And alas.. The Flora Modiste pattern shop is officially OPEN! I feel like the launch of the pattern shop has been a long, long time coming. And with the release of the Dany sewing pattern & our first round of DIY sewing kits.. The shop is really, finally open for business!

If you have been following the blog for any length of time (i.e. the last 6 months) then you know that I have been working on developing our very first commercial sewing pattern for quite some time.

Now, I probably could have knocked out this pattern & the DIY sewing kits quite a while ago if I really wanted to.

And to me, that means being a responsible small business owner from the starting line.

Which means creating truly quality products--All while supporting other small, responsible businesses. (Rather than working with massive companies that have no ethics and just knock products out quickly.)

There are so, so many printers (and pattern makers) out there who charge insane rates and honestly do not care about your work. Fabric producers are particularly the worst--With their unsustainable & poisonous production methods. And don't even get me started on packaging.. It's amazing to me that businesses today still do not ship their products using recycled boxes.

(The best find throughout the process of opening the pattern shop was discovering my UK based sewing pattern printer, Netprinter. If looking to print your own patterns, check out our complete step-by-step guide to printing with them. I promise you will never look for another printer again!)

So, what exactly does being a quality, responsible business mean when it comes to The Flora Modiste? To break it down:

• Sewing Patterns: All of our sewing patterns are made by yours truly. (And not in some stifling office where workers are forced to knock out multiple patterns a day. They exist--Even in NYC friends.)
• Sewing Pattern Grading: All of our patterns are graded by a company based in Chicago. My girl Kelsey is a lifesaver when it comes to pattern grading--Our patterns would not be what they are without her.
• Sewing Pattern Printing: All of our sewing patterns are printed by my new BFF, Netprinter. Netprinter is based in the UK, and is run by the fabulous Simon & Joanna King. Not only do they print our sewing patterns, but they also print the envelopes for the patterns and the full color instruction manual that goes along with it. (I wrote a post ALL about Netprinter a few weeks back, make sure to check it out! They are going to be an absolute game changer for the sewing industry.)
• Fabric: For this first round of DIY sewing kits, I landed on an organic cotton knit made by Birch Fabrics. While the fabric for each kit is going to change, I can promise you now that the fabrics I choose will ALWAYS be organic & sustainably produced. (If you want to learn more about organic cotton and why it matters, make sure to check out this post I wrote a few weeks back.)
• Thread: As with the fabric, the thread included will change with the different DIY sewing kits. But I can promise that the thread will always come from responsible companies like Superior Threads, a Utah based company that has been in the industry for decades.
• Custom Clothing Tags: Yet another small business that we are supporting--The Dutch Label Shop! Based in Philly, they produce all of our custom clothing tags, for that perfect finishing touch to any sewing project.
• Packaging: And, last but not least.. Our packaging! All of our packaging is 100% recycled AND recyclable, and is produced by EcoEnclose. We created some custom boxes for the DIY sewing kits, which I am especially proud of. Recycling for the win, friends!

So. Sounds about right, yah? All of these moving parts that make up The Flora Modiste pattern shop took some real time to figure out.. But I am so, so glad I did it right from the beginning. Because the choices that we make DO matter.

(The best find throughout the process of opening the pattern shop was discovering my UK based sewing pattern printer, Netprinter. If looking to print your own patterns, check out our complete step-by-step guide to printing with them. I promise you will never look for another printer again!)

The Dany sewing pattern & DIY sewing kits

As I mentioned above, the very first sewing pattern we have up in the shop is the Dany! I feel like I have been raving about this design for months now, but for those of you that are just joining us, the Dany is quite the sewing pattern.

Three completely different garments can be created using this one pattern:

• The Dany Sheath: A loose fitting sheath dress with giant front inseam pockets. The dress can be sewn with or without sleeves, and has two different hemline options.
• The Dany Crop Top: The cutest little crop top around, with a bit of a boxy cut. It can be sewn with or without sleeves, just like the Dany Sheath!
• The Dany Skirt: A sweet little high waisted skirt that fits perfectly with the crop top. It has the giant inseam pockets like on the Dany Sheath, and can also be sewn with the alternate hemlines.

While the Dany sewing pattern is available all on its own, DIY sewing kits for the pattern are also available. With the full kit, you have absolutely everything needed to create either a Dany Sheath or the matching Dany Two Piece. That includes:

• The sewing pattern, a pattern envelope, and a full color instruction manual on how to sew the projects up.
• Organic cotton fabric--Enough for one dress or the matching two piece!
• The trims needed to create the sewing project--Matching thread & a custom clothing tag.

