In early 2007 Stitch designworks was just another crazy idea scrawled in the back of Chrissie Probert Jones’ diary that had, in her eyes of course, the potential to reach out and grab the attention of all the textile geeks like herself worldwide. “I have always been crazy about stitching since I first sewed my mother’s entire buttonbox onto a length of paisley print aged 5”, she says: “I wanted to give an equally passionate customer base a range of contemporary interior products that would sew a patchwork of fun, style and versatility into their everyday surroundings”.
After a tough five years of trading and learning on the job, her idea for a range which combined two of her greatest passions – stationary and textiles – took off. The first product in the range, Doodle Duvet, immediately won the coveted Best New Gift award when it launched at Top Drawer Autumn 2010.
Doodle by Stitch is an exciting concept designed to inject fun and humour into interior design in a stylish, personal and versatile way. Doodle duvet turns a simple cotton duvet cover into a giant sketchbook which comes complete with a set of washout markers so that it can be endlessly customised. Next came the doodle kitchen collection – a graph paper print tablecloth, file paper print adult and child aprons and runaway Christmas bestseller.
With great customers in the UK such as Paperchase, the Present Finder (also local, based in Dorset) Heals and The Royal Academy, the company launched in US in January 2012 with great success. Doodle by stitch now has a warehouse in Boston and customers from chain stores to catalogues as well as small independants. Says Chrissie “This is such an exciting time for us. Doodle is unique and huge fun and is being so well received. For a small local business to have extended roots overseas is just wonderful. We have a small but great team here in Salisbury and are proud to be a Wiltshire SME that’s going places!”
There’s still a lot more fun to come in the doodle zone, and Chrissie is also working on several new ranges to sit alongside it. “My fascination with sewing and creating, costume history, printed design, haberdashery and French country textiles endlessly jostle for position. Out of the mix are emerging some very exciting projects that celebrate textiles and design while creating a really personal look."
