Regular readers of this blog will know I get quite a buzz from discovering new craft businesses and to meet with the proprietors in person gives me such inspiration. Last week I spent a delightful hour chatting with Sarah Chorlton, twenty-four year-old founder of bespoke soft furnishings and accessories company Bonny Boutique, at her pop-up shop a stone's throw from London's bustling Victoria station.
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| Sarah in her Victoria pop-up |
Taught to sew as a young girl by her mother Sarah has followed a creative path ever since, one that led her on a journey from needlework to photography and eventually to an honours degree in fine art at Winchester School of Art, from which she graduated in 2010. After deciding to return to her childhood passion for textiles Bonny Boutique was born.
Her first sale came at a craft market at Loseley Park in Surrey and since then Sarah hasn't looked back, working full time on the business since late 2011. She now sells at markets around the south-east, through her website, Bonny-Boutique.co.uk and also via a number of local stockists.
In December 2012 Bonny Boutique opened a pop-up in Richmond as part of the Pop-Up Britain initiative to give independent British brands a chance to get their products on to the High Street. It proved so successful that it is now occupying space in the Victoria shop.
Sarah's beautifully crafted cushions and bunting are made from her growing collection of fabric remnants, sourced anywhere from car boot sales to charity shops, meaning no two items are exactly the same. Her inspiration comes mainly from the fabric itself but is driven by an underlying theme of good old fashioned British pastimes and interests such as caravanning, taking tea and man's best friend.
Below she answers a few questions to help us get to know her a little better...
Describe yourself in five words:
Talkative, happy, confident, caring, quirky.
Which country would you most like to visit?
Iceland.
What was your last meal?
Cocktail sausages and Percy Pigs!
How do you relax?
Reading or chilling with my boyfriend.
If you were an animal, what would you be?
A cat.
Tea or coffee?
Tea.
Mac or PC?
Mac.
What advice would you give to others wanting to start their own business?
Never cut corners.
Finally, when I asked what ambitions she has for the future, Sarah replied (without any hesitation), "to be a brilliant businesswoman and mother". I think she is halfway there already.
Bonny Boutique is at the Pop-Up Britain Victoria store until 31st March.
Commissions welcome.
Facebook.com/bonnyboutiquecouk Twitter: @Bonny_Boutique
Her first sale came at a craft market at Loseley Park in Surrey and since then Sarah hasn't looked back, working full time on the business since late 2011. She now sells at markets around the south-east, through her website, Bonny-Boutique.co.uk and also via a number of local stockists.
In December 2012 Bonny Boutique opened a pop-up in Richmond as part of the Pop-Up Britain initiative to give independent British brands a chance to get their products on to the High Street. It proved so successful that it is now occupying space in the Victoria shop.
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| tock from the Richmond Christmas store |
Sarah's beautifully crafted cushions and bunting are made from her growing collection of fabric remnants, sourced anywhere from car boot sales to charity shops, meaning no two items are exactly the same. Her inspiration comes mainly from the fabric itself but is driven by an underlying theme of good old fashioned British pastimes and interests such as caravanning, taking tea and man's best friend.
Below she answers a few questions to help us get to know her a little better...
Describe yourself in five words:
Which country would you most like to visit?
Iceland.
What was your last meal?
Cocktail sausages and Percy Pigs!
How do you relax?
Reading or chilling with my boyfriend.
If you were an animal, what would you be?
A cat.
Tea or coffee?
Tea.
Mac or PC?
Mac.
What advice would you give to others wanting to start their own business?
Never cut corners.
Finally, when I asked what ambitions she has for the future, Sarah replied (without any hesitation), "to be a brilliant businesswoman and mother". I think she is halfway there already.
Bonny Boutique is at the Pop-Up Britain Victoria store until 31st March.
Commissions welcome.
Facebook.com/bonnyboutiquecouk Twitter: @Bonny_Boutique