What Inspired the Holly Jolly Collection?

The inspiration for this year’s collection came from some of my favorite Christmas memories, as well as from my children’s most treasured Christmas traditions. When I was a kid, no day of the year was more exciting than the day that my mama pulled the Christmas decorations out of storage. I’d run circles around the red and green Rubbermaid tubs, powered by sugar from Christmas candy. I’d ask my dad a million and ten questions as he untangled strands of lights while muttering to himself, and I’d fawn over each ornament being pulled out of the box as if I’d never seen any of them before. 

When it came to decorating, my mom went all out. She had three full sized trees, each with its own theme and color scheme. I affectionately named my favorite tree the Victorian Tree. Covered in peach, pink, red, sage, pistachio, and cream ornaments, this tree was my happy place. I’d lay underneath it and just stare up at the twinkling lights and shiny ornaments, lost in a world of wonder. We used the Victorian Tree’s color palette for our Holly Jolly collection this year. You’ll notice the repetition of evergreen branches and holly leaves throughout this line and delightful pops of peachy pink, each a nod to the beloved Victorian Tree.

That Holly Jolly Feeling

When I remember the Christmases of my childhood, I mostly think about my unbridled joy and wonder. It was as if the world transformed over night, the glowing lights making everything feel a little warmer, a little more right. Now, as a grown woman and mother of three, I love celebrating Christmas with my own children. To see in their eyes the same hopeful expectation and joy as we pull out all of the decorations and gather around the table to light our Advent wreath is a delight.

In our household, Joy to the World is our kids’ most requested song for the Advent season. We listen to it multiple times a day and sing it with gusto because the words ring as true today as they did when first penned by Isaac Watts in 1719. Inspired both by this song and the whole world’s response to the coming of our King, we created our “Heaven and Nature Sing” embroidered pillow and table runner.

I designed Holly Bunny and Jolly Mouse to inspire the same play and fun for children that I experienced as a young girl. Just look at the hand embroidered details and the beautiful handwoven fabrics in these cute stuffed animals! And they each come with a change of clothing that any kiddo can mix and match!

The Creative Process

For each of the prints in this collection, I hand drew the designs before sending them to our block maker and screen printer. Then, the block maker hand carved our designs into wooden blocks, each used to stamp the design onto fabric. For every color you see, a different block was carved. Once the printing was complete, the fabric was sent to our team who lovingly cut and stitched these gorgeous prints. The result is a beautiful line of holiday products for you! We hope this collection inspires the joy and wonder of Christmases past, and gives you a Holly Jolly feeling this holiday season! Click this link to check out the complete collection!