Creative Crafters For Christmas: Laura's Pixie Patch

With Christmas just around the corner I thought it would be great to interview a number of creative crafters that can offer something unique at this time of year. So to kick us off I'm delighted to interview the delightful Laura Gillard of Laura's Pixie Patch.

Hi for those who don’t know you, could you please tell us a bit about yourself.

I'm Laura Gillard, 32 year old mum of two, Brownie leader and avid crafter

What sort of creative business do you run?

I founded Laura's Pixie Patch in May 2012 though didn't truly find my feet until August 2015. I set my business up as a way of earning an income while staying at home to look after my children. I learnt to sew to make my youngest clothes for her dolls, but sewing then started to take over my life.

In 2014 I learnt to crochet and that too became a massive obsession. I started using both my sewing and crochet skills to make toys as presents and for my daughters.

I started receiving orders for toys in August 2015 I got to grips with CE testing to make sure my toys were safe. In that Autumn I started to make crocheted versions of people's guinea pigs. Now crocheted pet portraits of a wide range of animals is a big part of my business. This led to writing a crochet pattern for a ferret. I've now written and published several crochet patterns and a sewing pattern. I love making my own designs.

What advice would you give to someone who wants to have a go themselves?

Most people can learn to sew or crochet but it takes time and patience. If you would like to try then I recommend looking at YouTube where you will find a wealth of tutorials

How do you juggle your creative work/life?

 As for creative work with life, basically my crochet comes with me everywhere so I can crochet while the girls have swimming lessons or volleyball practice. I work from home, for me crochet and sewing is a job rather than a hobby so I treat it as such. Once the children are at school I get to work. In the evenings after clubs and dinner I crochet whilst we have quieter family time together watching TV or just chatting. I save projects that don't require as many materials, such as blankets, for the evenings. During holidays I fit in orders wherever I can, making sure there is still time for family trips and spending time with my girls

Where can we find you?

You can find me on Facebook and Etsy. 

Thank you, Laura for taking time out of your busy schedule to be interviewed.  If you are a creative crafter and would like to be interviewed on a future post in this series please get in contact.