Meet The maker – Hitomi from Wee Joys

Published on November 11th, 2021|Last updated on May 11th, 2022

Hitomi from Wee Joys makes a range of wonderful and creative accessories for women and children. Using a collection of vibrant patterns and colours every expertly crafted item is truly joyful!

Hi Hitomi, can you introduce yourself?

Hi! We’re Wee Joys. Based in Stockbridge, Edinburgh. We create vibrant accessories that bring joy – for women and children. Headbands and scrunchies are the most popular products. Using quality fabrics on trend, we help you make your days in style. We take pride in carefully chosen patterns and designs.

weejoys logo jpg large RGB scaled

Where does your business name come from?

I had a clear concept of my brand when I started to think about launching my online shop. I wanted to create something not just useful but also lift up our life – being a mum of 3 years old, I knew we sometimes give priority to practicality and give up our favourite look, unwillingly. So I started making accessories for women and children, under the value of “vibrant accessories that bring joy”.

Firstly ‘little joy’ came up in my mind. And then, since we’re based in Scotland, I wanted to add some Scottish twist. So, ‘little’ was swapped for ‘wee’ which means ‘little’ in Scottish. That’s how Wee Joys was born!

crossbody rainbow unfold scaled 1
Crossbody Fold Over Bag ‘Rainbow’ | mobile phone bag, pouch bag

What do you love about your business?

I do love creating, but more than that, I love being independent. Setting goals, planning next collections, designing products, prototyping, making and selling! Many people would agree that the best thing is we can make money through doing what we love. This is so true. Such a fulfilling job to do!

What’s your absolute favourite item you sell? If possible, please share a photo of your item.

Headbands! They’re so easy to wear – just pop on your head, but they surely add statement to our outfit. Adding a headband to a plain outfit gives you a wow effect in a second! Just the right item for busy women (and girls) who want to be on trend without hustle.

What does your workspace look like?

It’s a study with a big table and lots of lots of books! I’m an experienced Japanese language instructor over 20 years while I’m a sewist, so it’s like a combination of sewing and language education.

I normally sit on a table with my fabourite sewing machine – Janome 5050, having a big Fiskars cutting mat and Mac on the other end of the table. I’m also loving my tool box from Muji, where I store my Clover sewing tools and notions.

wee joys workspace

Where do you get your inspiration from?

WEAR (@wear_official) and stockbridgeedinburgh.com (@stockbridgeedinburgh) on Instagram. I enjoy browsing on-trend street fashion and hairstyles in Japan (I’m originally from Japan). Stockbridgeedinburgh.com is a great account to see beautiful places in my town Stockbridge. I combine these inspirational sources in my mind and imagine what my ideal clients’ lifestyle and outfit would be.

What would you say to someone thinking about selling their work online for the first time?

Some might say “just try anything you want!”, but I’d like to recommend you to set your brand value first. What do you want to achieve through your business? Why? Once you set the value, you’ll find a path to the rest – finding ideal clients, deciding brand logo etc., etc. It requires a lot of brainstorming, but worth doing, because you’ll know that’s the shortcut to reach your goal!

Where can we find your work other than on Crafter’s Market UK?

I’m stocked at the gift shop on high street in Stockbridge, An Independent Zebra. You can find my headbands and scrunchies. They stock various kinds of handmade goodies. Whenever you’re in Edinburgh, go get inspiration at the shop! In addition to the brick and mortar shop, I do craft markets roughly monthly in Edinburgh. So come meet me!