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Tell me more about your craft? What is it? When did you find out you were good at it?
Yorkshire Blankets are an eco product, using redundant yarns direct from a traditional Yorkshire mill. All our blankets are hand cut and finished by ourselves in Barnsley. Alongside our large range of blankets and throws, we hand make; cushions, foot pouffes, draught excluders, door stops, lavender hearts, owls, wreaths, capes, ponchos and occasion cards. We pride ourselves on being a family run business from the heart of Yorkshire, using the great products Yorkshire has to offer.
Why did you decide to turn into a business?
We attended a school craft fair with seconds blankets from the mills and sold out immediately. This got us thinking that there could be something in these beautiful Yorkshire Blankets. However, we got banned from the fair as we hadn’t actually made anything ourselves, therefore we started making hand-sewn cushions and then the business spiralled from there.
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Tell us more about the process, the step by step process of your craft-From the concept to the final product.
Our blankets are made using the redundant, surplus yarns that are left over at the end of the week in the Mills. These yarns previously went into landfill. This makes our blankets brilliantly unique as we only get a maximum of 20 blankets in one colourway.
The blankets come to us in huge rolls, usually changing colours several times within the rolls. We hand cut each individual blanket and then decide whether it stays as a blanket or gets lovingly handmade into one of our products.
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Where do you sell your product?
We attend farmers markets around the Yorkshire area as our products lend themselves nicely to the rustic vibe of these markets. Christmas markets are our busiest time of year in our super cute Christmas chalets. Alongside this we do, music festivals, food festivals and craft fairs. Our products are also sold in many shops around Yorkshire.
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Have you noticed a rise in crafters and people buying creations?
We find that many people have gone back to old fashioned values, and want to make purchases from local, unique businesses. Customers want something with a story, a meaning, instead of something mass produced on the high street. This is definitely something we offer!
What is the crafting industry like?
We love meeting new traders when we attend events. Most are very friendly and happy to share their knowledge and ideas, there is definitely a family ethos to the crafting industry.
Do you recommend people starting up their own crafting creations and turning it into a business?
Absolutely! We love every day of our job, we love creating, dealing with lovely customers and being our own boss. There isn’t anything more satisfying than seeing an idea turning into a reality. We think it is very important to diversify and change your products, always listen to what your customers are wanting.
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You can find Yorkshire Blankets
Instagram – @yorkshireblankets
Gemma's Journey 