Episode #7 - You Don’t Just Want to Make Patterns—You Want to Create Your Own

00;00;00;00 - 00;00;36;15 Unknown So when I launched a monthly membership where I taught people how to make a new dog wear pattern every single month, I honestly thought I was just offering patterns and tutorials. I designed something and graded into six sizes, right? The instructions, filmed the tutorial and release it to the members. But I didn't expect is that this experience would totally shift my thinking, not just about the people taking the course, but about myself as well.

00;00;36;17 - 00;01;10;16 Unknown It pushed me to become more of a designer than I ever imagined, and it opened my eyes to what people really wanted from the process. Hey, I'm Jill, and this is Thank Doug. We made it a podcast for creatives, designers, and dog lovers who are building something of their own. Whether you're just starting out or dreaming up your next collection, this is a space for you to turn your ideas into patterns, products, and possibilities.

00;01;10;19 - 00;01;53;10 Unknown Today's episode is for anyone who's ever looked at a pattern and thought, I love this, but I kind of want to change it. We're talking about the moment you start following instructions and start following your instinct, and how that quiet shift might mean you're already becoming a designer. Real quick, before we get into the episode. If you've ever found yourself adjusting patterns, dreaming up ideas for your dog, or wondering if you could take your creativity further, you might be closer to being a pattern designer than you think.

00;01;53;13 - 00;02;30;12 Unknown My course Patterns to Profits was made for people just like you, people who don't necessarily see themselves as designers yet. But know they have ideas worth exploring. I show you a framework to walk you through the full process. From measuring dogs, researching trends, and choosing fabrics, to using illustrator to digitize your design, creating it for multiple sizes, packaging it with instructions and yes, even marketing it so people can actually find and buy your pattern.

00;02;30;14 - 00;03;00;09 Unknown It's not about perfection, it's about building confidence and momentum. The course opens on May 10th, but you can join the waitlist right now. Just use the link in the show notes below. If that next version of you that designer version is starting to whisper in your ear, go check it out. As I was saying, while I had my membership, I was creating a new dog wear pattern every month.

00;03;00;12 - 00;03;29;27 Unknown It was such a creatively rich season. I felt inspired and energized and connected to the people in my membership. And what really surprised me is that people weren't just happily sewing up what I gave them. They started asking for new things. They'd say, could you design something more casual, like a dog hoodie? Or what about a t shirt pattern for in-between seasons?

00;03;29;27 - 00;03;57;13 Unknown Or dogs that get cold when they're inside? And that's how the rebel held hoodies started, and the salty T came to be. They weren't asking me how to tweak existing patterns. They were asking me to create new ones that reflected their ideas and their dogs and their needs. That's when I started to realize they were thinking like designers.

00;03;57;14 - 00;04;24;25 Unknown They just didn't have the tools to make the leap from the ideas they were having, to actually creating a pattern over time. I saw this pattern emerge again and again. No pun intended. It's not like a pattern stitch itself. But anyways, I kept seeing this pattern emerging. Members had their ideas. They knew what they wanted their dogs to wear.

00;04;24;26 - 00;04;51;13 Unknown They could picture it, but they didn't know how to create it. They weren't just makers. They were stepping into the mindset of designers, but without the technical skills to match their creative vision. And that's when the realization landed deeply for me, because I've been in that space too. I don't have a fashion degree. I don't come from the garment industry.

00;04;51;15 - 00;05;22;03 Unknown Everything I've learned about dog wear design, I taught myself because there's so little information out there for people who want to design for dogs. But I do have a background in design, graphic design specifically, and I've spent over 15 years working in the e-learning industry. I had my own company creating step by step tutorials, courses, and structured learning systems for all kinds of learners.

00;05;22;05 - 00;05;58;10 Unknown So when I saw people struggling to turn their ideas into real, usable patterns, I immediately thought they don't need more inspiration. They need a clear path. They need the skills to bring their ideas to life. That's the mindset I brought into what I was building. Yes, I was designing patterns, but I was also building a way for people to learn how to design, how to go from vision to reality, from sketch to, maybe even a sellable pattern.

00;05;58;12 - 00;06;28;22 Unknown When someone starts asking different questions, the shift becomes really clear. It goes from how do I follow this step to what if I change this part to suit my dog? Or how could I simplify this? How could I improve this? Could I make my own patterns from scratch? That's a very different mindset. And what's exciting is that it's not about needing to know everything.

00;06;28;25 - 00;07;06;11 Unknown It's about being willing to experiment, to take ownership, and to start exploring your own ideas. That's where the identity shift happens. You go from being a maker to seeing yourself as someone with a point of view, a creative process, and something worth sharing. And that's really what led me to build my course patterns to profits, because I could see this gap between people wanting to design patterns and actually knowing how to do it.

00;07;06;13 - 00;07;37;06 Unknown They didn't just need ideas. They needed a clear framework. They wanted to learn how to digitize their designs, grade them, size them properly, and have the confidence that their patterns were shaped right and would fit a variety of dogs. That messy middle part, that place between idea and execution, is where so many people get stuck. And that's where I love to work.

00;07;37;08 - 00;08;07;23 Unknown So I built this course to walk people through every step, not just the creative side, but the technical side too. From taking your paper pattern into illustrator to creating it across multiple sizes to prepping it for sale. Because having the tools is one thing, but knowing how and when to use them, that's what gives you the confidence as a designer.

00;08;07;26 - 00;08;32;19 Unknown If you've ever looked at a pattern and thought I could make this better. If you found yourself tweaking things as you sew or sketching new ideas in the margins, if you've ever caught yourself thinking someone should totally make a dog pattern for this, I want to gently suggest maybe that someone is you. You don't need to be perfect.

00;08;32;19 - 00;09;06;04 Unknown You don't need a fashion degree. You just need the support and the tools and the confidence to follow through on what you already feel bubbling up. That's exactly why I created Patterns to Profits. It's not just a course. It's a full framework that shows you how to go from idea to finished pattern. I walk you through measuring, choosing fabrics, using illustrator to digitize your design, creating it into multiple sizes.

00;09;06;09 - 00;09;32;12 Unknown Writing instructions and even marketing it so people actually find and buy what you've created. The course opens a few times a year and if it feels like it might be your next step, you can get on the waitlist any time. I'll drop the link in the show notes below, but even if you never take the course. I hope this episode helped you see yourself in a new light.

00;09;32;14 - 00;10;08;21 Unknown You're not just someone who makes patterns, you're someone who's ready to create them. Thanks so much for listening today. If this episode sparked something for you, I'd love it if you'd follow the show or share it with a friend who might have that little inkling of a designer in them, too. I'll talk to you soon.