Keep & Hold was born at a fork in the road. For 13 years, I had a successful bookbinding business, but in 2024, an accident revealed health issues, leading to a difficult decision to close my business. It was a customer, eager for one of the gingham binders I used to make, asking if I could sew a cover instead of making the binder itself, that opened a new path. My new business began to grow, with customers wanting small, purpose-made bags and baskets for the little things around the house that had no home.

My mother, Marion, is a big help as chief of quality control and helps to dispatch parcels. She has the eye condition, macular degeneration, and has increasingly found the need for bright purses and storage she can easily find in her bag or drawer. Different colours for different items also help her organise things at a glance. She has inspired my use of colour in the products I make, which I hope will help others too.