Selling Digital Sewing Patterns – Year 4 Income Report

Selling digital sewing patterns

Year 4 income report

Dear readers,

If you have been following me for a while, you know that the income report is one of my favorite posts to write. If you are new, you need to know that I am almost as passionate about the sewing community's business side as I am about actual sewing. Since I started Just Patterns 4 years ago, it has been essential for me to share as transparently as possible how and why I run things the way I do. You can also read past years' income reports and lessons learned.

In this post, I share the sales and expenditures numbers for 2020 and my reflections on what I have learned. I also provide an update on the Diversity Commitment I wrote in June and some guiding thoughts for 2021. 

I mentioned this before, but the numbers I'm just discussing below are only hindsight on selling sewing patterns online. If you plan to launch your own business and are willing and able to dedicate yourself full-time to it, you could likely grow faster. As for me, I am enjoying the slow organic growth in line with the 3 priorities that guide how I manage this project: 

• Flexibility: this is essential for me because I sometimes need to dedicate a lot/all of my attention to my other job and personal life. That means, for instance, that I actively avoid physical products, such as paper patterns. I also do not set objectives for myself in terms of pattern releases or sales.

• Breaking even: so far my goal has to make income cover expenses. It’s taking me a long time to account for all actual expenditures but I’m getting there. Paying myself is starting to be the horizon!

• Pleasure: it has to be fun! I don’t want to ruin my hobby of 20 years in the pursuit of some illusionary success! I only release patterns that I want to wear and I’m passionate about making. A pattern will often dominate 3-4 months of my making time so I need to have fun sewing and wearing it!

Income in 2020

2020 has been a year of change and one of growth as well. At times it was a bit scary and overwhelming. But by the end of the year, it felts like things were falling into place, and I'm really pleased with the directions I took. 

1501 patterns sold (776 in 2019) :

• 87.5% on my e-shop (55% in 2019)

• 9% on Etsy (37.5% in 2019)

• 3% on Pattern Review (15% in 2019)

• 0.5% on Makerist (1% in 2019)

Tyra, the new pattern released in September, became the year bestseller with just three months of sales :

• Tyra Tee: 379 (released in September)

• Christy Slipdress: 322 (discontinued in September)

• Tatjana Trousers: 200 (released in December)

• Kate Bias Top: 171 (discontinued in September)

• Stephanie Skirt: 168

• Naomi Bias Skirt: 110 (discontinued in September)

• Yasmeen Skirt: 80

• Linda Wrap Dress: 71

At the full retail price, this represents $11,715 ($3,215 in 2019). This total includes the fee paid by a UK-based sewing magazine to include a pattern in one of their issue: $350. This number does not account for sales, commissions, transaction fees, etc. In effect, the amount received was $10,695 ($2,789.73 in 2019), which means that selling platforms and payment fees, commissions, and special sales amount to $1020 or 9% of the full retail price sales (13% in 2019).

Expenditures in 2020

$7,385 of direct costs ($1,583 in 2019) :

• $509 for the website ($323 in 2019):

  • $406 for Squarespace;

  • $103 for Weglot (translation into French);

• $1,017 for softwares ($660 in 2019):

  • $239 for Adobe suite (Illustrator, Lightroom, Indesign, etc. );

  • $486 for the CAD software (I use Padshare);

  • $152 for Later (scheduler for Instagram);

  • $140 for Grammarly (English editor);

• $4,011 for external services:

  • $2980 of Graphic Design;

  • $813 for tester fees;

  • $218 for editing;

• $1,405 for equipment:

  • $453 for a second-hand large format printer (mine is an HP DesignJet 500);

  • $105 of paper for the printer ;

  • $157 for photography (seamless background and lights);

  • $215 for muslin;

  • $156 for a custom dress-form (I used a customized Bootstrap pattern for size 50 of my size chart);

  • $320 for a cutting table (3 Ikea Kallax on wheels and a wood top)

• $442 on learning:

  • $228 for an online class on MOTIF (the learning platform of Alvanon)

  • $214 on books (grading, pattern making and construction);

Highlights

I think the most notable thing is the growth that happened last year. The number of patterns sold doubled, but because of the new value and pricing, the income was multiplied by three!

