She didn\u2019t plan to have so many children, but Jane adored motherhood so much, and her husband of 53 years, Sam, was always supportive.<\/p>\n
\u201cI basically stopped when I couldn\u2019t have any more,\u201d tells Jane, who was 44 when her youngest was born.<\/p>\n
Jane’s fondest memories will forever be raising her 14 babies. Photo \/ Amalia Osborne<\/p>\n
Of course, large family living wasn\u2019t always idyllic. Dealing with children at different stages, ranging from babies to teenagers, required constant adjusting \u2013 and then there was the sheer volume of laundry.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe amount of work washing clothes was just unbelievable,\u201d she laughs.<\/p>\n
And in the middle of it all, she was quietly building the business. Jane remembers the days when Dimples was just her hand-embroidering baby hats at the kitchen table.<\/p>\n
Jane recalls, \u201cI\u2019d go around shops to see if anybody would buy them. Eventually, somebody did and it grew from there.\u201d<\/p>\n
While Jane left school at 15 and has mastered how to navigate life with dyslexia, a neurodevelopmental learning difference, she has always had high ambitions.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
She enthuses, \u201cI definitely believe that you can do anything you really, really want to do. If you\u2019re determined to do it, you\u2019ll learn it, you\u2019ll do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhen you\u2019re dyslexic, you think slightly differently, but there\u2019s always a solution to the problem \u2013 you\u2019ve just got to look at it differently.\u201d<\/p>\n
Now Dimples is one of New Zealand\u2019s most recognised baby brands, with a second store in Christchurch and available at selected other retailers.<\/p>\n
Over the past 24 years, many of her children have worked alongside her at different times, with her eldest daughter, Felicity, 49, a near-constant. Felicity joined the business while pregnant with her first child. At the same time, Jane was expecting her second to youngest.<\/p>\n
Jane and baby Felicity. Photo \/ NZ Woman’s Weekly<\/p>\n
\u201cFelicity has been an absolute brick in the business,\u201d says Jane. \u201cWe were having babies together, helping each other and running the business. They were fantastic times and great memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
Today, Felicity still remains deeply involved. She also lives with her husband Ben on the 3.6ha property Jane and Sam moved to in 2022.<\/p>\n
The land has become a gathering place for the whole family, where the many grandchildren can run through the open spaces, ride Jane\u2019s horses and experience the simple joys of country life.<\/p>\n