Craft Focus - February / March 2021 (Issue 83)

77 PROFILE and quilt backs and pre-cuts. We carry the cotton and polyester waddings from the Warm Company and Quilter’s Dream. We are always happy to have our customers visit our warehouse so they can choose stock, and we have safety measures in place in line with Covid requirements. Our main craft lines are Benartex Fabrics and Paintbrush Studios for which we have the exclusive distributorships in the UK. Benartex have three different design studios: Kanvas – their fun style; Contempo – traditional; and Benartex – the classics, all put together from more than 17 designers. Without a doubt their best seller over the last few years has been the Catitude ranges by Ann Lauer, such beautiful metallic prints with be-jewelled cats. There are also collections with dog, horse, peacock and unicorn prints. What do you specialise in? Last year, we launched our own Littondale ranges. These feature a Celtic range of cushion panels and all-over prints, vintage toy panels and three fold-up advent calendars designed by myself and Andrew. It was very exciting to see our ideas and designs arrive on fabric. We find that with so many options within our ranges there’s always something for every taste, with new lines coming through every three months. We also carry some boutique ranges which are only available in small quantities. Do you have an online presence? With the difficulty of our agents visiting shops in the current lockdowns we’re more reliant on our website than ever and keeping it up to date is a priority to showcase fully the new ranges. However, we do not sell online, preferring to deal with our customers personally. Do you visit any trade shows? We normally exhibit at Stitches in Birmingham, where we enjoy meeting customers old and new. I also enjoy the show to see new trends especially in the other categories such as knitting. How’s business during the Covid-19 pandemic and what are your plans going forward? We’re optimistic for the future, being a hobby industry, which has flourished during the pandemic, and hope the people who have started to sew during the lockdowns continue to do so! +44 (0)1756 793 908 marion@eborfabrics.co.uk www.littondalefabrics.co.uk