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An interuiew with

Jacqui runs noedlcwork brand Granny Knlts from her home    n

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Meet cross stitch designer, ‘mum-trepreneur’ and doyenne of all things vintage Jacąui Pearce and find out what you’ll be stitching next year

Interuiew by Harriet Brunsdon and Joanna Heptinstall

homeware brand selling everything from designs (see page 26 for starters), plus arty posters to stitching kits. And this a regular column starting next issuc. year she launched another company,    Jacqui’s success has becn fuclled by

Granny Knits, which sells ‘modern stylish passion for handicrafts. “What I love is homespun’ needlecraft kits.    that, with a little thought and inspiration,

Jacqui’s years ofcommercial training    you can make something truły unique,”

have helped her craft businesses succeed. she says. “Once you get going, not only This year she was a winner in the Natwest is there a lovcly family of like-minded Women in Business competition, and souls, but the horizon of inspiration is both her brands were fmalists in the Gift endless. From a cute button badge to

■    acqui Pearce already knows

■    what most cross stitchers wi II

■    be making next year.

^ y That's because she spent 13 years as a ‘trend tracker’, working for big organisations iike Top Shop, Sełfridges and BBC Radio 1, as a Buying Director and Creative Consułtant, predicting what our style, fashion and creativity wili be iike in the futurę.

At the hcight ofher career she scoured blogs and trend sites, and followed key media figures to see who was doing and wearing what. She was so successful at predicting trends it was Iike she had a creative crystal bali.

Staying at the top of the gamę was demanding and hugely competitive -but happily (especially for CrossStitcher and its readers), that was in a previous life. The arrival of two children prompted a decision to leave trend prediction.

“It was a hugely competitive young wdmansgamę,”saysJacqui. Nowshe is still a powerhouse of energy, but this time it s for her own brands.

Not long after the arrival of second child Finlay in 2007, Jacqui launched Pearl and Earl, a nostalgie gifts and

Cre^tdter.....

JANUARY 2Óii of the Year 2010 and winners at premium trade gift fair Top Drawer.

To top it off, CrossStitcher has invitcd her to producc somc exclusive cross stitch

a full-blown textile wali hanging, 1 love the creativity of it all. And I honestly find them all delicious. Plus,” she adds, “it’s incredibly relaxing.”

Granny Knitsexpands on the vintage feel of Pearl and EarPs homewares