Episode #10 - From Maker to Market - Turning Handmade Into Business

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You know that moment when you've made something amazing for your dog? Maybe you followed a pattern, but added your own little flair or pizzazz and someone says, hey, where did you get that from? Did you make that? And suddenly you're feeling, could I go beyond just following patterns? Could I actually design my own? Maybe even sell them? If you've ever felt that itch to go from hobbyist to designer, today's episode is for you.

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I'm Jill Bartlett, and this is Thank Dog. We made it a podcast for dog wear makers who are curious about designing their own patterns and maybe even selling them one day. I teach people how to go from sewing for their own pup to creating patterns that others can use. And today I want to walk you through what that journey actually looks like.

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Last week I shared my own path, how I went from hand making dog coats to building a business around pattern design. And now it's your turn. Now here's where a lot of people get stuck because when you get that itch to design, it's easy to think you need to start from a blank page or a blank screen, depending on how you like to work.

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But that's kind of like how a painter feels when they're staring at a blank canvas. It can be exciting. Sure, you got lots of ideas running around in your brain, but it can also be a little daunting. The possibilities are endless, right? And sometimes that alone is enough to stop you before you even begin. But here's the truth.

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Designing doesn't have to start from nothing. In fact, one of the best ways to get going is by starting with the base pattern. I always do this. Something you already know works. Something that you can build off of. Now, I usually recommend starting with my cozy coat pattern. It's clean, adaptable, and works well for a variety of breeds, but you don't have to use mine.

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You can absolutely work with another pattern you already love and have experience with. The key is to start with something simple and familiar, preferably in a medium size. I always suggest to work with a medium size when you're creating patterns, because this really gives you a great middle ground. It's easy to scale this up or scale it down.

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Once you've kind of finalized that design and you're ready to create it and different sizes for different dogs, or if you prefer, you could start with a size that fits your own dog or a dog that you have access to. That way, you can test your new design in real life and see how it works before making other sizes.

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If you're looking for a place to start to play around with some ideas that you've got, check out my free sketch template. It's a great tool for brainstorming, design ideas and tweaks. You might also enjoy the blog post that I did on Plan Now Sell More, which goes over the fall and winter. 2526 dog Wear trends. This is a great place to start if you're just looking for some inspiration.

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And here's why this approach is so powerful. You're not stuck figuring out how it will fit a dog's measurements, or what size or shape to use, or even how to construct it from scratch that's already handled when you're working with a base pattern. Instead, your energy goes straight into the fun part the details, fabric choices, design ideas, and any kind of creative tweaks that you want to add in or create into your pattern.

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Think of it like this. You know fashion designers, they don't reinvent the wheel with every design they modify what already works. They work with base patterns and then modify them. So that same thing goes for dog wear, a base pattern. It just remove the pressure of perfection and invites play and experimentation instead. And if you've ever felt blocked by too many options, or frozen by not knowing where to begin.

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Starting with a base pattern is the easiest way to just get started. So let's say you're at the next step. You've already made your cozy coat or whatever base pattern you're working with, and you've made it a couple times, so you're feeling pretty confident with this, and you like the basic design and structure of it. You followed the instructions, you sewn it up, maybe even tried it in a different fabric, or adjusted the length and played around with a little bit.

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And then it happens. Your brain starts to wander around with new ideas and new kind of twists on that pattern. Like, what if you added a collar? What if you curved the hemline and made it into a skirt or added a belly band, or cut it up and made it shorter, or added some kind of bands or some kind of change into the middle of it?

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What if you added a hoodie? What if you added snaps instead of Velcro? This is the moment that you step into what I like to call the hack year pattern phase. And honestly, it's one of the most exciting and creatively freeing parts of the journey. Because this is where your personal style starts to come through. You're not just sewing anymore.

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You're designing and you're beginning to think like a pattern maker. Like someone who doesn't just follow the rules, but tweaks and plays and experiments until it feels like their own. This phase is also where your confidence starts to build. You're still working within a structure. That base pattern is your safety net, but you're making creative decisions and those decisions add up.

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Sometimes you'll make a tweak that doesn't quite work, but that's okay. I've made plenty of versions that didn't make it past the first wear test with Scout my dog, but each version taught me something, and that'll be the same thing with you. The more you explore, the more you see the potential in every seam and every curve and every detail.

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I'm actually in the process right now of developing a course called Hack Your Pattern, where I walk people through how to do this step by step, like how to explore changing the silhouette that that basic shape of the code, or how to add new functional features and how to sketch out your new design ideas and directions. But even before that's ready, you can absolutely start exploring this on your own.

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Grab a notebook or open up your iPad or tablet or whatever you use, and sketch out your base pattern, that pattern that you're going to work with as you're that you've already made before, that base pattern. Then start adding to it. Try a new closure. Add a new panel. Redraw the curves. Don't overthink it. Just start sketching. Just start having fun and playing around with it.

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Because when you stop waiting for that perfect idea and start playing with what you already have, you move from being a maker to being a designer, even without really realizing you're doing it. And if you haven't yet, check out my podcast episode called Hack Your Pattern. It's a great companion to this conversation, and it's a great place to get started.

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If you are interested and waiting for my course to come out. Okay, so let's say you've done a few hacks. Let's say you're already at that stage. You've played with the shape and the style. Maybe you've changed the closure or added a new color, added a hoodie, switched up the hemline, whatever it is that you've done that's kind of changed this base pattern.

