Creative Costume Academy

Just a heads up that I will be at Creative Costume Academy tomorrow in Atlanta for a fireside chat! I’m also bringing some of my McCall patterns for sale if you want to grab them at a super good deal. Some of these commercial paper patterns are out of print and with JOANN gone, I know how hard it’s been for many of us to get patterns.
Hopefully these will find good homes and uses!

Let me know if you’d like me to bring patterns to other cons as well!

💚💙💚Here we go!! Next stop PatternCon!!

ALL the stuff I’m bringing to Atlanta!! (Not all is pictured)

Truck pack. (Tetris day)

All packed up!

Officially on the road!! 🚚

💚💙💚 Community looks like this.

One of the things that has meant the most to me while building PatternCon is seeing people who believe in this community step up and support it in meaningful ways.

A huge thank you to Aaronica B. Cole Aaronica Cole | ATL Sewing Instructor and Julian Collins Julian Collins for sponsoring an additional classroom for Saturday. Their generosity allows us to offer even more opportunities for attendees to learn, create, and connect throughout the weekend.

I’ve had the privilege of knowing both of them for years, and I’ve always admired how much they each give back to the sewing community.

Many of you know Aaronica from last year’s keynote, and I’m so excited she’ll be back this year teaching, joining our panel discussion, and sharing her expertise once again. If you’re joining us for the Monday field trip, you’ll also get to learn from her during our bonus class.

While we’ll miss having Julian with us this year, I’m incredibly grateful for his support. He’s inspired so many makers through his teaching, pattern design, and work as a Bernina Ambassador, and his generosity is another example of the kind of person he is.

Thank you both for believing in PatternCon and helping make this event possible. Your support means more than you know. 💚

💚💙💚 WTH is doing things “small.” 😂

The closer we get to PatternCon, the more I realize this pretty much sums me up.

A 95-pound lap dog? Sure.

A garage full of boxes? Makes sense.

Making custom outfits to match the centerpieces? Obviously.

Completely overthinking every sewing project? Absolutely. 😆

The funny thing is, none of it feels over the top while I’m in the middle of it. It just feels like the next thing that needs to happen to bring the vision to life.

We’re officially 8 days away from PatternCon, which means the pace is picking up. There are still details to finish, projects to sew, and plenty of behind-the-scenes moments that probably only make sense to another sewist.

… I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Thanks for following along as we count down to PatternCon. I can’t wait to share how all of these little (and not-so-little) pieces come together.

💚💙💚 It’s the little surprises.

One of my favorite PatternCon traditions is putting together the swag bags.

There’s something so fun about knowing every attendee will open their bag and discover goodies from businesses that love this sewing community just as much as we do.

A huge thank you to all of our swag sponsors for helping make this year’s attendee experience a little more special. Your generosity helps us create those unexpected moments of delight, and we’re so grateful for your support.

Please take a moment to check out these incredible businesses. They’re part of what makes our sewing community so welcoming, creative, and connected.

Thank you for being part of PatternCon. 💚

💚💙💚 More than a sewing studio.

One of the things I love most about PatternCon is introducing people to the incredible businesses and communities that help keep our craft thriving.

I’m so excited that ✂️ T O P S T I T C H S T U D I O ✂️ Topstitch Sewing Studio & Lounge is opening its doors to our Monday field trip attendees. We’ll get to spend time in this beautiful space, enjoy lunch together, and take a special class with our own Aaronica Cole | ATL Sewing Instructor Aaronica Cole, who is a longtime part of the Topstitch teaching community.

A huge thank you to Leigh, the owner of Topstitch, for welcoming us and for everything she’s done to build such a supportive sewing community in Atlanta. Spaces like Topstitch make it easier for people to learn, connect, and keep growing long after they’ve taken their first class.

One of the things I hope people leave PatternCon with isn’t just new skills, but new resources and new places that help them continue their sewing journey.

We’re so grateful to have Topstitch as a PatternCon partner, and I know our field trip attendees are going to have an amazing time there. 💚

💚💙💚 Where has this been all my life? 🤯

It’s called a burling nipper, and while it was originally designed for the carpet industry, I’ve been reaching for mine constantly when I’m sewing.

It’s fantastic for alterations, opening seams, grabbing tiny threads, and all those little precision jobs where your fingers just aren’t quite enough.

I have to give credit to one of my best friends for introducing me to it. She swore it would become one of my favorite tools… and she was right. 😅

So when Chandler Reed Hooks offered to donate five of these tools for our PatternCon giveaways, I was thrilled.

I love introducing makers to tools they might never have found otherwise, and I have a feeling these are going to become favorites for a few lucky attendees too. 💚

A huge thank you to Chandler Reed Hooks for supporting PatternCon and helping us fill our giveaways with tools that people will actually use.

Sometimes the best sewing tools come from the most unexpected places. ✨

👇 What’s one sewing tool you discovered by accident that you now can’t live without?