Whanganui Chronicle
  • Whanganui Chronicle home
  • Latest news
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
  • Death notices
  • Classifieds

Subscriptions

  • Herald Premium
  • Viva Premium
  • The Listener
  • BusinessDesk

Sections

  • Latest news
  • On The Up
  • Sport
  • Business
  • Opinion
  • Lifestyle
  • Property
    • All Property
    • Residential property listings
  • Rural
    • All Rural
    • Dairy farming
    • Sheep & beef farming
    • Horticulture
    • Animal health
    • Rural business
    • Rural life
    • Rural technology

Locations

  • Taranaki
  • National Park
  • Whakapapa
  • Ohakune
  • Raetihi
  • Taihape
  • Marton
  • Feilding
  • Palmerston North

Media

  • Video
  • Photo galleries
  • Today's Paper - E-Editions
  • Photo sales
  • Classifieds

Weather

  • New Plymouth
  • Whanganui
  • Palmertson North
  • Levin

NZME Network

  • Advertise with NZME
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • BusinessDesk
  • Newstalk ZB
  • Sunlive
  • ZM
  • The Hits
  • Coast
  • Radio Hauraki
  • The Alternative Commentary Collective
  • Gold
  • Flava
  • iHeart Radio
  • Hokonui
  • Radio Wanaka
  • iHeartCountry New Zealand
  • Restaurant Hub
  • NZME Events

SubscribeSign In

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Home / Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui’s Hoyle siblings turn their sewing hobby into a growing business

Mike Tweed
By Mike Tweed
Multimedia Journalist·Whanganui Chronicle·
20 Dec, 2022 04:00 PM3 mins to read

Subscribe to listen

Access to Herald Premium articles require a Premium subscription. Subscribe now to listen.
Already a subscriber?  Sign in here

Listening to articles is free for open-access content—explore other articles or learn more about text-to-speech.
‌
Save

    Share this article

Emmalyn, Dominic and McKayla Hoyle with some of their Little Sewers pouches. Photo / Bevan Conley

Emmalyn, Dominic and McKayla Hoyle with some of their Little Sewers pouches. Photo / Bevan Conley

What started as a birthday present project has turned into a business for Whanganui’s Hoyle siblings - Little Sewers.

McKayla, 8, Emmalyn, 6, and Dominic, 4, have hand-made dozens of zipper pouches, which can now be found at the Whanganui River Markets and Silvesters Bags.

Family friend Claudine Kitson taught the kids how to sew at the start of this year.

McKayla said she started off by making a couple of skirts, followed by a pouch for mum Rebecca Hoyle’s birthday.

“Then I made a big, huge bag for Mother’s Day and a pouch for Dad’s birthday.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.
Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“We also made bags for a big competition [a school expo] and got first and two seconds.

“One person wanted to buy a zipper pouch, so we decided to make a stall.”

Mum Rebecca Hoyle said it took the trio around three hours to make four bags.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“For McKayla, she enjoys making special things for people.

“At the start of this term, Claudine approached me and asked if she could teach the kids a little bit about business.”

McKayla said it took five steps to form Little Sewers.

“We started with a business plan, then we needed money from the bank, which is Dad, then we make the product, market and sell.”

After a warm-up presale, the kids were down to the markets for their first day of business.

The pouches are made from linen, cotton, and specialty curtain fabric.

Her kids had picked up the art of sewing “amazingly fast”, Hoyle said.

The 4-year-old even knows how to thread up the machine. It takes a painfully long time, but he can do it.

“All three work together on each bag. McKayla will do most of the outside, Emmalyn will do the corners, then Dominic sews the corners together.”

Silvesters Bags’ Danielle Philp-Wright said Little Sewers products would be in the store this week.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“This was something that was very easy to say yes to.

“We love to be able to support some entrepreneurial kids who are learning about business and things like that. I think it’s fantastic.

“We had a little discussion about retail and wholesale and they were very eager to start. I said they had to have a business meeting with mum first.”

Philp-Wright said she was sure the zipper pouches would be a hit.

“I know the community loves to support efforts like this.”

Hoyle said there had been a positive reception for Little Sewers at the Whanganui River Markets.

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

“People probably thought it was my business and I had my kids around, but actually, this is all theirs.”

Little Sewers pouches can be found at Silvesters Bags at 137 Victoria Ave.

All going to plan, the siblings will be back at the Whanganui River Markets in January.

Save

    Share this article

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles

Whanganui Chronicle

NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth

Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found


Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

Advertisement
Advertise with NZME.

Latest from Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles
Whanganui Chronicle

Ucol disestablishes 43 roles

Affected staff could be re-employed in alternative roles or one of 18 new roles.

17 Jul 06:00 PM
NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth
Whanganui Chronicle

NZ Opera School appoints general manager to support future growth

17 Jul 05:00 PM
Body of missing man found
Whanganui Chronicle

Body of missing man found

16 Jul 08:34 PM


Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky
Sponsored

Solar bat monitors uncover secrets of Auckland’s night sky

06 Jul 09:47 PM
NZ Herald
  • About NZ Herald
  • Meet the journalists
  • Newsletters
  • Classifieds
  • Help & support
  • Contact us
  • House rules
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of use
  • Competition terms & conditions
  • Our use of AI
Subscriber Services
  • Whanganui Chronicle e-edition
  • Manage your print subscription
  • Manage your digital subscription
  • Subscribe to Herald Premium
  • Subscribe to the Whanganui Chronicle
  • Gift a subscription
  • Subscriber FAQs
  • Subscription terms & conditions
  • Promotions and subscriber benefits
NZME Network
  • Whanganui Chronicle
  • The New Zealand Herald
  • The Northland Age
  • The Northern Advocate
  • Waikato Herald
  • Bay of Plenty Times
  • Rotorua Daily Post
  • Hawke's Bay Today
  • Viva
  • NZ Listener
  • Newstalk ZB
  • BusinessDesk
  • OneRoof
  • Driven Car Guide
  • iHeart Radio
  • Restaurant Hub
NZME
  • NZME Events
  • About NZME
  • NZME careers
  • Advertise with NZME
  • Digital self-service advertising
  • Book your classified ad
  • Photo sales
  • © Copyright 2025 NZME Publishing Limited
TOP