We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Amy Collins a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Amy , appreciate you joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I wasn’t exactly sure what I wanted to come out of my time studying Fashion Design at FIT. I knew I loved to sew, and I had a growing interest in Women’s fashion. During my studies, I took a course called Pattern Making. At the time, I had never heard of pattern making. I only knew that I was more interested in the construction & drafting side of Fashion than the sketching/design side. It turns out, that’s exactly what pattern making is!

At the time, FIT did not offer a pattern-making specific degree. They did have a pattern-making certificate program, however, my professor advised that my time would be best spent interning or working for a pattern maker. I was, fortunately, able to find a job in a small pattern makers studio in the NY garment district run by a husband & wife team. I was able to work intimately with the pattern maker and observe not only the pattern drafting process but the production and sample-making process as well. I was falling in love with the mad hatter style of flat pattern drafting that my employer executed. With bits of paper flying everywhere, style lines eyeballed in pencil and endless amounts of scotch tape. It was all at once incredibly precise and creatively freeing.

During this time, I had started my personal sewing blog and discovered the amazing online sewing community. I felt like I had found my people at the same time I was finding my calling. When I discovered indie pattern companies like Colette and Grainline Studio that were paving the way for individual pattern drafters to sell their patterns to a growing community of eager sewists, I knew exactly where my personal blog was headed.

There was only one problem. My experience at FIT and in the NY garment district had not supplied me with the skills to be an all-in-one operation. The traditional fashion production world is incredibly compartmentalized. One studio drafts the patterns, another does the grading & marking, and yet another handles actual production. I had no idea how to get the patterns I was drafting on paper into the computer and even less of an idea how to develope it into multiple sizes. I didn’t let that deter me though. There had to be a way to develop digital patterns on a smaller scale, other people were doing it after all!

I dug in to several months of research, learning everythign I could about the independant sewing pattern community and their offerings. I made spreadsheets and started sketching pattern ideas. I re-branded my website to prepare for being an actual “business” rather than just a sewing blog. Through my endless hunting, I discovered an online course called Pattern Workshop run by designer Lauren Dahl. It specifically taught how to draft patterns digitally including pattern grading and developing instruction manuals all on a smaller scale without any high tech drafting software. It was exactly what I was looking for. I signed up a week later, and the beginner level skills I learned working with Adobe software at FIT helped me to fly through the course effortlessly.

There were several ups & downs. A few hold ups and lots of hours staring at the computer screen pulling my hair out trying to get my website up and running. But in fall of 2017, I finally launched my first pattern, the Patti Pocket Skirt. 6 sewing patterns, 4 years, an improved size range, and hundreds of blog posts later, Amy Nicole Studio is thriving! It took a lot of courage but I’m so happy I made the leap to start and invest in my business. I’m looking forward to seeing how it grows as I continue to learn while developing fun, playful patterns for the sewing community!

Amy , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

Hi! I’m Amy Collins, the sewing pattern designer & blogger behind Amy Nicole Studio. I offer fun & playful PDF sewing patterns drafted for petite sewists. My entire business is run out of my home studio in our south Texas farmhouse. I am passionate about spreading my love of sewing to the greater sewing community. My patterns feature clear, easy to follow instructions written in what I call an “assembly line” style to efficiently make the most of your sewing time. If you’re stuck, you can find even more detailed instructional videos on my YouTube channel. Need a special gift for a sewing-obsessed friend? I also offer fun knitting & sewing related tees, coffee mugs, totes, and more in my online shop!

Have you ever had to pivot?

When I first started my pattern business, my patterns were offered in the size range 0-20. This was the standard at the time and it seemed like the easiest way to get going. About a year after launching, the size inclusivity movement was gaining a lot of traction and I (rightfully so) felt left behind. I quickly realized how naive of me to launch a business that blatantly excluded a very important part of the online sewing community. So many plus-sized individuals turn to sewing due to a lack of representation in the RTW world, and here I was delivering the same narrow-minded size options. I dove in and did my research. It turns out drafting for plus-sized bodies is no more difficult than drafting for straight-sized bodies, It’s just a matter of understanding how the body shape changes as the sizes increase. In 2019, I released my first pattern in the new size range, offering up to a size 32. By 2020, my previously released 3 patterns had been updated to the new size range as well. It was a daunting task to go back and re-draft those patterns into the new size range, but I knew how important it was to the community I was trying to serve. It was the most significant change my business has undergone since launch, and I’m so happy I was able to make it happen.

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

It was quite daunting jumping into the indie sewing pattern business at first. There were so many great designers out there, that I wasn’t sure if there was a place for me. Looking back now, I know I got in at the right time (now there are more pattern designers than I can even name!) I think there are two important things that helped me build a name for myself when I started.

First, I chose a niche audience for my patterns and made my design aesthetic very clear. As a shorty who frequently makes specific pattern adjustments to accommodate my height, I decided specifically drafting patterns for Petites would set me apart from other pattern designers. Sewists are used to making fit adjustments to patterns, so I knew that drafting for Petites would make shorter sewists feel seen while excluding taller sewists as adding length to patterns is an easy adjustment that I provide ample instruction for. I also made my logo, web design, and overall vibe of my business bright, colorful, and fun. I wanted to draft patterns that are more than just “every day” basics, and it was important to me that my online presence exemplified that.

Next, I was not shy about making known the education and training I received while living in NYC that got me where I am today. So many people come into this business as self-taught sewists, which is great! But receiving a degree in Fashion Design and having work experience in both a pattern-making and tailoring studio in the New York garment district really set me apart from other emerging pattern designers.

I don’t say this to deter people who don’t have formal training, the message here is to make all your accolades known! Make sure potential customers know what makes you and your business special in a sea of other similar businesses.

Contact Info:

• Website: amynicolestudio.com
• Instagram: @amynicolestudio
• Facebook: Facebook.com/amynicolestudio
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amynicole5/
• Youtube: YouTube.com/amynicolestudio