What it’s Actually Like Being a Pattern Designer: From Three Full-Time Entrepreneurs Who are Doing It

Join Stitched By Podcast host Auri as she speaks with three pattern designers across the sewing, knitting and crochet communities in depth about what it’s actually like being a pattern designer.

In this conversation, we discuss imposter syndrome, size-inclusivity, being on social media and marketing your business, burnout and what it takes to be a pattern designer. If you prefer to watch the interview, you can do so here.

About the Guests:

Emma (midsummer.knits)

Emma aka Midsummer Knits recently became a full-time knitwear designer after knitting for the past 20+ years. She has a focus on detail-oriented and size-inclusive patterns with a special love for tank tops and summery tops which she feels are often overlooked in the knitting community!

Get Emma’s recently released Persephone Top knitting pattern here.

Lindsey (justtheworsted)

Lindsey, aka just the worsted, has been a size inclusive crochet and Tunisian crochet designer since 2019. She creates timeless wardrobe staples that everyone can wear. If you love a good sweater then she wants to be friends.

Get Lindsey’s recently released book: Tunisian Crochet Wardrobe.About the book: Tunisian Crochet Wardrobe includes 15 exclusive patterns ranging from beginner to advanced, and each chapter helps you build upon skills that you've learned to improve your Tunisian crochet techniques. Each pattern and the Tunisian Crochet 101 section have QR codes that link to full video tutorial explanations. There are projects for each season so you won't just find yourself making sweaters--and of course--- they're all size graded to include sizes for XS-5X.

Sanna (paradisepatterns)

Sanna Myers is the designer and pattern maker behind Paradise Patterns. She was born and raised in Sweden, where she studied art, pattern making, and weaving, before moving to Hawai'i in her early twenties. She fell in love with a local surfer, and never left. She started pattern-making for small Honolulu apparel brands, and after becoming a mother, went freelance, which eventually led her to building her own indie pattern company, Paradise Patterns, where she creates size-inclusive, beginner-friendly sewing patterns for home sewists.Learn more about Sanna and Paradise Patterns on her website: paradisepatterns.com

I hope you enjoy the episode, please let me know what you think in the comments and if you like conversations like this.The next episode will discuss the tension that sometimes exists between sewists and sewing patternmakers in the sewing community… to be continued. If you have a topic you would like to hear discussed, please let me know in the comments! 🌷

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