Three factors for growth:

• A lot of the growth can be attributed to releasing three new sewing patterns last year: the Naomi Bias Skirt (now retired), the Tyra Tee, and the Tatjana Trousers. But since Eira and I jointly decided to split as business partners in Just Patterns, that meant retiring the shop's three bias patterns from the shop in September. So the catalog looks different, but it is the same size as before, with currently five designs for sale.

• The other motor for the sale increase is increased visibility on social media. I dedicated time to Instagram: I signed up for Later to schedule posts. That helped with regularity on my personal and business account. Although I still need to post more regularly with the business account, I doubled the following between May and December, going over 10K followers on both accounts.

• Release day marketing: after complaining for years that I didn't like marketing, I finally decided to do something about it! So instead of releasing the pattern as soon as the files are ready (trust me, it's hard to resist), I now get in touch with several people on Instagram whom I either know and/or admire the aesthetics. I offer an early-release version of the pattern and ask if they can post a picture on the release day. Let me say that I did not invent this approach since I was actually asked to do it for other pattern brands. I like that it clearly separates testing from the promotion and that reaching out to people made me get over myself, and I made some really lovely connections with super talented sewists!

The other notable thing is how much I spent this year. To me, it's all investment: I invested in my brand (with the new visual identity and template), I invested in my equipment (I love my printer and my cutting table so much!), and I invested in myself with an online course and books.

The graphic design services were a big commitment, but I have wanted to do it for a long time. The most valuable thing for me is the template for the illustrations and the PDFs for the pattern files. It has made me a lot faster at preparing files, and the designer I worked with taught me some great Illustrator tips!

I'm also thrilled to have been able to start paying pattern testers. Right now, it's essentially a lumpsum for fabric and printing costs. Still, I hope to eventually be able to include a fee for the time involved. I always loved the energy of my testing group. Some of the members have been there since my very first test. But I have to say that since I started implementing the lump sum, every test's energy is even higher. It is invigorating! If pattern designers out there wonder if they should begin paying testers, I say: do it! Not only it's a better business practice, but it also leads to a better testing process!

Update on the diversity commitment

In June 2020, in the wake of the Black Lives Matter movement, I published a Diversity Commitment for Just Patterns that can be found at the bottom of every page. I pledged to monitor the implementation of my commitment as part of this yearly report.

On representation, I've been more intentional at highlighting BIPOC and black customers' work and used more fashion inspiration pictures featuring BIPOC, but this is an ongoing effort.

I partnered with 2 fabric stores for giveaways, and one is BIPOC-owned. This is an area where I still need to do better and highlight the work BIPOC indie pattern makers in the Sew the Look posts I just restarted on Instagram.

On testing and marketing, the representation of BIPOC makers continued to improve in the testing group, and I did start to provide fabric and printing stipends to all testers. I have been intentional in reaching out to BIPOC and Black makers to collaborate for the release day of my new patterns, but this is also a continuous effort.

On transparency, well, this post is my main effort. However, I also share more about my business and my process on my personal Instagram account. As I said before, if you are considering launching your own patterns and have questions, please don't hesitate to get in touch. 

How I’m approaching 2021

A personal disappointment is that I could still not complete the upgrading of the Linda Wrap Dress and the Yasmeen skirt. I feel that I need to push through for those two to feel free to release new things without the guilt of not working more on the past patterns. Linda is currently in its second round of testing for the new size range; the instructions are re-written and edited, but this is a crucial design for me. I want to get it right, and so it takes time. Luckily I have a fantastic testing team that is patient and dedicated. 

In 2021, I want to continue to track expenditures more accurately to understand better the costs of releasing patterns. The hidden spending from the above list is fabric. I plan to continue investing:

• In my skills with more classes and training ;

• In my brand, by finishing the rebranding with stationery, banners, and the like;

• In my equipment, with maybe a cover stitch machine?? My dream is to have 2 Alva forms (one for each size range), but I guess this one will have to wait...

Regarding the pattern production process, I'm happy with how things are now. I'm enjoying the independence, so I'm unlikely to make changes or hire some of it out. One exception is photography: currently, I take product pictures by myself with a remote, and I'm not completely happy with the result. So if I spend money somewhere this year, it might be on photography services (if you have a recommendation in Paris, please share!)

