Here at Closet Core Patterns, we believe that sewing has the power to transform your life, not just your closet. We design elevated, perennial sewing patterns to help you create the clothes of your dreams, and a richer, more sustainable alternative to the fast fashion funnel. Through personal experience, we’ve learned that sewing is a secret gateway to self-love, self-care and self-confidence, and wherever you are in your sewing practice, we want to help enhance your skills so you feel empowered and inspired to design and sew a wardrobe that is uniquely and utterly you.
Since 2013, we’ve done the hard work so you don’t have to. Our dedicated design team of industry professionals is laser-focused on providing you with sewing patterns and resources you can trust; meticulously drafted in sizes 0-32, rigorously tested, and most importantly, fun and intuitive to use, whether you’re a sewing ninja or a total newbie.
Proudly based in Montreal, Quebec, we ship internationally alongside our sister brand, Core Fabrics. Our mission is to provide you with everything you need on your sewing journey, from sewing patterns to comprehensive online sewing courses, hard-to-source hardware and supplies, and beautiful, high-quality textiles that are kinder to the planet and people who produce them. Let’s sew a better world, together.
Meet our Founder, Heather Lou
I started sewing because my life was a mess. I was in debt up to my eyeballs from shopping, I was bored and unfulfilled at work, and I was desperate for a creative outlet. I knew I had to make a change, so I created a challenge for myself: for one year, the only new things that would enter my closet would be things that I made with my own two hands. Little did I realize that cutting out a vintage pattern on my best friend’s floor back in 2011 would totally change the trajectory of my life. Not only would that same friend go on to become my business partner (more on that in a minute), but I found that everything I was learning about sewing became deeper lessons about much bigger things. I learned to love my body when I wasn’t trying to cram it into off-the-rack clothes that didn’t fit. I realized how capable and skilled I was when I persevered and put my mind to something challenging. I discovered an enormous well of creativity and inspiration every time I needed it. I made incredible, lifelong friends who shared my love for this craft. And perhaps most importantly, I developed my ability to be resilient; with each minor sewing setback came the knowledge that I was only growing, as a person and a craftsperson, every time I sat down to sew.
I started Closet Core Patterns because I wanted to share the passion and knowledge that was slowly changing my life for the better. In 2013, I left my job as a commercial interior designer and started small with a few PDF patterns. Things grew quickly, and over the years we’ve released everything from t-shirts to blazers and jeans. We’ve grown from a one-woman show in my Montreal apartment to a thriving small team of people who are as ardent about sewing, creating, and learning as I am. Always at the core of everything we do is a dedication to the art of sewing, and a passion for finding ways to make this timeless craft relevant and exciting to all generations of sewists. Together we spend our days dreaming up beautiful new patterns, supportive online courses, and inspiring and helpful blog content to help you on your way. And that friend who let me use her floor as a giant cutting table? She’s now my partner in Core Fabrics, a beautifully curated, sustainable fabric store that combines our mutual love for sewing with our commitment to an environmentally responsible future.
Regardless of where you are on your own sewing journey, I am so happy you’re here. I hope you too are making beautiful things, and learning something new about yourself every time you sit down to sew.
Our Team
Head of our pattern production team, Veronik Avery brings decades of experience, education and a bone-deep passion for craft and sewing to our pattern development process. She reads sewing books for fun, knows all the Adobe tricks and keeps our strict timelines in check. In addition to being a renowned knitwear designer, she is also one hell of a home chef!
Celine is our in-house designer and patternmaker. She is the mastermind behind our pattern designs, responsible for drafting them, figuring out complex construction details, resolving fit issues and ensuring our notches are always perfectly matched up. Originally from France with a degree in fashion design, she is also a travelling free spirit and loving mom.
Our resident idea factory, Amy oversees our marketing team. She dreams up photo shoots, plans our editorial calenders and writes the best (and funniest) blog posts. A former dancer, dedicated mom to two boys and the thriftiest maker alive, she can nearly always be found at home making magic out of cast-offs. She also never misses a Bachelor Monday night with Heather.
As our shipping coordinator and office manager, Rika ensures your packages arrive on time and in one piece, in addition to keeping our studio organized and running smoothly. Thoughtful and kind, she is also the team comedian, and can always make us laugh during team meetings.
Monserratt joined our team to help with customer support and was such a sewing dynamo we had to move her to our pattern production team! In addition to sample making and pattern work, she helps develop new content and courses to feed your creative minds. Our resident bra-making expert, she is passionate about teaching, body positivity, and experimental science.
Ama joined the team as our Community Manager and now we can't imagine the studio without her! Responsible for planning social media content, replying to comments, and answering all your burning DMs, she's also an incredibly gifted knitter and quilter, and stands in as our in-house tech whizz (Ama, what is a "Tiktok"?)