Craft by hand

Hi there

Don't know about you but I have a small obsession with beautiful stationery and I love the idea of handwritten notes in a world where text and emails rule. The only thing is I absolutely hate my handwriting so I rarely send a handwritten note but hopefully that is all going to change. Let me introduce you to Lucy from Quill London who is hosting an introduction to Modern Calligraphy in our Candle and Calligraphy workshop 10th July with Earl of East London. Tickets can be purchased here. 

For those of us that are not familiar with Quill London tell us what you do.

Hello, we're a boutique dedicated to stylish stationery (online at quilllondon.com and with a bricks-and-mortar shop in Clerkenwell) and we also have a calligraphy studio and run lots of workshops for lovely people.

What is your background and where did the idea for Quill London come from?

I love stationery, and wanted to build a brand that specialised in showcasing beautiful stationery from independent designers, makers and studios. I am not a designer but love curating our ever-changing collection of stationery. Together with an amazingly talented UK Calligrapher Imogen Owen, Quill hosted its first Modern Calligraphy workshops two years after launching Quill London, having spotted the trend over in the states and there was nowhere you could learn in London. I hadn't picked up a pen before that, but it's safe to say I've definitely caught the Modern Calligraphy bug. I love that, although unplanned, it's now such a huge part of Quill, that I get to meet all kinds of amazing people through it and work with great clients, and that I now get to teach other people too.

In your opinion what are the hottest trends in stationery right now?

Modern Calligraphy is definitely super hot right now! But in the shop we're getting a lot of requests for personalised stationery for kids?!

What has been your proudest moment to date?

Opening our bricks-and-mortar shop earlier this year. I didn't plan or particularly dream of having a store but now that we have it, I am very proud of the achievement.

What would be your advice to someone who is thinking about starting up a business?

Be prepared for a serious amount of hard work, make sure you have a good squad of friends and family to support you, research, research, research and get your mistakes out on paper in a business plan before you start, and just go for it and be prepared to go with the flow, you never know where it will take you.

What exciting things do you have in the pipeline for Quill London that you can share with us?

Hoping to launch our wedding & event stationery this year…..although it's taking a lot longer than I hoped! Maybe even a second store...

Complete these sentences:

Every home office should have a collection of lovely cards and notepaper so you can quickly send off thank yous after dinners, events and overnight stays. 

Your favourite part of London is Southwark because it still feels like 'real' London and there are so many gems (especially foodie ones). 

My favourite thing to do when I have a day off is hang out with my husband Alex, feast, wander and explore.

I hope you enjoyed getting to now Lucy a little better and if you want to join us for our workshop in June then head over to the shop now. 

With love,

Sommer x