​It’s hardly been the summeriest of summers in Wellington, NZ, but we have still managed to be very productive, here at Copper Catkin HQ.

Problem statement:
As a customer, I want to be able to pick things up and look at them without having to ask or open the packet - but I also want them to have cute packaging, that will protect them and make a nice gift. I want to be able to grab and go without waiting for packaging.
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As the owner, I don't want to spend hours untangling loose earrings; I want the majority of my stock to be packaged and ready to hang. I want packaging that won't look foxed too quickly, and won't be damaged if there's a little drizzle.

One of my personal quirks has always been which things should be matchy-matchy (cutlery and other homewares - I hate when my knife and fork are from different sets), and which things should be more eclectic. There are still rules, though; I need a unifying theme - for example, when I wear mismatched shoes, they both have to be sneakers, and the socks need to be from the same set (so that the thickness and fit isn't weirdly different).

If you’ve ever been to Wellington, NZ, you will know why the thought of outdoor markets gives so many stallholders anxiety. I have certainly done my share – trying to catch flying stock, hanging onto gazebos and umbrellas, worrying about rain, dealing with mud, watching the sky constantly… It can be calm and sunny when you leave the house, and by the time you pull over to start setting up, it’s like a totally different season. We have had gale force winds, snow, floods, electrical storms, weatherbomb lows… 

​It seems like just the other day, I was thinking about getting back into making things for craft markets - but that was waaaay back in April! And here we are, with Copper Catkin getting nicely established, back into the swing of things!

​We're getting the hang of the whole craft market scene again - it's a bit like riding a bicycle, as they say. It's great market research, too, pun intended. I've missed that general sense of inspiration that you get by osmosis, simply from being surrounded by creative people and their wares all day.
We've had great feedback on the first batch of designs. I've been drawing and working away whenever I can to make some more designs out of those drawings, and I have several new collections on the way. 

 Are you interested in providing research inputs for Copper Catkin? Would you like to see your shape used to develop garments that will actually fit and flatter you?
If you answered 'yes', then please send me through a set of 3 'technical' photos (these are for the garment development) and 5-10 'dynamic' photos (these are to help visualise how the garments and the fabrics might perform 'in the wild').

Your original photos will never be displayed publicly, and you will only be credited if you want to be. ​

Ok, so here's where it gets real. In order to complete my design brief for the pattern maker, Liz, I had to be absolutely accurate in my drawings of my garments. Liz also requested photos of me in clothes that were similar to what I wanted, with notes, as references. My initial sketches were useful as guides, but the only way I knew how to do it was to draw them on my own shape - so, as well as the reference photos, I had my husband take photos of me in fitted clothing, and then I used them to trace my actual shape. This was a difficult experience, because it's hard to face yourself at any time, but as a big girl who has lost the weight twice before, and regained it again, it's even harder, because I was acknowledging my failure to keep the weight off head-on. Still, I persevered, and came up with these.

Wow, there was a really huge response to our first competition post!
To keep track of it all, let's sort it into categories - animal, vegetable, mineral.

So, I mentioned in a previous post that I was trying to come up with a good system to help women identify if an outfit would fit them or not.

I figured out that the closest thing to my own shape was the New Zealand sweet potato, called a kūmara.