria, quase polar, era a fúria dos ares condicionados. Foi aí que encontrei o meu nicho: proteger os bebés do frio artificial com mantinhas bordadas à mão.

E foi assim que esta marca cresceu, a par do baby boom panamenho, misturando os tecidos dos kuna com as mensagens de amor reminiscentes da tradição portuguesa dos lenços dos namorados.

Em 2013 mudámo-nos de novo, desta feita para Lisboa. Veio um espaço de atelier novo, num bairro lisboeta lindo; restruturei a minha oferta de serviços de design e ilustração (e lancei o Clube de Bordado!) e hoje quero partilhar convosco que o site abbrigate* acabou de mudar-se da sua antiga casa na plataforma blogger para esta nova casa, no âmbito do air design and illustration studio. Ainda há muitos detalhes para melhorar (e prevejo uma loja online num futuro próximo!), por isso agradeço todas os comentários e sugestões.

Enquanto não há loja online, podem fazer como a minha amiga J., que encomendou por mail esta mantinha para uma amiga especial; ou como a minha amiga R., que recebeu as suas duas mantas para os gémeos que estão quase a chegar!

Bom fim-de-semana a todos! O meu vai ser especial, já que faço anos amanhã. Viva!

3 Jun ’10

"Fwd: abbrigate*"

Hello everyone! We´re now blogging from Panama, after having completed our expansion to a new country. We´re expecting to give you some very exciting news soon regarding new designs and materials from the tropics. Sounds promising, doesn´t it?

But for now, we want to share one of the things we´re most proud of in the garments we hand-knit: their durability and resistance to wear and tear. We know that babies, in their first year, grow so much that they won´t fit into a Kimono or a Vestmono for longer than three months. And we also know that babies´ clothes may get a bit pricey, specially bearing in mind that they will only be used for a short period of time.

That´s why we encourage forwarding. Exactly, forwarding like you would forward an e-mail! It may sound funny but it´s actually very environmentally friendly and financially sound: once your baby has outgrown a garment, you can keep it for your next baby, of course, but you can also forward it to a friend of yours whose baby may use the clothes your baby outgrew. There you go!

As for our garments, you can rest assured they will look as good as knew when you pass them forward to your friends! One abbrigate* garment, two (or more) happy babies!

Hola a todos nuestros lectores! Acá estamos en Panamá, después de haber completado esta expansión para un nuevo país. Estamos muy contentas y deseosas de darles notícias sobre nuevos diseños y materiales tropicales en nuestra colección de productos abbrigate*. Suena promisor, no?

Por ahora queremos compartir con ustedes uno de los aspectos de nuestras prendas que más nos enorgullece: su resistencia al uso (intenso!) y su durabilidad. Todos sabemos que los bebés, especialmente en su primer año de vida, crecen muy rápido y que sus ropitas les sirven por periodos muy cortos. También sabemos que justamente estas prendas suelen ser bastante caras, sobre todo teniendo en cuenta de que pronto ya no les van a servir.

Es por eso que en abbrigate* nos gusta mucho la idea de “forwarding”. Como un correo electrónico, saben? Cuando a tu chico el Baby Kimono (o cualquier otra prenda) ya no le sirve, pasala a otro bebé, ya sea tu próximo hijo o entonces el de tu amiga. Una idea simple y muy práctica, no?

Cuanto a nuestras prendas, podés estar absolutamente segura de que se van a ver lindas incluso después de ese uso tan intenso que tu bebé les dio. Un Vestmono, dos (o más) bebés felices!

5 Mar ’10

How to buy | Cómo comprar

This is a small guide put together to answer the question we are most frequently asked: how do I buy an abbrigate* product? Well, it´s very easy, just follow the steps below:

Para responder a la pregunta que más frecuentemente nos hacen, “cómo hago para adquirir una prenda abbrigate*?”, acá compilamos una pequeña guía para ayudarles. Es muy fácil, les mostramos cómo:

1. Choose a design | Elige un modelo:

2. Then, choose a size | Después, un tamaño:

3. Finally, choose a colour | Finalmente, elige el color deseado:

Send us an e-mail with your request or visit our online store.

Envíanos un correo electrónico con tu pedido o visita nuestra tienda virtual.

17 Sep ’09

abbrigate*

En español, más abajo.

Once upon a time, in a far, far away land, two wizards joined forces against cold weather and came together to create abbrigate*, a new brand of hand-knitted, deliciously yummy baby wear to protect the youngest of the youngest from the cold.

