Paraffle Embroidery

Creating contemporary embroidery kits for every skill level.

Hello! I'm Sammy - embroiderer, honorary Scot, and founder of Paraffle.

I started embroidering just before Christmas 2015, after deciding to hand-make a gift for my lovely mum, who first taught me to sew. A few months and several new designs later, Paraffle (which means 'embroidery' or 'an ostentatious display' in Scots) was born in my teeny Edinburgh flat.

My mum will happily tell you that I was 7 years old when I told her that I was going to create a business called 'Sammy's Sewing'; but it wasn't until I was in the middle of writing my PhD (and realising that academia really wasn't the place for me), that I decided to take a leap of faith to create a business - and a job that I would love - out of my crafts.

In May 2020, I was fortunate enough to move Paraffle into a small studio in Edinburgh, in a building full of artists, craftspeople, and other small businesses. This is where I create everything - with lots of help with my partner Ali, who has been an incredible support, encouraging me to grow Paraffle into the business I want it to be.