I chose the image above for this Spring update. Let’s face it, in the UK, this is what most days in this last month of May have looked like. However, June is a few days away and it’s looking like the tide is turning. It’s well timed as the tide seems to be turning for the better with Mummy’s Muse. Read below for what I’ve been up to in the past few weeks.

Status on Construction Samples

The past few weeks have been really interesting for me. We got the construction samples tested on some fabulous little super models. This was a good exercise because it gave me a chance to work out what was working – or needed improvement – when it came to how the garments actually fit on real babies. Sadly due to COVID I couldn’t be there when the mums were trying on the outfits, but I got lots of photos and detailed feedback which was great. Thank you to the wonderful women who helped me out with this.

I then had a call with my manufacturers to discuss changes and feedback. This is the first time I’ve had a call to discuss samples/garments and now it’s something I will always try and do in the future. I always send an email before a call, but talking through things made everything better. We discussed some changes and now we’re moving to make samples in the actual print. Watch this space for those.

_{Front and back of the legging construction samples.}

Product Extensions and Fabric Investigations

As I continued along the journey of getting the prototypes ready for the three major garments (leggings, sleepsuits and the dress), it occurred to me with all the knowledge I’ve amassed that there could be some interesting product extensions I could investigate. A key realisation I’ve had is the cost to print on different fabrics varies a lot. Also the complexity or lack thereof in construction of different items can vastly affect the cost of production. The fascinating thing for me now, is that if I have an idea I’d like to investigate due to my four years (!) of experience, the length of time it takes to get things going has been drastically reduced. I don’t need to learn what a tech pack is. I can also draw on all the mistakes I’ve made to get to a point of production much quicker. Watch this space for interesting product extensions.

The big learning curve I’ve had in the last few months is taking my prints from swatches to printing on large rolls of fabric. Oh my goodness. A friend of mine wanted to use some prints for a photo shoot, so it required me to print meters of fabric in Mummy’s Muse print. This unlocked a new level of Photoshop for me (*crying face*) . It was very useful in the end; I now know how to tile patterns seamlessly.

In the month of May, I’ve been on a wild goose chase to identify a particular type of fabric for a product extension. I ordered lots of samples from lots of different companies, but still wasn’t convinced the fabric was quite right. In the end I did what I should have done from. the. start. I got in my car and drove to a fabric warehouse not to far from me. I rang the bell of this industrial complex, clothing sample and fabric swatches in hand and I asked them to confirm which of their swatches was closest to the fabric on the clothing sample I had. Problem solved. I could now order a printed sample in confidence.

Masks on sale on the site

I’m now selling masks on the site. I haven’t done any marketing to make people aware of this fact. I will do soon….I really should. The thing is, they’re made to order so I’m not carrying any inventory risk. If I’m honest I don’t know the future of masks, it’s hard to guess how long they’ll be around for. Personally, I think I’ll always wear a mask on the tube and probably the bus moving forward. So the decision to go made to order made sense from a sustainability point of view. I don’t want to have loads of inventory of an obsolete product. It does mean I lose branding control and they take longer to arrive. It’s an interesting test to see how people respond to that.

Above all ‘rational’ reasons, I made the masks because I wanted to wear masks in my prints! I have LOVED having these prints on my face, especially as the weather in the UK improves. Not every one wants to stand out with good design – especially with something as commoditised as a face mask, but I certainly do. I love that in a sea of black masks and surgical blue, I wear these beautiful coloured print masks. I think of it as a way for me to smile without my smile being visible.

Check them out here and let me know what you think.

I’m hoping next month I’ll have some prototypes to share with you!