It’s one of my most asked questions… ‘ Where do you source the fabrics for your handmade collections? The answer (in short) is all over, and has long been one of my one of my favourite things to do! From French Brocantes, to antique markets, carboots and charity shops to deadstock fabrics from sustainable fabric suppliers.

The joys of discovering a beautiful fabric and imagining what it could become next. I realised we’ve been designing and making our clothing & lifestyle range for sometime now and, as it continues to grow, I thought you might like to know a bit more…. cue my first blog!

First of all, thank you for being here and for always supporting our small batch handmade collections! Im still always blown away when these pieces sell out and forever grateful that there’s a demand for kids slow fashion, along with likeminded people who are passionate about shopping small.

Our Handmade collection was born out of a love for kids clothing design; wanting to create modern, capsule pieces but without the waste. With my background in design, and my good friend Elinor’s skills (a previous bespoke tailor on Savile row !), we came together to share our mutual passion for creating new, sustainably.

The nature of using reclaimed & vintage fabrics naturally forces the product to be small, slow, limited & one of kind. This not only suits both our ethos and juggling being mums/work, but also makes our pieces extra special!

Our collections, all designed & made here from our Whitstable studio’s, include trousers, shorts, reversible gilets, hair bows and cushions. The designs evolve, but we’re always focussed on longevity, keeping the style simple, the fabrics unique. A favourite was turning vintage table cloths found in France into summer checked shorts. What shall we make next??

If you’ve made it to here, then below are just a few places we love a mooch around for reclaimed fabrics and some top tips!

Firstly, charity shops! Some of the best fabrics I've found have been in local charity shops (we’re lucky enough to have one specializing in homeware and furnishings). Ive often found donations of vintage table cloths and deadstock fabrics. Just always check composotion… 100% natural fibers are harder to find here.
Keep a look out for your local Scrapstore. We love our local Ramsgate Mencap Scrapstore, a treasure trove of all things textiles and craft. I often take the boys there to replenish their crafting box and they come out with all kinds of weird and wonderful things. Some of our best fabric discoveries have come from here and often large surplus rolls.
Brocantes! Love me a Brocante, preferably in France with a crossaint in hand but failing that, there’s often a local brocante or antique fair happening nearby at a weekend. It requires an eagle eye and patience but here you’ll find the best vintage textiles waiting to be given a new life. Deal is one of my favorite places to go to for antique markets, especially their August Brocante in Walmer.
Ebay and more recently Vinted are home to an array of fabrics, often unused. Think outside the box… some of our projects have turned curtains or bedlinen into clothing!
We love to use beautiful quality linens and naturally died textiles as much as we can and love sourcing remnants/ end of line from shops like
Merchant & Mills
Cloth House London
The Cloth Shop
The New Craft House
Our hair bows (and coming soon fabric letters - you heard it here first!) are all made using linen fabric remnants from these shops.
Natalie x

Making New From The Old: Fabrics With Stories to tell…