https://www.fabricandflowers.co.uk/

Fabric & Flowers, Gloucester (2026)

21/12/2024

Today I finally made the cranberry sauce, which means it’s officially time for Christmas!!!
I’m taking a couple of weeks off to recharge and spend time with loved ones…I’ll be ‘back in the office’ in January 2025 - so any messages/emails over the next couple of weeks might have a slightly longer reply time than normal!
Thank you to everyone who has supported me throughout 2024 - from liking posts, reading blog posts, chatting in the DMs and buying patterns to joining the Craft a Business Club (shoutout to the Cabbies!) - if means the world 💕
Wishing you all an amazing Christmas and fabulous 2025,
Sx

01/12/2024

I’ve been seeing worried posts from fellow designers about the upcoming GPSR regulations that come into force on 13th December and the potential impact on Digital Products eg. quilt/knitting/crochet patterns.
The General Product Safety Regulations (GPSR) are an update of existing regulations, and one of the new requirements is that sellers’ have a EU / N. Ireland based representative if they don’t live in the region.
Like many, GPSR is something that I’ve only recently become aware of.
But here’s the thing - at the moment there seems to be more that we DON’T KNOW, than we do!
I’ve done a word search on the original GPSR document, and the root word ‘digital’ appears 14 times…and not once is it paired with Digital Products.
A later FAQ document released by the EU / European Commission (EC) states that Digital Products are included, but goes no further than this. There is no mention of what constitutes a digital product or how we are meant to risk assess them.
The advice is to expect more guideline closer to the implementation date (just 2 weeks away now!) which will hopefully provide a lot more clarity around what we, as pattern designers, need to do.
A lot of the posts I have seen seem to be based on individuals interpretation of the report, hearsay and / or second guessing what this could mean.
As business owners, it’s important to make decisions that YOU are comfortable with, but can I please encourage you to make sure that any decisions you are making about the future of your business are based on facts and not hearsay?
If you want to know my personal approach at the moment - as a digital only business - it’s to wait and see what the guidance is before making any decisions. And also to see how the big online marketplaces like Etsy respond (and yes, it’s frustrating that they haven’t yet issued any information, but I wonder if this has been new information to them too and they’re waiting to read the guidelines to understand the full impact too?).
And in case it’s not obvious, please do not take this post as legal advice, it’s simply my interpretation of the GPSR document. Do make sure to do your own research too before taking action 😀

22/11/2024

7 years ago today I pressed publish on the Big Pocket Advent Calendar - my first ever pattern - and started my quilting business!
When I hit publish, I didn’t have any fancy launch plan (just 8 days before Advent, oops! ) or a big audience. But I do remember that first cha-ching and jumping up and down with excitement in the kitchen!!!
Over the next 5 weeks, I sold just 9 patterns….hardly a success story, right? It would have been so easy to write it off and give up. After all, it was my first pattern, maybe I didn’t have what it takes?
Instead, I spent time working on all the Behind the Scenes stuff - blog posts, listing descriptions, deep-diving my analytics and growing my audience bit by bit. Making sure the foundations of my business were rock solid.
Because the truth is that everything I’ve done has been on a part-time basis, when the kids were at school. So I’ve always focused on doing the work that is going to help me grow even when I’m sat on the sofa watching a Christmas movie.
And can you believe that now the Big Pocket Advent Calendar is an Etsy Best Seller and nearly 1,500 people have bought it! Each year I look forward to the lovely reviews and pictures that people send!
Today is a celebration of being brave enough to start something and of all the people who have supported me. Thank you all so much!
🎄If you want to sew your own Big Pocket Advent Calendar comment ADVENT and I’ll sent you a DM with the link x

