Girl Industries!

Name: Katy Penman 
From: Manchester originally, by way of Edinburgh, Paris, New York and now based in Glasgow and Alloa!

Occupation: I'm an evenings and weekend crafter. In my day job, I work to involve patients and members of the public in deciding national policy on healthcare.
Favourite colour: Brown
Favourite animal: Red pandas - after I met Lucy and Desi in the Bronx Zoo when I was younger!
Favourite band: Now there's so much great music around, I find it hard to pick a favourite, but as a teenager I loved the politics and handmade/DIY aesthetic of the Manic Street Preachers.

 

 

Favourite book: Oh gosh, my books are like children to me, it's so hard to pick one.  I have an MA in French and English Literature (loosely translated as four straight years of lovely lovely reading!), and I ruined my eyesight reading under the covers when I was little.  At the moment I'm re-reading Generation X by Douglas Coupland, because I've been keeping all my books in storage over the last two years and unpacking them now we have a bigger house.  Next on the list to re-read are Germinal by Emile Zola, America Day by Day by Simone de Beauvoir and A Confederacy of Dunces by J Kennedy Toole.  My favourite contemporary author is my friend Colin Ferm.  You can read some of his shorter writings and see some of his homemade films at www.spudworks.com My favourite literary characters are Rose Red from the What Katy Did books (for a girl with such a promising name, Katy Carr was a bit of a wet blanket), Lily Bart from The House of Mirth and Catherine Morland from Northanger Abbey.  I also have an impressive collection of travel books, and I love reading walking tours of Paris and New York when I don't have the time or funds to visit for real.

 

Right, let’s get to the craft stuff eh?

Shop / Business name:  

Girl Industries
What you make: 

I make stationery, homewares and accessories using reclaimed or repurposed supplies.  My philosophy is to 'make new stuff out of old stuff'.  I also do a line in salvaged/upcycled supplies for other creative and eco-minded types.
How did you know you were crafty / artistic? 

I'd been making and creating things since I was very little - I blame the Wombles and Blue Peter!  When I was at school I was asked to leave art lessons and sit outside because I'd "never be creative" - by the age of 15 I won a national award for designing and selling stationery, and as part of the same company, I was making juggling balls and hair scrunchies from offcuts I sourced from a local textiles mill.  I hated the fact that my supposed ability to be creative was written off just because I couldn't produce a photorealistic reproduction of the contents of my mum's fruit bowl, and the words 'you need to...' or 'you can't...' wind me up no end, often with dramatic results!
What was the first thing you ever made? 

When I was four I knitted myself a jumper from a pattern, after being shown the basics by my lovely nana. 

 

 

Do you have any formal training or who taught you what you know? 

My nana taught me to knit, but apart from that I have no formal training at all.  After being kicked out of formal art classes at school, that route was closed off to me.  I loved doing summer schools at the Museum of Science and Industry in Manchester, where I grew up, and did some really fun stuff like screenprinting classes.  I much prefer the 'apprenticeship' approach than the formal teaching situation, it fits much better with my industrial aesthetic ;-)
How did your craft business come about? 

I accumulated too many supplies, and not all of my friends/family 'get' homemade so I couldn't give all my creations away.  I was off work with the flu and a friend got me a copy of Craft magazine (now online only as www.craftzine.com) where I saw an ad for Etsy.  I realised there was a market and an outlet for what I was doing, and once the lurgy passed, there was no stopping me!
Where and when do you do your crafting? 

I just moved house and now have a craft room/study with storage space, a desk and a cutting table.  Luxury!  I also knit on the move and have been known to hand sew in the passenger seat of my husband's car, or on my lunch break in Glasgow's George Square on sunny days when I have a big deadline coming up!  

 

 

Tell me something surprising about yourself: 

I interned with the team that developed the prototype Blackberry in New York back in 1999.  When the dotcom crash came in 2000 it was mothballed for a few years, particularly as research at that time showed that Americans didn't want their phones to do fancy stuff like pick up emails or send texts - they just wanted to make phone calls when they were away from their desks.
Which Folksy / Etsy shop can you not get enough of? 

I have a bit of a collection going on of bags and purses by www.madebyhank.etsy.com I love the tough ruffles style and really want a tote from her collection if I'm lucky enough to catch one as it's released.  I really admire the way that Katie's line is coherent but varied and ever-developing.  The colours she uses fit in with my favourite clothes and shoes.  I also admire her skill with the sewing machine, I'm still reacquainting myself with machine sewing and it hasn't been a smooth ride!
Why is handmade / crafting important to you? 

I think it should be important to everyone.  I try to only give high quality handmade/independent gifts and cards now, unless I'm really disorganised and have to rely on high street shops.  I worked in big retail for seven years and eventually left because the more senior my job became, the more exposed I was to the fact that suppliers were being massively ripped off for their time, talent and skills - and that's if their products were actually bought, rather than their designs/ideas stolen.  A lot of people equate handmade with poor quality or hobbyists and I hope my gift giving as well as my own products can help to change people's perceptions.

 

 

Is it just me or is crafting really hot right now? 

The way things are in the UK (and the US) at the moment, buying local, sustainable and interesting has never been so hot.  We're seeing a huge change in food retail and I hope this can expand to clothing, homewares and furniture.  Down with mass production, big boxes and souless shopping experiences!
Tell me why I should buy something from you! 

If you've read this far, you obviously like interviews with crafters... So why not buy a whole zine-ful?  I've been collaborating with crafters from near and far on a monthly interview zine, Answers on a Postcard.  And even better, if you're a crafter and willing to be interviewed, you get your copy at a discounted rate. 

Ok you’ve got me convinced! Where can I find you?  

My etsy shop is at www.girlindustries.etsy.com, and you can also buy my zines from my crafty comrade Asking for Trouble at http://shop.askingfortrouble.org/products/answers-on-a-postcard-zine