Our Story
Hello! I'm Rainie Owen, the sole trader here at The Unusual Pear. You'll see me pictured here with my husband Beynon and our two children Poppy and Louis. We are a very small family-run business based out of our home studio in Newcastle, Australia.Â
Here you will find my shop full of hand spun and hand dyed yarns, weaving and spinning tools, ceramics and artworks made by my husband and I plus a blog continuously being updated with helpful posts for guidance on making and a source of inspiration. I am also proud to be partnered with a growing number of brands who share our ethos of quality made, ethically sourced materials and supplies.
I founded The Unusual Pear in 2014 out of a love for making beautiful things and busying my hands to help quieten my mind. As I shared my creative passions with the world online, I began building relationships with people all over the world as we connected through our love of making...
Sustainability and social consciousness are incredibly important to me as an individual and I am committed to incorporating these values into The Unusual Pear every step of the way.
My role
I’m responsible for almost all aspects of The Unusual Pear and wear many (many) hats including product design and manufacture, web design, customer service, order fulfilment and just about everything in between!
I’m certainly not a business whiz. I didn’t come from a background in business or marketing, I simply grew this business organically, bit by bit out of a love of making and sharing my passions. I have learned so much along the way.Â
How it all began...
I have always had a love for creating things with my hands. It started when I was around 13 years old, making jewellery and bespoke beaded wall hangings. I was hustling my parents friends to purchase my creations and I love seeing them to this day wear their jewellery made by little Rainie! I knew I didn’t want to have a traditional occupation and dreamed of having a creative life. After high school I studied Interior Design and Decoration at TAFE which propelled me into creating my own business - The Unusual Pear.
Sustainability in business
Sustainability is quite important in my business, in every aspect. All of my weaving looms and tools are designed by me and made here in NSW from FSC certified timber. The yarns and fibres I choose to stock are ethically sourced and manufactured in Australia and Europe.
I created my own range of hand carded and hand spun yarns made from recycled fibre waste - called New Life Yarns. Fibre artists from all over the country send me their textile waste in exchange for a discount from my online store, creating somewhat of a circular economy, where customers purchase my yarns, send me their scraps and purchase the New Life Yarn to create with once again.Â
I aim to keep all packaging to a minimum and all orders are packed in compostable or recyclable materials and our shipping provider is carbon neutral.
Media & publications
Over the years, I’ve had the honour of collaborating with likeminded small brands and The Unusual Pear has been seen in some of my favourite publications including:
Frankie Magazine, The Etsy Blog, Koel Magazine, Mollie Makes, Extra Curricular Magazine, Better Homes and Gardens Magazine, DIY Woven Art by Rachel Denbow, Swell Magazine, The Newcastle Herald, ABC Brisbane Radio, Ply Magazine.
In 2019 I published my own book The Woven Home
Some proud achievements include:
Being invited to be the Guest Artist in 2016 at the Stitches and Craft Shows in Newcastle, Sydney, Brisbane and Adelaide; Teaching a weaving workshop in New Jersey USA; Being a Featured Artist with Etsy's famous textile week in Melbourne; Being invited back to be the Guest Artist in 2019 at the Stitches and Craft Show in Newcastle
Thank you for being here
When you place an order with The Unusual Pear, you are generously supporting my little family business and helping me live my dream of working for myself.Â
Leave a message
I'm a real person at the other end and always happy to help - there is no such thing as a silly question!
Weather you need help choosing a product, need advice on a technique, or anything else, I can't wait to hear from you 💌