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UmmPixies
Founded by Paula Carter, UmmPixies is the home of vibrant, colourful homewares, accessories and children’s wear, designed to appeal to those of any age.
We recently caught up with Paula to find out more about the brand. Read the interview below to discover more..
How did it all start?
I started sewing with my friend when our children were small. We’d make the kids a fruit platter and set them an activity so that we could get stuck into a new project while they played. We sewed A LOT and took the excess to local craft markets and had a fabulous time selling our wares. I realised that it was tough to find jolly designs on good quality organic cotton, so I set up UmmPixies to bring bright, joyful design to homes everywhere.
The story behind the name…
I studied archaeology and ancient languages and subsequently worked in the Middle East for years. UmmPixies (pronounced oom – pixies) comes from the Arabic tradition of naming parents Umm-(mother) or Abu- (father) after their first-born child. My eldest had very pointy ears as a baby hence the nickname Pixie for them and UmmPixie for me. NB this was several years before GoT started parenting dragons.
Where are you based?
North London, in a lovely area surrounded by a whole host of parks- which I have particularly cherished the last few years.
What inspires you?
What doesn’t inspire me? I love colour, pattern, animals, wildlife, light, fun and music (I start humming a song from almost any combination of words that sets off a lyric in my head). Sometimes it can be a tiny thought, from something I see or read that I worry away at which then turns into a few sketches. It can then be days or years before that gets turned into a colourful pattern.
What makes your brand or products unique?
Me! Of course they are my drawings but also my personality – I am fiercely practical (some might say annoyingly so). Everything I make has the kind of attention to detail that means you will notice the quality. An UmmPixies tea towel is very good at drying up because it is very absorbent and very robust. It also looks lovely wrapped around a fresh loaf of bread because it washes beautifully so it retains its looks even when it has done a lot of dishes. You can easily show off those good looks because the hanging loop is sewn onto the long side so whether your hooks are high or low the towel doesn’t drape on the floor. I believe that practicality should also look to the future and so everything is made in small batches from 100% Organic Cotton certified OEKO-tex100, using non-polluting dyes for minimal environmental footprint during production. My packaging is fully recyclable (even the tape seals are biodegradable).
What is your creation process?
I start on paper and then finish on computer (via a bit more paper). I have books and books of ideas sketched out, often the same basic idea that’s been worked on numerous times. My ducks pattern came together after many, many walks and runs around my local green spaces during the lockdowns. I’d get home and sketch whichever bird had caught my eye that day. Once I had enough different birds, I digitised my initial drawings and then used an illustration programme to combine the individual birds into a repeating pattern. I usually print out a large format version on paper so that I can visually check how the pattern scales for fabric printing. Don’t worry I do reuse the backs of old printouts for new sketches!
What are your plans for the next 12 months?
I’m still relatively new so I am focussing on getting to know the people who like what I do so that I can make more of what they like and hopefully build up my business from there… this time next year Rodney!
What is your next project?
I’m about to launch my oven gloves which I’m very excited about and I’m working on some new (shhh it’s a secret so I can’t tell you about them yet) designs for 2023.
What is your biggest achievement?
Without a shadow of a doubt being half the production team for our wonderful pixies… I believe the children are our future…
What is your best-selling product/line?
My adult aprons are my best seller and so far this year it’s a dead heat between the ducks and the foxes although I think the robins may well overtake before the end of the year.
Your experience of your first Country Living Fair?
This will be my first time exhibiting at a Country Living Fair so I’m very excited to be on the other side of the experience. I’m looking forward to meeting the fabulous customers and all the other talented exhibitors.
What do you love about Country Living Fairs?
I love the buzz, the endless choice of gorgeous gifts that I’m supposed to buy for others but more often than not end up buying for myself (eek!) and I love that it gives me permission to be Christmassy straight after Halloween – I am a HUGE fan of Christmas.
Your three top tips for crafters and makers…
Make things you love making – you’re working for yourself you should enjoy doing it!
Get to know your customers, and let them get to know you, you are what makes your business.
Work-life balance is crucial, working for yourself can mean that work takes over your whole self. Make time for your family and friends but most importantly make time for yourself outside of the work.
Any advice for fledgling businesses…
Remember why you started and try to keep that joy in your work – it is easy to get overwhelmed with the to-do lists of a small business where everything is on your shoulders, so from time to time take a step back and remember the reason you started and try to recapture that feeling.