Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Shanghai in pictures

 I want to just pop a few photos of the last instalment of my making trip with our manufacturers . Temperatures where freezing and the smog at all time high in Shanghai . I have been visiting Shanghai for many years through various jobs and it was also the place I discovered I was pregnant with my first son -( He was not the food poisoning I thought I had) . Sorry I am getting off the track . It is a very changing place Shanghai a city of old and  the new and a place that is forever moving and building .It was a great trip and my first by myself since I had my second son - so an uninterrupted night sleep was also very welcomed . We are now only a week or so from launching our winter range and I cannot wait to show you what we have been up to .

















Monday, January 21, 2013

Hong Kong Landscapes




















Thanks for the overwhelming response I had on our made in China post it really has been touching to have so many emails and lovely supportive comments. It was also nice to know that someone actually reads this blog and also wants to know the story and the people behind the toys that they buy. The production of our product and the way in which we do it is something I have worked hard to achieve and feel very passionate about what we are doing. Producing offshore has many hidden challenges, which is a whole other blog post.
This Post however is not about production but about a city -Hong Kong. I spent a couple of days here trying to source some more packaging products for some of our new products.
These photos are more the Landscapes of Hong Kong and also a little greener in Appearances then one may expect. 

Friday, January 18, 2013

The La De Dah Kids facts about manufacturing overseas


I have just returned home after 10 days in China. This trip was specifically to sample our new range for Christmas 2013. So whilst many people here in Australia where packing up there Christmas Trees - I was already working on the following years range. Whilst for many small businesses after Christmas is time to relax and recoup from the Christmas chaos, we have been busy designing and sampling our next range.

The reason for this is that our entire range is now made overseas - made in china to be exact. Please keep reading as I am hoping after reading this there may be an understanding why we do produce our range here. 

We have had some negativity to our products being made in China - which really is disappointing as I am extremely proud of what we are creating both here in Australia and in China with our makers.  I feel that there is a certain cheap stigma attached to made in China products.  I can guarantee that our makers are paid in accordance to the award wage in China.  I feel that being a small business and producing out of China some people thinks this gives them reason to judge our product and business in a negative light.  A recent example was one lady asked if children in China factories make our goods and then continued in saying that she does not support made in China goods.  I then asked her why she was carrying an I Phone that had been made in China - and the reply was no it is made in America.  I then asked her to turn over her iPhone, which on the back of the phone it reads Designed by Apple in California - Assembled in China. 


 I understand people's concern and hopefully by telling our story it will dispel some of the negativity of being made in China.  We hope this creates a deeper understanding and also some knowledge and peace of mind to how your crotchet creation has ended up in your house.  I am not saying our business story is the same as everyone who produces in China - This is the La De Dah Kids journey in producing offshore.  


After discovering that there is a huge demand for our crotchet goodies we made the choice to produce offshore - this then enabled us to enter in to the wholesale market - (Stocking shops).  All our toys and beanies each and everyone is made by hand.  Our timeline from concept to shop is around one year.  I start the designing process using illustrator to draw up characters and then play with colour on screen to ensure the character is completed and the overall design works. These Items are sometimes made up into Calico to ensure that our flat 2D will transform into a successful 3D Character. 

At this stage a pack is then put together and sent to China with myself to work with a team of 14 very talented ladies who help put together the ideas I have come up with.  The Lady in Charge has been crocheting for many years and her knowledge and experience is amazing.  Here in the sample room the designs are finalised with patterns and instructions that are written up in Chinese for the next step.

Once the patterns are all constructed the yarns are then dyed up to the colours we have come up with for the range. Once the yarns are returned from the dye house the Manager then divides the yarns up and it is then dispatched to up to 100 women who produce the toys in the comfort of their own home. This enables them to earn an income whilst working from home.  Samples are then collected and brought back to the factory where they are popped in baskets and then inspected for loose yarns etc. They are then run through a metal detector and packaged up to send to us here in Australia. 

spec sheets and samples
reusing and unravelling to change the construction of a design

reusing and unravelling to change the construction of a design

sampling with Bamboo hooks


A pattern and  instructions in Chinese 

the sampling room 


crochet heaven - look at all the beautiful yarns 
Crochet heaven - look at all the beautiful yarns 

Goods after they have been returned from makers house ready for inspection and packing 
Inspection tables 


Inspection tables 



Once the patterns are all constructed the yarns are then dyed up to the colours we have come up with for the range. Once the yarns are returned from the dye house the Manager then divides the yarns up and it is then dispatched to up to 100 women who produce the toys in the comfort of their own home. This enables them to earn an income whilst working from home.  Samples are then collected and brought back to the factory where they are popped in baskets and then inspected for loose yarns etc. They are then run through a metal detector and packaged up to send to us here in Australia.

Again hopefully the pictures can dispel some myths and also give some transparency to how we produce.  All of the 14 people that work on our samples are mothers and grandmothers with exceptional experience.  The work hours are from 8 am to 5:30 pm with a two-hour lunch break in between.  The factories are well lit with comfortable seating and lighting as seen from the photos.  The women that work here are all incredibly talented women and whom I feel incredibly proud to work with. Our designs are produced in small runs with long lead times due to the small amount of workers the factory have and the hours that they work - Production capacity is small.

I am happy to answer more questions the best way I can - but I hope you have enjoyed our production journey as much as we have.  Our summer range (Christmas) is set to be our best yet stay tuned as I bring you some sneak peaks. - But for now our winter range Launches in 3 weeks and I cannot wait to share it. 








Thursday, January 3, 2013

Cheers to 2013









We are still here . We ended  2012 at the craziest pace - our busiest month with La De Dah Kids ever ) thank you ) and our two wee one's  having surgery, recovering from surgery  and Christmas thrown in there for good measures .  So we have been really enjoying the comfort of our home  and catching our breath .

We are already behind the scenes busy designing and sampling our Summer / Christmas range for 2013- hence a late night blog post. Our design process is long and we like to get it just right. We hope to deliver some sneak previews of our new range and work in the coming months .

I would also like to thank everyone for there ongoing support of La De Dah kids - we have had an amazing 2012 . February saw us launch our first completed range at Kid Instyle in Sydney and then a second in Melbourne in August resulting in over 100 stockist - thanks to all our retailers and also our growing customer base . We would not be here without your support .


I look forward to another year of growth , creativity , happiness, some sleep and good health . Cheers to 2013  and enjoy the La De Dah journey.



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