When Michelle Larsen started her fashion brand, she planned on making each item herself, with an eye to transparency, sustainability and fair labour practices.

She held fast to those principles as her brand evolved over the years, but she recently flipped her original vision on its head: many people are now making one of her designs.

Larsen害羞草研究所檚 line, Fortiv, is one of a handful of small fashion brands that have started selling PDF sewing patterns 害羞草研究所� blueprints for cutting and marking fabric, and instructions on how to sew those pieces into a garment 害羞草研究所� in addition to, or instead of, ready-to-wear clothes.

害羞草研究所淚 had this connection a couple of years ago that it really aligned with my values to make sewing patterns, because it was giving other people the possibility to make things,害羞草研究所� she said from Vancouver. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a layer of accessibility there that I really value.害羞草研究所�

Larsen and her peers see the sewing pattern model as a continuation of their 害羞草研究所渟low fashion害羞草研究所� mission 害羞草研究所� in contrast to fast fashion companies such as Zara and Shein 害羞草研究所� to reduce their industry害羞草研究所檚 negative impact on people and the planet.

But slow fashion is often pricey, because in addition to reducing the number of designs released per season and garments made per design, a pillar of the model is paying a fair wage to everyone involved in the process.

害羞草研究所淭here are many people, including myself, honestly, that can害羞草研究所檛 afford higher priced items,害羞草研究所� Larsen said. 害羞草研究所淚t feels really nice to be able to say to someone, 害羞草研究所楬ey, if you can害羞草研究所檛 afford this $240 tulip top that I make, you can sew it.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

Larsen has so far released only that pattern: a corset-style sleeveless shirt with lace-up sides and wide scallops at the hem.

A second pattern, an elastic-waist skirt with gathered side panels, is entering testing and should be available to customers soon.

The tulip top PDF will cost you $22 before tax, and it requires only a metre or so of fabric, which Larsen noted is easy to find at a thrift store for just a few dollars.

The pattern pieces are narrow, so they fit easily into offcuts for those who already sew. That害羞草研究所檚 part of why she designed the shirt that way.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 constantly aware of my own usage of resources as I go about my business,害羞草研究所� she said.

But beyond reducing waste, the move also makes good business sense.

Though the number of people who know how to sew is lower than the number who need to wear clothes (a designation that encompasses nearly everybody), Larsen doesn害羞草研究所檛 see the move as shrinking her customer base, since she will continue to sell made-to-order pieces.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 coming full circle in a way,害羞草研究所� said Leah Barrett, a fashion professor at Toronto害羞草研究所檚 George Brown College. 害羞草研究所淚 am old enough to remember a time when clothing was made at home.害羞草研究所�

Much of the fashion industry害羞草研究所檚 environmental impact comes from overproduction, said Barrett, who specializes in sustainability in apparel manufacturing.

It害羞草研究所檚 possible home sewists 害羞草研究所� a preferred term for many, given sewer害羞草研究所檚 unfortunate homonym 害羞草研究所� may make mistakes that lead to inadvertent waste, or make more garments than they need. But the scale of that waste would pale in comparison to that of fast fashion brands, which have to guess how much to produce to satisfy customers.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 a lot of that prediction of demand that goes wrong and leaves designers with serious inventory issues,害羞草研究所� Barrett said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 no way around it.害羞草研究所�

Except, perhaps, selling patterns.

Though there害羞草研究所檚 still prediction involved 害羞草研究所� will customers like a garment enough to buy the pattern and take the time to sew it? 害羞草研究所� there isn害羞草研究所檛 much waste if designers guess wrong.

Barrett pointed to another Canadian clothing company that害羞草研究所檚 expanded into the sewing market, Weyburn, Sask.-based Cedar & Vine, which is selling 100 per cent linen fabric that sewists can use to make the patterns it recently released.

害羞草研究所淎 style can fail if it害羞草研究所檚 not in the right fabric,害羞草研究所� she said, so offering fabric 害羞草研究所� or at the very least fabric suggestions 害羞草研究所� will 害羞草研究所渕inimize failure,害羞草研究所� and therefore waste.

Pivoting to patternmaking seemed like a good solution to designer Brooke Cannon, who has long felt torn. She wants to create, but the world is already overflowing with stuff.

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 like a negotiation with myself,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚 would tell myself, 害羞草研究所榠t害羞草研究所檚 just a small amount and I would rather people invest in my brand and my artwork rather than a fast fashion brand.害羞草研究所� But at the end of the day, it害羞草研究所檚 still participating in it.害羞草研究所�

She and business partner Katie Beaton decided to shutter their respective online shops 害羞草研究所� accessories line Never Ending Weekend for Cannon and cult favourite slow-fashion line Beaton Linen in Beaton害羞草研究所檚 case 害羞草研究所� and start something new together.

The result is the B.C.-based Beaton Weekend, which will soon release patterns of some of Beaton害羞草研究所檚 best-loved designs.

Cannon has spent the last several months sketching the designs and writing and illustrating the sewing instructions.

害羞草研究所淚害羞草研究所檓 basically spending all my time doing very nerdy and not very dopamine-driven work,害羞草研究所� she said.

Ultimately, she hopes it will be worth it.

害羞草研究所淭he thing about creating patterns is that once they害羞草研究所檙e made and they害羞草研究所檙e out in the world, it害羞草研究所檚 passive income. It害羞草研究所檚 done. You害羞草研究所檝e created something, and it害羞草研究所檚 digital,害羞草研究所� she said. 害羞草研究所淚t just kind of takes care of itself.害羞草研究所�

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Nicole Thompson, The Canadian Press