Did you know that the human eye sees more shades of green than any other colour? Possibly an evolutionary feature which associates green with nature, life and growth. How time changes; nowadays many of us are more likely to see red at the supermarket checkout as opposed to green whilst foraging in the forests!
Colour psychology arguably still has a huge role in how we present ourselves to the world. People who are wear green are often associated with creativity, stability, and success. Pretty good subliminal messages to put out there!
Green has been heavily featured on the catwalk and fashion editorials recently, with the full spectrum of the colour being used. We have also stocked a healthy range of substrates and tones for you to re-create some of your favourite looks.
Deep Green
A classic deep green creates a feeling of decadence like no other. Suited to many occasions, from formal dinners, to the evening fireside, anything made in these tones will have an air of luxury to it. Choose our Sanded Lenzing Tencel Linen in dark green, or, for full glamour, our Bemberg cupro bark crepe in night green will give the look you want.
A simple dress in dark green, (as shown in Reformation) is a classic choice that will not date. To recreate this look, the By Hand London Anna pattern will give you the perfect shape. For some extra special nightwear like this La Perla set, check out the Grainline Lakeside pyjama pattern.
Emerald Green
Moving along the colour wheel, Gucci bring us this spectacular vision. Pairing with red is a bold statement, but as you can see, it works. Red sits opposite green on the colour wheel which mean they contrast in the best way, like a bird of paradise. To make an equally eye catching daytime outfit, our Sanded Lenzing Tencel Linen Slub in Emerald has you covered. A blouse with fine details such as the Nina Lee Bakerloo will mean all eyes will be on you!
If minimalist is your style, this dress from Arket shows that simple design doesn’t necessarily mean you are restricted to neutral colours. The Emerald green shade creates a striking look which you could recreate with Closet Core Kalle shirt and tunic dress. Don’t forget your buttons! I would opt for Wicked for interest and toning in, or Nightshade to really make them a feature.
Bright Green
Lets go bright! Heralded as THE shade of green to be seen in, our Sanded Lenzing Tencel slub in ‘Refresh’ will see you in the right direction for these fashion forward outfits.
So lets put ‘blue and green should never be seen’ behind us. Make heads turn and eyes green with envy (sorry). You never know, it might become the next red and pink!
This year’s Valentines collection theme choice seemed obvious, Barbiecore! Pink and Valentines just go together and even I feel swept away in the buzz of the Barbie film. However, I couldn’t shake my lack of enthusiasm for the Barbie brand as a whole and what really interested me boiled down to the feminine construction.
So this year our collection is veered towards celebrating Galentines day and all that it represents. Strong connections, deep friendship and how we uplift each other.
We have four new buttons set to move you through the end of Autumn and to the start of Spring. With new sizes ready for overshirts, jackets and (of course) dresses. In colours to match the trepidation of Autumn before the explosion of colour.
Now for the collection……
Barbiecore Buttons
Named for the idol that is, Barbie.
The swirl of Cream and Pinks help match this button with a range of Pink from Baby Pink to Fuschia. This button also pops against Whites and Creams. I personally like Pink and Brown together and I would put these buttons together with Fawn tones for a 70’s vibe.
Made for dopamine dressing and embracing all that is cute and girly. In sizes 15mm and 25mm.
Sublime Buttons
Flashes of metallic Blue and Green on a smokey Grey background. The Sublime buttons calls for sparkle and a bit of the feminine. Blue and green are always an exceeding combination and this cloudy button looks great against Grey’s, Blue’s and Greens with a colder colouring. In sizes 10mm and 20mm.
Beloved Buttons
Deep Crimson with flecks of Pink, Purple, Green and Blue these buttons are for those who love the detail. The many colours of this button make it perfect for pairing with a print, you want to pick a colour out from. This button is great with Reds that have a Blue undertone, Pinks, Creams, Purples. Beloved has true versatility.
Beloved refers to the Toni Morrison book of the same name. In size 15mm.
Beguiled Buttons
With stark black splashes against a soft brown and a lilac, this button is for those going into (or are fully) into their Purple Era.
