I am so in love with my latest review product….the red polka dot Secret Pillow from Secret Projects! It’s basically a quilt hidden inside a pillow and the best bit is that it is perfect to use in ‘Minnie’ my camper van. ❤️

The fab people over at Secret Projects kindly gifted me the pillow (which retails at £50) so that I could review it on my blog as a potential Christmas Gift Idea. I think it is a wonderful pressie idea as not only does it look great but it is a practical item too. The cushion measures approximately 45 cm x 45 cm and the quilt which is hidden inside measures approximately 110 cm x 150 cm – so roughly the same kind of size as a Toddler Bed Quilt. The pillow has a 100% cotton outer and 100% polyester wadding (made using recycled polyester fibres). It can be machine washed at 30 degrees.

The spotty Secret Pillow that I received is part of their ‘We Love Children‘ range but it is also ideal for big kids like me! There is no difference in quilt size between the children’s range and the pillows from their other numerous ranges – it is just that some of the prints in the kiddie collection are more suited to a younger audience.

Their other ‘Secret Pillow’ design ranges include ‘Scandindia‘ (This collection is a fusion of a Scandinavian-inspired colour scheme and classic Indian fabrics, like Ikkat, or Ikat), Kerala Karma (This collection is full of Secret Pillows made for the Summer. Purposely lightweight, they will be perfect for those balmy nights, camping, beach, adventures, festivals and picnics in the park), Totally Tropical (This collection is perfect for the summer or for holidays in the sun) and Darjeeling (The collection features floral ditsy prints inspired by Spring).

There is so much more to the Secret Pillow than just a hidden quilt….each pillow also has a hidden story. The story of the person who made it! Secret Pillows are a craft item made by women in India who face social and economic challenges. The money they earn through the making and selling of Secret Pillows enables them to pay for their child’s education, food, medicine and other essentials. The women are affiliated to an NGO or charity who provide a safe space in which they come together to receive training, support, and materials to produce Secret Pillows.

These groups of women are called Maker Networks and Secret Projects currently works with Maker Networks in six Indian states. Each Secret Pillow you buy comes with a certificate saying who stitched it for you and the maker receives 500 rupees for stitching each Secret Pillow, free training and a 2,000 rupee Empowerment Fund.

You can find out more about this by going to this link >> secretprojects.org/pages/how-does-this-project-empower. To find out about how the ‘Secret Projects’ business came to be please go to secretprojects.org/pages/story to read their story.

Watch the video below to find out more about Secret Pillows and Women’s Empowerment.  You can see them making a spotty Secret Pillow….wonder if it is my one??

I am very impressed with the Secret Pillow as it is not only pretty but practical. Next year I am going to use it in my campervan Minnie as it is ideal to take away with me on holidays because it can spend the day sitting on the seats as a pillow and in the evening I can unfold it and use it as a blanket.

It is really well made and it has a lot of meaning to it as it has been made with love. I am very grateful to the team at Secret Projects for gifting this to me for review.

If you would like to purchase one of these Secret Pillows as a Christmas Gift please go to www.secretprojects.org to place your order. I warn you though, you will have a tough time choosing which one to go for though as they are all so lovely!

You can read the full story about how Secret Projects came to be by going to www.secretprojects.org/blogs/news/the-story-of-how-we-began-by-fritha-vincent-founder-of-secret-pillow-project. It is all down to an amazing lady called Fritha Vincent!

Thanks for reading my review, now please take a moment to follow Secret projects on social media. You can find them on Pinterest, Vimeo, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.