On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about running an indie sewing pattern business with my guest Taylor McVay of Blueprints for Sewing.

Taylor McVay is a designer, artist, and educator. She creates sewing patterns for unique, architecture-inspired garments. Along with running Blueprints, Taylor teaches fashion design, pattern making, and sewing in the Boston area. Taylor creates one of a kind garments, experiments with techniques like weaving and embroidery, and loves to repurpose and recycle textiles. She spends a lot of her time thinking, writing, and talking about ‘slow fashion’.

You can find a selection of Blueprints for Sewing patterns at Fancy Tiger Crafts, among other retailers.

Taylor McVay

Taylor lives not too far from me and she was able to come to Wellesley and spend some time with me in my studio to record this episode which was such a treat.

We begin the conversation by talking about a dress Taylor made when she was a young teenager from thrifted scarves. She wore it to a New Year’s party and that experience planted the seed for her of wanting to make and wear her own clothing. After getting a BFA Taylor worked at a high end vintage boutique where she had the opportunity to tailor and alter clothes for clients and, in the process, study how the garments were made. She also had a custom clothing business during this period.

Taylor shows the inside of her Moderne Coat.

Next, she began teaching at a sewing and knitting shop in the Boston area which sparked a love of teaching and helped her launch her sewing pattern business. Taylor’s first patterns were in the form of zines and we talk about what a zine is and why she enjoys that format for patterns. Taylor explains her mission and vision for Blueprints for Sewing. She also talks about overcoming social anxiety as a teacher and as the face of her business on social media, especially Instagram.

Taylor poses with the models at the slow fashion event she organized last year.

This past year she put on a slow fashion event here in the Boston area, collaborating with other artists and makers. We talk about what that entailed and how she might grow it in the future.

Today, Taylor teaches sewing and fashion design courses at the university level and runs her pattern business full-time. I think her story is so inspiring. I hope you enjoy the conversation as much as I did.

And, of course, I ask Taylor to recommend great stuff she’s loving right now. Taylor recommends:

• the Gropius House in Lincoln, Massachusetts
• Nomadic Furniture by Victor Papanek and James Hennessey
• color wheels

Keep up with Taylor McVay and Blueprints for Sewing on Instagram and on the Blueprints for Sewing website.

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