Hello to you and hello fall! After a crazy month of new pattern releases (plural because there's a new one coming soon) and trying to squeeze in that last bit of summer vacation before the weather turns, I am now hunkering down for my fall and winter sewing. I will leave all of that for my next blog however, at this time I thought it was time I speak up about my recent pattern release with Simplicity - yes the big pattern company Simplicity. My Mississippi Avenue Dress pattern has been licensed with Simplicity however, the indie version is still available in my shop and maybe a shop near you.

     I am still an independent designer. I still design, sew, make, grade and market my own patterns. What the Simplicity license means is that now my Mississippi Avenue Dress pattern is available to sewists all over the world as well as to those who aren't familiar with the indie sewing world.

     I grew up sewing with Simplicity patterns. My mom taught me a few basic sewing skills and then I furthered my knowledge with a lot of trial and error using big 4 patterns. Back then, I never would have dreamed that I would someday design a Simplicity pattern. And... although I have many individual customers from overseas, my patterns still have not been picked up by any shops overseas. Through Simplicity, at least one of my designs can be purchased in other countries by customers who may not want to pay the shipping for my indie pattern or might not otherwise know about my patterns. It's great that Simplicity is showcasing indie designers as it may bring awareness of the indie community to other sewists. I am really excited about this venture. I kept it under wraps for a while because I wasn't sure exactly when the pattern would be released and when it did happen, I was in the middle of my Nehalem pattern release. A few people have been confused by it and wondered if Simplicity had copied my pattern. I apologize for not making that clear but I do appreciate people looking after me - very sweet.  

     As I mentioned above, I am still selling the Mississippi Avenue in my shop because in general, it is a different customer than the big 4 pattern customer. There is some cross over but there is also a big separation (I am told). My indie version is graded differently than the Simplicity version. My sizing is like ready to wear sizing and caters to some larger measurements that the Simplicity version doesn't cover. The Simplicity version is the standard Simplicity grading and caters to smaller sizes that my indie pattern doesn't cover. The Simplicity version also offers a short sleeve option and the dresses are slightly longer than my original while the indie version offers a top option as well. So there it is in a big nutshell.

     I will leave you with an image from the photoshoot with the lovely Nicola photographed by Katharine T. Jacobs.