Made with Moxie: For the love of Independent Pattern Designers

February 12, 2014

For the love of Independent Pattern Designers

I consider myself to be a patron of the independent maker. I can't find the quote about it, but I know giving is a self serving pursuit. I get a little high from buying the coffee of the person behind me. There's an excitement in buying from independent artists because I know they are getting all my money and are floored to get it. You don't have to be rich give; the littlest bit helps and I'm left feeling like a bigger person. Websites like Kickstarter and Indiegogo let us pool our collective $10 to make an artist's dreams come true.

Regular visitors of Made with Moxie will not be surprised to hear me say that I love Rachael of imagine gnats. Chica's got balls and major talent. Becoming an independent pattern designer is new and uncharted territory. It requires a pinch your nose and just jump in the deep water attitude. You learn to swim as you go. Any of you who have sewn up an imagine gnats pattern, know that Rachael has learned to swim. She's ready to take her sewing patterns to the next level and she needs our help.

Imagine Gnats' Indiegogo campaign
A smattering of the imagine gnats patterns I've sewn.

Rachael is running a campaign on indiegogo right now through the end of the month. Her goal is to gather enough funding for her initial run of imagine gnats paper patterns. I know you're thinking, shit, Jill, I don't have money to just give away. But I want you to remember that feeling when you pay something forward. Hell, you're not even just giving money away. Rachael is giving away her very first paper patterns in exchange for your patronage. Not only will you be supporting a community that fosters independent makers but you get to behold the fruits of one woman's labor in your very own hands. $10 gets you your very own paper printed imagine gnats pattern. That's right. No more taping all those stupid printer papers together! $50 can get you her whole damn set. Higher amounts get you sponsored posts, your very own text embroidery, or best yet, a custom made garment, just for you, from an imagine gnats pattern.

Ready to make an artist's day? Get yourself on over to Rachael's campaign!

Need more convincing? Here what Rachael has to say:
imagine gnats started as a little etsy shop, selling small sewn items to help support my family and also to give me a creative outlet in a corporate world. it's come a long way in just five years... from a hobby to a full-time job. my love of sewing and design has grown as well, and now my own sewing patterns help and inspire others to create.

i am proud to have created patterns for garments that are easy to sew and easy to wear. imagine gnats patterns feature classic silhouettes with a modern twist that incorporate clever details and practical techniques.

currently, my patterns are all offered as printable pdfs. the money raised on indiegogo will help cover the costs of an initial run of paper patterns, which means sharing my designs with even more sewists and inspiring more people.

for the cost of one pattern, you can help me reach my goal AND be one of the first to get the printed pattern of your choice. for a little bit more, you can get a full set of imagine gnats printed patterns. plus, early bird specials offer even better deals for the first contributors!

my initial print run will include 500 each of my existing five garment patterns. all of the money raised will go directly to that effort. once patterns are printed, i begin the selling and distribution phase.

i would love for you to tweet, share on facebook, email your friends and family... anything that will get the word out. every share helps and is so appreciated.



If we don't support independent pattern makers, we're only going to be left with big box patterns. Hey, maybe you like 80's fashion and frumpy designs?