How I Turned a Hobby Into a Thriving Sewing Pattern Business (Without a Fashion Degree)
How It All Began: A Seven-Year-Old's Dream
If you had asked seven-year-old me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I would have proudly said:
"I’m going to open a rock climbing gym."
Of course, I had no idea what that would entail at the time, but from the moment I first walked into the climbing gym, I knew that that’s what I’d pursue.
Me climbing the Orifice Wall in Mount Lemmon, AZ.
Looking back, it's crazy to think that a single moment shaped my entire future. From that day on, I built my world around one big dream: someday, somehow, I would open a climbing gym of my own.
A Life-Changing Pivot: Losing My Job, Losing My Identity
Much to everyone’s suprise, I stayed true to that dream for years. I climbed competitively, worked every role inside a gym, and earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Sports Management and a Minor in Entrepreneurial Studies — all with the goal of opening my own climbing gym.
Graduating Summa Cum Laude from Grand Canyon University in 2018.
By early 2020, I was managing the front desk at a climbing gym in Reno, Nevada… and then, the entire world changed. Not just for me, but for everyone.
When COVID hit, our entire staff was furloughed. Overnight, everything I had worked my entire life toward had disappeared. Then within a matter of weeks, I stumbled across a news article. The cover photo was my employee (and friend) and the title was:
“Man falls to his death in rock climbing accident”
The grief of it all was overwhelming. I was grieving the loss of a friend, my career, my community, and the identity I had spent my entire life building.
My entire self-worth was built around rock climbing and I didn’t know who I was without it.
Finding Sewing: From Healing to Creating
In the middle of that painful season, I found myself in need of something that could help me feel grounded again. That’s when I decided I was going to learn how to sew my own clothes.
I did know the basics of how a sewing machine worked, thanks to a friend's mom who had taught me when I was a kid (thank you Shelley! <3), but I hadn't picked up a sewing machine in years, and I definitely didn’t know how to sew actual garments.
At first, I tried sewing a few indie patterns (and hundreds of masks), but it didn’t take long before I started improvising and hacking together my own patterns. I didn’t have any technical experience, but with a lot of trial and error, I was able to make garments that I was really proud of!
Fabric shopping to make masks during COVID.
Those early projects gave me a sense of excitement and possibility. It became my creative outlet, and my reminder that even in the middle of grief and uncertainty, I could still make something beautiful.
From Healing Hobby to Thriving Business
As I shared my handmade clothes on social media, something unexpected happened. Friends and acquaintances started asking if they could buy the pieces I was making. And just like that, what started as a personal project turned into a small business.
My first commission was a bright yellow jacket for my friend Lizzy. She paid me $200, which felt like so much money at the time (especially considering I’d just lost my job and only recently learned how to make clothes).
Trying on my first ever sewing commission!
Within months, I was selling handmade garments, participating in local pop-up shops, and stocking products in boutiques around Reno.
Pop Up at the local Farmers Market in Reno, NV. Looking back, I’m so so proud of this.
Why I Walked Away From a Lifelong Dream
When the climbing gym called me back to work, I thought I’d be ready and pick up right where I left off. But the truth was… so much had changed.
Every day at the gym felt heavy.
Supporting grieving coworkers, navigating pandemic restrictions, trying to find a new "normal." It drained me in a way I had never experienced before.
My love for climbing was wrapped up in so much loss.
The more time went on, the more I began to experience extreme burn out. So after months of agonizing over the decision, I did something I never thought I would:
I walked away from the climbing industry, and the dream I had chased for twenty years.
Learning Digital Patternmaking and Size-Inclusive Grading
Sewing full-time was incredible, but it wasn’t scalable. That became blatantly obvious when my partner and I moved to California and our cost of living tripled.
I needed to pivot my business because I couldn’t possibly make enough garments with my own two hands to support this new cost of living.
That’s when a friend messaged me about a course she was taking called Confident Patternmaking and Grading.
It was everything I had been looking for, and everything I didn’t even realize I needed. Without a doubt, CPMG changed my entire life and the trajectory of my career. I actually vlogged the whole process if you want to peep behind the scenes here.
My first ever pattern drafted in Adobe Illustrator.
For the first time, I could see a clear path to creating a scalable, sustainable sewing business, one that aligned with my values of inclusivity, creativity, and freedom.
Building a Life and Business I Love
With all of my new found skills, I launched my first sewing pattern, the Tapioca Trousers!
What most people didn’t see from the outside was just how calculated every decision behind that launch really was. Every step was strategic and built on years of studying entrepreneurship, business growth, and brand building. Long before I ever sewed my first garment, I had been preparing for this.
The Tapioca Trousers were a huge success for me in multiple ways. Not only did the launch go well, but it was also proof that I could take everything I’d learned about business and apply it to something creative and deeply meaningful.
My second pattern was the Sunrise Skort, which did over 100 sales in the first 6 hours of launching. That’s when other creators began reaching out, asking if I’d help them bring their designs to market.
Pattern drafting the Sunrise Skort.
I had the pleasure of collaborating with and mentoring people like Kara from Small Museum and Sydney Graham, helping them digitize and launch their first few sewing patterns.
Kara and I met in person for the hand off of the Tate Romper pattern, which was the first ever sewing pattern collaboration!
Eventually, I realized I was working nonstop.
Literally sunrise to sunset, seven days a week.
I loved every second of helping others, but I knew there had to be a better way to share my knowledge without burning out.
That realization led to the creation of Pattern to Market, where I now teach aspiring designers from all over the world how to build a sewing pattern business, one high quality sewing pattern at a time.
Your Path to a Sewing Business Starts Here
Today, I’m a sewing pattern designer and business mentor. I don’t fit neatly into one box, and honestly, I wouldn’t have it any other way.
If you're dreaming of starting your own sewing pattern business, I want you to know:
You don’t need a fashion degree.
You don’t need a massive audience.
You don’t need permission from anyone but yourself.
All you need is a passion for sewing and the willingness to start.
Thank you for being here, for reading my story, and for letting me be a small part of yours.
With love and gratitude,
Jess ❤️🔥
