Webchat with Emma Bridgewater, Monday 29 February, 1-2pm. Post a question for chance to win SIGNED copy of her latest book Pattern

[RachelMumsnet]

We’re inviting you to put your questions to Emma Bridgewater during our webchat on Monday 29 February from 1-2pm.

Emma’s distinctive, much-loved pottery brand started after a failed attempt to buy the perfect cup and saucers for her mother 30 years ago. Since then it has found its way onto the dresser shelves and kitchen tables of homes all over Britain and beyond. Today, Emma Bridgewater Ltd is still owned and run by Emma and her husband Matthew, who continue to contribute designs. Emma Bridgewater pottery is manufactured in Britain, with over 200 people now employed in her factory in Staffordshire.

Her latest book, Pattern is a wonderful patchwork of stories behind the brand. Her inspiration is often deeply personal - a plate of her mother’s, a favourite children’s book, and as she tells the stories of each pattern’s creation, she reveals the intricate processes of research and collaboration behind the familiar designs.

Come and put your questions Emma on Monday at 1pm or post your questions in advance to this thread. Everyone who posts on the thread will be entered into a draw to win one of two signed copies of Pattern.

I love, love, love Emma Bridgewater. I've collected quite a bit over the years. Every last piece makes me happy when I use it. In fact the chicken in my kitchen arrived on the day DS was born so that had a special memory associated with it before I'd even unpacked it.

I would like to know if you are ever tempted to follow other quality pottery brands and take production abroad in order to reduce costs?

I have a question: where on earth can I get hold of your Map of Britain teapot? It was on my Christmas and Birthday list for a couple of years. By the time I realised I'd have to buy it for myself it was discontinued and no one seems to have it, not even on Ebay. Any ideas? It's very rare I fall in love with material things but I fell in love with that. (Please tell me you have one knocking round your office that you're happy to sell me.)

I love Emma Bridgewater pottery and have been collecting for a while. I know Emma sometimes frequents Norfolk and would actually like to know if she fancies setting up one of her shops here?

Oh and thanks so much for bringing back sampler this year! Am planning a visit to the factory at the end of June and am saving up!

I'm fascinated by the habits of really successful people.

Do you have any habits that you think have helped you with your career or personal life?

Your company is one of the largest pottery manufacturers based entirely in the UK, with all of its products made in its factory in the city of Stoke-on-Trent, England, where it is one of the largest employers.

You must be immensely proud to be a successful 'Made in Britain' company in today's business market where so many firms have taken their manufacturing abroad.

Do you think this will always be the case or will changes in the economic climate, such as the possibility of leaving the EU, impact on your decision to keep manufacturing in the UK?

I love your pottery,especially the Christmas Town range,set to be family favourites each December! My question is, do you use all your own pottery at home, or do you some times feel like a change!

Oh, I feel a little mean asking this, but I will:

Do you honestly not mean to change the typos/ errors on your mugs? I emailed you about it, and you said you'd pass comments on to the design team.

I really don't care that your stuff has apostrophes all over the shop and so on, but it does make your merchandise look like cheap fakes - because mostly, when something costs as much as your stuff does, typos and errors are a sign of a knockoff.

I love the designs. I've got the lovely owl mug, and I want to buy others from the bird range, but could you let me know if you're planning a range without the errors in, so I can buy them for other people without them thinking I've bought them a cheapie knockoff?

Hello Emma. Where is the strangest places that you have found inspiration for a design?

I'd love to know, being a creative type myself, where is the strangest place you've had a flash of inspiration, and did it lead to any products being made?

I live quite close and have never been to the factory, really should go as I love your pottery :)

I'd love to know about how difficult it is to balance being well known and readily available, but unique enough to be special.

I think Bridgewater pottery walks that line very well.

When did you first realise that you were successful?

Being a Stokie by birth, I'm delighted that your factory has provided employment and a much-needed boost to the local area.

What else do you think should be done to reverse the decline of manufacturing towns like this? Hoe can others emulate what you've achieved? Is it just having faith in a product and - as another poster said, being committed to production in the UK?

As you can tell from my username, I am a MASSIVE EB fan! Nothing excites me more than the red boxes arriving - the postie knows me as the EB addict

My question is: You have a very successful British brand, and have fans world wide. What is your favourite British brand, and why?

I'm another fan. Please do more cats and horses.

I would like to know your favourite pattern?

We love Emma stuff in the hooked household.

What plans do you have for future mugs? More dogs? Cats? Birds? Ponies?
Books would be good. Or wool. Or unicorns.

Also. The handles are a bit flimsy. Could you make them a bit sturduer and last longer? Thanks.

It must be immensely satisfying to have built such an iconic business from a relatively young age but I know from reading one of your interviews that (unsurprisingly) it has also been incredibly stressful. Do you ever regret not selling out to a larger company once the brand become established?

Do you love your job and feel excited to go into work each day?

My morning cup of tea in my hearts mug puts a smile on my face every morning, without fail :)

I have a growing collection mainly mugs. We've also lots of melamine plates, bowls and mugs that look as good as new after five years of daily use, justifying the cost (autistic/ dyspraxic son, and daughter under diagnosis).

The one thing I find extraordinary with buying online from Emma Bridgewater is just how slow dispatch can be. It doesn't put me off for personal orders but it means I wouldn't buy gifts near the date needed, I'd go via another online onseller like JohnLewis.

So my question is ... have you plans to look at your dispatch process and how orders could be expedited faster to deal with impatient people like me?

I absolutely love your work Emma and our house is a shrine testament to that. DP just rolls his eyes when yet another delivery arrives, but is also enabling my habits by getting me vouchers. He doesn't even bother to ask what I want for Christmas, birthdays, Mothers' Day and so on.

My question is this: can you please bring back Love pottery and would it please be possible to personalise fonts, instead of just having one general type. So for example I love the font used on 'Hooray for Charlotte' mugs but am not at all keen on the font offered for personalised mugs.

I really do have a problem...

Ooh I have another question.

Do you really follow all the Facebook pages dedicated to EB? And if you do, do you make a small note of all the troublemakers?!

Hi Emma
I love your designs and by chance am reading a Joanna Trollope story called Balancing Act which seems to have been inspired by your life and work.
If you could design a literary inspired range what would you choose and why?

I love your designs.

If you could only use one of your patterns for the rest of your life, which would it be?

MUMSNET MUMSNET

Where did the inspiration for your classic polka pattern come from?

I use a hodge podge of various EB patterns every day at home here in New Zealand

I imagine you started out designing patterns by hand on paper. Are your patterns still designed that way? To what extent do programmes such as illustrator get used in your studio?