My last thought for this year is about platforms that resell PDF patterns. I'm present on a couple, for instance, Pattern Review, that I consider more a community than a reselling site. But I get offers to join new ones almost every month. Most of them take 50% on the sale price (as a reference point, amazon takes 30% of ebooks), which I find really high. The recent platforms tend to push for constant sales. It took me years to feel comfortable charging a sustainable price for my patterns, so selling them for 2$ and getting 1$ minus the payment fee sounds like a step backward. Additionally, it's also an accounting nightmare to abide by French rules. I'm debating between closing my presence on some platforms or joining a select few like the Foldline... Any thoughts?

As usual, let me know in the comments if you have any questions. I will do my best to answer them!

On my 2017 sewing year and why I don't plan a #2018Makenine...

Dear readers,

It has only been a week since I last posted here, so this should give you an idea of how much I am boiling inside, waiting for my sewing machines! This year I sewed 23 items, which is a pretty good output for me:

• 17 garments for myself. I'm happy with that number. I try to keep my wardrobe a manageable size and it wouldn't make sense for me to aim for more. The big lesson here is that I probably shouldn't buy sewing patterns anymore... This year, 9 garments were from patterns we released under Just Patterns, 4 were self-drafted, 1 was Burda, 2 from Indie designers (both free) and 1 is an mash-up of indie/Big4/self-drafting.

[gallery ids="3727,3725,3726" type="columns"]

• 3 items for the little human: a spring coat, a white special occasion dress and a summer hat. I'm terrible at documenting baby sewing outside of Instagram. Actually, let me rephrase: I'm terrible at baby sewing. I find it really difficult to find clothes that would be 1/comfortable for Little Tidbits, 2/ are interesting to make and 3/ not too time-consuming because she outgrows them so fast. Or maybe I'm just a Selfish Seamstress (TM) and that even motherhood could not change that!

• 1 Just Patterns sample in our fit model size (to be released next month).

• 1 fabric basket to gather toys from Sanae's lovely book: Sew Happiness. I very rarely do home sewing, but this was quick and it looks pretty!

• 1 unusual item, I made a sample for a friend who runs a gender queer underwear business. She showed me a picture of a lapel to accessorize her line and I made the first sample. You can see it on the Play-Out website!

For the sake of accountability, here are the garments I included in my #2017MakeNine post. I sewed 4 out of the 9 garments below:

2 Blazers

I did finish the white Blazer (it's the pattern mash-up mentioned above). I haven't managed to blog about it but I have a few pictures I used for Instagram. The Balmain blazer on the other hand saw no progress. It's in a box and well advanced. I hope to complete it in 2018.

3 Skirts

I made 2 out of 3. The white pencil skirt was my submission for the first round of the Pattern Review Sewing Bee Contest. I also finally got around sewing a Stella Jean inspired skirt from one of the pieces of African wax I have in stash since leaving in Zambia. This one is un-blogged, but you may have seen it on Instagram. I sewed 3 more skirts but not the one included in the Makenine.[gallery ids="3723,3610" type="columns"]

2 Dresses

I did sew my own sample of the Linda wrap dress. Actually I sewed 2 more variations. One sleeveless I posted on Instagram and one for Sew News that I will show you next year. I wasn't sure about the Capital Chic sheath when I made my plan and I didn't get even close to sewing it.[gallery ids="3724,3259" type="columns"]

2 Tops

I sewed 4 tops  and 2 Tshirts this year, but nothing I had mentioned in the 2017Makenine. Oops...

What are the lessons for 2018?

In my last post, I did mention that my realization that I wouldn't be able to document all my sewing in blog posts but when I counted how many garments I blogged vs sewed, I realized that out of the 17 handmade garments for myself, I only blogged 5. That's really low in my opinion. Even if 5 of the 12 un-blogged items are samples for Sew News that I  cannot blog them before the issue they are featured gets published, that still leaves 7 garments that could have made it to the blog.  I will try to post some of them in 2018 and I hope it won't bother you. Let's just pretend that I'm super professional and I plan my content in advance!

