Friday Feature! Lovely Pretty Little Things

 Happy Friday!

Today I have what may just be my most favourite feature! Yes, she is THAT good! The best way I can think to describe what Vicky does in short is, she makes huggable memories!!! I defy you not to fall in love with the memory bears that Vicky creates.......

• About you......who you are, what you like, what you don’t like…. Basically anything you want to share

My name is Vicky Ashwell, I am 34, very soon to be 35 and I live in Wiltshire.  I was born in Yorkshire into a military family, my great Grandfather was in the Horse Artillery, one Grandfather was in the Airforce, the other in the Reme, my Uncle was in the RAF, my mum was in the WRAC and my Dad in the Signals and (lastly) my partner was also in the Signals! I was born in Catterick in North Yorkshire and moved to Germany when I was 4 and lived there until I came back to University when I was 18. I loved living in Germany and am grateful for having such a fantastic upbringing. Growing up in a military environment gives you an enormous sense of family and community.

Things I love: my family and friends are the most important things in my life. I like reading, cooking, cuddles, pink, sewing, knitting, cats, snowboarding, camping. I also love poetry and inspiring quotes, one of my favourites being:

" I am only one, but still I am one. I cannot do everything, but still I can do something. And because I cannot do everything I will not refuse to do the something that I can do."

• About your company; Lovely Pretty Little Things......

A memory bear made by Vicky from baby clothes!

My company really started by accident! When my nephew was born 6 years ago I put together a box of goodies for my sister with all sorts of things that I thought she might find useful. She loved it! 4 years later she had my neice but she already had all the things she needed for a new baby so I had to get my thinking cap on. I came up with the idea of a Nappy Cake after doing some research and she loved it! After that whenever a friend had a baby they wanted a Nappy cake and eventually that led to me making them for friends of friends and later selling them.

I then got talking to a local florist who wanted to stock them and things went from there. The next thing I started making was sock cup cakes. Having spoken to lots of friends they said you didn't get many essentials as gifts so never had enough socks and bibs. The cupcakes went down a storm, made from socks and bibs and they look so good they are often mistaken for real cupcakes!

Moving on from that I started stitching cards and making quilts and then I made a sock rabbit for a friend which resulted in lots more orders for sock animals. This then evolved into someone asking me to make a bear out of her daughters babygrows and the rest, as they say is history! I knew there were people out there who made stuffed animals from babygrows and I do make a lot of these but I wanted to expand the possibilities and do something to support a worthy cause. A friend of mine became a coordinator for an amazing charity called scotty's little soldiers www.scottyslittlesoldiers.co.uk that raises money for children who have lost a parent in conflict. It is a fantastic cause and very close to home. So I decided to donate money from each bear sold to support Scotty's.

I have made bears from all sorts of fabrics and for all sorts of reasons from army and RAF uniforms for children who's Dad's were going out to Afghanistan to give them to snuggle up to while Daddy is away. I made a bear for my Mum to chear her up when she was diagnosed with Cancer and I used my Dad's ties, tshirts and pj's from my brother and sister and clothes from myslef and neice and nephew. All the clothes had special meaning and make the bear that bit more special, I used my neices dress that she wore for her first Christmas, a jumper that I knitted for my nephew when he was born, my brother's climbing tshirt. When she looks at that bear she sees all of us and all of those happy memories.

I have also made bears for people who have lost somebody close to them. One was a particluar challenge as my client wanted a hat to be incorporated so I used the hat for the tummy! Another client wanted me to incorporate a pair of gloves as her Dad was a Mason when he was alive so I used the gloves to make a heart on the tummy!

I am about to make a bear from a bridesmaids dress and another from a first communion gown so the list of what can be used is endless!

I love the fact that what I make is so personal and can bring so much comfort. It is also a lovely way to keep a memory close to you instead of keeping something in a drawer. The bears make a great gift for Grandparents too, what a gorgeous and unique gift!

The business has gone from strength to strength and evolved gradually into what it is at the moment, who knows where it will go in the next 6 months. I tend to sell Nappy cakes locally but the bears go all over the country and this is where my focus is at the moment.

If you want to contact me here are my details:

website: www.lovelyprettylittlethings.com
email: lovelyprettylittlethings@hotmail.co.uk
find me on facebook: lovely pretty little things
Twitter @VickyAshwell
Pinterest: Vicky Ashwell

'Sarge' made from military uniform! Amazing idea!

• What or who inspires you?

My parents are my biggest inspiration. They had only known each other for 3 months before they got married, they have brought up 3 children, and a lot of the time my Mum had to cope on her own in a foreign country while my Dad was away.

General inspiration, I think is everywhere, Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, the people you meet, books, TV, Films, Nature. It is everywhere!

• Top 3 on your wish list right now?

Now that depends on whether you want a serious or pie in the sky answer.... pie in the sky would be: 1. Win the lottery (I don't buy tickets) 2. endless sunny weather in the day and rain at night when I'm sleeping and for the temperature not to fall below 25C 3. Guaranteed health and happiness to me and all my family

On a serious note, my Mum has just been diagnosed with Cancer so I would wish for her Cancer to be cured and her to remain in good health, I would like my business to be a great success so that I can raise lots of money and awareness of Scotty's Little Soldiers and I would really love an end to this financial crisis!

• What do you have planned for this weekend?

I am going to meet one of my bestest friends and her son, who is also my godson and we are going to have lots of FUN!

• Finally (thank Chrunchie) what give’s you that ‘Friday-Feeling’?

Bacon and Halloumi baguettes from the canteen at work to celebrate "Fat Fridays" 

Scotty’s Little Soldiers is dedicated to supporting the children of men and women killed in action while serving with the British Armed Forces.


The charity provides treats, trips and activities for families of the fallen with the aim of offering a respite – however brief - from the daily ups and downs of coping without a loved one.

Lovely Pretty Little Things support Scottys with every Bear they make, For more information and to make a donation click the logo >

I'd personally like to say a massive thank you to Vicky for sharing her heartfelt story with us. I hope you aggree what an amazing person Vicky is and I hope you love Lovely Pretty Little Things as much as I do. I'm already thinking who I can order one for!!! Vicky I wish you every success and I'm sure your business will only continue to go from strength to strength!

Have a great weekend all!

Love Kate x