Joji, one of the wizards, was a mom of two little wizard-apprentices. She used her knitting powers ever so intensely that one day she found out there was not one, not one single boy or girl suffering from shivers in those chilly days and nights of winter. Suddenly, she had no one else to knit for, because everybody around her was warm and cozy.

One day, Billy, the other wizard of this tale, told Joji:

“Oh, dear friend, don´t be sad! Why don´t you use your powers to keep children warm… everywhere in the world? There are other kingdoms out there who may be in need of your amazing knitting powers!”

We all know wizards never quit, so Joji and Billy sat down with their wizardry books and made an oath:

“We shall keep all babies warm and cozy during those chilly days and nights throughout the year!”

And, after repeating it three times, abbrigate* came to life.

abbrigate* is a mom-owned brand of hand-knitted, ecological baby wear.

abbrigate* garments have an unique character because:
– they´re exclusively designed by abbrigate*, for abbrigate*; they can even be customized by embroidering the baby´s name!
– they´re ecologically sound: fibres are carefully selected to combine the best materials with ease of care. That´s why we use hypoallergenic fibres that are machine washable.
– they´re handmade by knitters who earn a fair wage by doing something they enjoy.

abbrigate* ´s first line of products is a collection of Baby Kimonos for babies up to six months old. Kimonos come in ten (almost edible, may we add) colours, from the classic rose and blue to bolder alternatives. Future projects include expanding the offer with different designs (late 2009), as well as launching specially designed, limited editions of our classic line.

Try our wizardry today and see how good our garments look even after being used by your children, your friends´ children and your grandchildren. And we´re not exaggerating! Find us on:

abbrigate* blog
abbrigate* shop @ etsy
abbrigate* shop @ bigcartel

Érase una vez, en una tierra muy, muy lejana, dos hechiceras que unieron sus fuerzas contra el clima frío y se juntaron para crear abbrigate*, una nueva marca de deliciosa ropa para bebé para proteger a los más jóvenes de las garras del frío.

Joji, una de las hechiceras, era mamá de dos pequeños aprendices de hechicero. Usaba sus poderes tejeriles tan intensamente que un día descubrió que no había un solo niñito o niñita que sufriera de escalofríos en esos días y noches helados de invierno. De repente, se encontró con que no tenía nadie más para quien tejer, porque todos a su alrededor estaban calentitos y abrigados.

Un día, Billy, la otra hechicera, le dijo a Joji:

“No estés triste! Por qué no usas tus asombrosos poderes tejeriles para mantener a los niños calentitos… en todo el mundo? Hay otros reinos allí afuera que pueden necesitar de tus asombrosos poderes tejeriles!”

Todos sabemos que las hechiceras no renuncian, así que Joji y Billy se sentaron con sus libros de hechicería e hicieron un juramento:

“Mantendremos a todos los bebés calentitos y abrigados durante los días y noches helados todo el año!”

Y luego de repetirlo 3 veces, nació abbrigate*.

abbrigate* es una marca de ropa de bebés tejida a mano, ecológica y creada por mamás.

Las prendas de abbrigate* tienen un carácter único porque:
– están diseñadas exclusivamente por abbrigate*, para abbrigate*; incluso se pueden personalizar bordándoles el nombre de cada bebé!
– son respetuosos de la ecología: las fibras se seleccionan cuidadosamente para combinar los mejores materiales con el más fácil cuidado para la prenda. Por eso usamos fibras hipoalergénicas que son aptas para el lavado en lavarropas.
– están hechas a mano por tejedoras que ganan un salario justo haciendo algo que disfrutan.

La primera línea de productos de abbrigate* es una colección de Baby Kimonos para bebés de hasta 6 meses. Los kimonos vienen en diez colores casi comibles, desde el rosa pálido hasta colores brillantes y alternativos. Futuros proyectos incluyen expandir la oferta con diferentes modelos (finales del 2009), y lanzar ediciones limitadas especialmente diseñadas de nuestra línea clásica.

Prueba nuestra hechicería hoy y verás lo bien que lucen nuestras prendas incluso luego de ser usadas por tus hijos, los hijos de tus amigos e inluso tus nietos. Y no estamos exagerando! Encontranos en:

abbrigate* blog
abbrigate* shop @ etsy
abbrigate* shop @ bigcartel