Patternmaker of the Month: Erin Ford
This month, I had the pleasure of talking with CPMG alumna Erin Ford the designer of the newly released Viper top (seen above).
Q: “Hi Erin, can you introduce yourself and tell me a little about yourself?
A: My name is Erin. I'm originally from Australia, but I've been living in Thailand on and off for 8 or 9 years.
I’ve been here for 2 years permanently, but before that, I was working and traveling remotely, which is why it took me so long to learn how to sew. I don't know if you know this, but my sewing and pattern making, they are one thing for me.
I learned to sew the same year I learned to make patterns.
I also have a dog named Alfie.
N: Oh, that's so cute, I love that name. What kind of dog is he?
E: He's just like a Thai mutt that came down off a mountain. We were here during COVID on this island. And it's kind of how we ended up settling here. But we just fostered him for something to do, and then obviously we never gave him back.
N: Does your partner also work remotely?
E: So I actually, I met him when I was 21 and backpacking. And at the time, he was working and living at a co-working space on the beach, where we live now. I met him and all his friends and I was like, what the hell? I didn't know that you could do that!
So I made it my mission. Prior to that, all my work experience was in hospitality and nannying. I was like, I'm going to get an online job. And it took about a year, but I ended up getting a few kind of shitty online jobs, and then I got a really good job, which is the job I was doing most recently, which was copywriting for an email marketing app.
N: Oh my gosh, wow. I'm just in awe. It sounds like a beautiful life that you lead.
E: Yeah, it's been very exciting.
Q: “Tell me about your sewing & patternmaking journey. How did you get started, and why did you want to make patterns?”
A: I have this like very clear memory of when I was 15. I was watching Gossip Girl, and there is this character Jenny Humphrey, she makes all her own dresses. She ends up having a fashion show and it just looks so amazing and I was like, oh, I really want to do that. So I dragged my dad to Spotlight, which is like the biggest fabric store (kind of like Joanne's) in Australia.
I got all the fabric, but I didn't look up a single thing. I didn't look up a textbook, didn't look up a YouTube tutorial, just bought some random fabric and some elastic and decided I was just going to figure it out. Obviously, it went horribly. So, then, I never did it again.
And then I was traveling full time. In my early 20s, so I couldn't really fit a sewing machine in my carry-on luggage. But then during COVID, I had made the decision.
I had always watched sewing content as a hobby, even though I didn’t know how to sew, and I started watching more and more. It sort of reinvigorated my interest. But I still didn't have a sewing machine. I was in Portugal at the time and I couldn't buy a sewing machine and it was going to be at least a year before I could buy a sewing machine.
So I started learning how to crochet. and set my soul on fire for doing things with my hands and creating things and also taught me how to follow instructions, which is what I lacked when I was 15. I don't know if it was my frontal lobe or something, but it just kind of taught me to slow down.
I started with like making little animals. And you can kind of see the animal starting to take shape as you're going, so you're getting little dopamine hits as it goes. And from there, obviously moved on to knitting because I wanted to make my own clothes. That was always the goal in the background.
And I found out that knitting used the less yarn and didn't take as long. So I tried to do that. I made a few sweaters and then moved back here, and the 1st thing I did was buy a sewing machine.
The pattern making thing, that little brainworm came when I bought my very 1st sewing pattern. Like I said, I've been watching sewing content long before I bought a sewing machine. I wanted to make the layer dress by Sewing with Solana.
I bought the pattern as soon as I got my machine. And when I printed it out, I was looking at it after I had tiled the whole thing, and I was like, I can make this. Yeah.
I had a very brief stint in graphic design college. I didn't finish the certificate, but I had learned how to use the pen tool in Illustrator.
I remember looking at the pattern, and staying it out loud to my husband. I was like, I could make this.
But then I had to learn the science behind drafting. So, I was looking up “How to Draft Patterns in Illustrator”. Or even on paper and then digitize them.
But there wasn’t alot out there in 2024. And that’s when I found CPMG. I was reading the sales page, but I couldn't find any reviews or anything like that.
I think I found one. And it was enough to convince me, oh, I think maybe I found Jess's Instagram.
I think the last time Victoria had done an intake, had been like a year before. I was like, Oh my god, what if she doesn't do it anymore?
And then as soon as Jess, Jess posted something like, I've got a secret, comment, “secret,” oh something like that, I knew that it was going to be about Confident Patternmaking. I was like, yeah, I could do that. Give it to me.
