Do you love crafting as much as we do?
A break from daily life, a way to relax and reduce stress, giving you a sense of fulfilment and accomplishment through mindful creativity, embroidery is for everyone!
Whether you're learning a new skill for the first time or you're a seasoned pro, we provide an entry point for anyone feeling inspired.
The Paraffle community is welcoming to all; encouraging you to share, ask and inspire each other to build confidence in your ability.
Crafting materials can often damage the planet and workers around the globe. It's important to us to be a part of the solution rather than adding to the problem. We are transparent and will continue to be open about what we do and why we do it.
We look forward to welcoming you into our community of conscious crafters!
Paraffle's values
Approachable learning
You can learn something new no matter who you are, where you are in life or what your background is. Crafting should be accessible to everyone, without pressure to be perfect or get things right on the first try.
Our kits are inclusive of everything you'll need to give it a go! There's an abundance of learning materials; a stitch guide included in each kit plus step-by-step tutorial videos and tips and tricks shared online, we're here to support you!
Every time you finish a kit and think 'I can't believe I made that!', learn a new stitch or feel proud of yourself for starting a new project, we've reached our goal! This is why we love when you share your finished projects and all the crafting you get up to!
Community
Nobody has to learn on their own: seeing others progress and achievements makes it much less intimidating, sparking your creativity flow and suddenly making it seem easy!
Community is the feeling of being supported, surrounded by people who care about the same things as you. It is feeling like you have somewhere to go where you aren't alone. We want to spread this through craft: building a community which fills your cup and gives you energy; makes you feel inspired to craft and bringing this inspiration to other areas of your life.
The Paraffle community welcomes people from all walks of life, ready to celebrate each others ideas and accomplishments. We hope you feel encouraged and excited by what you create, and what you see others make too!
Sustainability
As much as we love crafting, the market is full of junk. We want to be a trusted curator of quality materials, so that you can be confident that you're getting the best you can get and it doesn't have to cost the planet.
'When I shop, I want to feel good about where my money is going. I want to trust that I'm not supporting corporate giants which ruin the planet and exploit people. We know as a small business that it is possible to make more ethical choices while keeping products affordable... other companies just choose not to.'
- Sammy, 2020
We are proud to have upheld this value, doing our best to provide you with sustainable, high quality materials, and being conscious of the businesses impact on the planet. If you'd like to read about where we excel at this, and which areas we are currently acting on, please see the blog post below
Mental Wellbeing
Paraffle began with Sammy using embroidery as an escape from her PhD studies. She found that the methodical repetition of stitching, releasing creativity by making her own designs, and pride in the end result relieved the stress she felt in other areas of her life.
It turns out there's some science behind this: crafting isn't just fun, it's also a proven method of stress relief. All around the world, needlework is used as therapy to cope with worry and stress. It engages the brain to allow a gentle focus and rhythm, preventing the mind from wandering and promoting general well-being
(Lagadec et al., 2024).
Many, many customers have reached out to share similar stories; whether it's job stress, families, the pandemic, or simple day-to-day life, they found that embroidery gave them an escape. We truly believe that crafting is a great tool to support your wellbeing, and encourage anyone and everyone to give it a go and see how it makes you feel!
Paraffle's Timeline
Sammy's Sewing
Having been taught some basic hand sewing by her mum, 7 year old Sammy told her parents that she was going to start a business called Sammy's Sewing.
They even helped her to write a price list for darning socks and sewing on buttons!
(We couldn't find a photo for this so here's her primary school tea towel self-portrait instead).
India: Paisley Inspiration
Sammy was lucky enough to go on a school trip to India, where she first became inspired by paisley patterns. She loved India so much, she later spent a month travelling there with her friends.
PhD Stress Relief
After completing her undergraduate degree and living in Cambodia for a year, Sammy began a PhD in Religious Studies.
Whilst struggling with the pressures of the PhD, Sammy found comfort in the calming benefits of sewing. Building on her hand embroidery skills, she taught herself how to embroider. This gave her some much-needed space to relax and take time away from her studies.
Productive Procrastination: Birthday Present for Mum
Sammy began searching for an embroidery kit to stitch a piece for her mum's birthday. She couldn't find the right pattern, so she designed her own. Her mum loved it so much, Sammy decided make a kit and - encouraged by friends and family - started selling on Etsy.
As she began falling out of love with academia and PhD life, this proved to be a very productive way to procrastinate!
Martha Stewart Feature
After being contacted by the Martha Stewart blog (which Sammy couldn't quite believe was real), Martha Stewart ran an online feature in July on Sammy's paisley patterns!
A busy summer ensued... and she became very familiar with the staff working at her local Post Office (that would become a theme for the coming years!).
Paraffle Full Time
Sammy had her PhD viva in January 2020, finally handing in at the start of March 2020. Without knowing what the year ahead held, this proved to be pretty good timing!
With the world in lockdown due to Covid, everyone needed something to keep themselves busy - and Paraffle was well placed to help.
As it was so busy - and Sammy was in no way prepared (we're talking staying up until 4am to pack embroidery kits, and waking up at 6am to carry on) - Sammy enlisted her partner Ali to help.
Studio
Paraffle had grown into a full time business for Sammy and Ali, run from their tiny spare bedroom (and kitchen, and lounge...).
We moved the business into a studio, and got our home back!
Tron Kirk, Royal Mile
An incredible opportunity was offered to us - a permanent physical market stall in Edinburgh's Tron Kirk on the Royal Mile.
With the lockdown crafting boom subsiding, the timing was perfect - and we jumped at the chance!
The Tron Kirk has proved to be an invaluable space to meet customers, try out new products, and connect with other local makers and artists.
Edinburgh Christmas Market
We took a big risk and signed up for the famous Edinburgh Christmas Market... and it paid off!
This was an incredible opportunity to have a market stall in the heart of Edinburgh's Christmas festivities, and we've been lucky enough to take part in 2024 & 2025 too!
Today
Paraffle has now moved into a larger studio, and employs several people in Edinburgh.
We've donated thousands of pounds and helped raise over £100,000 for charities. We are now also stocked in lots of lovely shops all over Scotland, UK, and much further afield!