I will not be making a #2018Makenine plan for several reasons. First, i don't think that the #2017Makenine helped me focus my sewing. I sewed what I already knew I would make and, unsurprisingly, didn't sew the ones I wasn't sure about. Just for the sake of making a plan, I tend to include clothes that I'm not 200% excited about. There is no value in doing that. Secondly, in my experience, when moving to a different country, it takes some time to reevaluate what you need and want to wear. So I'm going to take some time thinking and maybe doing some planning. Just like everyone else in the sewing world, I've been reading the Curated Closet, and I also did a round of the 10x10 Challenge (you can read about it here and I'll post more in details about it later). I want explore the intersection personal style and a handmade wardrobe and I will try to document the process.

In order to plan be more mindful of what I sew and what I wear, I need to be realistic about my average sewing productivity. For 2018, my assumption is that I'll sew between 15 and 20 garments for myself. 6 technically already decided on since I have a commitment with Sew News for 3 samples and we have already made plans for 3 pattern releases with Just Patterns. Ideally, everything I make this year will bring cohesion to my closet and contribute to a decrease in my fabric stash!

I'll be back soon with my thoughts on a year of selling PDF sewing patterns but in the mean time I would love to hear your thoughts about wardrobe planning and sewing plans! Did you manage to follow-up on your 2017 plans? Are you taking part in the #2018MakeNine? Happy new year!

Thrifted Inspiration: Chanel

Dear readers, 

I'm not much of a shopper and I feel like my appetite for the RTW I can afford is decreasing everyday. However, if there is one thing I cannot resist, it's designer labels at the thrift store. Especially the French luxury Ready-to-Wear pieces. I have such an admiration for those brands that the idea of owning a little piece of it is just too tempting. I thought I may share my occasional weakness with you!

I found this Chanel silk shell at Beacon's Closet in Manhattan for about 50$ if I remember correctly. The color is a very trendy "millennial pink". Based on a quick internet search I would think it's only from the late 90's, but this garment has had a rough life. It has a tiny hole and some discoloration. It's still wearable but definitely not in "mint condition".

The shape is very simple, semi-fitted, no darts, hip length with a placket opening at Center Back (and the original button, yay!!). It's a size 36 (french sizing) and although it's a bit big on me I will be able to wear it. The fit in the bust is very nice and the armholes/neckline do not gape at all.

This kind of pieces really inspire my sewing, as I love the idea of putting a lot of effort in garments that you can wear any day of the week. And in case you want to re-create a vintage Chanel silk shell at home, we are considering releasing a pattern Just Patterns (hint hint)... I hope you enjoyed looking at the details of this simple top.

Chanel has a special place in my personal fashion Pantheon, and I would love to hear which are the brands that keep inspiring you?

Update and thoughts

Dear readers, (Warning: this is a long one, so I'm putting some pictures from my Instagram feed to make it less heavy!!)You may have completely forgotten about my existence and that would only be fair. Since moving back to New York 5 months ago, many many things have happened (some of them include sewing). For some time I didn't have enough energy to blog, and there will be more on that later. I am grateful to have my energy back now but I haven't figured out yet a way to take pictures that's not too daunting.My dress form stayed in Haiti, and that means all pictures of finished garments would have to be on me... Those of you who follow me on Instagram will know that I am still alive and sewing. But having a backlog of projects to show on the blog is adding to the paralysis. I do have a camera, a tripod and an apartment that gets decent sunlight (although only between 1 and 3pm). So that means little to no pictures, and really, what's a sewing blog without pictures??

Are we still reading the sewing blogs in our feeds?

(she asks while typing and hoping that someone will reply...)In addition, there are been several announcements recently of people quitting on their sewing blogs, sometimes to focus on Instagram, as you can read here and here. It feels like a recurrent discussion by now. Blogland looks like Real Estate sometimes, with cyclical highs and lows. From where I stand it does certainly look like we are hitting a low, but I may be wrong.I currently have 294 sewing blogs in my Feedly. Granted, they are not all active, but still 294!! I enjoy reading blogs with my morning coffee, but can I really call this reading? It feels more  like skimming through repeated content. So why? I obviously don't have an answer to that.On the other hand, some  have also been implementing traditional sewing blog recipes for more than 5 years, and sometimes 10 and they are still going strong!! Through good writing and discipline they keep generating a lot of engagement, and I definitely don't skim their posts... There are also new and not new gorgeous sewing blogs around that keep inspiring me to run to the sewing machine(s). But to be honest, both options require a lot of work, time and skills that I don't have!

