Craft Focus - Page number 59 - August/September 2021 (Issue 86)

59 PROFILE reaffirmed my belief in crafts being great for mental health and I hope this is something that continues as we can all do with something to help us switch off. How often do you launch new ranges? We bring out a new design at least every month. Now that we have more space we’re hoping to add to the range more frequently and have also been looking into other exciting things but that’s top secret for now! How would you advise a retailer who is interested in stocking your products? Embroidery has seen a massive boom over the last year or so and many more people are making time to keep in place habits that helped them through lockdown. If anyone is unsure of anything, send me an email and I’ll be more than happy to help. We have a brochure and I’m happy to make suggestions of which kits do well in different places or send a list of our best sellers. What sets you apart from your competitors? All our kits include the best quality embroidery supplies. I know a lot of other embroidery kits use cheap mass produced hoops, for example. I admit, we did look into sourcing those instead as they are much cheaper than the Elbesee hoops but I couldn’t bring myself to switch over as the quality isn’t a patch. We all agree that it’s important for our customers to have the best possible stitching experience and the quality of supplies really makes a difference. We also have clear and simple instructions which are perfect for anyone new to the craft or for anyone needing a little reminder. Do you visit any trade shows? Do you plan to visit any soon? We haven’t done a trade show before but we’re very excited to be going to the Stitches show in September. How did business cope during the Covid-19 pandemic and what are your plans going forward? The year 2020 was essentially a year of crazy plate spinning for us. Whilst my business boomed, my husband’s business struggled which is why we made the decision to join forces. I’m really glad we’re working together now as we make a good team and he has loads of skills to bring to the business. We were also working from home in 2020 whilst looking after our second baby and homeschooling our five-year-old. As the world slowly returns to normal and we’ve had time to breathe with space at the unit and another pair of hands, we’re looking to expand our product range and also focus more on wholesale. I’ve always had my kits in a few shops but now we’re actively seeking more stockists and are currently joining sites like Faire and Abound to be able to reach more people. What new products can we expect from you in the future? I’m afraid that’s top secret for now. As well as our embroidery kits we’re looking to add at least two more product lines in the coming months and hopefully it won’t be too much longer to wait for the first one. OH SEW BOOTIFUL +44 (0)7917 415 662 hello@ohsewbootiful.com www.ohsewbootiful.com