About
Sew Skimpy is a boutique designer of digital sewing patterns and DIY
sewing tutorials, specializing in creative, stylish, and customizable garments.
Based in the Midwest, Sew Skimpy patterns are enjoyed by makers worldwide.
My Story
I began creating skimpy clothing in the 1990s, long before digital sewing patterns were widely available. What started as personal experimentation eventually grew into a lifelong skill—and later, a business.
In 2016, I began selling digital download sewing patterns and sharing sewing tutorials on YouTube. Since then, I’ve turned my passion into teaching my trade and developing a boutique line of skimpy sewing patterns. Today, Sew Skimpy offers over 100 sewing patterns, with many more in development.My goal is to share the resources I wish had existed when I first started sewing skimpy designs in the 1990s. Every pattern is hand-drafted from my original designs, then digitized in Adobe Illustrator for accurate, repeatable results. I’ve been fortunate to learn from mentors and collaborate with talented people along the way—my sincere thanks to everyone who has supported this journey.
My Sewing History
I earned an Associate’s Degree in Commercial Art shortly after high school. In the late 1980s, I learned computer graphics on early Apple computers—skills that would later shape how I create and digitize sewing patterns. Over the years, I continued teaching myself digital design through hands-on practice and online learning, especially with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator.
Before Sew Skimpy, I worked in the bar industry in Omaha, NE and San Antonio, TX, eventually moving to Dallas, where I worked as a House Mom in gentlemen’s clubs. While managing dressing rooms and supporting performers, I also designed and sewed custom garments for dancers, refining my skills in fit, stretch fabrics, and performance wear.
A few years later, I returned to the Midwest to raise my family and opened Basic Tease Boutique in Omaha. The lingerie store operated for nearly 10 years before closing in 2013, when rising overhead and online competition made brick-and-mortar retail unsustainable.
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After closing the store, I sold skimpy clothing through Etsy and local venues while continuing to sew and design. With over 35 years of sewing experience, Sew Skimpy represents the evolution of everything I’ve learned—combining traditional drafting, digital tools, and real-world garment construction into accessible sewing patterns and tutorials.
