Those of you I have had the opportunity to meet have often asked how I got interested in vintage haberdashery and needlework and where the idea came from to re-launch Sajou, as well as my involvement with the renowned Fil Au Chinois brand.

No, my mother was not a famous seamstress, my parents weren't haberdashers, nor were they thread or needle manufacturers and neither they, nor anyone in my family were linked in any way to the world of needlecrafts.

It all started when I was not yet 20 years old and I bought a box with the letters C.B. printed on it. I was amused because the initials were those of my family's surname. It was only later that I discovered the initials stood for Cartier-Bresson. It would have been easy for me to go into the family spectacle business to earn some pocket money as an adolescent, but by chance or premonition, I preferred to work in a haberdashers – Le Bébé rose (The Pink Baby), in the Jura (east of France).

Only an avid collector can understand that one box leads to another, followed by the bobbins that go in the boxes, followed by a vintage haberdashery catalogue and the discovery of a whole new magic world. And that is how my collection of vintage objects began…

After a number of adventures, I found myself working in a publishing house on illustrated books which brought me into contact with a multitude of subjects. This led to the idea, still just a theory, of re-editing some of these vintage objects, unfortunately long-gone from the shops of today. Like all honourable sewing collector, I had accumulated a number of Sajou albums. One day, I paid a hefty price for an album for my collection and it was this unreasonable expense that triggered something in my mind – what had happened to the Sajou company whose albums are so keenly sought after?

Relevant research showed that the company had become commercially obsolete. I registered the name on 16th November 2004, with no real idea of what I would do with it. A few weeks later, I had the opportunity to acquire a stock of embroidery scissors, which I decided to sell under the Sajou name, at the same time as a few postcards inspired by vintage albums of the brand. The Sajou website opened on 15th May 2005.

The success was almost immediate, and thanks to the magic of internet, I was surprised by the interest from abroad, notably from Japan. Here, I must pay tribute to Japan – without this country, the enthusiasm and trust of the Japanese, Sajou would not be where it is today. The catalogues with whom I quickly developed a large business, encouraged me to expand the product range.

From then on, there was no turning back: developing the products required developing the clientele. At a time when the trend was for products Made in China as cheaply as possible, I only wanted quality products Made in France.

This became almost a crusade, fraught with pitfalls, but has led to some remarkable encounters and established bonds with the suppliers who have become a huge source of help and support.

There was an exceptional encounter: I was in despair with what had happened to the legendary Fil Au Chinois after finding out that it was in receivership, when I learnt that it had been bought out by two industrialists from the north of France: Olivier and Bruno Toulemonde. Although they had only recently taken over the company, we decided to draw from the marvellous heritage of the brand to give it a new lease of life.

The adventure has only just begun, but has the rare quality of not being just a simple takeover: all the threads are made in France in the Toulemonde workshops, some being made on the original machines that have been lovingly restored, a challenge when you know that the number of French thread manufacturers can be counted on the fingers of one hand.

And the results are worth it: every day new clients, the whole world over.

Thank you for your support and the encouraging messages we have received.

Frédérique CRESTIN-BILLET