Frequently Asked Questions

Are you open during the festive holidays?

Our website will remain open but our Sew Me Sunshine studio will be closed from 23rd December until 1st January 2025. We will reopen on 2nd January 2025 and orders placed during this timeframe will start to be processed on 2nd January 2025.

Can I have a swatch of the fabric?

Yes of course you can. Purchasing a swatch is a good idea because although we try to provide accurate photographs of our fabrics the colours can vary on different monitors. On each fabric listing you can add a swatch to your basket. Each swatch costs £0.50 plus postage. The postage cost has been taken into account when pricing our swatch service.

How should I care for my fabrics?

We advise you to wash the majority of your fabrics prior to cutting and sewing with them.  All fabrics will shrink a little bit in the wash, and by pre-washing them will ensure that you get the perfect fit. Click here to go to our page that details how you should look after your dressmaking fabrics.

Every washing machine does differ, so it is your responsibility to test wash any fabrics that you purchase from us

In what increments are your fabrics sold?

Our fabrics are sold in half metre increments.

Would you be able to purchase a specific fabric for me?

This depends on the fabric that you are after, but it is always worth asking so please drop us an email harriet@sewmesunshine.co.uk.

Can I order a gift voucher? 

Yes - at Sew Me Sunshine we offer e-gift cards. The gift card will be sent directly to the email you provide. If you wish to physically give it to someone then use your email address and then you can print it off and pop it in a card. On the e-gift card it will provide you with a code that needs to be entered at checkout in order to redeem the amount. You can find our e-gift cards here. 

I do not live in the UK, will you be able to deliver fabrics to me?

All of our products can be delivered worldwide, please refer to the Delivery and Returns page for more information about shipping costs. For orders sent outside of the UK customs charges can be applied upon receipt of your order and are the responsibility of the customer. All orders sent outside the UK will be handled by the courier as 'delivered duties unpaid' (DDU), which means that the customer is responsible for paying import VAT (and customs duties if payable) and possibly a handling fee in the receiving country. These charges will depend on the country, the value and the nature of the item.

Can I obtain a VAT invoice?

Yes - drop us an email at teamsunshine@sewmesunshine.co.uk with the order number you wish to have a VAT invoice for and we can send it to you via email.

Can I collect my order from your studio?

Yes - we offer a free local pick up service. Once you place your order drop us an email to arrange a time and date for collection. Our Sew Me Sunshine studio will be closed from 23rd December until 1st January 2025. We will reopen on 2nd January 2025, so you will be able to collect your online orders from this date. 

I am new to dressmaking and need help picking the right fabric for a dressmaking pattern, can you help me?

Yes - we love helping out everyone in the sewing community so drop us an email at teamsunshine@sewmesunshine.co.uk with your question and we will try our best to answer it for you.

Can I visit you in person?

We are a working studio but our studio is open to walk in customers on Tuesday & Thursday from 10.30am - 3.30pm (closed between 1-2pm for lunch). 

You can email us to arrange to visit on alternative days - teamsunshine@sewmesunshine.co.uk.

We do host open studio days please head to our events page for details of the next one.

The Sew Me Sunshine studio will be closed from 23rd December until 1st January 2025. We will reopen on 2nd January 2025.

Is your packaging recyclable?

The short answer is YES! We spent a long time looking into our packaging to ensure that it has a low carbon footprint and is recyclable. We have a blog post on our packaging where all the information about it can be found.

I have seen a discount code for your shop in a magazine/flyer but it is not working

All discount codes in published magazines/flyers will expire 1 month after the published date. If you have any further questions regarding a discount code then please email me at harriet@sewmesunshine.co.uk.

When will I receive my order?

All orders are processed within 3-5 working days. We aim to process quicker than this, and when we hold sales and during busy times of the year please bear in mind your order may take longer to process.

UK orders are then sent via Royal Mail with the option you have chosen, either 1st or 2nd Class. International orders are sent via a tracked courier service. Please see the delivery page for more information.

Do you provide a wholesale service?

Sew Me Sunshine does not provide a wholesale service at present, however, if you are looking to purchase 10m+ of a fabric then please get in touch as we may be able to provide you with a discount.

What do you do with your fabric scraps and left over fabrics?

Any fabrics left at the end of the bolt are sold at a reduced price on the website which is updated frequently so make sure you check it out frequently. Any faulty fabrics or small scraps are recycled.

Do you provide a thread matching service?

Yes - all you have to do is tick the box on the fabric listing. At Sew Me Sunshine we only stock recycled polyester threads (rPET Gutermann) which has limited colours in their range, this means sometimes we may have to provide you with a regular polyester thread from Gutermann to match your fabric and occasionally when there is not a good match in store we will have to refund you for that part of your order.

Can I return unwanted fabric?

No - cut fabric cannot be returned, however, if your fabric is faulty or damaged then email at harriet@sewmesunshine.co.uk and we can arrange a replacement or partial/full refund. If you have a pattern or haberdashery item that you no longer want then this can be returned if it is in its original condition. Please email harriet@sewmesunshine.co.uk prior to returning these items so that we can look out for your return. Please refer to our refunds page for more information.

What is Sew Me Sunshine doing to ensure the business is more environmentally friendly and sustainable? 

Head on over to our Sustainable Policy to read more about what steps we are taking and plan to take in order to ensure Sew Me Sunshine is a sustainable business.

Do you have an action plan in order to ensure Sew Me Sunshine is an inclusive business?

Yes - Sew Me Sunshine is committed to being an anti-racist and anti-discriminative business and has formulated a clear action plan in order to maintain this.

Are you GPSR compliant? 

Yes - Sew Me Sunshine is compliant with GPSR which means we are able to continue to ship to countries in the EU and Northern Ireland. We have an EU representative. For more information please click here. 

If your question has not been answered then drop the team an email at teamsunshine@sewmesunshine.co.uk.