We were lucky to catch up with Allie Votava recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Allie, thanks for joining us today. So, naming is such a challenge. How did you come up with the name of your brand?

My name is Allie and I’m the creative mind behind this quirky brand. Let me share the why behind the name ninnie + nanny.

It all started with my lifelong cheerleaders – my amazing parents. They’ve always called me “ninnie” (hence the name!) and have been my biggest supporters in everything I do. From my wild childhood dreams to my crazy sewing experiments, they’ve always believed in me.

And then there’s my dear grandma, who we lovingly called “nanny.” She’s the one who taught me the art of sewing. I remember spending countless hours by her side, watching her work her magic with a needle and thread. Just kidding. She didn’t sew – LOL! It was actually my grandpa that knew how to sew, but I didn’t learn from him either. Self taught over here! I’m the definition of “where there’s a will, there’s a way” – just ask anyone who really knows me. Back to my sweet Nanny. While she didn’t teach me to sew, she did believe I could sew just about anything, and her confidence in me fueled my passion.

But the support doesn’t stop there. I’m incredibly grateful to have the love and encouragement of my amazing hubby and stepkids. They’ve been my encouragers throughout this journey, cheering me on every step of the way as I build my woman-owned small business with faith-filled ambition and hope.

So, why did I decide to create ninnie + nanny : baby? Well, it’s simple. I wanted to combine style and functionality to make life easier for new parents. Because let’s face it, parenting can be a wild ride, and having cute and practical accessories can make all the difference.

Allie, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I love babies! I love making people feel special and celebrated. I love a thoughtful, one-of-a-kind gift that proves that someone put care into it. Handmade baby gifts in all types of themes / color schemes to align with a baby shower theme, nursery décor or even mom and dad’s interests. All of these little details make a big difference.
My name is Allie and I own ninnie + nanny. I craft happiness one baby gift at a time.
My love for sewing started when all of my friends were having babies and I would see items they were purchasing that were either not cute (let’s be real – some baby items can be pretty plain) or they were wildly overpriced. As I started shopping around for thoughtful baby gifts, I kept thinking “I could make that” or “that would be cuter in a different print” or “that could be way softer” and on and on. Anyone who knows me knows that I am detail oriented, creative, frugal, and determined (my parents and husband may say stubborn – LOL). I embody the phrase “where there’s a will there’s a way.” I was determined to create an alternative to the baby must-haves I was seeing online and in boutiques. I borrowed items from friends they already owned, I purchased items, and I set out to figure out how to make a few baby gifts on my own. With no formal sewing training, I initially worked best without patterns and created my own sketches and measurements, bought some cute fabrics and dove in. After a lot of trial and error, and countless hours with my seam ripper, I began to not only teach myself to sew, but taught myself how to make practical baby essentials in adorable, bold prints. I recognized that my polar opposite personality traits of detail oriented, borderline ocd tendencies paired with my creative, resilient, out-of-the-box ideas perfectly paired for a gift of sewing. Sewing partners the details of precision with the whimsy of creative crafting. There was no turning back. I was hooked. I unlocked the door to endless possibilities for functional baby gifts in unique, bold, fun prints. I could make something a new momma needed and make it in exactly the print / colors she wanted. I could celebrate their new little one with the perfect baby gift. This is the heart of my passion behind what I do. Outside of the core business practices of high quality fabrics and craftsmanship at a good value, I care that the gift giver and the recipient LOVE their gift. I am creating heirlooms, gifts they pass down to their children, tag blankets that baby girls will keep to snuggle their own baby dolls when they grow to be toddlers. A personalized, handmade gift is special. It shows that the gift giver was intentional and thoughtful. I love playing a role in that.
I could shop all day every day for fabric. I love roaming the aisles and carefully examining bolt by bolt to see what’s new, what would go with something I already have, what unexpected print would be a fun fit for a baby gift. When I say I could shop every day for fabric, I really could!! What I especially love is a custom themed order. When a customer reaches out and shares a baby shower theme, a picture of the nursery décor, an expectant mom’s favorite animal or color, or, best of all, one of dad’s favorite pastimes or sports and then they trust me to run with it, it is truly an honor and a challenge I will humbly accept every time. I love finding just the right fabric within those requests and tying in coordinating prints and patterns for a truly personalized collection of baby gifts. Not only do I love the hunt for the perfect print, I love providing a gift that my customer is proud to give. I want my customers to know that I will deliver a high-quality baby gift that demonstrates their love for this growing family.
On a personal note, I was never able to have my own babies. Kind of ironic that the person who cannot get enough of babies and literally spends her life day in and day out sewing for babies, never had any. You see, I was pregnant 4 times and lost a total of 7 babies. I struggled with years of infertility, I suffered multiple miscarriages, and an ectopic pregnancy. I could get pregnant, I just could not stay pregnant. I know, firsthand, what a miracle and a gift a baby is. That is why I am so fired up to celebrate them! The gift of life is just that – a gift. It should not be taken lightly and I can assure you, I don’t. As each order comes in, I am grateful for this little bundle of joy. I am hopeful that they will live in a home full of love and laughter, that they will find good friends, and that they will be a good friend. They will come to know and love God. They will know that they were created on purpose for a purpose. I consider it a blessing to be able to create gifts for these little ones. I truly believe that God has gifted me the ability to love babies I didn’t make and I absolutely love sewing gifts for them! Thankfully, He also fills me with His strength and grace and has made me better rather than bitter. I am so grateful that He hasn’t left me in my hurt and that He gifted me the ability to sew and celebrate babies!

