Hello! I'm Sammy - embroiderer, honorary Scot, and founder of Paraffle.
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. Our kits include everything you need to get started, and make perfect gifts for anyone into crafting, creativity or just wanting to try a new hobby!
All designs are designed and brought to life by Sammy, and kits are handmade in Edinburgh by a small team. We work hard to ensure every kit is perfectly made, with the highest quality crafting materials, and sent out to customers in a short time frame. Paraffle is a carbon neutral business, focusing on a sustainable and ethical supply chain, minimising plastic and general waste, and being transparent about our impact on the people and planet around us.
We look forward to welcoming you into our community of conscious crafters!
---
Paraffle's Story
Paraffle was founded by Sammy Bishop in 2016 while she was studying for a PhD in Edinburgh. Looking for a creative outlet - and some peace of mind - Sammy taught herself to embroider in her spare time.
She began designing her own embroidery patterns, playing around with colours and patterns. Shortly afterwards, Sammy decided that a career in academia was not the place for her - and instead threw her energy behind creating and growing an embroidery business.
Sammy finished studying in early 2020 - just in time to respond to the 'craft boom' created by the lockdown of March that year. She moved Paraffle into a studio in Edinburgh, and brought her partner Ali on board to help her grow Paraffle even further. Sammy continues to be inspired by the natural world, flowing patterns, and bright colour combinations.
---
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.
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!