07/11/2024

This year I’ve had my quilt patterns stolen and sold online without my knowledge or permission for someone’s else’s profit.
I’m not the first person this has happened to - and sadly probably won’t be the last - but this practice seems to be increasing and I think we need to have a conversation about it.
As a follow up to mine and chat yesterday, I’ve covered the main points in the slides above.
In a digital world and with the rise of AI it is becoming increasingly difficult to monitor these scam shops - they are set-up (and taken down!) at a rapid rate.
What we can do as designers is try and make it as difficult as possible for someone else to pass off our work as their own and let our followers know how this scam works and what to be aware of.
If you want to read more about this, I’ve put together a blog post which goes into more detail - just comment PROTECT and I’ll send you this link - or visit my page and watch our chat.
Hopefully this will be the last post on Digital Pattern Theft for a while (there’s been a lot this week!) and normal Creative Business Tips and Quilty Adventures will follow, but this is an important topic that we all should be aware of - as well as being upsetting when it happens it also costs small designers like myself unknown amounts!
If you’ve got any questions, please do pop them in the comments x

24/07/2024

Eeek! Only a week to go until Festival of Quilts, so it’s time to say “Hello” for the challenge 👋
I’m Sonia, a quilt pattern designer who loves mindful quilting. For me, this means hand-piecing, appliqué, taking time to enjoy the process of sewing and creating designs that include different options so you can personalise your make (especially when it comes to bags and pouches!).
I’m also a creative business strategist sharing advice and run the Craft a Business Club, a membership that includes weekly co-working sessions and trainings. I’m running a free summer challenge starting in August if you want to get your business ready for September and beyond - let me know in the comments if you fancy joining in 😀
I’m heading to Festival on Thursday and love catching up with people so if you see me please come say Hi!
Big thanks for and .campion for hosting 💕

09/07/2024

Life Lately has been so busy behind the scenes that I thought it would be fun to share some of what I’ve been up to (I love seeing other’s versions of these!!!).
🎧 Lots of recording and live sessions: I’ve been working super hard with members of Blogging Bootcamp and I’ve loved every minute of it (and I’ve had some great feedback too which is always lovely!!). And a few months ago I also started adding in monthly workshops to the Craft a Business Club…….it’s been a learning curve (slightly different to Quilty videos!) and all the editing means I’m a little bit fed-up of my own voice!!!!!
🥢 A delicious lunch out to celebrate my daughter finishing her A levels….I still can’t quite believe that I have a nearly 18 year old!
🎉 A fun weekend with friends and which included lots of sewing, business chat and snacks……the best time!
🌸 Happening across one of the most beautiful graveyards I’ve ever been to with swathes of wild flowers……my youngest is moving to a new school in a different area and we discovered this on one of our wanderings.
🪡 An appliqué sample for a fun workshop I’m going to be teaching soon….keep your eyes peeled to see what I turn it in too!
The Summer Term is always chaotic trying to shoe-horn in All The Things, or is it just me?! Speaking of which, if you have a creative business I am running a Summer Challenge during the month of August to help you get your business ready for a fabulous end to the year when you head back to work in September! If you’d like to know more put a 🌟in the comments!

31/05/2024

Are you feeling Blah about your Blog?
Wondering what you need to do to attract customers & rank on search engines?
,
Imagine if you knew exactly what to do so that your blog helps your business grow on autopilot, even when you take time out to do crazy things like climbing Pen Y Fan with the family?!
A few years ago I overhauled my blog and now average 15k hits a month…..and I want to help you do the same!
In Blogging Bootcamp we’ll;
✔️Learn how to create a blog customers and search engines will love
✔️Understand how to monetise, market and maintain your blog
✔️Nail how to craft a fantastic blog post

Plus, you’ll also get;
✔️Self-paced training videos to learn at your convenience
✔️Live Q&A sessions to get your burning questions answered
✔️Workbooks & checklists to keep you on track
✔️A supportive private community for accountability and cheerleading
✔️BONUS: An audience tracker & checklists to skyrocket your results
Ready to get your blog working for you?! Doors are open now with an Introductory Offer of £147.
Find all the details here: https://craftabusiness.co/bloggingbootcamp/
P.S. Want a personalised blog audit? Upgrade when you join!