Q: You have 3 really beautiful sewing patterns (The sable set, the saddle back dress, and your most recent release the Viper top) and you haven’t been doing this for all that long. It kind of feels like, as you tell me more about yourself, that, like, you're the kind of person who digs into something, and when you set your mind to something you give everything to do it. I would love to hear more about me more about your experience creating these patterns. What inspired you? Do you have a specific method for the process?
A: I launched the Sable set last March.
I had the vision for the Sable set already when I started the Confident Patternmaking course. So my process for that was sort of just going through the course and being spoon fed how to do certain things and obviously like had had access to the Facebook group so I was asking questions.
I really wanted to make sure that I finished it before the 3 months or whatever was over. So I actually still haven't made my pant block from the course!
Thing is, I haven't needed it. Yeah, because I haven't made any pants...
N: Oh that’s actually wild! But the good thing is that the course has lifetime access, so you can always go back and learn that when the time is right.
E: Exactly. I think when you say I'm the type of person who's like, just do it, yes, but it's also just do that one thing.
So as I went through the course, I was determined to release a sewing pattern. That was that the Sable set. And I just wanted to see it all the way through to completion and then it finished, and then I think I went maybe like 6 months before I even looked at drafting anything else.
Which was the Saddleback dress, which was like a whole other thing because it's so many more pieces. I don't really have like a set process. I have kind of boring order in which I do things in terms of like, drafting, grading, then instructions.
But, in terms of like, Do I have a system for what I'm drafting? Not really. I'll get like that little click of I'm gonna do this thing, and then I just follow that all the way to the end.
But everything else in my life falls apart when I'm about to release the pattern. You should see the state of my little sewing room right now because I'm working on a new pattern.
I just sort of get tunnel vision on whatever I'm working on at the time. Actually, it's getting a little bit better because I had an idea the other day, and usually I would just sort of, I don't even write them down. I don't sketch them.
I just think like, oh, that idea, which is not a good system, by the way, I don't recommend it. But I had an idea for a little top and I just quickly whipped up a V1 in the middle of the project, which is nice, so now I at least have a file I can come back to one day.
Q: What are your 2026 patternmaking goals?
A: My short-term 2026 goal is to get this dress design that I am working on released.
Ever since this whole like sewing and crafting thing that I started, I realized that I am the happiest when I'm learning something new. So this year, I am trying new things, like whatever it may be. I recently started reformer Pilates and I really love it and now I go 3 times a week.
When I get back from Australia, I'm planning on signing up for an 8 hour pottery course that's down the street from where I live.
I think my my general goal for 2026 is to try as many new things as possible. And my patternmaking goal is to release maybe 3 patterns, including this one, 3 more patterns.
Q: Can you tell us a little more about this dress pattern you are working on?
A: Yes, so it already has a name. called the Cicada Dress. Cicada in your...
And it's another knit pattern, like the Viper top. So I'll have 2 wovens and 2 knits.
It will be available inn mini and maxi length and also have trumpet sleeves, or the option to skip the sleeves. And then a little a little tie in the back to make sure it doesn't slip off your shoulders because the back is quite deep. It is what I imagine wearing on the beach on a summer night.
I'm hoping that I can get that out before US summer, obviously. Since that's where most of my audience is.
Q: I love your online presence! I want to hear more about your journey to sharing your sewing online, and now your sewing patterns.
A: Well, you can make sewing patterns on your own, but then to go and sell them and market them is a totally different ballgame.
After my very 1st sewing project, I made an Instagram, and posted my 1st sewing project and it was just me posting things that was making it as a beginner. And then as I sort of progressed and started learning patternmaking, so it became more about that.
And then, now, obviously, I talk a lot more about my patterns and I'm using it to sell. But the goal for me was, I wanted to have some semblance of a captive audience by the time I had was releasing my 1st pattern because you can have the most beautiful, well-constructed pattern in the entire world, and if no one knows it exists, no one's going to buy it. And it is a shame because I know that people really struggle with social media, but it is just one of those things that you do really need to have.
And the thing is, if you scroll back to like the beginning of my Instagram, The videos are so bad. I don't seem confident at all. It took me ages to even start doing voiceovers.
I didn't want to show people my face. I didn't want to talk on camera. And then eventually just getting used to it. I mean, every time I would post, like, the world wouldn't come crashing down. I mean, my following was 99.9% women.
So all my comments are usually pretty nice. Yeah. But yeah, I just got used to it. Now I post stories with greasy air, no makeup… if you feel like scared or insecure, you just have to do it anyway. And then you realize it doesn't feel as scary.
