It’s a sweet little notion—first comes love, then comes marriage, then comes baby and a whole bundle of clothing hand-stitched by granny. Sound old-fashioned? Perhaps. But that’s what we love about Becky Collins, a talented seamstress whose designer dresses are full of home-spun charm.

“Granny B” isn’t just grandma to baby Brantley, she’s also “designer, seamstress, shipping department, webmaster and bookkeeper” of the delightful line of pillowcase dresses you’ll find only at Granny B’s Clothesline.

Like many treasures that are passed down from mother to daughter, Becky’s knack for a neat stitch runs generations deep. With a mother and grandmother who both worked as seamstresses, Becky says she can’t remember a time when she was not sewing.

“My mother used to sew for several women,” says Becky. “They would order fabrics from Paris and London, bring her pictures of dresses out of magazines, and she would make them. I always played in the sewing room with her and loved to play with the scraps of fabric on the floor. I just loved the colors and texture and remember thinking how beautiful they were and what it would be like to go to the great parties where they would wear them.”

Lucky for baby Brantley (“The love of my life!” Becky says. “You haven’t lived until you become a grandmother.”) and for baby girls everywhere, Becky’s deep-rooted love of great fabrics and playful prints has translated into a line of pillowcase dresses that are unbelievably adorable.

Available from size 6 months to a girl’s size 6, Granny B’s vintage-inspired dresses are simple and sweet. “Pillowcase dresses are a new take on the old flour sack dresses little girls used to wear,” says Becky. “My grandmother talked about making dresses out of the sack that flour would come in for my mother. When you bought a 25 or 50 pound sack of flour, it was in a cotton print bag that could be washed and used for something else. Pillowcase dresses are made along the same lines as these dresses were, with drawstrings at the shoulders.”

Becky, who did smocking and French hand sewing when her two daughters were small, found that she had to give up her needlework as they grew older. “There was just not enough time,” she says. But with the birth of a grandbaby, that all changed. Becky’s daughter Hillary asked “granny” to start sewing for Brantley. “She had heard about the pillowcase dresses and wanted one,” says Becky. “After I made more for several of her friends, she suggested I sell them at auction online. Sarah, my youngest daughter, then suggested I get my own website.”

We’re glad she did. With her impeccable eye for fresh fabrics, Becky’s hand-made cotton creations are as cute as they are comfy. What’s more, they actually “grow with your little one.” Designed to be tea length, these dresses are easily adjustable at the shoulders, where they tie with heat-sealed ribbons. And for a personal touch, Granny B even monograms your little lady’s first initial—free of charge!

Becky lives with her husband in his hometown of Homer, Louisiana, where they’ve made their home in the 1880’s house which once belonged to his grandmother. “Women here in the south always have their mom’s or grandmother’s linens tucked away in a drawer,” says Becky. “What better way to show them off than as a dress on your beautiful little girl?” In addition to Becky’s original dress line, she also offers one-of-a-kind dresses crafted from vintage pillowcases and will even sew your own heirloom fabrics for you. With handmade lace trim, these gowns are a true treasure.

“They are very popular right now,” says Becky. “Moms like to have beach photos made in a beautiful white dress. I send the largest number of my dresses along the Gulf states and up the East Coast. Since the vintage pillowcases are hard to find on the market, I decided to use designer fabrics for the same style dresses instead of a pillowcase.”

From bold geometric designs to delicate floral patterns, Becky’s designer fabrics make for darling little dresses. “I love mixing colors and patterns,” she says. And she loves polka dots. “Every little girl needs polka dots,” says Becky. “I usually have them somewhere on my dresses, whether it’s the fabric or the trim or the ribbons. Polka dots match everything!”

Becky’s also a fan of the toile and damask prints, as well as the bright colors that lend themselves to her cheerful designs. Wondering what’s next for this granny? Be sure to check Granny B’s Clothesline from week to week to see her latest designs. In addition to her dresses, Becky also offers coordinating hair-bows, matching capris, and a dreamy line of nighties.

And for your baby’s baby, there’s also an identical line of dresses for dolls. “I always made dresses for my dolls,” said Becky, who used to cut and wrap her mother’s fabric remnants onto her Barbie dolls. “My girls always wanted everybody in the family to have something that matched. Little girls always want their babies to have a dress like theirs.”

While Granny B’s heart may belong to Brantley, her delightful dresses can belong to you! As a Peekaboo Picks reader, you’ll get 10% off your next Granny B’s Clothesline purchase by entering “PEEK” at checkout.

Click on over to www.grannybsclothine.com and check it out!

One lucky reader will win a “Kate” pillowcase dress with matching doll dress (pictured above). Sign-up for our FREE newsletter thru November to be eligible to win!

Featured Designer article by Mamie Cosentino