Not the biggest fan of the Dany though? Girl, I got you. I'm already working on a sewing pattern & DIY kit collab with my girl from Vesta--Stay tuned for exciting new additions to the shop, coming so soon!

(The best find throughout the process of opening the pattern shop was discovering my UK based sewing pattern printer, Netprinter. If looking to print your own patterns, check out our complete step-by-step guide to printing with them. I promise you will never look for another printer again!)

Coming soon: Mini DIY sewing kits & handmade trinkets

But you guys.. The Flora Modiste pattern shop isn't JUST going to be sewing patterns & DIY sewing kits..

Now that we have the pattern shop up and running, I want to work on adding in a few cute little DIY sewing kits & handmade trinkets to the shop. What exactly am I talking about? Well. Nothing has been finalized yet, but some ideas include..

• A DIY Scrunchie Kit: This little kit would include the pattern for my DIY scrunchies, an instruction card, and enough fabric to make 5 different scrunchies. (In varying colors & prints, obvi!)
• Pup Bandanas: Because we all love buying something sweet for our fur babies! I did a DIY sewing tutorial on how to make an easy pup bandana last year, but figured it would be fun to make & sell the sweet little things directly to you guys.
• Handmade Scrunchies: Because I can make them myself and charge you less than the going rate of $12 a scrunchie.. Still blows my mind.
• PATCHES: Not sure exactly how to tackle this yet.. But I kind of want to delve into the world of patch making.. TBD loves.

And that's just to start! Would love to know if you guys have any easy DIY sewing kits you would be interested in purchasing.. Or if there are any handmade little trinkets you would love to see in the shop!

(The best find throughout the process of opening the pattern shop was discovering my UK based sewing pattern printer, Netprinter. If looking to print your own patterns, check out our complete step-by-step guide to printing with them. I promise you will never look for another printer again!)

Coming soon: Vintage sewing patterns

Somehow, over the past few years, I have ended up with BOXES of vintage sewing patterns. And I haven't purchased a single one of them.. Or used one either.

So I was thinking I could add all of these vintage sewing patterns to the shop!

Because I'm sure there is SOMEONE out there looking for one of the vintage sewing patterns just sitting in my sewing table. I think I have become a bit spoiled being a pattern maker--I don't really like cutting & sewing traditional sewing patterns now.

But I feel like that now that I make & print my own professionally, I just don't feel the need to work with traditional patterns. So, stay tuned on when all of my vintage sewing patterns will be added to the shop!

I still have quite a bit of work to do on that front though. Like cataloging the patterns, going through them to check sizing, then pressing & refolding the patterns to fit into the envelopes. And not even to mention photographing the patterns, then getting the product pages for them up.. It's going to be a work in progress my friends.

If looking for a particular pattern though--Let me know! And I will check through what I have before making it live in the pattern shop.

(The best find throughout the process of opening the pattern shop was discovering my UK based sewing pattern printer, Netprinter. If looking to print your own patterns, check out our complete step-by-step guide to printing with them. I promise you will never look for another printer again!)

Check out The Flora Modiste pattern shop today!

While the pattern shop is still very young, we officially have our first pattern & DIY sewing kit available! This really is only the beginning my friends.

Not only do I plan on adding additional DIY kit fabric options for the Dany, but as I mentioned--We already have a collab in the works for our next sewing pattern & kit. (Stay tuned--We are shooting for an early Fall release!)

And of course, I can't wait to create the mini DIY sewing kits. These little babes are going to be perfect for the absolute beginner.

For the babes that love sewing and handmade items but don't necessarily have the time to create them.. I will work on getting a few small, ready made pieces up.

And those vintage sewing patterns.. Stay tuned loves! I definitely have some beauties stored in my sewing table, and I'm actually pretty excited to go through them and get them up in the shop.

If you have any questions or suggestions about the shop, please let me know below! Everything is a work in progress, and I appreciate any feedback you guys might have. Here's to exciting new chapters!

(The best find throughout the process of opening the pattern shop was discovering my UK based sewing pattern printer, Netprinter. If looking to print your own patterns, check out our complete step-by-step guide to printing with them. I promise you will never look for another printer again!)