Thursday 25 July 2013

Research and how the craft kits began

When launching the craft kits both for adult of children I have always done research first. 

Back In the beginning, I spent a good long time looking at both locally and nationally at the gaps in the craft market and what would be possible to achieve. I trained as a designer as this training allowed me to look objectively at every angle, at the positive and the negative, the good idea from the bad and develop something unique.

I surveyed customers and parents asking what sort of craft kits they would like.
Very quickly the answers that were coming back were, they didn't want the 'quick fix' kits that offered the promise of "keeping the kids quiet" they wanted something that their children would learn a skill, a kit that offered value for money, and something they could do it with them-promoting communication skills.
 

With this gap in the market and the 'quick fix' kits being 10-a-penny, I began developing something that would teach a skill, so that children and adults would be able to use in other projects but also offered quality and value for money.

I was keen not to develop something that contained pre-printed sheets for colouring, they not only didn't stretch the children & doesn't give anything developmentally but don't allow children and adult to  develop on them selves, with their own individuality and flair.
Having done extensive training over the last 10 years in child development, I was able to use those skills in producing something that would stand the test of time as well as the discerning eye of parent. 

Drawn Threads most popular kits are the mice, pin cushion and vintage apron (mums love to make these!) and they offer all that parents wanted and as such I have many returning customer, many new customers from recommendations and reviews that I'm very proud of and shows a proof positive that what I'm doing....I'm doing right. 
And I'm very pleased to say-its not just for the good of the business, it's for the good of a quality product that kids and adults will take away with them.


 

Friday 19 July 2013

A place for everything and everything in its place.

I can't help it, I make no apology...I'm super tidy! 
I was like it as a kid to my parents joy. 

Years of design training and working in design studios taught me, a tidy space is a productive space and messy work area doesn't look professional to the prospective customer. 
It's rare I find a messy designer, we are inherently tidy-even down to how we put designs on a page and produces a successful designer. And this is why a lot of us chose this profession in the first place, liking a clean way of working over clutter & clean design on a page. Go into any design studio even today and you'll be lucky to find any mess at all. 

Everything in my work room has a 'place' including the smallest things such as a thread box.
 At the end of the working day I always ALWAYS tidy up, write my post it notes for the next day and leave the room how I want to see it when I walk back in. It's one of my hard and fast rule and is definitely works for me as far as productivity and efficiency.
If my work space was messy, I would be completely distracted.
I do have to confess that I am the same in the rest if my house too! 
It is tidied every evening, kitchen scrubbed and 'ready' for what ever is thrown at it the next day.

Thursday 18 July 2013

New products for the Festival of Thrift.

In September Darlington are hosting the Festival of Thrift and I'm so excited to be going, and as such have re-launched some of the more popular Eco-kits that were big sellers last summer. 
The most popular was the table mat kit but this time I have sourced some super Eco-cotton 'yarn'. 
Having these Eco credentials is hugely important to me from the raw material to the packaging and everything is always sustainably sourced. 
The 'Plait a mat' kit lends it self perfectly to many types of fabric and is good to teach differ t skills for children such as hand eye coordination for the playing as well as teaching skill like sewing to all. 

Everything is in the kit to begin and have lots of fun making....and best of all, you can continue enjoying the when it is made, with every drink that it put upon them.
Look out for them, along with the relaunched Eco-bag kit on Etsy and at the Festival of Thrift where I'll also be doing mini workshops in making. 

Tuesday 9 July 2013

Making new stock items

I've been to quite a number of fayres and market a over the last 6 weeks and now the busy summer season of events is here, my work load is full on to say the least! 
Why with commissions and re-making stock, I never seam to have enough hours In the day. But during my coffee break yesterday I whipped up a couple if box cushions for me breakfast room in the most delightful Cath kidston fabric

Once made, I then resumed to make a new line for summer, floral wallets and purses for little girls (and big girls too!) and camouflage for the boy (and big boys if they so fancy too!) They come in both right or left handed zips (to have the zip the other way around can really makes a difference to young left handed children).
I was asked a few week back to make one and the customer was so happy she asked for another...so hence the new line.