22/05/2024

There’s been many twists and turns in my Creative Business Journey…..how about yours?!
What started as a hobby turned into a business that I love and now I’m helping others to do the same. Was it a straight forward journey? Oh my word, no!
At one point, I nearly gave up because I just couldn’t figure out how to make money from all the time and effort I was putting in. It was frustrating and took a lot of work behind the scenes to figure out what to do.
And over the years I’ve learnt that as a creative, my business evolves and grows with me.
These detours can be frustrating when they happen, but often they help to give so much clarity on what’s really important to how you want to work and what you want to work on.
Even if you have a complete change of heart and start over or pivot, in truth you’re never really starting from scratch because of all the knowledge you’ve learned in your own journey.
One thing that has always helped me in business is creating strong foundations from the beginning (think planning, blog/website and newsletter list) - if you get these right, over time your business will gain momentum which makes everything else so much easier.
There’s lots of exciting things happening over the next few weeks - a brand new course Blogging Bootcamp launches tomorrow and the doors to the Craft a Business Club will be opening in June. I can’t wait!
I’d love to know what your biggest business frustration is at the moment in the comments, and if you’d like to have weekly tips and news sent straight to your inbox type “UNLOCK” and I’ll send you a link.

14/02/2024

Did you know that the is February’s Pattern of the Month which means you can save 15%?!
This case was designed for my love of sewing on the go….
✂️ An integral design board for laying out block designs
✂️ Four (4!) divided pockets to organise block pieces on the go
✂️ Slip pockets for sewing supplies
✂️ Multiple ways to open out/fold up depending on how much space you have available!
✂️ Works well with all my other too!
Let me know if you’re going to make one and what projects you’ll be packing…..grab the pattern now from my website or Etsy (links in comments) 😀

12/02/2024

A still life of February blocks in progress 💕
I’m having lots of fun raiding my low volume/soft fabrics and appliquéing these little patches….and I love how they’re looking together!
One of my favourite things about hand-piecing/appliqué is that I can keep all my favourite tools and supplies in that little bowl…..
Appliqué pins ~ Needle ~ Aurifil 80wt thread ~ Beeswax (to stop my thread getting tangled!) ~ Snips
What are you working on at the moment?

09/01/2024

How do you feel about appliqué? Is it something you love or something that feels like a dark art?!
Confession time, a few years back I always thought appliqué was something I’d do once I’d grown up and was much more skilled!
Once I gave it a go though, I found it to be so much fun, a great introduction to quilting (you don’t need much kit) and it makes a great project on the go!
If you’d like to learn (more!) about appliqué, make sure to join the Quilt 2024 summit and catch my Master Appliqué workshop where I share all my tips as well as the templates for this fun little flower motif!
Quilt 2024 is free to join and starts tomorrow (eek!) - new classes are published each day and are available for 24hrs only, but if you want more time you can get a VIP Pass which gives you access to all classes for a year PLUS lots of other bonuses.
Sign up here: https://www.quilt2024.com/a/2147675040/KRFFFC5M
Note - this is an affiliate link - as a teacher, I receive a small % of the VIP Pass if you choose to buy one. Thank you.

20/12/2023

Anyone else looking to make some last minute Christmas pressies?!
If - like me - you’re still trying to get organised, pop over to the blog where I’ve got a few tutorials that could be just what you’re looking. These patterns make lovely gifts and are quick to sew up too!
The and are the most popular tutorials and can be made with scraps or a couple of FQs, and make great gifts for all ages!
https://fabricandflowers.co.uk/tutorial-easy-lined-zippered-box-pouch-with-handle/
https://fabricandflowers.co.uk/tutorial-stashngo-drawstring-bag/
I’m in the mad prep for Christmas stage at the moment….maybe next year will be the one when I finally get organised 🤔😂

Fabric & Flowers

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