We are so happy to welcome back Lisa from Paprika Patterns! She has been a supporter and sponsor of Indie Pattern Month for a few years now. We caught up with her to learn a little more about the handmade designs she has in her own closet and to see what’s new with her pattern line.
**Use code IPM2018 for 15% off all Paprika Patterns through October 31st**
Hi Lisa! Welcome back to Indie Pattern Month! First, can you tell us a bit about the style and range of your patterns, for people who may not have seen your brand before.
Hi! Happy to be back! I design women’s patterns. I try to always incorporate some original design details, but I want them above all to be comfortable and easy to move around in. I love designing for knits for this reason. My size range includes a B or C cup and a bust size up to 49”or 124 cm.
We’d love to learn a little more about your personal style, and how it reflects into your patterns – a look into the designer’s closet, if you will 🙂 How closely would you say your personal style matches up to your designs?
I have to say my style has evolved since I started designing, and lately I have been reflecting what that means for my future designs. My life has changed much too – I have a daughter now and am pregnant with my second child. Changes to your body change what you wear, and I just don’t know what the effect of that will be for Paprika Patterns. But I think my range offers something different to what’s out there, and that will remain important for whatever I’ll come up with in the future.
How much of your personal wardrobe is handmade?
I’d say at least 75%. I’ve been steadily adding to my wardrobe for 8 years now and although nothing of those first years is still with me, many have become staples. I’m always looking to fill gaps.
Do you sew mostly your own designs, or are there any other patterns or designers that you gravitate toward for your personal wardrobe?
Honestly, I get bored easily and always want to try something new. So after sewing many samples for my own patterns, I do not often go back to them. I have a wide variety of patterns from other designers. I’m currently trying out some from MaternitySewing.com, as we (I am the co-owner) carry many designers new to me.
In a previous interview, you mentioned wanting to do a maternity line, and now you’ve co-founded Maternity Sewing which provides so much more than a pattern line! We won’t get into it too much in this interview 🙂 but we’d love to know – how has it been balancing the two? And what does the future hold for Paprika Patterns?
Yes! The maternity line has evolved into a maternity, nursing and postpartum pattern shop with over 80 patterns. I work parttime and Maternity Sewing takes up most of that time. I’m also designing maternity patterns, and I am really enjoying this new challenge. Together with what I said earlier about the direction of Paprika, it makes more sense to get Maternity Sewing off the ground than trying to also design for Paprika right now. I expect to get back to it in 2019, when our life with a new baby has settled a bit as well.
The Monthly Stitch 