The Nursery Set Families Request as a Matching Collection: Smock, Backpack, Cot Cover and Change Bag

Every September the same thing happens: the nursery lists arrive with a column of items that need to be labelled with a name. Bib, backpack, nap blanket, change bag... and a mother or father staring at the list wondering where to start.

At the atelier we've turned that list into something much prettier than it looks on paper: a small set that accompanies the little one throughout the school year, which many families end up requesting as a matching collection, in their favourite fabric with their child's name embroidered on it.

The checklist to confirm before ordering the set

Each nursery may request different pieces and measurements. Check the backpack size, what it needs to hold, how garments should be labelled and the cot or mat dimensions. Also say whether food and spare clothes need separating. For a matching set, confirm the pieces included, fabric availability, personalisation for each piece and washing care before ordering.

The feeding smock: comfort above all

Mealtime is, for many little ones, the most chaotic part of the day. That's why the feeding smock we make prioritises freedom of movement and ease of putting it on: a simple back closure, loose sleeves, and a fabric that withstands frequent washing without losing colour or shape.

Many families order it to match the rest of the set, choosing a print that's later repeated on the backpack or the snack bag.

In designing the smock, I pay special attention to two things you can't see at first glance but that make a real difference in the daily routine of a carer dressing and undressing several children in a row: the closure and the sleeve length. A velcro or large button closure at the back goes on and off in seconds, something nurseries with limited time between activities really appreciate. And the sleeve, though loose, I always finish with a soft elastic cuff, so it doesn't soak up food or get caught on the plate.

For nursery clothing, confirm the establishment's cleaning instructions and choose each fabric with that use in mind. The temperature and programme must suit the garment's label, embroidery and any waterproof linings; not every component can be washed in the same way.

The cot cover for naptime

Many nurseries ask for a fabric cover for the nap-time cot or mat, and it's one of the pieces we most enjoy working on with soft, breathable fabrics. We make covers fitted exactly to the centre's measurements, avoiding excess fabric that could be uncomfortable during rest time.

For this particular piece I almost always work with cotton knit fabrics, because they fit the mattress well without wrinkling or bunching, and because they hold up well to the frequent washing this garment needs for hygiene reasons. I also make sure the elastic isn't too loose — so the cover doesn't shift during nap time — or too tight, which could leave marks on the mattress or make it hard for the carer to put on and take off quickly several times a week.

The backpack a child recognises among all the others

The children's backpack is probably the most personal piece of the whole set. We make backpacks sized for the little ones, with padded straps and simple fastenings so they can gradually gain independence.

It's common for families to ask us to embroider the child's name on the front, both for practicality and for that small sense of pride in seeing their name on something that's entirely theirs.

When making the backpack, I think a lot about proportions: a backpack too big for such a small body ends up being uncomfortable and throws the child off balance while walking. That's why we adjust the size and position of the straps to each little one's actual age, and always reinforce the seams at the corners and base, which are the points that suffer most when the backpack gets dragged across the floor or dropped again and again — something completely inevitable at that age.

The change and snack bag, all in one

For the rest of the day we make a combined change-and-snack bag, with an inner compartment lined in waterproof fabric for the spare clothes and an outer one for the lunchbox or sandwich.

This waterproof lining is one of the details families appreciate most: it stops a leak or small accident from ending up soaking the rest of the backpack. It also physically separates the spare clothes from the food, keeping the two from mixing inside the backpack — something that, in the day-to-day reality of a nursery, is worth far more than it seems at first glance.

Personalised sets that grow with the child

What we love most about this kind of commission is accompanying the family year after year. Many clients come back every September, changing the fabric, colour or size as their little one grows, but keeping that embroidered detail that makes each piece unmistakably theirs.

Over time, that set becomes a kind of textile chronicle of the early years: the same embroidered name, year after year, on fabrics and sizes that change along with the child. Some families even keep pieces from previous years, and it's not unusual for them to ask me to reproduce the same embroidery in a larger size when a younger sibling comes along.

If you'd like to create a matching nursery set for your child, you can contact Atelier Yvicor. We can make a smock, backpack, cot cover and change bag in the fabric you choose, with their name embroidered on it.

See the Petit El Principito backpack and the El Principito waterproof change-of-clothes bag, or discuss a handmade children's commission using your nursery's required measurements.

Frequently Asked Questions

"Before they learn to read their own name, many children already recognise it embroidered on their backpack."

— Patricia Rojas