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And let's say you've also tested this new version. You've put it on to your dog or someone else's dog. Maybe you've even made a couple of different sizes, I don't know, but you really, you've gotten to that point where you really love how it looks and more importantly, your dog is happy in it. You know it fits them and they're comfortable in it.

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And maybe you've even had someone say, where did you get that coat from? I mean, that is so inspiring. And I have to say, that is how I started my business. I made a couple of coats, was first coat. I started by following other people's patterns, and then I started adding design features and changing it. And it was a unique enough that people started seeing it on the street and saying, hey, like, I actually had strangers come up to me standing on the corner, waiting outside with my dog as my husband shop, and someone came up to me and said, where did you get that coat from?

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And I honestly, at that point I wasn't in business, and it was so inspiring and so exciting that that was that actual, that moment on the street was the point where I said, hey, I think I can actually do this as a business. So that's a really exciting moment. And that that could happen to you too. So let's say you're at this stage and you've experimented with a few different patterns.

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You've tried out some new ideas, and now your wheels are really turning like you start thinking, wait a second, could I sell these? Could I start a business? What about could other people make? Like, could you start a business making them yourself? Or could you make a business out of selling these patterns? Could other people make your pattern?

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Is this actually a pattern I could put out into the world? Would other people want it? If those thoughts are starting to creep in and swirling around in your head and your brain. That's a really a good sign. That means you're not just thinking like a designer anymore. You're starting to think like a pattern creator. Now, turning your custom design into a sellable pattern does involve a few extra steps.

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You'll need to digitize it using a program like Adobe Illustrator. That's what I use. There are other programs, but Adobe Illustrator is my go to program, and you want to have that. You want to have your paper pattern or your sketch or whatever you've worked with. You want to create that into a digital version. So it's clean and it's scalable and it's easy to share because once it's digital, you can print it out, but also, more importantly, other people can print it out.

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You also want to grade it, meaning you want to size it so it works for different sized dogs. And finally, you need to package it in a way that someone else can also follow your patterns, your instructions, whether there are notches added, seam allowances, obviously they need the ability to print it out, but is that print working?

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Is it tiling properly so that people can print it out themselves? And maybe you've even taken some photographs and you want to share those photographs so people can see how it looks on dogs. This is the kind of work that I walk people through in my course, called From Patterns to Profits. If you are curious about that whole process, check out the Plan Now Sell More podcast.

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That's a great starting place. And of course you can always check out my Patterns to Profits course. See if it's available right now or get your name on the waitlist. All of these things I will put, links to down in the show notes below. But the point is, you don't have to feel like you have to have it all figured out quite yet.

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Just know that even if you are thinking about this next step, you're already well on your way. You don't need to have it all figured out yet. There are so many resources that I have to just kind of help you along. All of these different stages, depending on where you're at and what you're looking at doing. Even if you're just thinking about this next step, you're already well on your way.

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So this is the point that I really want to make. There is no right timeline for this. Some people spend years in that maker stage where they are just making patterns that they find, and they're happy to follow patterns that other people have created. Others start designing after they've created that first dog coat, that they've got that hit, they've got that, excitement.

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And they just want to start designing. Your path might look completely different from someone else's. And that's that's okay. Some steps feel fast and exciting. Others take longer than you expected. It's not about following a straight line. It's about continuing to move forward. One decision at a time. So whether you're just starting to tweak a pattern or already dreaming up a full collection, just know this.

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Every step you take builds momentum. Every version you make teaches you something. Every what if moment you follow gets you closer to developing your own style and your own voice. As a designer. And honestly, I'm still learning too. I'm always trying out other people's patterns just to see how they construct things, to learn a new technique, or to add another trick to my design arsenal.

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You don't have to design everything from scratch to grow as a designer. Every project, even the little ones that follow someone else's instructions, they all add something to your skill set. If this episode sparked something in you, if you're already thinking about sketching a hack or dreaming up your own pattern, I'd love to hear from you. You can DM me on Instagram at.

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Thank Dog. We made it! Or leave a comment on this podcast episode, or visit my website and maybe even join the waitlist for these courses that I've talked about. The Catch Your Pattern course, which is currently in development. It will be coming out soon. All depends on when you're actually listening to this podcast. It might even be available now.

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And the patterns, the profits, the course that I talked about that really helps you take your pattern ideas and develop them into a sellable product. The next round for enrollment for that will be opening up soon, so get your name on the waitlist for that. Or you may just want to start with the cozy coat pattern or a pattern that you already have in mind.

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If you're looking for really kind of a hand-holding and you're just starting out on your sewing journey and you're making dog coats journey, then you can take the, the other course I mentioned, which is the Cozy Coat course. And that really is that really shows you exactly how great at the sewing machine, how to sew a dog coat.

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So if you're just at the beginning of your journey, this is a really great place to start. I'll put all the links that I've been talking about in the show notes below. All sorts of different things that are free for you to download. So there's lots of things to help you wherever you are at in your process. But the main point is that wherever you are in your journey, you're not alone.

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I am here to support you in any way that I can, so please feel free to reach out with me with any questions you have or any ideas. Or if you've got an idea for a future podcast for something that you're want to you want to find out about. Thanks so much for listening. I really appreciate the time that you take out of your day to listen to my podcast, and I invite you to come back for my next podcast.

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I output a podcast every week, so I'll see you next time.