DEMAND GROWS FOR ‘MUMPRENEUR’ ELLIE
LOCAL textile designer and mum of four Ellie Whittaker’s colourful fabric designs have been picked up by retail giant Spotlight.
Mrs Whittaker’s work is highly sought after among the indie-children’s clothing market and she designs fabrics and collections for labels such as Alfie’s Children’s Apparel, Minoche, Kapow Kids, Goosebumps Boutique Bedding and Kippins along with Cotton On Kids and Target Australia.
“I design from home and communicate via email so there is real flexibility in this career, which has been absolutely necessary as we now have four young children,” she said.
“Professionally, it’s such a thrill to not only be paid to create art, but to see it on living, breathing forms and being enjoyed by children.
“It’s always the best surprise to suddenly see my artwork on a child at the playground.”
Mrs Whittaker graduated from university in 2009 and shortly after gave birth to her eldest son.
Wanting to still contribute financially to her family, she discovered the world of WAHM — Work at Home Mums.
“I began to see the need for unique, Australian fabrics among the WAHM craft community,” she said.
“I grew up in a very crafty environment and was always strong in illustration, so when I discovered a site that would print my designs on demand I developed a burning desire to figure out how to design fabric.
“I taught myself, through many, many hours of online learning and practice and then connected with these fellow ‘Mumpreneurs’, offering my designs and working together to create custom designs for their businesses.”
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