Privacy Notice

 

Privacy Notice

Version 2.4
Last updated: 13 October 2026

1. Introduction

This Privacy Notice explains how J. Hensell trading as Miss J Sews collects, uses and protects your personal data when you use Miss J Sews websites, our online store, free resources, quizzes and self-identification tools, digital products, email communications and online services.

We are a sole trader established in the United Kingdom and are the data controller responsible for your personal data.

Our services are intended for an adult audience and are not directed at children. We do not intentionally target children or design our services for them.

If we become aware that we have collected a child’s personal data in circumstances where we should not hold it, we will take appropriate steps in accordance with applicable data-protection law.

Contact details

Data controller: J. Hensell trading as Miss J Sews
Trading name: Miss J Sews
Email: hello@missjsews.com
Postal address: 61 Bridge Street, Kington, HR5 3DJ. If you have questions about this Privacy Notice or the way we use your personal data, please contact us using the details above.

2. Personal data we collect and why

Personal data is information relating to an identified or identifiable individual.

It does not include information that has been genuinely anonymised so that an individual can no longer reasonably be identified.

Communications and enquiries

We may collect information when you:

• email us;
• contact us through a form;
• send us a social-media or direct message;
• reply to one of our emails;
• make a customer-support enquiry; or
• otherwise communicate with us.

This may include your name, contact details and the contents of your communication.

We use this information to:

• respond to enquiries;
• provide customer support;
• communicate with customers and users;
• administer our business;
• keep appropriate business records; and
• establish, exercise or defend legal claims where necessary.

Our lawful basis for this processing is usually our legitimate interests in communicating with customers and users, responding to enquiries and support requests, administering our business, keeping appropriate business records and establishing, exercising or defending legal claims where necessary.

Where a communication directly relates to a contract between you and us, and processing your information is necessary to perform that contract or take steps at your request before entering into it, our lawful basis may instead be performance of a contract.

3. Purchases and customer transactions

If you purchase a digital product, course, workshop, 1-to-1 service or another paid product or service, we may process information including:

• your name;
• email address;
• billing or contact information;
• order details;
• the product or service purchased;
• transaction information; and
• communications relating to the purchase.

Our ecommerce store is operated using Shopify. Payment information may be processed by Shopify and/or the relevant payment provider.

We do not need to receive or retain your complete payment-card details where those details are handled directly by a payment provider.

We use this information to:

• process and fulfil purchases;
• provide the product or service ordered;
• manage refunds, cancellations, complaints or disputes;
• provide customer support; and
• maintain appropriate accounting, tax and business records.

Our lawful bases are:

• performance of a contract with you, or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract; and
• compliance with legal obligations where applicable.

4. 1-to-1 services

If you book or purchase a 1-to-1 online service, such as a Sewing Machine Setup Session or preliminary Fit Call, we may process:

• your name and contact details;
• booking information;
• the make or model of sewing machine you use;
• information you choose to provide about the sewing-machine issue or setup you want help with; and
• relevant communications before or after the session.

We use this information to:

• arrange the appointment;
• understand what help you are requesting;
• provide the service;
• respond to related questions; and
• maintain appropriate service and business records.

Our lawful basis is performance of our contract with you or taking steps at your request before entering into a contract.

Appointments may be booked and delivered using third-party scheduling and video-call services.

Session recordings and notes

Our 1-to-1 sessions are not routinely recorded, transcribed or AI-summarised.

We may make limited written notes where reasonably necessary to:

• provide the service;
• remember relevant follow-up actions; and
• respond to questions directly connected with the session.

We may separately record general, non-identifying observations about common beginner questions, sewing problems or ways we can improve our teaching.

Where information has been genuinely anonymised so that an individual can no longer reasonably be identified, it is no longer personal data.

We will not publish an identifiable customer quotation or testimonial for promotional purposes without an appropriate basis for doing so.

5. Free resources

We may offer free educational resources, such as a Sewing Machine Starter Pack.

If you ask us to email a free resource to you, we may collect:

• your first name; and
• your email address.

We use this information to:

• send the resource you requested;
• manage email confirmation where applicable;
• deal with access or delivery problems; and
• provide limited support directly connected with the resource.

Our lawful basis for using your name and email address to send a free resource you specifically request is consent under Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR.

Your deliberate action of entering your details and submitting a clearly described request provides that consent for this limited purpose.

Requesting a free resource is separate from agreeing to receive ongoing marketing emails.

You will still receive the requested resource if you choose not to receive ongoing marketing.

