We’re happy to announce that we are now carrying the complete line of Friday Pattern Company digital patterns for women in the Oliver + S shop. To launch the collection, we asked Chelsea Gurnoe, creator of the brand, to write a short guest post introducing herself and her work.
My aim with Friday is to encourage people to design and customize a wardrobe that makes them feel good. I believe that clothing can be a source of real joy, and that there is no better way to find that joy than in a handcrafted, mindful wardrobe made by you, for you.
Like many people, my grandmother taught me to sew. She showed me how magical it is to turn an idea into a physical garment. I continued sewing throughout high school. I’ve always been one for self expression, and some of the monstrosities I created in high school are a testament to that!
I went on to study fashion design at San Francisco State University but dropped out after becoming disillusioned with the fashion industry. It was so much about selling an aspirational ideal that most people would never reach. I didn’t like how wasteful and cutthroat the fashion industry was–and is. I consistently found myself returning to sewing, and I’ve always known that if I could live my dream it would be a life where I am sewing things and making things all day everyday.
Friday Pattern Company is the result of a lot of dreaming, and research, and hard work. I am genuinely thrilled every time I see that someone has sewn one of my patterns. I hope that when people sew my patterns they have fun, and that they make garments that mean something to them.
Let me introduce a few of my favorite patterns.
The Square Neck Top: The Square Neck Top is the first pattern I released. It is easy to sew and a rather simple style. Since its release I have seen so many different versions, and it makes me so happy that it can be a jumping off point for people’s creativity.
The Vernazza Two Piece: Often, for people who identify as women, there is a fear of how you will be perceived if you share images of your body. The process of making and sharing this pattern generated a lot of discussion about owning our bodies and sharing them without shame. I was so honored to be a part of those conversations. Also, I love this swimsuit and I spent the whole summer running around in it!
The Hughes Dress: This is my most recent pattern release. This pattern evolved a lot from its initial design, and that makes it all the more special to me. The versions I made of the Hughes have become my uniform as of late.
You can find all the patterns in Chelsea’s collection on the Friday Pattern Company page in the shop section of our site.