About TaylorTailor

I’m Taylor, and I’ve been sewing for 17 years, making my own clothes, bags, and everything in between. I’ve always loved the pattern design process and the craft involved in working with my hands to make something truly useful.

I use everything I make. I’ve traveled with my self-made backpacks, slings, and pouches all over the world, on planes, trains, and boats from Japan to Sydney, Zurich to Madrid, and more than one trip to Las Vegas along the way. Testing each pattern in real world conditions matters to me, and I’ve been lucky enough to do that while seeing a bit of the world.

How I Got Here

I’ve always had a bit of a love affair with bags. I remember being in elementary and middle school looking around at all the different backpacks my classmates had. For me, putting on a backpack that felt right and looked right was as important as having the right clothes to wear. Lugging books and notebooks back and forth between school and home, your bag becomes part of you.

That experience stuck with me. Eventually I realized I wanted to learn how to make my own gear. And then I noticed there are a lot of other people who feel exactly the same way. People who don’t just make bags, but love buying and collecting them too. Going from making clothes to making bags was a natural progression.

These days I’m not lugging a pack full of books around, but I always bring something I’ve made on any adventure whether that’s a vacation across the world or a trip to the grocery store. A good bag is kind of like a comfort blanket. It makes me feel a little more prepared for whatever the day brings.

The Patterns

Everything I know about pattern drafting and bag making I learned the hard way through trial and error, experimenting with different techniques, studying other makers, and from an amazing sewing teacher, mentor, and friend who made custom clothing for many famous celebrities. Thanks Lynn.

My first pattern, The Desmond Roll Top Backpack, came out over ten years ago. Seeing how people use these patterns to organize and enhance their lives in some small way is one of my favorite things about designing sewing patterns for bags.

Since then TaylorTailor has evolved from a personal project into a pattern shop and resource for bag making. From small EDC pouches to totes, slings, and beyond, I try to make versatile useful sewing patterns. Every pattern I sell is developed and tested on a regular home sewing machine. I want to make each pattern as accessible as possible for as many people as possible, and I know that most people don’t have an industrial machine at home.

All patterns come with a full set of written instructions and diagrams. I also produce step-by-step video tutorials for most patterns on YouTube.

The Names

I live with my wife and our resident cat Desmond in Nashville, Tennessee. At any given moment we also have a rotating cast of foster kittens we take care of. There’s a huge need in our area and it’s one small way we can give back. If you’ve spent any time on this site you’ve probably noticed that all of my patterns are named after foster kittens. These little creatures become companions and members of people’s families after they leave our house. Getting to relive my time with them through a pattern name is one of my favorite things about this whole project.

Beyond the Sewing

My wife and I also run a web and graphic design business Purr Design and develop recipes and do food photography for our food blog Love & Olive Oil.

Stop by, take a look around, and feel free to get in touch if I can help with your bag making or sewing journey. See you out there.