Where appropriate, we rely on our legitimate interests to respond to directly related delivery or support enquiries.

6. Quizzes and self-identification tools

We may provide free quizzes and self-identification tools that give educational guidance.

A sewing quiz may ask questions about matters such as:

• your experience using a sewing machine;
• threading and bobbin setup;
• sewing-machine control;
• sewing problems you encounter;
• your experience with projects or patterns; and
• basic sewing-machine safety.

The quiz may use predefined rules to generate an educational result.

Where stated, you can view your complete result without providing your name or email address.

Requesting your result by email

If you choose to have your result emailed to you, we may collect:

• your first name;
• your email address; and
• your result category.

Detailed question-by-question answers are not passed to our email provider as part of the result-email request.

Our lawful basis for using your name and email address to send a quiz result you specifically request is consent under Article 6(1)(a) UK GDPR.

Your deliberate action of entering your details and submitting the request provides that consent for this limited purpose.

If you request your result but do not separately choose ongoing marketing, we use your contact details only to:

• send the result you requested; and
• provide limited support directly connected with that delivery.

Requesting an emailed result does not automatically sign you up for ongoing marketing.

Where appropriate, we rely on our legitimate interests for directly related delivery and support enquiries.

7. Automated processing used by our quizzes

Some of our free tools use predefined automated rules to generate educational results.

For example, a quiz may use scoring and routing rules to place answers into a sewing-related result category and display relevant guidance.

This processing:

• provides educational guidance;
• does not determine whether you can purchase ordinary products or services;
• does not determine your prices;
• does not make decisions concerning employment, credit, insurance or comparable opportunities;
• does not have legal effects on you; and
• is not intended to have a similarly significant effect on your rights or opportunities.

We will reassess this position if the way we use automated processing materially changes.

8. Technical and usage data

When you use our websites and online services, technical information may be processed by us or by service providers involved in operating those services.

Depending on the platform and its configuration, this may include:

• IP address;
• browser information;
• device information;
• operating system;
• dates and times of access;
• page or navigation information;
• online identifiers; and
• technical or security logs.

We may use technical information where necessary to:

• operate our websites and online tools;
• keep them secure;
• diagnose technical problems;
• prevent misuse; and
• maintain our services.

Our lawful basis for essential technical processing is usually our legitimate interests in operating, administering and protecting our online business.

Where cookies or similar technologies require consent under applicable law, legitimate interests are not used as a substitute for that consent.

9. Quiz session storage

Our sewing quiz may use browser session storage to maintain quiz progress, answers and result-related information while you use the quiz.

The quiz-state record is not designed to contain your name or email address.

This storage is used to:

• allow the quiz to function;
• preserve your progress during the relevant browser session; and
• support display of your result.

It is not intended to be used for:

• advertising;
• retargeting;
• cross-site behavioural tracking; or
• marketing profiling.

Further information about cookies, browser storage and similar technologies is provided through our cookie information and consent controls where applicable.

10. Marketing communications

We may send optional marketing communications relating to:

• beginner sewing tips and education;
• useful sewing resources;
• new content;
• digital products;
• courses or workshops;
• 1-to-1 sewing support; and
• occasional offers.

Requesting a free resource or quiz result does not, by itself, sign you up for ongoing marketing.

Where we rely on consent for email marketing, we ask you to make a separate affirmative choice.

The marketing option will not be pre-selected.

For example, you may be offered an optional choice such as:

“Yes, I’d also like emails from Miss J Sews with beginner sewing tips, useful resources and occasional offers. I can unsubscribe at any time.”

Choosing not to receive marketing does not prevent you from receiving a free resource or quiz result you requested.

Where consent is used, we may retain records showing information such as:

• when and how you signed up;
• the wording presented at the time;
• whether the marketing option was selected;
• confirmation information where applicable;
• subsequent changes to your preferences; and
• unsubscribe or objection records.

You can stop receiving marketing at any time by:

• using the unsubscribe link in a marketing email; or
• contacting us.

Stopping marketing does not prevent us from sending transactional, contractual or specifically requested communications where these are still necessary.

Electronic marketing is also handled in accordance with the Privacy and Electronic Communications Regulations where applicable.

Quiz and interactive tool statistics

When you use one of my quizzes or interactive tools, I may keep anonymous statistics about how the tool is used, such as which answer options are selected and which result categories are reached. I use these statistics to understand what people are finding difficult and to improve my tools, content and resources.

