Jess Rash's Heckin' Check quilt with her beloved little puppy, Brutus
If we believe what our Instagram feeds tell us, then there are a whole lot of hustlers out there – and by hustlers, I’m talking about the pattern-writing professionals. We’ve all had that thought: scrolling through socials, adding another not-quite-perfect pattern to your inspo board, you think, “What if I could write my own patterns from scratch?” There are thousands of amateur sewists who have come before you, fantasizing as they piece their hundredth Half-square Triangle of the day, who have gone on to make that dream their reality.
Enter digital quilt pattern schools. These institutions, run by quilters themselves, exist to teach such dreamers how to craft unique patterns – as well as the not-so-visible tools of the trade. This includes encouraging creatives to find design niches, master industry software, market their brands and build an engaged social media following to help their businesses succeed. And now is the time to take a piece of the quilting pie for your own: HandiQuilter reported that the market in North America is due to reach $5 billion by 2027, with 85 million active sewists and $35 billion to spend!
Learn from Elizabeth Chappell of Quilter's Candy (@quilters_candy) through her courses and coaching services
Back to school
One of the industry courses on offer right now is Quilters Candy’s nine-week programme, taught by Elizabeth Chappell. The ‘Quiltrepreneur’ launched her business with sewing subscription boxes
