Discontinuing Paper Patterns

It is with a heavy heart that I am discontinuing my range of paper patterns. Sadly, I found out that over Easter my printing manufacturer has gone into liquidation and is no longer trading. It was quite a shock as there was no warning for us or any of their poor staff. Their warehouse employees turned up one morning and were given until the end of the day to finish up the orders they were working on and clear out.

The owner of the printing facility has developed serious health issues and it became clear that he won't be able to return to work. His family stepped in and made the decision to cut their losses and close up immediately which must have been the best solution for them in such difficult and sad circumstances and my heart goes out to them.

So it's with a slightly forced hand that I am discontinuing the paper patterns. Due to the rising costs of shipping, plus the price increases of raw materials and the extra costs involved with Brexit it's a different proposition to look at in 2023 compared to the way things were when I first developed them. My paper patterns are high quality (read; expensive to produce) so they were never making huge profits, even with strong sales. I continued to sell them simply because I loved them and I thought they were a worthwhile and useful product. I have investigated some alternative printing manufacturers but unfortunately it doesn’t make any financial sense for me to start from scratch and redevelop the patterns with another company. 

There were a few other factors involved when it came to deciding whether or not to persevere with paper patterns. The main one being size expansion. I am steadfast in my intention to add more sizes and have already done most of the work involved to expand my size range further. However, the logistical issue of how much paper you can physically fit into an envelope meant that I would have to create all my future patterns to be split into two different size ranges. I personally don't like the idea of splitting a pattern into two separately sized products. It provides less value for customers and more inventory risk for retailers. Not to mention it doubles the cost of production for me and the margins are just too tight to allow it. 

I also found it hard to focus on design and creative direction when the majority of my time was spent dealing with the demands of running a wholesale business. The speed and success in which the patterns were taken on by retailers really surprised (and pleased me!) but I underestimated how much work it would be to manage and all my working time was taken up by the wholesale side of the business. My real joy lies in pattern cutting and creating clothing so I’m going to take the opportunity to shift my focus back to the creative side of Paper Theory. I’m actually really excited about having the chance to bring to life some new ideas!

I wish I had been able to plan for the end of the paper patterns, give retailers some warning and stock up my store but I never got the chance as production literally stopped overnight.  I have a small number of some paper patterns left on my online store - but once the remaining stock is gone, it's really gone.

Click here to shop patterns

  

If what you are after has sold out already, below is a list of my wonderful stockists - hopefully someone close to you still has what you are after. I am very proud of the paper patterns and it was such a privilege and a source of joy to see my work sitting on the shelves of the best fabric and craft stores in the world. A huge THANK YOU to anyone who ever bought one! 

Images L-R courtesy of: Bawn Textiles, Espace Fabrik, The Maker Studio. Second Row: Two o Nine Fabric, Maai Design, Lilly Paris

UNITED KINGDOM

Bawn (Glasgow) 

Sew Me Sunshine (London)

Like Sew Amazing (Bristol)

The Drapers Daughter (Chichester)

Make at 140 (Plymouth)

Guthrie & Ghani (Birmingham)

Cool Crafting (Kendal, Cumbria)

Backstitch (Cambridge)

1stforfabrics (Newcastle Upon Tyne)

Sew Confident (Glasgow)

The Fold Line (online)

Fabric Godmother (online)

Sister Mintaka (online)

Green and Velvet  (online)

Catkin & Scraps (online)

Lamazi Fabrics (online)

Minerva Fabrics (online)

Croft Mill (online)

 

EUROPE

MeterMeter (Aarhus, Denmark)

Quilt Yarn Stitch (Tuam, Ireland)

Atelier Brunette (Paris, France)

Atelier Goldfaden (Bern, Switzerland)

Lilly Paris (Rüschlikon, Switzerland)

Beyond The Pink Door (Co. Galway, Ireland)

Ying Design (Winterthur, Switzerland)

Fagert.se (Sweden)

Ansje Handmade (Naaldwijk Netherlands)

Sokit  (Czech Republic)

   

NEW ZEALAND

Paper Scissors Cloth (Christchurch)

Newtown House (Wellington)

Studio of Sewing (Auckland)

Joan's Sewing Room (Auckland)

  

AUSTRALIA

The Cloth Shop (Victoria)

Pattern Scissors Frock (Victoria)

Nuno Nuno (Victoria)

House of Cloth (Victoria)

Maai Design (online)

Minervas Bower (NSW)

Fibre Smith (Victoria)

The Gingham Studio (Queensland)

 

CANADA 

Blackbird Fabrics (East Vancouver)

The Makers Studio (Ontario)

Patch Halifax (Nova Scotia)

Needlework  (Ontario)

Fabric Spark (Toronto)

Two O Nine Fabric Studio (Vancouver) 

Rives Compagnie (online) 

 

USA

Lakes Makerie (Minneapolis) 

Stonemountain & Daughter Fabrics (Berkeley)

Oak Fabrics  (Chicago) 

Sew to Speak (Ohio)

Firecracker Fabrics (Pennsylvania)

Mulberry Silks and Fine Fabrics (North Carolina)

Staystitch (Texas)

Bolt Fabrics (Portland OR)

Josephine's Dry Goods. (Portland OR) 

Harts Fabric (Santa Cruz CA) 

Fancy Tiger Crafts (Denver, CO)

Modern Domestic (Portland, OR)

Three Little Birds (Washington, D.C)

Gather Here (Cambrigde MA)

Retromama (Pennsylvania)

Seams Fabric (Michigan)