These statistics are stored as combined totals and are not linked to your name, email address or an individual profile. If you separately choose to give me your name or email address, for example to have a quiz result emailed to you, that information is handled separately as explained in this Privacy Notice.

11. Feedback and replies

We may invite you to reply to an email or provide feedback about:

• a free resource;
• a quiz result;
• sewing difficulties;
• our teaching;
• products or services; or
• your experience using one of our tools.

Responding is optional.

We may use feedback to:

• respond to you;
• improve our teaching;
• improve our resources and services; and
• understand common beginner sewing problems and questions.

Where practical, general business-learning observations are separated from identifying customer information.

If we introduce materially different profiling or segmentation of individuals in the future, we will reassess the processing and update this Privacy Notice where required.

12. Special-category personal data

Our normal purchase forms, free-resource forms and quizzes are not designed to collect special-category personal data.

Special-category personal data includes information concerning matters such as:

• race or ethnicity;
• religious or philosophical beliefs;
• political opinions;
• trade-union membership;
• health;
• genetic or biometric information used for identification;
• sex life; or
• sexual orientation.

We do not routinely ask customers to provide this information.

However, a person may occasionally disclose sensitive information unexpectedly in an email, customer-support communication or during a 1-to-1 session. This may include information relating to health, disability or neurodiversity.

Where unnecessary special-category information is provided unexpectedly, we will not use it for unrelated purposes.

Where it can reasonably be separated from information we need to retain, and we have no genuine need to keep it, we will delete it.

If it becomes genuinely necessary for us to process special-category personal data — for example, to respond to a specific request for support or to consider an adjustment requested by you — we will identify:

• an appropriate lawful basis under Article 6 UK GDPR; and
• an appropriate additional condition under Article 9 UK GDPR,

before using that information for that purpose beyond the immediate communication.

We apply appropriate safeguards to special-category personal data and limit access to it to those who need it for the relevant purpose.

We do not routinely collect information about criminal convictions or offences.

13. How we collect personal data

We may collect personal data directly from you when you:

• buy a product or service;
• make a booking;
• complete a form;
• request a free resource;
• request a quiz result by email;
• choose to receive marketing;
• attend a 1-to-1 service;
• contact us; or
• reply to one of our communications.

Technical information may also be collected automatically through the websites, platforms and service providers used to operate our services.

We may receive information from service providers where necessary to administer a purchase, booking, email request or other service.

14. Service providers and sharing personal data

We use third-party service providers to operate parts of our business.

These may include:

• ecommerce and payment providers;
• email-delivery and email-marketing providers;
• website and application hosting providers;
• technical infrastructure and security providers;
• booking and video-call providers;
• automation and integration providers;
• professional advisers such as accountants, lawyers and insurers; and
• government bodies, regulators or authorities where disclosure is required by law.

Our ecommerce store is operated using Shopify.

Where a provider processes personal data on our behalf, we use appropriate contractual arrangements where required.

We only share personal data where there is a legitimate reason to do so.

We do not sell personal data to advertisers.

15. International transfers

Some service providers involved in operating our business may process personal data outside the United Kingdom.

Where personal data is transferred outside the UK and UK data-protection law requires additional safeguards, we take appropriate steps to ensure that the transfer is lawfully protected.

Depending on the provider and destination, this may include an applicable UK adequacy arrangement or other approved contractual or transfer safeguards.

16. UK focus and visitors outside the UK

Miss J Sews is established in the United Kingdom.

We do not currently deliberately target our products, advertising or email marketing specifically at residents of the European Economic Area.

Our websites are publicly accessible online, so people outside the UK may independently find and use them.

We will reassess the territorial data-protection position if our activities materially change.

17. Data security

We use appropriate technical and organisational measures intended to protect personal data against:

• accidental loss;
• unauthorised access;
• misuse;
• alteration; and
• unauthorised disclosure.

Access to personal data is limited to people and service providers who have a legitimate need to use it.

We maintain procedures for responding to suspected personal-data breaches and will make notifications where required by law.

18. Data retention

We retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purpose for which it was collected, including applicable legal, accounting, tax and reporting requirements.

Different categories of information are therefore retained for different periods.

Customer and transaction records

Basic customer, financial and transaction records may be retained for up to six years after the relevant customer relationship ends where necessary for tax, accounting or legal purposes.

This does not mean that every casual communication is retained for six years.

Marketing subscribers

Marketing and consent information may be retained while you remain subscribed.

If you unsubscribe or object to marketing, we may retain limited information necessary to record and respect that choice.

