IN THE WORKS 10/25
A monthly update from inside PREST Works.
Hello,
Our first batch of exercise books are finally out in the world, finding their way onto desks and into bags. Despite launching a few weeks ago, October has been intentionally quiet. There was obviously a rush of orders to fulfil at the start of the month, and a few more trickling in since, but I’ve also been trying to take it easy and break from social media for a bit (it’s my birthday month after all).
So, here’s what’s been in the works at PREST this month.
TLDR: We launched. Our first custom order. Batch 002 on the way. Applied for TOAST New Makers. Upgraded the studio.🚀 Launch
Honestly, I can’t quite believe I managed to launch in September. Okay it was the last day of September, but I’m still counting it. Since then, I’ve sold almost half of the first batch, which is more than I expected at this stage. Admittedly around two-thirds of those orders came from friends and family, but just over a third were from complete strangers. I want to say a massive thank you to everyone who ordered an exercise book and shared photos or kind words about the launch.
🔔 A custom order
I’ve not really advertised this anywhere yet but one of the advantages of producing in small batches is being able to take on custom orders. Earlier this month I designed and made ten personalised notebooks as wedding favours. Each one matched the wedding colour theme, with a personalised label printed with each guest’s name. It was a lovely brief to work on, and a reminder of how much meaning there can be in simple, thoughtful details. I’ll share more on this over on Instagram/TikTok soon.
📙 Batch 002
Our second batch is on the way. I’ve got an idea for it, so now I’m sourcing the right papers and finding the right collaborators to bring it to life. I don’t want to give too much away yet but this one has been designed to sit alongside Batch 001. It takes inspiration from PREST’s location and the area’s history as the first industrial suburb. The release date is still pending but I’m aiming for December to catch the last-minute gift buyers, or January at the latest so you can have them ready for some new year planning.
🍞 TOAST New Makers
I applied for the TOAST New Makers programme earlier this month. It’s a platform that supports emerging designers and craftspeople in the early stages of their journey. PREST started as a way to get people making again, so this felt like a great opportunity to keep doing that myself; to push my work a little further, with PREST as well as my own creative practice. Submissions have closed now but I won’t find out until next month if I’ve made it through. I sent my application in quite last minute so I doubt I’ll get it. We’ll see... If you don’t ask, you don’t get.
🎁 Birthday upgrades
On a personal note, I turned 30 last week so I’ve been upgrading the workshop with some new bits I got for my birthday. The biggest addition is definitely the guillotine, found for a bargain on eBay. It’s an absolute beast compared to my old one. I can’t even get it upstairs into the studio, so it’s standing proud in my bedroom instead. Thank you to my partner, Roisin, for helping to collect it and deliver it back to Manchester for me. I’ve also upgraded my desk with some adjustable legs so I can finally work without destroying my back. Oh and I was gifted a vintage numeral stamp too (again, thanks to Roisin), which I’m hoping to use in our next packaging design somehow.
