Today we meet Sue of Poplar Gifts who we look forward to having in our entrance hall at Patcham Methodist on Saturday 1st April.
Please introduce yourself and your brand….
Poplar Gifts launched in January 2015 as a mother and daughter team, with a target of creating a knitted & crocheted item a week, and attending a Spring and Christmas Fete. As confidence and success grew our output and event bookings escalated to the point where 2016 saw a threefold increase plus a steady stream of orders. The idea sprang from a visit to a school Christmas fair. The range of craft and skills on show started us thinking that we could also ‘have a go’. Knitting and Crochet run in the family as skills practised by both grandmothers and a great-great aunt too.
How would you describe your style and your creations?
We create a large range of toys, accessories, bags, mobiles, purses, and even chocolate orange covers. We use a lovely range of yarns sourced across the UK and have become frequent visitors to large and small craft shops alike. Items range from Finger Puppets to large Teddies! Blankets to Lovies! Key Rings to Mobiles. We take safety seriously and use hypo-allergenic stuffing and safety eyes in all the toys, though some items for babies will have stitched eyes. Each creation is even given a name!
What do you enjoy most about your work?
We have both benefitted, picking up new tips and tricks.
Thoroughly enjoying meeting lots of new people, watching children’s faces when they try to choose, networking with other ‘crafters’ and experiencing quite a few adventures in the process. Clinging on to the gazebo during a thunderstorm at a Summer Fête, while Mum hid under the table protecting the dog, is 2016’s outstanding moment!
What can we expect to find on your stall at The Fairy Tale Fair Easter Special at Patcham Methodist on April 1st? And are you looking forward to taking part?
There will be a tier of toys. Teddies, Dinosaurs, Pokemon, Bunnies, Owls, Cats, Dogs, Jelly Fish, Elephants, Dolls, and much more. Even a Beehive Mobile! Oh and of course Bunny Chocolate Oranges for Easter!
Do you have a best seller?
There are favourites, with the most popular item seeming to be the knitted Koala, though the crocheted Pokemon and Minions have been recent hits!
Do you have any plans or ambitions for the future?
We would like to offer more workshops to promote the skills of crochet and knitting. We are also looking at maybe designing our own patterns to share. We accept special orders and are happy to personalise items at no extra cost. Details of events, workshops and items can be found on our new website, Facebook page, Twitter or Email.
Do you have a motto or inspirational quote?
Handmade gifts for all occasions and ages. Different, personal and unique.
What part of Easter do you enjoy the most?
The answer can only be ‘chocolate’, though the long weekend is very welcome especially if the weather is good. There’s nothing like relaxing in the garden crocheting or knitting a creation.
How can we find out more about you?
Meet Poplar gifts at our Patcham Easter Craft fair on Saturday 1st April.
