Our CEO and her partner Olaf feature their home on Grand Designs… and of course there are Secret Pillows!

Our CEO and her partner Olaf feature their home on Grand Designs... and of course there are Secret Pillows!

 14th Sep 2021 |  Blog |  Margaret Ring


She always had Grand Designs!!! The full story... 

As a young girl founder and CEO of Secret Projects, Fritha had a great school friend and was often at her house after school  and during the holidays. One of the things Fritha loved most about the house was the pillows... Designed by her friend's mother and called Secret Pillows, they folded out into cosy blankets that Fritha would snuggle under and she decided to fill homes around the world with them!

Flash forward a number of years and Fritha had had a long and successful career in the charity sector, but had never forgotten about the Secret Pillows and her desire to sell them around the globe was as strong as ever. By now, she had also worked out how she could combine this with another of her passions to empower women in India- a country she had come to know and love.

It was whilst travelling around India on the back of a motorbike that Fritha met some wonderful women living in remote regions who were desperately trying to eke out a living by making flower garlands for people to buy as gifts at local temples. Fritha noticed that in most of the homes she visited there was always a sewing machine and was told by the women that they knew how to stitch well, but had no idea how to earn an income by selling items they had stitched locally. It was at this point that Fritha knew how she and the women could work together and Secret Projects was born!

The first product made by women for Secret Projects was of course, the Secret Pillow and Fritha's dream came true. Hundreds of Secret Pillows have been sold since 2014 when Secret Projects was founded and they grace beds, sofas and chairs both indoors and outdoors throughout the world. Dreams do come true.

Flash forward a few more years and Fritha is nicely settled down with the man of her dreams, Olaf who just happens to be a master carpenter and decided to build them a house. It's not any ordinary house either and the build has been followed by Channel 4's Grand Designs and is one of the homes featured during their autumn 2021 series. The episode aired last week on Wednesday 8th September and has been so well received by the public. UK viewers can watch it on Channel 4's catch-up platform All 4 or view on YouTube

There is a fitting end to this story, Fritha's own home is now filled with Secret Pillows and she feels proud to have helped make many people's houses around the world comfortable, as having a home to call our own is so important. Fritha actually suggested that she and Olaf 'go for' Grand Designs as she thought it was a great way to get Secret Pillows on television!!! They never for a second believed that they would make it on to the show, but thought, nothing ventured, nothing gained! The rest is history, as they say and watch out for Kevin McCloud sitting at Fritha and Olaf's firepit, surrounded by Secret Pillows!

And... there is one final fitting end!  Fritha's other dream has always been to fill her home with children! She and Olaf are both foster parents, caring for a young man, with plans to look after other children too. Their own daughter Lagertha (to be known day to day as La La) took a while to appear, but after a couple of years of 'trying' and a round of IVF she sprang into the world in March 2021 bang in the middle of building the house with Grand Designs deadline looming! So... the house has 4 bedrooms and 3 of these will be filled with children among the many Secret Pillows!

Secret Projects is proud to share this story of hope that highlights dreams can come true at the same time as helping others to achieve their dreams too.

We are proud to sell a full Range of Secret Pillows on our eBay for Change store. Click here to shop!

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Introducing the Secret Projects Dig Dog Range for pets!

Introducing the Secret Projects Dig Dog Range for pets!

Our latest range is for our four-legged friends! Introducing the Secret Projects Dig Dog range for pets! Pets love scraps and so do we! Made from the . . . scrap pieces of fabric left over from production of our other collections, we knew that our latest range for pets would go down a storm with pets and their owners alike! Although the bandannas are perhaps more appreciated by the owners than their furry companion, every dog will just love that each bandana comes with a matching treat bag - and all pet lovers know just how important treats are! Very handily, our little bags have a secure drawstring, so treats stay safely inside whilst out on a walk. Cuteness aside, (and this range is so cute...) our Dig Dog range is made for us by our Makers (the name we give to the women who lovingly stitch our products) and each woman is paid a fair wage for her skills and is able to use the money she earns with us to support herself, her children and her family. So, your pet is responsible for empowering women economically! Woof! The Dig Dog range is available in a range of sizes and pattern and colours - so you can be sure to find something that is perfect for your pooch! Click here to view the full collection.   Image: Coco and Biscuit resplendent in their Dig Dog range bandannas!      
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Our first destash!

Our first destash!

What to do on a rainy Sunday? Hold our very first destash! You may be asking what a destash is?  In short, it's a call out to people to go through old . . . sewing supplies and fabric etc. and donate it to a good cause. With that good cause being Secret Projects! We set up in the Pulborough Village Hall (which is close to where our Business Unit is), and, through various advertising methods, the word had spread and we were delighted to welcome scores of people who came along with their very gratefully received donations. Donations weren't just brought in on the day, we had parcels sent to us and others dropped supplies round to our CEO's house in Pulborough ahead of the official destash day. In total we collected 325 kilos of delici0us pre-loved sewing supplies. Much of the fabric donated has been sorted and will be made up into our ever popular and best selling scrap packs available through our eBay and Etsy Stores. In fact, we now have over 30 different scrap packs to purchase and more will be added, so do keep visiting our stores. We are still taking donations and if you do have any fabric or pre-loved sewing supplies, please do get in touch via fritha@secretprojects.org And of course the most enormous thank you everyone who donated to, and also helped us run our very first destash! More to come! Let's hear it for destashing!   Image: offering a cup of tea to all who came along to the destash was one way of us saying a big thank you.
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We would LOVE you to donate any unwanted sewing supplies to us!

We would LOVE you to donate any unwanted sewing supplies to us!

We can make such good use of your pre-loved sewing supplies We have added various items of pre-loved sewing supplies to our online stores, including . . . scrap fabrics and buttons for the past few years and it has developed into a small but very good source of income for our Community Benefit Society. The pre-loved sewing supplies market is only getting stronger and is something we are keen to develop and grow and are therefore putting out an 'ask' to our customers and supporters (and of course, anyone else who reads this!) for your old sewing items. We would LOVE them! Ideas for sewing supplies donations! From scrap fabric, to buttons, to pins, to needles, to embroidery equipment, we would adore to talk to you about what you have. Sewing items can often have sentimental value - in fact, our Comms Manager, Margaret was just telling us about a pin cushion she has of her mother's that she could only give away to someone who would really appreciate, and make good use of. Maybe this has resonated with you. So, if you do have sewing supplies you would like to donate, please email Fritha Vincent Mason at: fritha@secretprojects.org. We would just LOVE your pre-loved sewing supplies!  
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