A Ruddington based clothing designer has now been recognised by a national newspaper for another of her unique maternity products – created and crafted in Nottinghamshire.
Former midwife Olivia Swift first achieved nationwide recognition two years ago after designing a fashion top which allows women to breastfeed babies discreetly in public. She set up a new company called Lotus Maternity to market her innovative products via the web from her home in Ruddington.
The manufacturing is all done in Nottingham city centre but the personalised embroidery on her latest bamboo baby blankets is being carried out by Ann Dunstan at Add Embroidery & Print on Brookside Road in our village.
It’s these blankets which have just gained Olivia her latest accolade in The Independent. They’re 94% bamboo, making them very environmentally friendly, but who also knew that the resulting material is also very soft and hypoallergenic? The article praises the blankets as being ideal for babies with sensitive skin or eczema as well as being antibacterial and super absorbent.
“Those that know me personally will know that I am not a woman of few words,” admits Olivia, “but since finding out I was chosen as having one of the top three products on the market by The Independent I have been speechless! Leaving the security of my job as a midwife almost two years ago to work full time on Lotus Maternity hasn’t been without its ups and downs – but it’s moments like this that make it all worthwhile.”
Reviewed by Jenna Farmer in the IndyBest section of the publication, Olivia’s bamboo baby blanket came in the top three of “The 12 best baby blankets to keep your little one comfortable and snug.”
Jenna said: “Our blanket came wrapped in ribbon and presented in a beautiful gift box and once we’d opened it, we were in awe at just how truly silky this blanket felt. It’s available in both single and double-layered weighting and we think this would make the perfect gift for a newborn or christening.” Their verdict reads “…for something truly special, we’d recommend splashing out on Lotus Maternity’s silky soft bamboo blanket.”
Olivia says: “I am SO PLEASED and have to keep pinching myself, it doesn’t seem real that my product has beaten industry giants like Mothercare, Jo Jo, Maman, Bebe, etc. It just means so much because it’s all so personal to me. They’re my design; I handpicked all the fabric; the satin trim; I cut the patterns out and even sew the labels in and have worked really hard to get the products and Lotus Maternity where it is today.”
She adds: “Even when a customer gives me a great review on my products or services, the emotion I feel is unreal. So to be recognised on a national level is on a whole other level of pride. It’s safe to say I burst into tears of joy!”
Olivia’s exploits don’t stop with her maternity products, as she’s now running Mother & Baby Advice & Support groups in Ruddington and elsewhere to give the benefit of her midwifery experience to new mums in the area. Her next Post Natal Plan sessions in our village begin on Monday 9th September at The Ruddington Arms.
You can find more details of Olivia’s products and services on her company website, www.lotusmaternity.co.uk.
Graham Wright via RUDDINGTON.info