Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 2026
Patterns by Lauren respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information.
This Privacy Policy explains how I collect, use and protect your personal information when you visit the Patterns by Lauren website, purchase a crochet pattern, enquire about or purchase a bespoke crochet blanket, or sign up to my email communications.
1. Who I Am
Patterns by Lauren is the trading name of Lauren Sandford, a UK-based crochet designer and creator.
For the purposes of applicable UK data protection law, Lauren Sandford trading as Patterns by Lauren is currently the data controller responsible for your personal information.
Data controller: Lauren Sandford trading as Patterns by Lauren
Email: Lauren@patternsbylauren.com
Patterns by Lauren is in the process of establishing a limited company. Once this has been completed, this Privacy Policy will be updated with the relevant company details.
2. Information I Collect
Depending on how you interact with Patterns by Lauren, I may collect the following information.
When you purchase a crochet pattern
I may collect:
Your name
Email address
Billing information
Payment and transaction information
Details of the pattern(s) purchased
Information required to provide access to your digital purchase
Payment card details are generally processed by my payment provider rather than being stored directly by me.
When you enquire about or commission a bespoke blanket
I may collect:
Your name
Email address
Telephone number, where provided
Delivery address
Information about your blanket requirements
Preferred colours, dimensions and design preferences
Information you voluntarily provide about your home or intended use of the blanket
Correspondence between you and Patterns by Lauren
Order and payment information
Please avoid providing sensitive personal information unless it is genuinely necessary for your enquiry.
When you sign up to my email list
I may collect:
Your name, if provided
Your email address
Your email preferences
Information about whether emails have been opened or links clicked, where supported by my email service provider
You can unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time using the unsubscribe link included in my emails.
When you visit my website
I may automatically collect certain technical information, which may include:
IP address
Browser type and version
Device information
Operating system
Approximate location
Pages visited
How you interact with the website
Referring website or source
Information collected through cookies and similar technologies
The information collected will depend on the analytics, cookie and website technologies used on the site.
3. How I Use Your Information
I may use your personal information to:
Process and fulfil orders.
Provide access to purchased digital crochet patterns.
Communicate with you about your order.
Respond to enquiries and customer service requests.
Discuss and manage bespoke blanket commissions.
Arrange delivery of physical orders.
Process payments and maintain transaction records.
Send marketing emails where you have provided appropriate consent or where otherwise permitted by law.
Improve my website, products and customer experience.
Understand how visitors use my website.
Maintain the security of my website and business.
Keep appropriate business, financial and legal records.
Comply with legal and regulatory obligations.
Establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.
I will only use your personal information where I have a lawful basis to do so.
4. My Lawful Bases for Processing
Under UK data protection law, I need a lawful basis for processing personal information.
Depending on the circumstances, I may rely on:
Contract
I may need to process your information to fulfil an order or provide a service you have requested, such as supplying a crochet pattern or creating and delivering a bespoke blanket.
Legal obligation
I may process information where necessary to comply with legal, accounting, tax or other regulatory requirements.
Legitimate interests
I may process information where it is necessary for my legitimate business interests, provided those interests do not override your rights and freedoms.
This may include maintaining and improving my website, managing my business, preventing fraud and maintaining appropriate business records.
Consent
Where required, I will ask for your consent, for example when you choose to subscribe to certain marketing communications or where cookies or similar technologies require consent.
You can withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent.
5. Marketing Emails
If you subscribe to the Patterns by Lauren email list, I may send you emails about:
New crochet patterns
Pattern launches
Behind-the-scenes content
Patterns by Lauren news
Special offers
Creative projects
Future products and services
Sunday Craft Club updates, once the club launches
You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email.
Unsubscribing from marketing communications will not affect essential transactional communications relating to purchases or orders.
6. Payment Information
Payments made through the website may be processed by third-party payment providers.
I do not generally have access to or store your full payment card details.
Your payment information will be processed in accordance with the privacy policy of the relevant payment provider.
