The Drive: What challenges have you overcome?
I have met a number of design challenges while creating our macramé teethers. As you can imagine, there are strict guidelines for what you can give to a baby as a toy, and rightfully so, which has meant I need to tone back my creative ideas. I have realized through this experience though, that something doesn’t have to be outlandish and intricate to be beautiful and artistic, or to meet the sensory needs of a developing infant. Our simple macramé designs help babies explore many textures, hard and soft, rough and smooth, which is all that I can ask for.
For better or worse: What are the pros and cons of running your own business?
The pro is easy! Flexibility. With two little ones I need to be flexible. There is no way around it. I love that I can just stop what I am doing work-wise, to meet their little needs, and return to what I was doing once they are settled.
With that comes the con of self-motivation and time management. I can easily get lost in my work and let home life drift away from me a little. On the other hand, I can let home life take over some days and the business tasks fall behind. I mean that almost sounds like a pro, but it can be hard to pick up where you left off from when juggling the two.
Hopes and dreams: What next?
My baby girl is not so little anymore, and she left this teething stuff behind a year ago. What she loves to do now is spend time in bed. Don’t be fooled though, it isn’t always to sleep. She loves to read or play with her toys, all while snuggled up in a blanket. This has sent me in the direction of creating bed sheets and duvet covers for her from linen blends that I have fallen in love with as much as our macramé teethers. I can see a line of linens for toddlers, possibly some linen teethers also, entering the brand at some stage down the track. I have also entertained the idea of macramé dummy chains as well so there is a lot of design ideas running through my mind.
You can shop the range at www.sonanddune.com.au and follow them for updates @son.and.dune on Instagram and Facebook.
