Our Story

How did Quirky get so quirky?

Quirky: “Unusual in an interesting way.”

Quirky started as a small business venture in 2013. I had been a teacher for 23 years and owned a school; Little Toot Playgroup. But, as life happens, we all move on and as we had to move home, so did my career. However, my passion remained touching the hearts of children.

My name is Barbara, and I am married to an introverted gentleman, Lynch, who has always backed my crazy and supported my plans. We have two incredible kids and a whole bunch of lovely pets.

Our creations started as an experiment of textures and designs in the form of a wise old owl. Edward Hersey Richards said it well when he spoke of the wisdom of an owl:

“A wise old owl sat in an oak. The more he saw the less he spoke. The less he spoke the more he heard. Why can’t we be more like that wise old owl?”

To us the name Quirky represents the unconventional representation of personality and interesting quirks each of the soft toys portrays; not one ever turning out exactly the same as another.

From my passion for teaching pre-school, continued a passion for fun-filled and holistic development encompassed in love. Not only does each creation have its own quirky personality, but as the creations developed and the range grew, the range of textures, colours and concepts also grew. And to round it all off, each quirky creation has a heart somewhere to share the love that every child deserves.

As a nature enthusiast and lover of the bush, I was immediately drawn to the African animals and so our “Africa” range started. Over the years the range has changed and improved constantly but the aim of helping our little (and older) humans find a special friend for life has remained the same- A soft toy that creates a special mood, from calmness to humour. Our creations strive to target the imagination which fosters social and emotional development in our kids. Thus, our creations are special enough to treasure forever, but also made for fun-filled play.

As our collection grew one creation at a time, so did our little business and the families who are the biggest part of our business (YOU)! And with this growth we needed some more hands onboard. Nanna (my mom) came onboard and was eager to help with the little details and personalisation that you have come to know and love. Additionally, our dear Aggie, who initially worked for us as a domestic worker, attended sewing classes and eagerly learned the ropes of our process and creations. Aggie is now upskilled and our main seamstress, assisted by Johanna who is also gradually learning new needlework skills. 

We started as a small business and became a large family. This concept of community is seen in our warthogs with their straight up tails which ensure that they can follow their family when on the move. Follow along on our journey and join in on the quirky!

It's all rather Quirky, just the way we like it.

Love

Barbara Jordaan