Pulling Back the Curtain :: Pattern Sales

This is a post I’ve been thinking about writing for some time.  I wasn’t sure if I should – I mean talking about how much you earn is sort of taboo, right?  But… I know I’m curious how many patterns other independent pattern makers are selling and I figure many of you are as well.  Maybe publishing my net sales will encourage an aspiring designer to take the plunge, or maybe it will show that it’s a LOT of work for a small amount of reward.  That’s up to you to decide.

Taking a good look at my sales over the last 14 months is helpful to see where my efforts are best focused, and what is happening as I release more patterns and my catalog becomes broader.

This is sales in USD, net of any taxes or coupons.  I was originally going to post number of patterns sold, but that proved difficult to gather across all my sales platforms.  Besides, it would be pretty easy to back-calculate that from average pattern price anyways.  If I’m going to publish sales figures, I guess I better put on my big girl panties and let it all hang out!

The Jennuine Design Pattern Shop began in earnest in 2014 with the release of my first garment pattern, the Matinee Dress and Peplum Top at the end of April.  Prior to that, I had my Camper Hat pattern, which was a great way to dip my toe in the water but wasn’t a pattern with multiple sizes.  I love the Matinee pattern, but I think it doesn’t reach a huge market because of the open back – and that’s okay.

In July, I released the LOL Swing Top, and that has been far and away my best selling pattern.  It was featured in Frances Suzanne’s September Showcase as part of their Flip This Pattern series and got a nice bump of exposure there.

Then life happened.  In October we began the process of moving from Michigan to New Jersey.  Dave moved ahead of us and I was left to prepare our house for listing, deal with showings and take care of the kids and animals.  And I still worked three days a week as a corporate accountant at that time.  We never sold our house and instead have it managed as a leased home and have had tenants since December 2014.  The girls and I moved the week before Thanksgiving.

Over the holidays I was busy working on my first pattern collection – the Haven Acres Mini Collection, made up of the Sweet Pea Cap, Haven Acres Blouse, and Dressage Leggings.  I really enjoyed creating a collection and hope to publish more in the future.

I needed a little time to recover from drafting and testing three patterns at once, so the Verona Dress didn’t make it’s appearance until the end of April.  In writing this, I realized that because I launched that pattern with UpCraft Club (affiliate link), I didn’t include the first week’s sales in these figures.

That nice peak there in May was when the LOL Swing Top was featured as Craftstorming’s Friday Fiver.  That was a very nice boost in sales, and a good chunk of people who were introduced to my patterns.

I very quietly released my Moto Jacket pattern in June.  I would have waited until closer to autumn to publish it, but I had already delayed working on this pattern and I was working with a sponsor so I felt obligated to complete it.  The Moto Jacket pattern tour is coming up later this month and I’ve already seen some amazing versions from participants!

I’m currently working on the Satya Romper and hope to release that before the end of August.  I love, love rompers and how easy this one is to get on and off.

My key takeaways from this analysis are what I’ve expected all along: as I release more patterns, overall sales increase.  It makes sense.  If someone has found they like my patterns but I don’t have… say a coat, they’re going to buy a pattern elsewhere.  There’s simply not an option for them in my shop.  There’s also the elusive star pattern, like the LOL Swing Top.  Obviously I like the pattern or I wouldn’t have created it, but I didn’t expect it to be quite so popular.  Now, how to create another star?  What are the features that buyers are being drawn to?

So there you have it!  The curtain has been pulled aside and you have my sales figures.  I plan to update and report this on a quarterly basis.  I also will pull together my expense figures so you can get an idea of what kind of expenditures go into a pattern making micro business.  It’s not just fabric!!

Now here’s a challenge to other pattern designers:  Publish your sales figures.  C’mon, all the cool designers are doing it!