Enjoying the process

I'm a firm believer in that you should decide what you do based on how much you will "enjoy the process". If I keep blogging in some form, it's important for me that I enjoy the process of making it happen and not only the outcome of a pretty and up to date blog. Because let's be honest, that is never going to happen. So let's  start with lists, lists are FUN (you're allowed to disagree) to see if it helps :Things that I like :

• Sewing
• Thinking, Talking, Plotting, Reading, Watching all things about sewing
• Changing my mind
• Trying to take pretty pictures to emulate the bloggers I admire (and never succeeding)
• Process pictures (because I don't have to be in front of the camera, ha!)
• Giving my opinion (I like that A LOT and probably too much)
• Interacting with readers and other bloggers through comments&emails
• Reading and sharing articles on things that are not sewing related

Things I don't really like :

• Getting myself ready to be in front of the camera
• Taking pictures with a tripod
• Reading my old posts and realizing my writing makes no sense (ugh)
• Feeling overwhelmed
• Restricting my opinions because I fear to be seen as not nice.

Are we allowed to disagree or to dislike ?

That last point is very important for me. For some reason, I don't feel comfortable writing what I really think about brands, products and what is going on in the sewing world, because it's often not going to be nice. Most of you don't know me in real life, but if you did, you would know that "being nice" is not a very strong concern of mine!! So why here? Of course, there is a difference between expressing your opinion and being mean or disrespectful. The issue is that in order to avoid the latter, I also censor the  former.This auto censorship is particularly striking to me as I literally have no ambition of having any commercial activity linked to my blog. I have no brand endorsements, nor am I seeking any. I don't get asked to do reviews or pattern testing. Basically I can do whatever I want. But I don't. I tried to be active on GOMI for while, but it also ended up boring and repetitive. The same "clique" impression it initially criticized appears to be re-forming there with the same people commenting over and over on the same things. I still read it occasionally but I don't find the opinions expressed there as refreshing as I used to.So, is this a space where i can say that I really don't like what has been released these days in terms of Indie patterns? And then, am I allowed to change your mind later about a particular pattern (yes it happens, often)? Can you make an Indie pattern and find the drafting terrible for a somewhat  basic shape and then write about it? Can I once express excitement over the launch of a new sewing media, only to be disappointed one or two issues later? Can I comment on the fact that sewing podcasts seem to be restricted to the same 5 or 6 people being interviewed on different shows?

What to expect around here...

I read some opinions of people thinking that Instagram is killing blogs. I don't think it's completely true yet. For instance I feel self-conscious of posting repetitive content on Instagram. If I make a shirt, I don't think I will be comfortable posting a picture of the shirt, then a close-up of the collar, another of the placket, a shot of the inside, etc. And yet, I love seeing those pictures on blogs. So I want to keep the blog active for now.A lot of changes, obviously. I knew 2016 was going to be a year of change, I had just completely underestimated by how much! However, I feel that I have to make them in order to keep this space alive. I was never a long post type of blogger, but I really want to experiment with short-form content and I think there will be different type of posts :

• I would like to do more process shots as I sew. A sort of a visual diary of a garment in the making  (but not tutorials) and blog them right away without too much commentary. I could follow them up with a wrap up post on that garment which would get written only AFTER it was worn for a day or two! Too often I made something, posted happy pictures, wore it the following day only to discover that there is something wrong with the fit.
• I would like to share, inspiration, articles, podcasts and other reads that I found interesting. Some will be sewing related, some will not.
• I want feel able to comment freely and constructively on what I think going on in our little corner of the internet, and hear what you think about it too!!

That's it for today, I would really really love to hear your thoughts so please jump in the comments about what you think is still relevant content for sewing blogs, and let's keep talking!!    

Seamwork

Dear readers,

Apart from pyjamas made from the Madeleine free pattern, I never ever made a Colette pattern. They don't fit my size, my style or my sewing preferences (too much hand sewing and beginner techniques). However, I do own the book, I've been reading the blog since the beginning and got on every email lists for sneak peeks.... To be perfectly honest, I even started a project from the book but I quit at the muslin stage as I got too upset with the pattern.

