Before the year is out… last minute ‘things I did in 2023’ update

I made a thing! It’s a kind of handy thingamajig for keeping clothes neat. I designed it because I whenever I cycled to work I would end up with a rucksack full of laundry mixed with all my ‘I’m a professional… honest’ stuff. It’s taken absolutely ages to get from the ‘tool roll for clothes’ that I initially thought of to a production run of ‘Fold+Rºll’s (as seen in FGF).

Researching the component parts and finding a manufacturer has been really challenging. I’ve long been about ‘make it local’ and sustainable materials (I ran a eco-knitwear company with everything made in the UK for a few years so I have prior for this kind of thing) so finding those options for the small runs I can afford initially to test the market but which are also scaleable has been quite difficult. I’ve ordered custom printed fabrics and stitched them up with Amanda’s Nan’s sewing machine (despite her kind faith I’m not a natural…) to find out the optimal sizes and make sure the instructions are clear. On the plus side, the design doesn’t need plastic fastenings so a) it’s more sustainable and b) I didn’t have to source any.

Whilst doing this, it’s been infuriating that I couldn’t talk about it publicly! I was working on a patent and getting the design registered and you can’t share your ideas (except with an NDA) until the patent application has been submitted.

Anyway, after much research I found some organic cotton jersey printed in Poland. Then (I live in France) a French social enterprise that invested in laser cutters and sewing equipment during the pandemic as they made huge numbers of masks. With the demand for masks abated, they had room for my project and could offer me a good price because of the automation they’d invested in.

Back and forwards making samples and checking the design has taken months - being in a rural backwater doesn’t help as the delivery vans look at our mountain road and reschedule rather often. Also realising that I’d put the IP lawyer’s reference number for my patent application instead of the actual one on the final print ready file was a real wtf moment that added to the process. Even packaging has been fraught - there’s only one C5 box around that actually is deep enough and also meets the Royal Mail large letter format. But it has to be exported from the UK to France to assemble the final thing so Brexit is (quelle surprise) another stumbling block. Not to mention that they will all be imported from the EU to the UK for sale, and I’m totally looking forward to the paperwork for that. And who knew about Google SKUs and barcodes? Well… I do now (thanks Charlie).

Anyway, at last it’s out in the real world, complete with Chipps’ copy and a logo designed by Grace formerly of Singletrack. The very first run is open for pre-orders on the Singletrack Shop (apologies for the stealth ad but it is benefiting ST Towers) and then (if people think it’s useful) I will be making waterproof ones for bike-packing and wild swimming plus smaller sizes for kid’s clothes (I’d have loved one for sport and swimming lessons when I was at school). The secret pocket edition is also in my prototype box (that sewing machine is well handy).

So, what do you reckon? At the moment it’s a side project, as I’m still a transport consultant by day. But if I want to make more I will need to register a company in France (thanks Brexit - I’m thinking my other goal should be ‘reversing Brexit one Fold+Rºll at a time’) which is a challenge for my French and fear of paperwork.

The Singletrack massive has long been a great proving ground for products so will it fly (or fold and roll)?. So your opinions are valuable. Is it worth embracing La Paperasse (my fave French word for admin) and setting forth?