I prioritize supporting family focused non-profits in my community and nationally. I support financially, by providing products for silent auctions/fundraising events, and by donating handmade baby gifts for babies served by these organizations. I support organizations that care for children spending time in the emergency room at Cook’s Children (Gideon’s Christmas Wish), aid moms who have decided to keep their babies (Pregnancy Help 4 U), comfort displaced children (Christ’s Haven for Children), assist foster families (Faith for Fosters), and help families with babies in the NICU (Kaylen’s Fight).

Alright – let’s talk about marketing or sales – do you have any fun stories about a risk you’ve taken or something else exciting on the sales and marketing side?

I love an over-the-top, themed gift or party. I take “extra” to another level. This inherent desire was the motivator behind my gift crates. It started when I was building my business and selecting fabrics to add to my online shop, I recognized that I could create mini collections with popular themes. I began shopping for coordinating prints to create these mini collections – for example, under the sea, country western, jungle, bunnies, flowers, etc. I would pick one “anchor” print and several coordinating prints to create a really cute set with all the baby must-haves like a coyote dressed as a cowboy for the sensory tag blanket, a red and black paisley print for the bandana bib, a sheriff star for the teether and finishing with cloth burp cloths in all of those prints plus a cowboy hat print. After sewing the individual pieces for the collections, I had the idea to put them together as I envisioned them being gifted at a baby shower. I recognized that the gifts I created would most likely compliment an existing gift from the baby’s registry or be paired with an outfit or other additional items. I headed out to buy a basket, a stuffed animal, a book, a few onesies and a pack of diapers. I jumped on my favorite idea app – Pinterest – and starting scrolling for baby gift basket ideas and stumbled upon the most adorable creations. As I traveled down this rabbit hole, my mind raced with all of the themes that I could take over-the-top and craft show-stopping baby shower gifts. My goal was to be the best gift at the shower and become the one-stop-shop for baby gifts. Where my customers knew they could come for unique, high-quality gifts. I created 4 crates to start – jungle, pirate, teddy bear (gender neutral) and a super girly pink, boho themed crate. I took pictures and added to several Facebook groups to advertise my services. My hope was that I would receive individual orders and orders from people that were chipping in on a group gift. I thought advertising these as a group gift was a great way to make a group gift more cohesive. I would handle all the individual pieces to create a really special, large gift. After a few posts, I received an unexpected message from a group member sharing that she wanted to hire me for her company’s group gifts. I was elated! She handles all of the baby showers for her workplace and wanted to hire me to handle them for her. She would share the due date / baby shower date, the baby’s registry link, any themes / colors she knew of for the baby shower or nursery, and her budget and I would take it from there. This avenue was completely unexpected, especially from a post a made in a mom’s group on Facebook, and it has been hands’ down, one of my favorite segments of my growing small business. I am humbled by her faith in me for these important gifts for her team and I love all of the new themes / patterns that I get to hunt for to make these gifts so meaningful. I am hopeful that I can grow this area of my business in the DFW metro area and beyond.

What’s been the best source of new clients for you?

Referrals!!!!!!! In the baby industry, not every customer is in the “baby season” of life at all times. It is not like standard gifts where you always need a good candle (Shine & Love Candles are the best) or a great bottle of wine. You don’t always need a baby gift. You are either in the thick of it or you are waiting for when you get to be a grandparent – LOL. That is why I see a lot of my marketing and social media strategy as planting seeds for when someone does need a baby gift. Even more important than a good marketing strategy is a happy customer! Happy customers = return customers and referrals. I want to be their go-to spot when they do need a personalized, handmade baby gift. Knowing they can count on me to provide a high quality, thoughtful baby must-have.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ninnieandnanny.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ninnieandnanny.baby/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/ninnie-nanny-baby/61558369051186/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/ninnie-nanny-llc