In this special episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re excited to share with you an interview with Abbie Small.
Abbie served as Executive Vice President and General Manager of Simplicity Creative Group, owner of the Big 4 pattern companies. Just last week, Rubelmann Capital, in partnership with Abbie, acquired the company from the bankruptcy auction held after Design Group in the UK sold Design Group Americas to Hilco Capital for $1.
Now, Abbie is at the helm. We ask her how this sale came to be and find out what the future holds for these legacy sewing pattern brands.
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In this interview, Abbie traces her career path at Simplicity. She first took a job at the company in 1983 after graduating from the University of Delaware with a degree in fashion and apparel design. Abbie has held various roles at the company, including helping to launch New Look. She’s also been there throughout several different corporate buyouts.
We talk about the introduction of PDF patterns in the mid-2000s. We also discuss the consignment model used by Joann to purchase patterns. Abbie explains the ownership of the last tissue printers in the United States and where they are currently housed. She also talks about her thinking behind printing tissue for many of the independent pattern companies. We discuss how the staff at Simplicity came to understand that Design Group was liquidating its American division and how it dawned on her that she should try to figure out a way to bid on the brands in the bankruptcy auction. Abbie talks about how she partnered up with Rubelmann Capital and the role they are playing in the company going forward.
Abbie explains the difference between this purchase, made from a bankruptcy auction, and the previous mergers and acquisitions that have happened to the Big 4 brands. She also talks about hopes and plans for the future, including technology changes that are to come. If you’re curious about what the future holds for the Big 4 pattern brands, we hope you’ll get some answers from this interview with Abbie Small.
Thank you, Abby, for this smart, incredibly informative interview.
Thank you, Abbie, for keeping and protecting paper patterns. Congratulations on your new venture, and best of luck. Sewists everywhere are rooting for you… and counting on you.
Thank you for listening to the episode.
This is such great news and I know that Abbie and team will succeed in thia venture. I knew and worked with Abbie early on in her days with Sumplicity. I wish them all the best!
They intend to get rid of McCall, so they kept all the previous Simplicity employees, and got rid of most of the McCall people. That’s been an on going thing even before this sale.
She wants it back to the original Simplicity CO that she originally headed.🫤
Thank you is not enough, you are saving the creativity of every sewist in the world.
I am deeply grateful that this legacy will be preserved for another generation, and I wish you, your management team, and your new investors every success in guiding Simplicity into the 21st century.
As a self-taught sewist of nearly 30 years, I would like to share some concerns and opportunities for meaningful improvement. While resources like YouTube and AI have made sewing more accessible in recent years, the commercial pattern industry itself remains difficult to navigate and often feels outdated. I sincerely hope Simplicity’s leadership will take steps to better support sewists and modernize the customer experience.
At a practical level, greater consistency and transparency in pattern information would make a tremendous difference. ALL pertinent finished garment measurements should be clearly listed for all garments, and online listings should consistently include yardage requirements, line drawings, and complete project details. Standardized sizing information, including clear ease measurements and intended fit descriptions, would help customers make informed decisions and achieve better results.
Improvements to digital patterns are also essential. While the increase in PDF offerings is encouraging, current formats often require printing multiple overlapping size lines that are difficult to distinguish. Customers should be able to select and print only their chosen size; this would greatly improve usability and reflect modern digital standards. This would be a great improvement over paper patterns and motivate people to choose PDF patterns.
Instructional support presents another significant opportunity. Pattern-specific video guidance for each major step, produced with clear, high-quality demonstrations would make sewing far more accessible, particularly for newer sewists. A structured learning platform or membership program offering patterns alongside professional instruction would further strengthen engagement and loyalty. Videos with advanced techniques that help a sewist bring their work to the next level would be a great addition as this information is so hard to find and can be very difficult to learn from books.
Finally, continued attention to contemporary design trends would help ensure the long-term relevance of commercial patterns. As interest in sewing grows, particularly among younger generations, there is strong demand for designs that reflect modern styles and expectations. There is also an expectation of quality so more patterns that include linings and other professional embellishments would be greatly appreciated among more advanced sewists who are looking for couture style.
The sewing pattern industry has tremendous potential to better support its community through modernization, standardization, and improved education. This moment presents a meaningful opportunity for Simplicity to lead the industry forward, making sewing more accessible and rewarding for a new generation of customers.