At the beginning of the summer of 2024, I started thinking about ways to be more than just a printing company that designs and transfers images onto garments. I wanted to create something that was truly Minnesota-made—not sourced from overseas—yet still affordable, practical, durable, and stylish.
When the summer started, I had no idea how to sew. The only sewing I had ever done was stitching patches onto garments. But in July and August, I got a serger overlock machine. I began making pants with any fabric I could find; from old bed sheets my parents weren't using to cutting apart t-shirts just to practice.
Around halfway through July, I accidentally cut my finger and had to get five stitches. I quickly learned that fabric scissors cut deep and easily. For about a week, I was still trying to sew with a hand that barely worked, but once it healed, I got back to making 20 to 30 more pants out of muslin fabric and anything else I could find.
I even went to Joann Fabrics to feel different types of fabric, searching for something that was sturdy but still stretchy enough to squat in without tearing or feeling constrained. After a few more days of experimenting, I found that too much spandex or nylon made the fabric either too tight, too stretchy, or too droopy. Finally, I discovered the perfect fabric blend.
On the morning of August 31st, I sat down on a Saturday with my pre-cut cardboard templates I had measured out the week before. It was the moment of truth—to see if the cutouts were correct with the right seam length for sewing and overlocking. And when I finished the pants, I put them on immediately. Not only did I nail the sizing, but I also got the dimensions around the crotch area just right so it wasn’t too tight. The elastic waistband, which took a while to perfect, was also just the right length.
It took me from knowing nothing about sewing to finally creating a finished product that I can put on the market for an affordable price, made 100% in Minnesota. And I’ll end with this: When was the last time you went to a shop and saw an affordable, good-looking pant that was made in Minnesota—not overseas—and sold at an affordable price?