Something new is taking shape at OTTOBRE

Hello everyone out there!

This is the time of the year when the landscape is turning green and the first bright-yellow wild flowers are blossoming in the meadows. Little birds are busy collecting materials for their nests. With summer approaching, nature is bursting with life!

We at OTTOBRE have also been busy for the whole spring. After moving premises almost two years ago, our intention was to carry out a generational change in our family business more or less straightaway. However, we soon realized we needed a slightly longer period of calm without any time pressure – similar to when nature rests during the winter. We decided to take a break from publishing and concentrate our energy on developing our website and pattern design technology.

During the break, we also considered the future of OTTOBRE in order to pave the way for the younger generation to take over. We listened to the wishes of our cooperative partners and customers, and kept abreast of international developments. We also considered the possibilities of new technology: Could a computer make nice illustrations to go with our designs, write the sewing instructions for us and finalize our patterns? Well, maybe that’s not what we are known for.

We ended up thinking about the actual essence of handicrafts. Making things by hand helps you to focus on the present moment. In the midst of the ongoing turmoil in the world, sewing, knitting, cooking or gardening are concrete activities that offer visible results. They involve projects with a clear start and finish.

Handicrafts combine routines, peace, creativity and continuous learning. They reinforce your self-confidence through the feeling of “I learn, I can and I manage”. This is the feeling we want to foster in our operations. We also want to make taking up handicrafts easier than ever!

Besides publishing our beloved magazine, we’ve been running a lovely brick-and-mortar yarn and fabric store for more than two decades. We will soon integrate the store with our website. The yarn section will be launched this week, and the fabric section during the summer. In future, you’ll find patterns and materials easily in one place. Natural fibers and sustainable materials produced in Europe form the basis of our product range. We stock both reliable staple fabrics and delightful novelties from our familiar suppliers.

Shop our lovely knitting yarn here!

We are happy to announce that after the summer holidays our pattern design and dressmaking studio will also resume publishing patterns.

Check out our revamped website! Follow us on social media to find inspiring tips for patterns for your summer sewing projects!

Sunny regards,

OTTOBRE team

Instagram: @ottobredesign and @ottobreshoprovaniemi

Facebook: OTTOBRE design® and OTTOBRE shop Rovaniemi