HELLO
Im Donna and I run this lovely business called Spinster’s Emporium. Are you feeling creative? We sells lots of lovely vintage and recycled materials for you to make, mend, sew, stitch, knit, purl, cut and paste with.
Spinster’s Emporium was established in March 2009 because I always found it really difficult whilst working as a freelance designer to source, pretty, yummy, printed and vintage fabrics, haberdashery and (being a knitter) lovely yarns! Through the blog, shop, studio, school & events, it is my intention to be more than somewhere to spend your well earned cash , i hope to encourage other people to feel creative too!
Thanks sew much for stopping by x
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FAQ
How did your love for design and sewing come about?
I have always been interested in art, design and textiles from a early age, collecting unique objects, trinkets, fabrics and drawings. I have established recently that i have always been very visionary and tactile about how something should look, be it a interior for a house, fashion or a creative business venture. That vision is part of everything i do.
Did you study to learn your skills?
I studied for over 8 years and have always really enjoyed educating myself creatively. I have a broad range of skills which have are the foundations to everything do now. I studied 2 years garment manufacture, 2 years fashion design, 4 years fashion Knitwear design. I have worked in New York, Shanghai and Hong Kong as a knitwear designer before making the move from industry to teaching. I now lecture fashion design and textiles at colleges and universities part time alongside running Spinster’s Emporium.
How much time do you spend searching for materials?
Searching for materials is sometimes very easy, sometimes not. Vintage materials are not available from a wholesaler or specific warehouse, you have to search the old fashioned way which can take lots of time but also a good day out meeting people and finding hidden treasures. I buy and collect new vintage materials all the time so its really a continuous process.
Was it difficult to tap into resources for supplies that are reliable and different?
You cant rely on suppliers, once that vintage one off product has gone, it doesn’t exist anymore, the supplier can not reorder the product again. That is the beauty of the exclusivity of vintage, which is what Spinster’s Emporium is all about. This means you have to constantly look out for new suppliers, its a difficult business to be in.
Spinster’s was founded in 2009? What came first, your shop, studio or web shop? And it looks like since then you’ve really made an emporium! A studio, a shop a school… Did this all happen in 2 or 3 years?
Yes the brand has grown very quickly, Spinster’s is currently 2 1/2 years old but i spent at least 6 months trying to develop the identity/feel/aesthetic so it could expand faster once the brand became established with the customers. The idea was always to have a online shop which came first, but then develop a range of textile workshops that would help and encourage people to feel confident enough to create something for themselves.
What does your work entail? Do you run the web shop, do you still design…? My work is changing all the time, running your own business means you are responsible for everything, updating the website, the design of new craft kits, dispatching orders, teaching, marketing etc etc, I feel really happy with where spinster’s is at the moment which is beginning to free me up to be more creative personally. I intend to spend the next 12 months working as “Pretty Crafty”, which will be the creative works of Spinster’s Emporium and establishing ourselves as inspirational textile designers within the contemporary craft community.
What materials do you love most and why?
Vintage of course! I love the quality of design, colour, patterns and texture. I love 1980s fabrics and geometric 1970s retro wallpapers. I also am also a big fan of fancy crazy knitting yarns like mohair and lurex. For a more visual interpretation of what Spinster’s Emporium is all about please view our new online catalog http://issuu.com/spinstersemporium/docs/spinstesemporium2011
Interview taken from Flow Magazine
Other Interviews
Nottingham Trent University – The Hive
NTU – News
Left Lion Magazine
