My Career: ‘If you want to start your own business, nurture your idea before you tell others’

Wed, 27 May, 2026 - 13:00

Name: Jennifer Fitzpatrick

Age: 40

Lives: Midleton

Job title: Sewist & Pattern Drafter, founder of Sew Your Own Clothes. I learnt to sew in 2021, at Mallow College of Design and Tailoring, and as soon as I did, I wanted to share the skill with other women. I spent years feeling bad about myself and my body: I felt held ransom by my wardrobe and how good or bad my day went was largely dictated by how good or bad I felt in my clothes. Learning to sew made me realise that my body wasn’t the problem.

Salary bracket: Enough to survive. Building a creative business takes time. It was a family decision and we knew from the start that it would mean making sacrifices. But my kids can see me trying something difficult, making mistakes and not giving up. I’m proud of that because I want them to know they can do the same.

Education background: I studied Russian and German at Trinity College. I gave birth to my eldest daughter when I was in my final year, so had to wait until the following year to do my final exams. After graduating, I worked in lots of different jobs: sub-editor and editor at Public Affairs Ireland, cook at The Pepperpot Café, translator, lots of waitressing and bartending, restaurant manager in Sage, a civil servant in the Social Welfare office, and my last job before I started my business was as a florist.

Hobbies: Sewing, of course! Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. I started in January and it’s one of the best things I’ve ever done. It’s so challenging but so addictive! It’s actually a lot like sewing in that you are really bad for ages and the only way to learn is to keep doing it — and get over the fact that you’re going to make mistakes constantly. Reading. And as a family, we love going to the beach.

Describe your job in five words: Creative, challenging, varied, rewarding, technical.

Describe yourself in five words: Curious, empathetic, determined, creative and passionate about the things I love.

Personality needed for this kind of work? Determined, curious, comfortable with feeling totally out of your depth, willing to learn and adapt to changing circumstances. You also need lots of self-belief. I have a lot of self-doubt too, but I’m really passionate about teaching other women to sew and that gets me through the tough times. A certain level of naivety is also good — would I have started my business if I knew it was going to be this difficult…?

How long are you doing this job? Almost three years. I was working full-time in a low-paid job with a long commute and my family and I thought: there has to be a better way. I did a more specialised sewing course in October, 2023, a business course in April, 2024, and I ran my first workshop in November, 2024, while still working as a florist.

How did you get this job? I made it for myself, so I suppose that makes me a solo entrepreneur. Sewing can feel overwhelming when you start because there is so much to learn and so many choices. I wanted to create the kind of learning experience I was looking for when I was starting out.

Do you need particular qualifications or experience? If you are teaching other people, you really need to know what you’re talking about. You almost need to know it backwards. I really deep dive into topics before I teach them. Coming from a neurodivergent household and being AuDHD myself, I know that everyone learns differently, so it’s really important to me to be able to explain things in lots of ways and in the most straightforward language possible.

Describe a day at work: I start when my kids go to school. First it’s emails, admin and following up on opportunities — applying for Culture Night or the Creative Schools panel, for example. Then marketing: making reels for Instagram or emailing my subscribers. Some days I’m filming tutorials for my Sewing Circle, which often takes a few tries until I’m happy I’ve explained things clearly enough.

Afternoons are usually spent editing and uploading these tutorials. I always leave sewing and pattern testing until the end of the day — that’s my reward.

How many hours do you work a week? Around 30+ hours, fitted around family life, evening Zoom classes and weekend workshops. Owning a business means your brain rarely switches off, but if I needed to collect the kids from school at short notice, I could.

Is your industry male or female dominated? Female. I teach women because my work looks at sewing through the lens of body image and changing body shape through life stages like postpartum and menopause.

Does this affect you in any particular way? No.

Is your job stressful? How? Rate it on a scale of 1–10: On a good day it’s a 1 — flexible, creative and rewarding. It can quickly become a 10 though. The inconsistent income is the hardest part, along with having no blueprint for what to do next. I couldn’t do it without the support of my family.

Do you work with others or on your own? Mostly on my own, unless I’m teaching. My classes are very collaborative — everyone brings something to the table and I’m always learning from my students too.

When do you plan to retire or give up working? I’ll never stop sewing and, as regards business, I like to think that as I get older I’ll have to do less marketing and promotional stuff. That’s the draining part. I could keep teaching forever.

Best bits: I’m my own boss and I love the freedom of this; the variety means that I never get bored; knowing that I am helping other women to take back control of their bodies and their wardrobes is why I do it — that’s so rewarding.

Worst bits: I’m my own boss — everything is my responsibility. The variety can be really overwhelming at times. I can feel pulled in 10 different directions and not know what to focus on. The time and effort that goes into marketing — that is probably the most draining part.

Advice to those who want your job? If you want to start your own business, nurture your idea before you tell other people. Don’t look at other businesses like yours at the beginning — it’s overwhelming and will make you doubt yourself.

Any other comments? Sewing is about far more than making clothes. It can completely change how you see yourself.