Meet The Big Folk

Storytelling rooted in nature

My story

I have always been drawn to slow things. Slow stories. Slow craftsmanship. Quiet details. Objects that feel as though they have lived a little life before finding their way into somebody else’s hands.

Long before the Raggedys existed in physical form, they existed quietly in my notebooks, sketches, scraps of writing, and in every corner of my imagination.

By day, I work full time within Design Technology at a boys’ grammar school in Kent. My days are surrounded by sawdust, tools, engineering, problem solving, and the beautifully chaotic energy that comes with sharing creativity.

Much of my life revolves around making, building, fixing, and encouraging others to create with confidence and curiosity. I love the practical side of craft just as much as the imaginative side, understanding materials, respecting the process, and learning through making.

Outside of workshop life, I retreat into a much slower world.

The Raggedys became my quiet place. My downtime. The place I return to after long school days, football at Charlton, muddy dog walks, family life, and the noise of everyday routines. It is where I disappear into storytelling, creature keeping, fabric scraps, old papers, and the strange comfort of creating slowly and intentionally by hand.

My home is filled with plants that seem determined to outgrow every available surface, a wall of old gold mirrors collected over time, sketchbooks stacked beside unfinished ideas, wandering dogs, and pet tortoises moving at their own stubborn pace.

I’m endlessly inspired by nature, folklore, forgotten objects, woodland textures, old market curiosities, weathered materials, and the beauty hidden inside imperfect things.

I’m drawn to tarot, fortune telling, old superstitions, ghost stories, and the feeling that magic lingers gently beneath ordinary life if you pay close enough attention. Not dramatic magic, but the kind rooted in intuition, storytelling, collecting strange treasures, and creating atmosphere. The kind that lives in overgrown gardens, candlelit corners, old books, pressed flowers, and muddy woodland paths.

Storytelling has sat at the centre of everything I create for over a decade now. The making and the writing are inseparable to me.

Most creations begin as notes before they become physical objects, fragments of stories, descriptions of strange little beings, observations from walks, snippets of imagined woodland trades, or entire personalities scribbled down before a face has even been sculpted.

I don’t simply create characters; I build worlds slowly around them.

Everything I make is intentionally small batch and one of a kind.

I’ve never had an interest in perfection or mass production. I want my work to feel the same; human, organic, slightly wild around the edges, and full of quiet character. Wonky stitches, aged textures, earthy colours, tangled fabrics, muddy details, all of it matters.

I want every creation to feel as though it has been discovered rather than manufactured.

Over time, I think I stopped feeling like the creator of the Raggedys and became more their keeper.

They arrive slowly, usually when I least expect them, bringing their own strange little stories with them. My role is simply to gather the pieces together carefully enough for others to meet them too.

Emily Archer

Helpers, Hounds and Hidden Keepers

Meet Our Team

Morgan

No creative studio runs entirely on tea, fabric scraps, and woodland magic alone, which is where Morgan comes in.

Part creative assistant, part professional tea maker, Morgan has become an essential member of The Raggedys over the years. He was the artist behind the much-loved Raggedys logo and continues to help quietly behind the scenes with everything from packing orders and quality control to treasure foraging and supplying suspiciously good miniature clothing material from his outgrown whimsy wardrobes.

Much of the studio runs on his steady supply of cups of tea and his ability to appear exactly when extra hands are needed for wrapping parcels, sorting fabrics, or rescuing the needle I dropped and lost on the hardwood floor.

Dudley & Bella

No part of The Raggedys would function particularly well without Dudley and Bella.

Between them, they are responsible for daily woodland walks and cuddle breaks.

Much of the inspiration behind The Raggedys begins outdoors wandering through muddy paths, overgrown trails, and quiet corners of Kent with the dogs leading the way. Pockets return filled with feathers, moss, crooked sticks, seed pods, forgotten treasures, and story ideas gathered somewhere between the trees.

While neither Dudley nor Bella contribute much in the way of sewing ability, they remain highly committed to studio morale, sofa cuddling, biscuit theft, and accompanying every stage of the creative process as only loyal dogs can.

Peggy, Leonardo and Raphael

The tortoises are perhaps the truest reflection of The Raggedys’ way of life, slow, curious and completely uninterested in rushing for anybody.

Wandering steadily through overgrown corners of the garden, crunching through weeds, and inspecting every forgotten nook with great seriousness, they serve as daily reminders to slow down and notice the strange little details most people pass by.

Among them is Peggy, a much-loved three-legged rescue tortoise. Despite her missing leg, she moves through life with remarkable determination, stubbornness, and absolutely no interest in being underestimated.

In many ways, the tortoises have become gentle keepers of the slower life; small reminders that wonder still exists in overgrown gardens, tiny discoveries, resilience, and taking the long way through things.

You ask, we answer

Ask us anything

Why are no two Raggedys ever the same?

Because they aren’t designed to be perfect copies. Every Raggedy is made entirely by hand in small batches using carefully gathered fabrics, found materials, old textures, and reclaimed details. Their wonky stitches, tangled clothing, crooked expressions, and muddy little imperfections are all part of their individual story and charm.

What inspires the world of The Raggedys?

Quiet magic, overgrown gardens, woodland folklore, old market curiosities, ghost stories, muddy dog walks, strange treasures stuffed into coat pockets, candlelight, tarot cards, tangled plants, and the feeling that there are still tiny hidden worlds waiting quietly beneath ordinary life if you pay close enough attention.

How long does it take to make a Raggedy

Usually much longer than expected. The Raggedys are slow-made and rarely rushed. Some come together quickly, while others sit half-finished amongst fabric piles and sketchbooks until their story becomes clearer. I’ve learnt not to hurry them, they seem to dislike it enormously.

What does a typical Raggedys studio day look like?

Usually a mixture of storytelling, muddy dog walks, tea drinking, fabric sorting, losing scissors repeatedly, rescuing buttons from the floor, scribbling strange notes into sketchbooks, and attempting to work while at least one dog supervises from nearby chair. It’s wonderfully chaotic in the gentlest possible way.

Why do the Raggedys look slightly worn or weathered?

Because I never wanted them to feel factory-made or untouched. The Raggedys are meant to feel discovered rather than manufactured — as though they may have spent years hidden beneath floorboards, tucked behind greenhouse pots, or wandering quietly through woodland paths before finally being found.