JoJo Designs With Gig Rowers In Mind

Meet Jo, founder of JoJo Designs. You may have already had the pleasure of meeting Jo at various festivals, shows, and events across the country, selling beautiful handmade bags crafted from upcycled sails. Thank you, Jo, for telling us all about JoJo Designs.

This is how JoJo DESIGNS began…

Two years ago, we threw a murder mystery party for my wife’s fiftieth birthday. We had to make our dining room look like a castle, so I borrowed my mum’s sewing machine to make wall hangings. I discovered I enjoyed making these so much that I asked for a sewing machine for Christmas. I started out making various things like bunting, simple bags, and even a few pairs of dungarees!

Around this time, I started experiencing perimenopausal symptoms, particularly insomnia. For my fiftieth birthday, my wife made our conservatory into my sewing studio. This now gives me a space to go to when I cannot sleep. The centre where I worked was throwing away a retired sail, so I requested to take it home with me and crafted my first upcycled bag from that very sail.

Straightaway, I knew I had found where I wanted to channel my creative energy. I was lucky enough to have a few more sails donated to me, and suddenly ideas were flooding my brain. I absolutely loved the idea that I was able to give this unwanted, discarded material a new purpose and a second lease on life. That’s why all my product lines feature the 2nd Wind logo.

Currently, I purchase most of my sails from Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Occasionally, I receive donated sails, for which I make a bag in return to show my gratitude. My range is constantly evolving as new ideas come to me. I offer a variety of bags and pouches, and I’m about to design a new roll-down sack specifically for gig rowers. Additionally, I’m considering numbering my products from 1 to 6 and exploring different colours to match club colours.

I am incredibly excited about attending the Masters Championships and Senior Summer Series event taking place on the 17th and 18th of August at Paignton with a stall full of upcycled products. I’m eager to build strong relationships with all gig clubs and am excited to offer a 10% discount on all purchases made that weekend.

I am also really looking forward to joining the gig rowing community again in October for the Junior International Pilot Gig Championships taking place at Mount Batten.

I can’t wait to meet you all!

Jo x