Starting Stroudie Things: A Small Local Side-Project
Welcome to Stroudie Things.
After living in a few different places over the years, settling down in Stroud to raise two kids and build a family life here has been the best move I’ve made. Like a lot of people who fall for the area, it’s hard not to absorb the distinct character of the Five Valleys – from Saturday mornings at the Farmers' Market to towpath walks along the canal.
Stroudie Things is a modest local side-project: a way to make a few everyday goods that celebrate local culture, allotments, and valley life, without taking ourselves too seriously or pretending to be anything we’re not.
How It Works (And Why Print-on-Demand)
We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel here. To keep things manageable alongside family life and avoid wasting resources, we use a simple print-on-demand setup:
No Excess Stock: Every item is printed when it’s ordered. It’s a standard print-on-demand model, but it means we don't have boxes of unsold clothing sitting in a loft or heading to a dump.
Decent Materials: We stick to GOTS-certified organic cotton and recycled blends for the garments and totes so the quality holds up to everyday wear.
Woodcut-Style Graphics: The designs use a vintage woodcut aesthetic, taking inspiration from local flora, foraging, and valley living.
Open to Ideas
This is very much an open-ended test to see if people in the area actually like the designs.
Moving forward, it’d be great to use this site to feature work from other local illustrators, growers, or makers across the Five Valleys. If you’re a local creative who fancies collaborating on a print run or a joint project, do drop a note via the contact page.
Thanks for taking a look,
A Local Stroudie