The Beguiled button looks stunning against all shades of Purple. A button that can hold its own due to its stark nature but also surprisingly warm. We’ve also paired this button with Browns and dark colours and the Beguilded button really brings something a bit something special.
THE perfect buttons for a lighter coat for the changing season. In sizes 10mm, 15mm and 20mm.
Hope you’ve enjoyed getting to know the collection a bit more and it’s perhaps inspired some sewing!
It’s almost time for our new button collection, The Dreamland Collection. In this post (like our last button mood board) I won’t be revealing the buttons but I will be sharing some inspiration we’ve had for the creation of this collection. Each collection pivots around a central idea. It’s now March and while Spring is the overarching theme; the colours, the vibe and the general tone is a little more specific. Florals for Spring is always a classic, however I wanted to go with a different twist. Keeping Spring’s colourfulness and sense of renewal, the collection is meant to have a dreamy haze.
I am so excited for this new collection, it’s been MONTHS since we’ve released anything new under our own brand, the last collection was October ‘21! Winter has come and gone, and I think we are all eager for the sun to bless this cold Island with some warmth!
These buttons remind me of the two best flavours of fondant fancies. Pink and lemon. One of the few times Chocolate flavour is just lacking! Heading towards Spring and (dare we say) picnics and general alfresco eating, this desert is best enjoyed amongst the flowers. We are colour enthusiasts and the rise of pink and yellow together is a joy inducing dynamic.
Colours that make you either want to take flight into a magical twilight sky or go into the depths of a lagoon filled with mermaids. Seems like there will always be at least one blue and green button in our collection!!! I actually cannot help myself! The next button in this colour combo saga is the Neverland button.
Unfazed by a collision and colour. We love the art movement that wanted to take a glimpse into the human mind. This button is the most ‘Spring’ like but also the most brash.
These buttons remind me of a dreamscape colour palette. Somewhere between sunset and the surreal. Blue and pink are our brand colours and have a special place in my heart. The colours together always seem a bit unexpected but they just work so, so well. These buttons are not an understatement! Meant for the dreamers.
The galaxy is deep, beautiful and inexorable. It runs forever. Looking up at the colour and patterns gives people infinite reverie. From ancient times to the present, purple and dark blue always represented dreams and mysteries.
I hope this has made you a bit intrigued! Happy stitching!
It was the best of times…it was the worst of times. I think a lot of small businesses have this quote in their mind every time a year ends! 2021 has definitely been filled with serious highs and the corresponding lows. We’ve had amazing opportunities and customers come our way and have really felt our business grow. However, the lingering effects of Covid has shaped our year in ways we didn’t expect (or want lol) and will do so even into 2022.
Last year really feels like a game of two halves. I was certain at the beginning of 2021 that everything would be back to ‘normal’ again. It was just about having faith and waiting it out. Half way through the year I think we all had to come to terms with Coronavirus being a continued presence and the new normal.
Here’s a rundown of some major highlights of 2021. We couldn’t include everything but hope you enjoy the insight and the behind the scenes of the business.
Pigeon Wishes Buttons
What started as a tiny offshoot, to earn ‘pocket money’ for myself and Olimi has turned into one of the cornerstones of our business. 2021 was our first, full year of releasing our buttons. We had our classic buttons, which are the buttons that have been around since the beginning, plus released four independent collections (Think Pink, Spring Fling, Beaches and Halloween) and two collaboration collections (with Paige Joanna and Cut One Pair).
The response has been overwhelmingly amazing and I cannot imagine our business without our buttons now! Each collection has been such a joy to produce and put out into the world. A massive highlight this year was having a competition to help create and name a new button! The Aberystwyth button (thank you for the inspiration @JenJen.Bollands). It’s a massive pleasure and privilege that Pigeon Wishes can be a part of so many of your makes.
Our first button collaboration! I am beyond thankful that Paige said yes to collaborating. Reaching out is always scary, the fear of rejection is real! However, as you can feel through her instagram, Paige is incredibly lovely, kind and open. It was a joy to work with her and I am so happy with our first collection together. Keep your eyes peeled for our next collaboration collection coming Spring 2022.