7. Who I Share Your Information With
I may share personal information with trusted third-party service providers where necessary to operate my business and provide my services.
These may include:
Website hosting and e-commerce providers
Payment processors
Email marketing providers
Digital product delivery providers
Delivery and postal services
Accounting and bookkeeping providers
IT and technical service providers
Website analytics providers
Professional advisers, where necessary
Government bodies, regulators, law enforcement or other authorities where legally required
I only share information where there is a legitimate reason to do so and, where appropriate, appropriate contractual and other safeguards are in place.
I do not sell your personal information.
8. International Data Transfers
Some of the third-party services used by Patterns by Lauren may process personal information outside the United Kingdom.
Where personal information is transferred outside the UK, I will take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer is lawful and that your information receives an appropriate level of protection under applicable data protection law.
The safeguards used may include UK adequacy regulations, adequacy decisions, approved contractual safeguards or other legally recognised mechanisms.
9. How Long I Keep Your Information
I only keep personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected.
The retention period will depend on the type of information and why I need it.
For example:
Order and financial records may need to be retained for longer periods to comply with tax and accounting requirements.
Customer correspondence may be retained for as long as necessary to deal with the relevant enquiry or issue.
Email marketing information may be retained while you remain subscribed, subject to my need to maintain appropriate suppression records after you unsubscribe.
Information relating to bespoke commissions may be retained for as long as necessary to manage the commission, customer relationship and relevant business records.
When information is no longer required, I will securely delete it or anonymise it where appropriate.
10. Cookies and Similar Technologies
My website may use cookies and similar technologies.
Cookies may be used to:
Make the website function correctly.
Remember preferences.
Understand how visitors use the website.
Measure website performance.
Improve my services.
Support marketing and advertising activities where applicable.
Some cookies are necessary for the website to operate, while others may require your consent.
You can manage cookie preferences through the cookie controls provided on my website and, depending on your browser, through your browser settings.
A separate Cookie Policy may provide further information about the specific cookies used on the website.
11. Social Media
Patterns by Lauren maintains social media profiles and may include links to social media platforms on this website.
If you interact with Patterns by Lauren through social media, the relevant platform may collect and process your personal information in accordance with its own privacy policy.
I am not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party social media platforms.
12. Your Data Protection Rights
Depending on the circumstances, you may have rights under UK data protection law, including the right to:
Ask for a copy of the personal information I hold about you.
Ask me to correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
Ask me to delete your personal information in certain circumstances.
Ask me to restrict how I use your information in certain circumstances.
Object to certain types of processing.
Ask me to transfer certain information to another organisation.
Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
These rights are subject to certain legal conditions and exemptions.
You also have the right to object to direct marketing at any time.
To exercise your rights, please contact me using the details provided below.
13. Complaints
If you have concerns about how Patterns by Lauren handles your personal information, please contact me first so that I can try to resolve your concerns.
You also have the right to complain to the UK's data protection regulator, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO).
Information about making a complaint is available through the ICO's website.
14. Security
I take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect personal information against accidental loss, unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction.
However, no method of transmitting or storing information electronically can be guaranteed to be completely secure.
15. Children's Privacy
My website and products are not specifically directed towards children.
I do not knowingly collect personal information from children where parental consent is required by applicable law.
If you believe that a child has provided me with personal information in circumstances where it should not have been collected, please contact me.
16. Third-Party Websites
My website may contain links to third-party websites, including suppliers, collaborators, social media platforms and other businesses.
I am not responsible for the privacy practices or content of those websites.
You should review the privacy policy of any third-party website you visit.
17. Changes to This Privacy Policy
I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes to my business, website, technology or legal requirements.
The latest version will be published on this page with the updated date.
If Patterns by Lauren becomes a limited company, I will update this Privacy Policy to reflect the new legal entity and any resulting changes to how personal information is handled.
18. Contact Me
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact:
Lauren Sandford trading as Patterns by Lauren
Email: Lauren@patternsbylauren.com