Sammy is the founder of Paraffle. She designs and makes embroidery kits from her studio in Edinburgh, where she has lived for about 18 years. Her embroidery kits range from beginner to intermediate, using bright fabrics and thread colour combinations, and use organic and ethically produced fabric.
“I truly believe the enjoyment of a craft kit rests on how achievable it is!”
How did your embroidery journey start?
My interest in sewing and textiles goes back many years - my mum taught me to sew when I was young. I think I was about 7 when I declared to my parents that I was going to start a business called ‘Sammy’s Sewing’ to help people darn socks and sew on buttons. They even helped me write up a price list on a scrap of paper! It never went any further (seriously, who would trust a child to patch up their clothes?!), but my interest continued into my teenage years and took me through a Textiles GCSE.
My interest in embroidery specifically came a little later: I was doing postgraduate studies, was strapped for cash, and wanted to make a birthday present for my mum. I settled on embroidering something for her, but couldn’t find any designs that would perfectly suit her - so I sketched up a design of a deer and set to work.
I took to it immediately: it provided the creative outlet that I was after, and simultaneously provided some much-needed stress relief from my PhD studies. The balance slowly started to shift: I began spending less time on studying, and more time on embroidery. I completed my PhD just a couple of weeks before the 2020 lockdown began; at which point my embroidery business really took off.
(I should probably add: the photo is a version of the deer design that I later recreated…the original is far less neat than this!)
When did you realise you wanted to design kits?
The idea to design kits came after I’d been embroidering for a couple of years. I’d been working on designing and stitching my own finished pieces, and had developed a particular style of paisley animals that I really enjoyed stitching. I had started a Paraffle Instagram page and listed my stitched pieces on Etsy…despite gaining some attention online, there had been very few sales.
It was only later that it dawned on me - and I’m not sure whether it was a friend, family member, or Instagram stranger who pointed it out - that although people liked my designs, most of my audience didn’t actually want to buy a finished piece of embroidery art. They’re crafters at heart: they want a project that they can make themselves, to learn new skills, and be involved in a crafty community.
Once that clicked into place, I spent a long time figuring out how to make the kits as good as I could (with the few resources I had available at the time - I was still surviving on my postgraduate stipend at the time!). I figured out what would go into a quality embroidery kit, how it would be packaged, and agonised over how to make the instructions and stitch tutorials as understandable as possible (because I truly believe the enjoyment of a craft kit rests on how achievable it is!).
What does your design process look like?
Varied, I’d say! Sometimes I’ll have an idea for a new design - like one of my paisley animals - and it’s the smoothest process in the world. Others take a bit more time!
Either way, I’ll normally start with a rough outline of the thing I want to create. It might be a silhouette of an animal, or perhaps a photo of a floral scene or landscape that I really like. Then I’ll work on filling in some details and getting the composition right (I used to use pencil and paper for this, but now use my laptop - it’s easier to undo mistakes and move elements around!). Once I think I’ve got a workable pattern made, I’ll select the fabric colour that I want to use and the thread colours that work well with it.
Then comes the stitching! I normally have a good idea of the stitches and colours I want to use, but this often changes as I see how they work on the fabric and with the rest of the design. Sometimes the first version of the design is exactly how I want it; but more often than not, I’ll stitch the first version roughly. I’ll pay attention to what works and what doesn’t; and then a photo of it gets sent to the family group chat (my mum, dad, and sister are excellent at suggesting improvements, and it’s nice to get fresh eyes on a design!). I’ll edit the pattern as needed, then stitch a second (and hopefully final!) version.
How do you choose what stitches to use?
That totally depends on who the embroidery kit is aimed at!
If I’m designing a kit for absolute beginners, then I’ve got a range of stitches that I like to include every time. I try to take beginners through these stitches one by one, slowly building up their skills; before they know it, they’ve learned 10 stitches and are comfortable using them.
Most of my paisley pattern kits come underneath this umbrella, and they use a lot of linework to create animal shapes. If there’s an area that I’d like to be more prominent on the fabric - for example, a hare’s hind legs, or a lobster’s pincers - then I’ll choose a chunkier, more textured stitch like a Chain Stitch, instead of a plainer Back Stitch.
If it’s a kit for slightly more experienced crafters (or ambitious beginners!), then all bets are off! I try to use a range of different textures in each design. Some choices come naturally (e.g. French Knots for small plants and shrubbery), and some are both practical and fun to create (e.g. Turkey Work for the shaggy fringe of a Highland Coo).
