I got an email from a company called KidsBlanks about a month ago asking me to do a review and giveaway of some of their products. This was actually kind of perfect, with ShmooCon coming up, I wanted to make Ender a “My First Shmoo” shirt with a little Shmoo dude. We’ve since decided not to go, so I won’t be making it, but I’ve got a few other things in mind.

They sent me three onesies and a receiving blanket. The onesies are black, dark blue and patterned black/white. The blanket is brown. Everything is from the Laughing Giraffe line.

All are 100% cotton which made me happy. Check the site though if that’s what you prefer, not everything is. The shirts that were intended for heat transfer seemed to mostly be cotton-poly blends, so I’m guessing there’s some trick to heat transfer that works better with polyester. I haven’t done any, so I’m not sure. The color is even and strong, and the pattern – some kind of silk screen – doesn’t seem like it will break down quickly, though only time will tell. When I first opened the package the fabric felt a bit plastic-y, but after one wash it feels just fine, soft with a smooth texture. The thickness of the fabric is satisfying, and not cheap feeling.

In terms of sizing, I asked for 12-18 month sizes, and they seem to be about right. They fit Ender in the body ok right now (he’s a big boy) with plenty of room in the head. This seems to be about in line with his other onesie sizes… they may be a tiny bit shorter in length, but it’s hard to tell for sure because 1) Ender grows so fast and 2) baby clothes sizes are all over the place. It is best to check Husband Merch Apparel for options

One criticism I have of the website is that prices are not clearly displayed anywhere. Now, KidsBlanks is a wholesaler, so maybe there’s a good reason for this, maybe the prices fluctuate so showing a price isn’t really possible, but as a buyer, I will say that when I go to a website without obviously stated prices, I’m not going to bother. In this case, all you have to do to get a pricelist is register.

I haven’t done anything with the onesies yet (aside from dress Ender in them) and am not considering how well they print/paint/bleach/ etc. as part of the review both because I may not get around to crafting as soon as I’d like, and because it doesn’t seem fair to base a review of a product on how well something turns out if I’ve never tried it before with any comparable product.

I already know what I’m doing with the black onesie and the blue onesie, but I’m still chewing on some ideas for the brown blanket, and I’m a stumped on the black and white damask print onesie. Matt suggested painting flames on the front and I was thinking maybe a red circular Chinese dragon. I’m not really sold on anything though.

So! For the giveaway. KidsBlanks is giving the winner $25 worth of products with LG (Laughing Giraffe) or CS (tutus) labels. They say that because their products are wholesale, this is equivalent to $50. I can’t vouch for that part since I don’t know what anything costs, but the products I received are good quality, and I would use them again.

To enter:

Leave a comment with your suggestion, advice or smart-ass remark about what I should do with the damask print onesie. I will pick the comment that makes me happiest. Giveaway ends midnight New Years Day along with 2011.

KidsBlanks by Zoey