Finding time to be creative as a Mum and things that inspire me

I discovered Freddie Fox and Co in early 2017 when Kal was about 4 months old and entered him into their rep search. We were so excited to be picked as enthusiasts as it was only the second team we’d ever been picked for. As the months rolled by, I got to know the mama (Clare) behind FFnCo more and loved promoting her clothes and brand and we’ve been on the team ever since.

Clare knew I had a love of drawing and when she approached me to ask if I’d ever considered designing/drawing clothes before I jumped at the chance to be involved. I have 3 younger sisters and when we were little we drew a whole A4 ring binder of dress designs lol...I’m not sure any of those would make the cut now though!

Sourcing my son Kal’s clothes and outfits have been a real positive for me. I found Instagram shopping when I was in the depths of PND and so being allowed ‘behind the scenes’ of some of the shops I most admired has been so rewarding as meeting other mums virtually (and then in person) has opened my world.

I’ve longed to find a creative outlet in my daily life as I can’t always find the time to sit and draw or sew or paint (especially while working and being a Mum). Laying and photographing Kal’s clothes in a #flatlay has really channelled that and putting together his #outfitoftheday gave me something to focus on when I felt very low or anxious.

FFnCo’s new collection #colouryouradventure has really driven my creative side and I have loved drawing up designs for Clare to then create into the final pieces released this week. I feel immensely proud to have been part of it. Below are some side by sides of my original drawings and the final makes with some of my inspiration behind them.

The Kal Cowlie

This was the first design I drew which is why it’s such an honour that it’s named after my son. The inspiration came from the mono geo fabric that FFnCo was stocking at the time. The sharp lines reminded me of lightning and I thought a diagonal flash panel across from shoulder to hip would look really interesting. I then added pops of colour at the cuffs and waistband before thinking the cowl neck would look great with a colour block too. Seeing it made up with the blue/Znok rainbows looks amazing and really captures the essence of the #colouryouradventure feel - bold, bright, unique.

The Freddy Side Stripe Romper

Next I looked at pull on rompers and knew that Clare would be stocking a bold rainbow stripe. The essential jersey colours FFnCo already had made a great base for things and adding the flash of rainbow down the side was something I hadn’t seen before. The final outcome is something bright and fun and the rainbow sides look amazing with any of the plain jersey colours 🌈

The George Hoodie

This is the first item I ordered for my son from the range as when I drew it I just fell in love with the simplicity and bright colours. The semi circle functional pocket echoes a rainbow shape but in the final make the Znok rainbow pattern makes it fun to look at. The striped rainbow features again for the cuffs, waistband and hood and any of the plain jerseys would look fab as the base for this. I chose blue like the sky as that’s where rainbows are mainly found 😍💙

I hope you’ve enjoyed this little insight into how I bring creativity into my daily life. I know it may seem small and perhaps silly in light of larger world issues but for me it has provided a creative outlet at some of my lowest times. Also, by shopping small to create Kal’s outfits I feel I am supporting other mums and buying responsibly/ethically.

If people are interested I have more sketches for a part 2 so please leave your feedback in the comments below 😘😘 thank you for reading ❤️