Patternmaker of the Month: Yoanna McClintock
This month I had the chance to catch up with CPMG Alumni Yoanna McClintock, from Yoanna’s Studio.
N: “Hi Yoanna, can you share your name, pronouns, age and where you located?”
Y: “My name is Yoanna McClintock, pronouns are she/hers. I am 30, well, I'm turning 30 in June, and I just moved to Springdale, Arkansas.”
N: “What do you do for work?”
Y: “So, I've been professionally sewing for the past 7.5 years.
For 3 years, I worked at an alteration shop. I knew enough to start out doing basic things for alterations, and I worked my way up to management, then I quit during COVID.
And then I had my own alterations business out of my house.
And now I've been doing pattern making. I've been lucky that my husband has a really good job, but seeing as I'm going through divorce now, and I just moved, I'm going to need to figure out what I'm doing now.
So I definitely plan to keep on doing pattern making, but I don't know exactly what that's going to look like, just as my schedule and everything changes.”
N: “I think a lot of people when they are starting their pattern-making businesses, they rely on either another person who has some income that can help them get off the ground, or having another job on the side.”
Y: “Yeah, I've been trying to figure out what I want to do.
I'm like, do I just get a random job, like working at the gym, that’s it's easy and anyone can do it and then I just do it and come home and then [patternmaking] can be my main thing or like, do I get a [fulltime] job?”
N: “Have you considered freelance patternmaking?”
Y: “I haven't thought much about freelancing just because with the things that I'm doing, I know if I mess something up, I'm not using up anyone else's time, and I'm just figuring it out on my own, and I feel confident with that.
But the thought of freelancing. I don't know… When I do something for someone else, I want to feel like I'm super good and know exactly what I'm doing. And so, it scares me. When I think about it, it doesn't like bring me a lot of joy, but you know, maybe I should think about it further.
I don't know, I think the jury is still out on that one.”
N: “Can you tell me about when/how you got started sewing?”
Y: “I grew up, in 3 different countries in Africa.
I was born in Congo, lived in Zambia, went to school in Kenya, and I went to a boarding school starting at age 7.
[In school] we had to learn handwork, and as someone who's always loved art and anything crafty, handwork was something I loved.
We learned how to hand sew, embroider, knit, crochet, latch hook, and all sorts of different things. Then in college, I learned how to use a sewing machine.
I think I had 3 months of sewing machine experience before I got my entry-level position at the alteration shop.
So, yeah, it's been a progression over time.”
N: “Who, or what would you say inspires you?”
Y: “When it comes to fashion or style, I might go on Pinterest and see something I like and save it, but I never really look at anything when I'm making something.
With the patterns I've made so far, I just make something that I want to make and that I feel fits my needs.
Like with the Julie jeans, for instance, for a few years there, my weight was changing constantly and so I'd make clothes and they would no longer fit.
And I always struggled with clothes in stores anyway, fitting me correctly because my waist and hips are 14 inches apart so pants were just like out of the question.
Having elastic waisted clothes that accommodate body changes, make such a difference for me, and so that's kind of a passion of mine, and so every single one of my, patterns so far have had an emphasis on like, can a person's body change and still wear this thing.”
N: “I love that.
Yeah, I feel like I hear a lot of people saying, “Clothes just don't fit me”, as if like they're the only person who has such a unique body, but I really think that everyone has a unique body that is constantly changing and so having adjustable clothes is so big.
The other thing I was gonna ask you is, do you sew from vintage patterns at all or are you inspired by any certain decades? I feel like a lot of your patterns like, like The Sonata set with the different pocket variations, reminds me a lot of vintage sewing patterns that I've seen before.”
Y: “In the past, I have sewn a few things from vintage patterns.
These days when I design something, I just design what I like or what I want to see. I think there is an inspiration from, you know, those other decades. I don't actively think about it when I'm doing it. I just kind of come up with the design that I like, but I think there's a lot of like subconscious inspiration. I just kind of like do it and it does end up kind of having a vintage feel.
My brother says my style is sexy, granny chic, and I'm like, [he’s] kind of right.”
N: “What are some of your top priorities? And how do you make time for what matters most to you?”
Y: “I haven't been always super good at self-care. I was raised very much in a world where everyone else was supposed to be important, more important than me. I was kind of taught to be a doormat.
And so I've been learning to get out of that.
It's important to me to try and make time for things that make me feel well, like, going to the gym. I have a lot of anxiety and it makes me feel better when I go to the gym.
People are important to me. When it comes to my patterns, I hope my pattern testers always feel like they are all important to me, not just as a group, but as individuals.
When I'm pattern testing, I try to be absolutely as available as possible, and I try and show so much gratitude to them all the time for the way they're contributing to my project.
I like to keep my circles somewhat small so that I have time to be available.
With my sewing, I like to make sure that I'm available to give my all and make something really beautiful and well-thought-out.
There are plenty of things that need to be done, but I try and limit the amount of things on my schedule so that I can be very intentional about the things that I am doing, and the people I am with.”
N: “ What is one piece of advice you have to give to beginner sewists and patternmakers?”
Y: “I would say that one of the main differences between a beginner and someone who has a lot of experience is that people who are experienced just are better at resolving or covering up their mistakes.
Be patient and kind with yourself as you're learning.
Mistakes are inevitable, but they're actually good growing opportunities.
And as you get more experienced, you get better at resolving things. When newbies look at people who are more experienced, they probably [think] wow! this person never messes up.
And I'm like, yes, the amount I mess up is probably less than I did at the beginning, but I'm also just good at finding ways to fix things that I messed up.
N: “Can you share with me one of your favorite sewing tools?”
Y: “There's this magnet thing that you can put on your sewing machine. So if I want 3/8 of an inch seam allowance, that magnet will hold [it] there and then I can very easily just push [the fabric] through.
That has been a lifesaver for me.”
N: “Finally, where can people find you?”
Y: “The primary place people can find me is on Instagram, @Yoannasstudio, and my Etsy store, [is where you can] find my patterns.
There are currently two up and hopefully, very soon there will be three.
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
