Well, this is a bit exciting. It’s our first ever Friday Feature (where we share the stories and insights of some wonderful creative women in the UK who own amazing small businesses). And our first feature is a good one… drum roll please… Jess from Thimble and Fabric. From embroidery to friendship bracelets, Jess makes gorgeous kits that are suitable for beginners and provide the perfect opportunity for a little creative self-care and wellbeing.
We asked Jess some questions to get to know more about her:
I can’t think of a time when I wasn’t! I remember my grandma gifting me a sewing box for my birthday when I was about 10 or 11 and being SO excited!
Honestly as soon as I get into a rhythm it changes again, as it completely revolves around my children. As they grow up they spend more time in childcare, and I really try to keep my working hours to when they’re not with me. Currently I get about 4 and a half hours each weekday to work which feel luxurious compared to when the children were younger! In the school holidays my daily schedule is flipped on its head and I work during the evenings when they’re in bed.
Not at all! I didn’t even realise I was starting a business to be honest. I just made a couple of products that I wanted to share with people and it suddenly took off.
Within my first few months of business I received a huge wholesale order (still my biggest to date!) from a big brand, which was SO exciting! It was a moment where I really started to believe in my brand and it gave me so much confidence.
More recently my products have been stocked in a shop inside Battersea power station and I pinch myself every time I go to drop craft kits there. It’s such an incredible building and there’s so many huge huge brands with shops there. It’s really heartening to see a shop full of small businesses thriving there amongst them.
For me it’s the flexibility. I get to drop off and pick up my children from school every day and I feel incredibly lucky to do that and work my own business at the same time. When one of them is sick and needs to stay home, it’s no stress – I know how hard that balance is for so many parents and I’m so grateful for that ease in our family.
Most of the skills I use in the business I’ve had to learn as I’ve gone along. Accounting, web design, customer service aren’t things I necessarily considered when I thought about selling craft kits but I have ‘creatively’ figured those things out as they’ve come up! I’ve always been a really hard worker (sometimes *too* hard) and so I’ve not been afraid to teach myself along the way.
Absolutely. One of the reasons I’ve continued in this business is because of how passionately I believe creativity helps wellbeing. Personally I’ve been through some very turbulent times with my mental health. One of the ways I’ve learnt to manage that now is by prioritising time for myself, including time to be creative, even if that is just to keep my hands busy.
Loads! I actually really try to embody creativity and find some element of it every day. Maybe that’s just serving dinner in a fun way for the kids, or taking on a small DIY project around the house, or sitting down with some crochet in the evening.
I’ve tried knitting a few times but I just don’t think it’s for me!
This is something I’ve worked really hard on after reaching burn out a few years in to business. Nowadays, my priority is myself, because if I’m not feeling 100% both mentally and physically, everything else falls apart. It doesn’t come easy but the more I practice, the better it feels. I make time to eat, exercise, and rest first, then work in the time I have left, rather than filling my time with work and running out of time for my wellbeing.
We hope you enjoyed getting to know more about Jess as much as we did. To see the wonderful craft kits she has available, head to her website: www.thimbleandfabric.com. With the biggest gifting season coming up, you might just find the perfect something for your creative loved ones (or as a self-care treat for yourself!).
If you haven’t already found us over on Instagram – why not come say hi and give us a follow. We would love for you to join the conversation.
Any and all opinions expressed by third parties in our content are not necessarily the opinions of FCS. All FCS content, including content provided by third parties, is intended for general guidance and inspiration. Third-party products and services mentioned in content have not necessarily been tested by FCS. Any content feature, mention of a third-party product or service, or link to a third-party business and/or external site, does not suggest an endorsement from, or affiliation with, FCS. FCS is never paid (or directly compensated) for any features, opinions, or information provided in our content about any third-party services, products, sites or miscellaneous topics – unless clearly stated otherwise.