It can take a bit of experimenting to get the combination of stitches right. For my Victoria Street design, I spent ages over-complicating how to make the colourful buildings stand out with various textured stitches. Eventually I just thought “sod it, I’ll just use all 6 strands of thread instead of 2 and keep the stitches really simple”. That worked a treat!
What do you think makes a great embroidery kit?
I think there’s three main things that make a great embroidery kit:
- The design. This will be the thing that grabs your attention and really speaks to you. Maybe it’s the absolutely perfect thing to make for a certain friend; it could match the decor in your bedroom; or it might look like just the right level of difficulty to push your skills a bit further. It doesn’t even need to be serious: it might just be something really fun that would bring great joy to the stitcher!
- Quality materials. Even if the design is amazing, if the materials are no good then the kit will be difficult to stitch, you’ll be wrestling with fraying threads, and the end result can be a bit…iffy. I always include DMC thread in my kits (it’s the gold standard for me), and use organic, ethically produced fabric. The textiles industry can be opaque at times, and I like to know who made my fabric, and the conditions that it was made in.
- Clear instructions. I think an embroidery kit should be a pleasure to stitch and for me, that means being slightly challenging but still totally achievable. Detailed instructions and tutorials are really the key to this - I find nothing more frustrating than reaching a certain point in a project where you just don’t understand what to do next. Even the trickiest stitches are possible with right tutorials! I like to include photos of each stage of working a stitch - and have made video tutorials on my website for people who learn better that way, too.
What stitches should beginners focus on first?
That’s a good question! I do beginner workshops about once a month, so have a set of stitches that I like to start people off with. Back Stitch is a great foundation to start with; then some textured line stitches like Chain Stitch and Stem Stitch. After that, I think it’s useful to learn a filler stitch like Satin Stitch, a knot (French Knots for me!), and a decorative stitch such as Lazy Daisies.
A lot of other embroidery stitches are variations of basic stitches (e.g. Split Stitch is only slightly different from Stem Stitch). I find that once a person has learnt a few stitches, it becomes easier and easier to pick up new ones.
What inspires your designs?
The natural world, for the most part! The vast majority of my designs are centred around animals and plant life. Sometimes I can just immediately imagine how an animal design can work with paisley shapes; and other times, I want to recreate beautiful scenes (like my Cherry Blossom kit, which is based on the annual showing of cherry blossoms on the Meadows in Edinburgh).
After living in Edinburgh for about 18 years, I’ve also got a solid selection of Scottish designs: Highland coos, red squirrels, puffins, and some famous Edinburgh street scenes.
What does your typical day look like?
I’m not sure that I have a typical day, as a small business owner! One non-negotiable is a cup of tea in bed before I’m ready to get up and do anything. After that, I’ll walk into the studio and sort out my emails. Next up is sending out the online orders for the day, before settling down for the afternoon into a larger task. That could be taking photos of new products and listing them on my website; trying (and failing) to create content for social media; writing blog posts; planning markets or trade shows; and making sure we’ve got enough kits on the shelves for the coming weeks.
Then I’ll head home - often dropping off kits at the Tron Kirk market, where I’ve got a permanent market stand. It’s open every day and is right on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile, so it gets pretty busy during tourist season! I’ll spend most evenings stitching - ideally new designs, but sometimes extra samples for upcoming markets!
What advice would you give to your younger creative self?
Don’t be scared to put yourself out there! Seriously, what’s the worst that could happen?
I originally kept my Paraffle Instagram page secret from everyone I knew in ‘real life’...for some reason I was really embarrassed that I was putting my work out there and trying to make a go of it as a business. It wasn’t until a friend (who had seen a couple of my projects) messaged me to say that somebody online was stealing my work. I had to admit that it was, in fact, me posting those pictures. Obviously, they were really supportive!
What is next for you?
More! I’m really happy with how Paraffle is going at the moment - and I plan to keep gradually growing the business, and adding lots of lovely new designs. We’re also about to take on a new full-time employee! She’s been working with me since she was 16(!), and is just about to finish university. She knows the business inside and out, and is going to be an amazing addition to our little team.
Personally, I’m moving house this year - and can finally stop renting! It’s crazy to think that all of this work on my embroidery business has allowed me to buy my own house.
Where can our readers see more of your work?
My Website, Instagram, Facebook.
And if you find yourself in Edinburgh: The Tron Kirk Market on the Royal Mile.
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