A suppression record will not be used as a marketing list.

Quiz result-only contacts

If you ask us to email a quiz result but do not opt into ongoing marketing, our normal retention period for the delivery-only contact record is 30 days after the result email is sent.

This allows reasonable time for:

• email-delivery problems;
• re-sending the result;
• related support enquiries; and
• short-term technical problems.

After that period, the delivery-only contact record is deleted or anonymised unless there is another genuine and documented reason to retain it.

Free-resource delivery-only contacts

If you request a free resource but do not opt into ongoing marketing, our normal retention period for the delivery-only contact record is 30 days after delivery of the requested resource.

This allows reasonable time for:

• delivery or confirmation problems;
• download or access problems;
• re-sending the resource; and
• directly related support.

After that period, the delivery-only contact record is deleted unless another genuine and documented reason applies.

Customer-support communications

General enquiries that do not result in a purchase are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary to respond and manage relevant follow-up.

Communications concerning a purchase or service may be retained for longer where necessary for:

• service delivery;
• customer support;
• complaints;
• refunds or disputes; or
• legal claims.

Financial or transaction-related correspondence may be retained with the relevant transaction records where appropriate.

Booking and 1-to-1 records

Core booking, purchase and financial records may be retained with the relevant transaction records.

Limited notes and non-financial information relating to a 1-to-1 service are retained only for as long as reasonably necessary for:

• delivering the service;
• directly related follow-up;
• customer support;
• complaints or disputes; and
• legal claims where applicable.

Our sessions are not routinely recorded, transcribed or AI-summarised.

Browser session data

Quiz progress held in browser session storage is intended to remain only for the relevant browser session.

19. Your legal rights

Under UK data-protection law, depending on the circumstances, you may have rights including the right to:

• request access to personal data we hold about you;
• ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• ask us to delete information in certain circumstances;
• ask us to restrict processing in certain circumstances;
• object to certain processing;
• request transfer of information where applicable; and
• withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You can object to direct marketing at any time.

You may exercise your rights by contacting us using the details at the beginning of this notice.

We may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity or to clarify your request. If we need this information, the time for responding may be paused until we receive it.

When responding to an access request, we will carry out searches that are reasonable and proportionate in the circumstances.

We normally respond to requests within one month.

Where the law allows us additional time — for example, because a request is complex or because we have received multiple requests from you — we will tell you within the initial one-month period and explain why we need more time.

20. Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we have handled your personal data or a data-protection request, please contact us using the details at the beginning of this notice.

We will:

• provide an accessible way for you to make a complaint;
• acknowledge your complaint within 30 days;
• investigate it without undue delay;
• provide appropriate progress updates; and
• explain the outcome clearly.

If you are not satisfied with our response, you have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection.

21. Third-party links

Our websites, emails, resources and digital products may contain links to third-party websites, applications or services.

We do not control those third parties and are not responsible for their privacy practices.

We encourage you to review the privacy information provided by any third-party service you choose to use.

22. Cookies and similar technologies

Our websites and online tools may use cookies, browser session storage and similar technologies.

Some technologies may be necessary for a website or requested service to function.

Other technologies, including certain analytics, advertising or behavioural-tracking technologies, may require consent before they operate.

Where consent is required, users should be able to refuse non-essential technologies as well as accept them.

Our sewing quiz may use session storage for quiz functionality as described in this Privacy Notice.

Further information about the technologies used, their purposes and duration will be provided through our Cookie Policy https://www.missjsews.com/pages/cookie-policy and/or cookie controls where applicable.

23. Future processing and research

This Privacy Notice describes the ways in which we currently use personal data.

We do not currently retain detailed individual quiz-answer data for ongoing research or business-analysis purposes beyond the processing necessary to operate the quiz and provide the requested result.

If we introduce materially new research, profiling or analytics activity involving personal data, we will assess:

• the purpose;
• the appropriate lawful basis;
• the information required;
• retention;
• safeguards;
• whether profiling or segmentation is involved; and
• whether this Privacy Notice and our other records need to be updated.

Information that has been genuinely anonymised so that an individual can no longer reasonably be identified is no longer personal data.

24. Changes to this Privacy Notice

We may update this Privacy Notice where:

• our products or services change;
• the way we use personal data changes;
• our service providers or technology materially change; or
• relevant legal requirements change.

The current version will show its version number and last-updated date.

Where a change materially affects how we use personal data, we will provide additional information or notice where appropriate.