Michele & Penelope, Duo behind Michele and Penelope on Etsy

Tell me a little about yourself and how you got started.

We are two friends who sew independently and decided to collaborate on social media and in an Etsy shop and local craft shows.

What sets your business apart from others alike?

We focus on creating reusable products that are beautiful and ultimately compostable.

Out of all your products, which one is your personal favorite, and why?

We love our reusable serviettes. We enjoy sewing them from gorgeous fabrics and curating them into sets so there’s a colour or theme for everyone.

If you could jump back in time to when you first started your business, what piece of advice would you give yourself?

We sew what we enjoy making and using ourselves. We should have focused more on that from the get-go.

Were there ever any times when you wanted to throw in the towel and call it quits? How did you deal with it?

We love sewing so it’s tough to envisage quitting. We have had to dial back on requests for massive orders though as that would have had us quitting.

How do you spend your time when you're not creating?

We both love cooking and gardening plus lots of fresh air activities. We also both love filtered coffee!!

What are some of your favorite things about the town or city you live in?

We live near the beautiful coastal area of St Margaret’s bay. We both love the sea as well as the many trails in the area.

Who’s the person, dead or alive, that you would want to have over for dinner?

Michele - Jeff Goldblum & Penelope - My grandparents

If you could have any superpower, what would it be and why?

Michele - To conjure up a butler! & Penelope - Teleportation

If you weren’t a maker, what would you be doing?

Still sewing probably!