Q&A with Ella – Our Brilliant Work Experience Student

July 22, 2025

Meet Ella – Our Brilliant Work Experience Guest

We were thrilled to welcome A-level student Ella to the Mustard and Gray studio for a week of hands-on creative exploration. From designing and making to seeing the ins and outs of how our studio runs, Ella threw herself into every task with real enthusiasm (and a great eye for detail!).

Work experience is such a valuable opportunity—for students to get a taste of working life, and for small businesses like ours to gain fresh perspectives and ideas.

Before she heads off to continue her studies, we asked Ella a few questions about her week with us—what she learned, what surprised her, and what she’s taking away from her time in the studio.

Here’s what she had to say...

1. Hi Ella! Can you tell us a bit about yourself and what made you choose Mustard & Gray for your work experience? I'm an A level textiles student who enjoys sewing and making things for my friends a family in my free time. I decided to choose Mustard and Gray for my work experience because I had seen some of their amazing products online and wanted to learn more about what working in a creative setting was like.

2. What were you most looking forward to before starting your placement? Before I started, I was looking forward to learning about how the different products are created and what materials are used. I was also intrested in learning about how designs were transfered onto materials and different items, such as mugs and water bottles.

3. What sort of tasks and projects did you get involved in during your time here? During my time here at Mustard and Gray, I have helped the team to plan, design and test out new products, which they are loking to introduce in the future. I also learned about the printing process by making my own products with some of my designs and drawings printed on them and I have helped to make some circus themed bunting for an upcomming event.
   

4. Was there anything that surprised you about working in a creative studio? I was suprised to find out how many different products the team made and the different techniques they used. I was also suprised by how many exciting and creative ideas about new designs the team came up with as well as how quickly they managed to make some of their fantastic products. 

5. What was your favourite part of the week? Any highlights? I've really enjoyed everything that I have done this week, but making a bag with my own design printed on it was definitely a highlight. 

   

6. Did you learn any new skills or try anything you hadn’t done before? I tried binding fabric for the first time (whilst testing out a a pattern for a product the team potentially want to introduce in the future). Whilst I found the technique quite tricky to start with, it is extremely useful and I will definitely use it in the future. I have also learnt how to print designs onto different products such as mugs and water bottles which was amazing.

7. What part of the creative process did you enjoy the most—designing, printing, organising, something else? I enjoyed learning the process of printing designs onto products and learning about how these designs were prepared and edited on the computer before being printed onto special paper.

   

8. If you had to describe your week at Mustard & Gray in three words, what would they be? Amazing, Intresting and Fun!

9. How has this experience influenced your thoughts about what you might like to do in the future? It has shown me what working in a small, creative business is like and encouraged me to pursue my hobby of textiles, even if its not what I chose to study at University. 

10. And finally… any advice for other students thinking about doing their work experience in a creative setting? If you ever get the oppourtunity to work in a creative setting for your work experience, go for it! Just don't forget to ask questions and be as creative as possible! The whole experience has been so amazing and I have loved every minute. It has really shown me what it would be like to work in a creative setting when I am older. 

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