Behind the Brand

A Cornwall-based designer reflects on nearly two decades of turning sketches into stitched products, and explains what she’ll be bringing to this year’s trade show.

From a fish loft to a growing business

Poppy Treffry set up her sewing machine in a Newlyn fish loft 19 years ago, working on an old Singer her father had rescued from the dump. With £200 in the bank and a cranky second-hand machine, she began translating her sketches of everyday life in Cornwall into products people could use and treasure. It was, she says, the start of an enterprise that is still going strong today.

A long history with the show

The brand has been operating for 19 years and exhibited at the event between 2004 and 2006, when it was known as the British Craft Fair in Harrogate.

Working with a small team

Treffry works alongside a small team of women who cut, sew, pack and sell the products she designs and develops. Being a small creative business, she says, allows for quick and responsive decisions, whether that means introducing new projects for retail customers or creating bespoke ranges for special wholesale clients. Her favourite part of the job is watching her drawings come to life in stitch form.

Lessons learned along the way

Asked what advice she would give her younger self, Treffry is candid about the difficult periods. Learning to balance her time and her creativity has meant closing her shops and stopping production of certain lines so she can concentrate on the work she truly loves.

What’s coming to the show

Visitors can expect the Poppy Treffry stamp on a collection of handmade products made from quality fabrics, produced as ethically as possible and designed to raise a smile. Among her personal favourites is the swallow collection, which combines embroidered and printed pieces; the make-up bag and bread wrap in these designs are, she says, particularly lovely.

Looking ahead to exhibiting

Treffry is most looking forward to meeting new people and potential customers, and to spreading the brand further into the north of England.

Sustainability in practice

Where possible, the business uses local and British suppliers. All tags and greeting cards are made from recycled card, none of the packaging contains plastic, and retail customers’ parcels are sent in paper packaging. Orders for wholesale customers are packed using recycled materials.