Minden woman turns home skill into business

When the kids are asleep, mother of three Marisa Bartevian-Casarez squeezes in time to make children's clothes for her new business, Teeny Weeny Baby Cakes.

The 29-year-old Minden resident has been making clothes for her own children for years, but just recently decided to start her own business selling the clothes she designs herself.

"I learned to sew when I was 10," Bartevian-Casarez said. "I have three kids now and it's fun to make things and dress them."

Bartevian-Casarez's designs include dresses and tutus for girls, lounge pants for boys and blankets, bibs and burp cloths for infants. She uses nontraditional fabric patterns and designs - including skull and cross bones prints for blankets and camouflage for tutus - to keep up with trends.

"It's the new thing," she said. "There are a lot of people looking for the trendy designs. A lot of people are doing a skull and cross bones thing. There are a lot of tattoo inspired designs."

Bartevian-Casarez said she pays attention to the quality of the materials she uses so clothes last for generations.

"I understand how important it is to have things to hand down kid to kid," she said.

She said she likes to make things that children like to wear, like capes for boys who like to dress up as superheros.

"It's so much fun to see kids in my designs," Bartevian-Casarez said. "I created that and now somebody is dressing their child in that."

Teeny Weeny Baby Cakes products will be sold on a Web site, which Bartevian-Casarez hopes to launch by Aug. 1. She will have a regular product line and will take custom orders. For more information, call (775) 450-3061 or go to teenyweenybabycakes.com.