About this episode

Catherine Holbrook shares her transformative journey into sewing, discussing her experiences as a garment maker, pattern designer, and social media influencer.

What happens when a 26-year-old searches Google for a hobby and discovers sewing? For Catherine Holbrook, it led to a creative journey that transformed her life. In this episode, Catherine shares how she taught herself to sew after moving to North Carolina, beginning with thrift-store refashioning projects before growing into a respected garment maker, pattern designer, Bernina Ambassador, and social media influencer. Catherine discusses her years designing patterns for Styla Patterns, the technical process of pattern grading, and her unique approach to creating elaborate ball gowns twice a year with direct input from her online audience. Her followers vote on design decisions, turning each gown into an interactive creative experience that has become a hallmark of her brand. The conversation also explores Catherine’s growing interest in quilting, inspired in part by unfinished quilts left behind by her husband’s grandmother. She reflects on the differences between garment sewing and quilting, the joy of learning new skills, and her hope of finishing family heirloom projects to carry on a meaningful legacy. Throughout the episode, Catherine shares stories about teaching her…

People in this episode

Guest: Catherine Holbrook

Topics covered

• sewing
• pattern design
• quilting
• creative journey
• family legacy
• social media influence

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Styla Patterns, Bernina

More episodes of Sew & So...

• BERNINA University 2026 - New Orleans, LA · July 16, 2026 · 1h 7m
• Becky Peelen – A lifetime of making memories…and now she’s retiring · July 2, 2026 · 33 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Sew & So... podcast page.