When my children were younger I made party bags for their friends to take away from birthday parties, shunning the throwaway paper or plastic versions that were the norm. I used reclaimed materials (such as duvet covers, upholstery fabric, or clothing) which, as well as reducing waste, ensured that evey child received a unique bag to house their party goodies. I received a sufficient number of compliments over the years to give me the confidence to start selling similar, one-off bags at craft markets; I continued to use reclaimed fabrics and built my brand around minimising waste. When it came to choosing a name for the business, I used my youngest son's nickname of "Doodie Bug" as inspiration.
Mansion Market, February 2011
The first event I attended was the Mansion Market in Forest Row in February 2011. My product range was very limited and though my sales figures were low, I did come away with a profit, albeit a small one. I was genuinely thrilled that people had bought my work, and this initial success encouraged me to book a stall at more markets and craft fairs, and to expand the type and variety of products I made.
The Doodlebags' range developed over the years, with new products being designed on a regular basis. Most product ideas stood the test of time and remained favourites with customers, though a handful of them proved less popular and were discontinued. Fabrics were always sourced secondhand, and came from upholsterers, interior designers, fabric merchants, charity shops, and boot fairs. I upcycled as much as I could, including cardboad and cords from upholstery sample books and, on occasion, even staples and plastic covers; anything that couldn't be used was passed on to schools, sewing groups, and charities.
I've lost track of how many events I attended over the years, but there were many occasions when Doodlebags had a stall at two separate events on one day, particularly at Christmas or during the summer months when village fetes were being held. For a number of years I had a regular stall at the weekly Farmers' Market in Hildenborough, where I also offered a sewing repairs service, and I even negotiated with a number of small shops in various parts of the UK to stock my work, meaning that at one time Doodlebags' products were available to buy nationwide.
Eventually, however, Doodlebags had to be set aside to make way for other opportunies. I gave away a large amount of fabric and accessories, but kept enough supplies in the hope that there would be a time when circumstances would allow for a relaunch.
That time has arrived.