Despite my lack of interest for the patterns themselves, I am impressed at how Sarai's ideas for the community are always ahead. And she did it again with Seamwork (if you enter your email, you can win 1-year for free and you give me an extra entry, if you don't want to give me an extra entry click here ;-)).I strongly believe that sewing is underusing the possibilities of online publishing. An online magazine like Seamwork will be a good first step.

Personnally, I cannot wait to see more ebooks/apps that make full use of the different type of interactive media that can be integrated: video, animated illustrations, text, pictures that are zoomable, samples in 3D, in-app comment/feedback... This is something I am passionate about, so I could go on and on. But I want to hear from you!

How do you think sewing instructions, patterns, books, etc. could make better use of the available technology?

Slouchy white linen pants and thoughts on the online sewing world.

Dear readers,Forgive me in advance for the ramblings. To ameliorate it, paragraphs will be separated by pictures from the white linen pants I made 3 months ago. Since then I change the waistband to the same rectangular waistband as my linen shorts.I feel funny. I have pictures of finished garments to show and I don't write the posts. I even love the said garments but talking about them is not as exciting anymore. The fact that they were all completed between 1 and 3 months ago may have something to do with that... So what to do? The blog is going to be 2 years old very soon. I keep enjoying it but I'm still looking for my "voice" (OMG that sounds so lame), or at least looking for something that sounds like who I am IRL.Also, I just discovered GOMI... Such a relief to read what my little mean french inner voice has been saying!! Of course, I don't agree with everything (who could?) but some points really resonated with me. Since sewing became so prominent online, maybe we lost something on the way.When I started sewing, I also got internet access. But in 1999, not many sewing resources were available online, especially not in French! Everything was about forums back then and closed groups. I use to be part of one called affinitiz...Thus to learn, I read books, bought burda magazines, took classes with an old lady and... I failed and failed and failed many projects. At least, there was no one to show them too. Except my critical French mom (hey mom!). Having them all around the blog would be kind of embarassing, with their unraveling seam allowances, blown seams from the absence of ANY wearing ease and their highly impractical sleeves.http://www.pinterest.com/pin/17029304815510173/However, since that day, I had the feeling that something was missing in the home sewing pattern industry. Something that would allow us to achieve results closer to high-end RTW: the ability to follow trends before they are translated in the mass-market, beautiful finishings, a focus on higher-end materials, etc.Fast forward to the mid 2000s, this is IT! Burdastyle website has been launched, we are all talking about open source sewing, a website called "Inner French Girl" is around and awesome (do you remember??), fashion-incubator, the first sewing blogs . Such an exciting time!And now here we are, in 2014, and it's all about pattern releases, book deals, fabric blogging networks, sewalongs and blog tours. I cannot say that I did not want to be part of it. I love shiny stuff! But I don't have the time and the skills it takes to jump there. Plus, I miss the time when we were talking about collaborative sewing, when the Selfish Seamstress was throwing patterns at the world and when PR was a mandatory stop before spending 15 EUROS on a Vogue pattern!Going back to GOMI, and to the pattern testing controversy, I'm not saying that bloggers should stop releasing patterns and getting book deals. As long as people buy them, they should keep on releasing them!! However, I believe that a collaborative approach could help the ones that are just bored with Peter Pan collar tutorials. The new sewing experts are here to teach beginners (and that's great) or to underline stuff in silk organza (please don't make me!! I promise I will be a good girl!!).So I'm offering an experiment. In the coming weeks, I will throw a free pattern on the blog. It will be a pencil skirt. Initially graded in 3 sizes, on the small spectrum of sizing range, because that's the one I know. I will take pictures of my construction steps to put them here too. And then let's all pattern test!! If people wants to tell me that explanations are poor, the pattern needs improvements, they can grade it to bigger sizes, the pdf layout is bad or whatever, let's have it! And maybe, MAYBE, one pencil skirt at a time, we can work towards patterns fit (haha) our needs better. On the other hand, it is very possible that nobody cares, anyway, let's at least talk about it!