N: I do think it just comes down to doing it over and over. I feel like when I take a break, it is so much harder to come back to it because I feel just so out of practice.
E: Yeah, me too. I mean, you should see the unedited versions of all my my reels that are 30 seconds long. The raw, 1st file is probably like 5 or 6 minutes of me just rambling.
I don’t write a script. I'm just kind of like going. And I'm sure it's like, I'm sure there are many things that I could be doing much more efficiently, but my brain can only handle so much planning. And so I focus all of that on my patternmaking and you can kind of see if you like track my activity on Instagram.
I post a lot less when I'm working on a sewing pattern. I can't think about anything else.
Q: Did you feel there was like a change when you started selling your sewing patterns or do you feel like because people had already trusted you, it just was sort of like natural progression?
A: When I released my 1st sewing pattern, my audience on Instagram was like 50%, 65 plus. So I just had a bunch of aunties being like, “You go, girl!”
N: That's so unexpected, but I love that.
E: What I think happened, is I made this one introduction reel type post, and that particular post gained almost like 8000 followers, but they were all, they were all 55+
I think it's because my great aunt Shirley was the 1st one to comment on it. It's leveled out now to be majority 24 to 35 or whatever.
But getting back to your question, I never stopped sharing other people's work. I didn't want it to feel like a sales page.
I still want it to be about what I'm making, what I like, and still about me as a person and not just as a business. So I try to keep a good balance of marketing posts and just, like, authentic, regular posts.
I guess most of that is in my stories at the moment because like I said, I don't have the capacity for patternmaking and content at the same time. But if you look at my grid, I like to keep a balance.
There are there are benefits to it too. All of those posts where I'm sharing other people's work. I gain a lot of followers and they're all people who are looking for sewing patterns.
And I'm also someone who sells sewing patterns. It's like I'm attracting the right people I don't necessarily need every single post to eat to make sales.
My main goal is to find people who want to buy patterns one day.
Q: Who, or what would you say inspires you?
A: I'm most inspired by the people around me. I've built a really tight-knit community with my friends. I think I owe a lot to them in just how I'm able to even produce these patterns by myself.
It’s a hard thing to do when you're in control of doing all of this work, and there's no one pushing you to do it. But then you have these people that are just cheering you on or asking me where I'm up to, even though they like really don't have any idea of like the actual like drafting process… Also, in all my product photos is one of my best friends, Sam. I'll be like, can you come and model this thing? And she'll be like, sure!
So I think that my community around me is definitely the people that inspire me the most. But also, I am inspired by anyone who, learns something new in adulthood. I love watching people learn how to do something new, just online, like completely parasocially, you know? That's why I really like this, the kind of online sewing community is because even the people who have been doing it for ages, they're constantly learning.
Like you look at someone like, um, like Syd Graham. She’s been pattern making for, I don't know how many years, but longer than me, but then also she recently started learning how to knit and crochet. Like everyone who is of that mindset that they are constantly learning, and that inspires me to also be someone who's constantly learning.
Rapid Fire Questions 🔥
Q: What are you reading right now?
A: The Dog Stars By Peter Heller.
Q: Favorite sewing pattern?
A: Truthfully, I think my favorite swimming pattern is the Viper top.
It is my most worn pattern out of all the patterns I've ever made or bought. I made myself so many, almost enough to wear one every single day. No one has commented yet that I wear it too often, but I have enough that there's always a clean one.
I can just throw it on and it's so comfy and cute. I think it's definitely my most worn. I would say that's my favorite for sure.
Q: What’s your most unique or niche sewing tool?
A: I don't own any pattern weights. I literally just grab whatever is around me…
So random objects I guess?
Q: Do you have any sewing hot takes?
A: I think that sewing with knits is exactly the same in terms of difficulty as sewing with wovens.
People often recommend beginners to stick to wovens. I have even said that in past, but since I learned how to sew with knits, I think if you're learning how to sew, you should go into your wardrobe and see what it is that you like wearing the most. And if that's like t-shirts and knit crop tops, then you should start with knits.
And if it's more blouses or like, you know, linen dresses and stuff like that, then start with that. But I think that knits get a bad rap, and I don't think they're that bad.
Q: Online sewing creator crush?
A: Stephanie! @sewing.withvisuals
Q: “Finally, where can people find you?”
A: You can find my patterns on my website byerinford.com, and I’m on Instagram at @byerinford
If this interview inspired you, check out our Confident Patternmaking & Grading Program where you can learn how to draft sewing patterns, and join our network of incredible alumni creating beautiful size-inclusive sewing patterns for all people.
Nat Della Selva
