Today we’d like to introduce you to Jessica Pritchard.
Hi Jessica, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
“I didn’t plan to start a business. I just wanted to make something from the heart.”
In 2023, I was pregnant with my third baby boy— and so was my sister-in-law. She had everything ready for her new baby girl
and I was completely stuck on what to get her. I didn’t want to just grab something off a registry. I wanted it to mean something.
That’s when I thought about the handmade blankets my aunts used to give me growing up. They’re no longer here, but those blankets are still with me — full of love and memories. I decided, I’m going to make her a blanket.
I went to Hobby Lobby a million times and finally finished a soft pink baby blanket. It took me over four hours… and honestly, it looked horrible. But I was so proud of it. I told myself I’d try again, so I picked up more yarn and started bringing my blanket-in-progress everywhere — to hair appointments, doctor’s visits, the school pickup line. And everywhere I went, people noticed. They’d say, “I love that — you should sell those.”
So I posted one on Facebook — and bam. Orders started flying in. On October 15, 2023, Jaybird’s Designs was officially born.
That little side project paid for Christmas for our kids. It helped cover groceries, bills, and brought in income when we really needed it. I started attending local markets and sold out at my first moonshine festival. It was wild — and honestly, emotional. I went from “just a mom trying something new” to “just a mom running a business.” It also helped me stay calm during my pregnancy and I lowered my blood pressure and I helped calm my pregnancy diabetes I had.
Now I’m building something bigger — something soft, cozy, and full of love. My goal is simple: I want people to feel comforted, celebrated, and seen when they wrap themselves in a Jaybird’s Designs blanket.
Because when you put heart into what you make, people feel it.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not. It’s been beautiful, but it’s also been hard.
I started Jaybird’s Designs while pregnant, with kids, during a time when money was tight and life was chaotic. I didn’t have a business plan or a roadmap — I just had yarn, heart, and a whole lot of trial and error.
The first few blankets I made were honestly terrible. I cried a lot, second-guessed myself constantly, and felt that fear so many moms feel: Am I good enough to do this? Will people even want this?
On top of that, trying to grow a business while raising kids isn’t always Instagram-pretty. I’ve packed orders with a baby on my hip, finished blankets in the car line at school, and answered customer messages while cooking dinner. Balancing it all — the business, motherhood, finances, mental health — has been a challenge.
But every time someone messages me saying my blanket brought them comfort, or they gifted it to someone special and it made them cry happy tears… I know why I started.
This business didn’t come from perfection — it came from love, grit, and a deep need to create something warm in the middle of a hard season.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I handmake chunky knit blankets that are soft enough to die for — and I put my heart into every single one. Jaybird’s Designs started as a simple gift, but it quickly became something more: a way to help people feel cozy, comforted, and celebrated.
I specialize in custom, hand-knit throws and baby blankets — often made in rich neutrals or soft pastels, with that plush, luxurious texture everyone falls in love with. I’m known for using high-quality yarns, for selling out at local markets, and for being a one-woman show balancing yarn with motherhood, coffee, and chaos. I bring blankets with me everywhere — to appointments, carline, even festivals — because my business is woven into my life.
What sets me apart is that I don’t just make blankets. I tell stories with them. I help people celebrate life’s big and small moments — new babies, housewarmings, birthdays, or just someone needing a hug in the form of a blanket.
I’m most proud of the impact this little business has had on my family. Jaybird’s Designs helped me pay bills when times were tough. It gave me a purpose beyond being “just a mom.” And now it’s grown into a brand that women recognize, follow, and support — because they see the real me behind it.
This business is scrappy, heartfelt, and full of warmth — and that’s exactly how I want people to feel when they order from me.
What would you say have been one of the most important lessons you’ve learned?
That messy starts still matter — and you don’t have to have it all figured out to begin.
I didn’t start with a business plan, a brand, or even a clue what I was doing. I started with a ball of yarn, a baby on the way, and a heart that wanted to create something meaningful. And somehow, that was enough.
I’ve learned that showing up — even when you’re tired, overwhelmed, or scared — is what grows a business. That being real connects you to people more than being perfect ever will. And that success doesn’t always look like viral posts or sold-out drops — sometimes it looks like paying your electric bill with blanket money, or seeing someone tear up when they open something you made with love.
You don’t need all the answers. You just need to start. The rest, you figure out along the way.
Pricing:
- Baby blankets – $35 – $55
- Handknit throws 40×60-$100- $130
- Custom designs and sizes- $130+
- Octopus- $5-$30
Contact Info:
- Website: https://jaybirdsdesigns.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/16UMSqE2EE/?mibextid=wwXIfr
- Other: https://www.facebook.com/share/15mcaoMAuD/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Image Credits
Chasity Biggs (photographer)
Katie Schotta (spray tan)
