New stretch target
Make more products and put the profits towards our research projects.
Touch is central to our wellbeing. Our textiles are designed to comfort and calm those in need. Help us bring our creations to market.
by Annie Lywood in Bath, England, United Kingdom
Make more products and put the profits towards our research projects.
Hello, my name is Annie. I’ve been lucky enough to continue working during lockdown to finalise our first collection of sensory and decorative feel-good Comforters, specially-designed for peace and calm.
We now need your support to help continue our mission to manufacture and launch our designs.
Pre-order your ‘first edition’ comfort cushions for yourself, or a loved one, at an exclusive Crowd Funder price. Bringing the gift of comfort, these sensorial huggables are hand crafted by skilled artisans in Somerset, beautifully packaged, and can be delivered to you by Christmas.
Research shows that touch is central to our wellbeing. Our feel-good cushions are designed to have therapeutic qualities that support the wellbeing of people living with anxiety and stress – particularly in these uncertain times. When we are feeling stressed, anxious or even just a little low, hugging or simply holding, someone or something can lift our mood and make us feel better. Touching and hugging sensory cushions and comforters, like ours, can help to alleviate anxiety and nurture wellbeing.
After many years as a teacher, I re-trained in interactive/digital textile design with my efforts focused on improving the wellbeing of vulnerable groups in our society.
I set up my company Bonnie Binary to make a positive difference – to create products that bring playful delight and comfort to people’s lives, particularly those with sensory needs. Working with a like-minded team of professional occupational therapists and talented artisans, we are on an exciting journey researching the benefits of texture, colour, shape, pattern, weight and ‘the cuddle factor’ in order to help to soothe the senses.
Ethos: Our values are rooted in the desire to make a meaningful social impact, whilst minimising our environmental footprint. We are making wellbeing products that work, look good and feel great.
Eco-friendly: We source eco-friendly fabrics/packaging wherever possible, and are building partnerships with like-minded suppliers. Made-to-order to reduce waste.
Quality: Carefully-selected materials, plus exuberant, digitally-embroidered designs, burst with colour and feel good to the touch.
Research: Created through R&D and tested with focus groups to meet a need.
Shaped for hugs: visually-attractive to brighten your home as well your mood.
Designed to be loved, treasured and washed.
“I'm very interested in sensory products and items that will help to meet a person's sensory needs. I think Annie's products are innovative and fun - I'm looking forward to seeing her range of items, some of which have been trialed with adults from our service.” Occupational therapist Katie
“I’m buying one of the beautiful Jollie heart cushions for my mum to keep her hands warm this winter” Our first customer, Fiona
I've been involved in testing these products and it's great to see them develop. I think they are beautiful and will benefit many people in need of sensory comfort and stimulation" Physiotherapist Kate
There is only one full-time member of my company at the moment but behind the scenes there is a brilliant team of artisans, consultants, advisers and creatives. Every small business represents so many others and I’d like to thank everyone.
Photos show the core team, from left to right Annie the Founder hugging Purrdy the cat in the garden. Jessica the pattern cutter in her studio, in Bristol, Alison under the Lime tree in her garden advising on production methods. The AllsewnUp team in Somerset assembling the first products and Jacky Puzey in her Embroidery Studios in Bristol. (Photo by Jo Hounsome)
Over 50 hands, hearts and minds have helped us get to this point - ready to launch. It’s very exciting!
Many thanks go to my friends, family, researchers, focus groups and consultants for their wonderful support and encouragement during the development of our products especially under COVID conditions.
Coming from a large, lively household with a mum who runs a care home, I’ve always been community-minded, with a particular empathy for the vulnerable. After many years teaching in primary schools, running a forest school and after-school craft clubs I decided to re-train in interactive textile design with a view to developing products that would help improve the wellbeing of the many and varied vulnerable groups in our society.
I subsequently worked on exciting research projects with leading universities, exploring the power of sensory textiles, e-textiles and digital touch to help people in assisted-living environments and those living with physical and cognitive disabilities. These valuable experiences have all helped inform Bonnie Binary’s first collection of sensory cushions and our on-going research.
Photos below showing Dr Laura keeping her hands warm, Artist Belinda getting to know Patch the dog and Jacky hugging our prototype Purrdy.
We love our research as much as we love our customers
Our mission is to provide easy to use multi-sensory solutions to comfort and calm people living with or in anxiety creating conditions. These solutions include e-textiles which Annie discovered whilst doing her MA in design 2016, and which she has been exploring ever since with a view to understanding more deeply their potential to provide solutions for social care.
Profits from sales of the Cosy Cushion Collection will go towards funding further research into this next stage, focussing on interactive and multi-sensory products.
Our next collection of therapeutic and interactive cushions will use e-textiles and embedded technology where the user’s movement and touch trigger life-like responses such as warmth, vibration, light patterns and music to calm the senses. We aim to support people living with a variety of physical and cognitive challenges with our next range of therapeutic products.
Every creation is the result of extensive research into the benefits of sensory textiles and the exciting possibilities that e-textiles can bring to therapeutic products.
This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.