Pink and red forever it seems! By FAR our best selling fabric was our pink and red cotton seersucker. The pink and red combo shows no signs of abating and this colour combo is looking to still be incredibly popular into 2022. We have a new pink and red fabric ready to bring out for 2022 we are pretty sure you’ll love! Our cotton ginghams also proved to be popular. Gingham is always a classic but its popularity exploded last year. We were able to source some gingham in fun, unusual colourways, I especially loved the battenberg-esque gingham.
When it comes to our buttons, Painterly tops the charts continuously. Painterly is such a versatile button and there’s not much it doesn’t pair beautifully with. Our surprise hit was our Nightshade buttons, I thought it was a bit of a gamble bringing out a black button but it’s such a lovely twist to a basic we did anyway. It was a good call!
As I’ve said Covid has really changed our business model. On a personal note, not being able to go back to China and see family has been incredibly difficult for Yuhao. On a business one that meant sourcing fabric has pretty much completely halted and the escalating shipping costs means our wholesale plans have to change due to the increased price point. In our original business plan we were ideally meant to visit China twice a year on sourcing trips. We wanted a business that allowed Yuhao (and Olimi) a chance to spend more time around family and flexibility when it came to taking long, frequent breaks. Which at the time was a pretty good plan! Now, not so much.
We still want to be closer to family and right now that means something completely different. We have a warehouse full and access to amazing fabric so retail is a part of the business we opened last year and this year will really lean into. This year we are also welcoming my mum to the team and while what’s happening next is for another blog, we are really hopeful and excited.
Images 1Front Page| Image 2 Fabric Section| Image 3 Me (Megan) at the K&S Show| Image 4 YuHao at Studio
The Knitting and Stitching Show
What a massive highlight of the year!!! Exhibiting at The Knitting and Stitching show was not even remotely in our plans. Not just for this year but ever. Since the beginning of the year we had been anticipating attending the CHSI Stitches trade show. Originally scheduled for February, the date kept being pushed further and further back until it was cancelled for the year entirely in September. Around that time we were seeing more advertising for the K&S show and thought we might as well participate since we wanted to take part in a show this year. I cannot say how wonderful it was to meet customers, talk to makers again and just to spend whole days surrounded by other small craft businesses! Becoming an exhibitor was one of our best decisions ever and I really hope to participate in more shows in the future.
Cut One Pair X Pigeon Wishes
Our second collaboration of the year and our second ever. I have long admired Jenny and Louise’s style and creativity. They have such a distinct point of view and I knew that would translate beautifully into buttons. I wasn’t wrong. It was wonderful seeing them open their shop and doing an instagram challenge with them. And yes! There is plans for another collection!
By the end of 2020 we realised that it was time to make the leap. Yuhao was working full time and working on Pigeon Wishes whenever he could and I was spending the majority of my time looking after Olimi and working on Pigeon Wishes whenever I could. It was chaotic, sometimes unproductive but necessary when starting a small, bootstrap business. Luckily we were doing well enough that the situation was completely unsustainable and the only way to grow the business further was to have a full time worker. YuHao handed in his notice in October 2020 and by January 2021 we had to rely on Pigeon Wishes to be our sole source of income! Scary! I handle our social media so people mostly know me (Megan) however Yuhao is the true backbone of the business. The business wouldn’t be possible without him and I’m so thankful we can be part of this together. He’s camera shy and a bit conscious of his English (since it’s his second language) but I’m working on getting him to show his face on the socials more.
We Are Still Here!!!!
We are beyond grateful to still be open and running. Every single purchase, recommendation, mention and word of encouragement is greatly appreciated and keeps us running. Being able to add to our team has also been a highlight and blessing! Having Marie (Marie_StitchedUp) write our monthly newsletter, keep blog posts steadily come out when I’m busy and just having someone to bounce ideas off has helped shape what we’ve offered this year. No business can survive and expand without continuous support so a big thank you to everyone who has extended theirs.
The Future
That’s still a little up in the air! We’re still a relatively new business and even now every month comes with uncertainty. Ultimately we want to create products people love, use and inspire them to sew. 2022 holds new products, new button collections, new fabric and new collaborations!
