Welcome!
I’m Gabriela, owner of Chalk and Notch
Hi, I'm Gabriela, owner of Chalk and Notch patterns. I'm a pattern maker, mom, and Fashion Design graduate who fell in love with the art of pattern making. After eight years in the apparel industry as both a pattern maker and product developer, I was ready for something new.
In 2015, I discovered the online sewing community and saw an opportunity to create something meaningful with the skills I had learned working in the apparel industry. I released my first girls’ pattern in November of 2015 and my first women’s pattern in 2017. I am so thankful to have found this incredible online sewing community. I started this business on my own, but it’s been exciting to grow and work with amazing makers along the way.
While Chalk and Notch remains a small business, I'm fortunate to work with an incredible team of contractors who share our vision. More regularly, I work with Emi, our Copy Editor, who has worked with me since 2015. Nicole joined the team in 2020 as our Marketing Coordinator, Teri joined us in 2021 and Tessa in 2023, both as content creators. Together we make a great team, and I’m excited to introduce them to you.
Our mission is simple: create stylish, professionally drafted patterns with detailed instructions while building a welcoming community of makers. We offer many resources on our blog to inspire and ensure you can sew our patterns with confidence. This includes photo sew alongs, fitting resources, and fabric sourcing posts. We hope you trust and enjoy sewing Chalk and Notch patterns for years to come.
Beyond creating quality patterns, we're committed to fostering an inclusive community where all makers feel welcome and valued. We hope you see and feel that in everything we do.
Thank you for stopping by!
XO, Gabriela
Emi – Copy Editor
Emi has been addicted to words and reading since she was a young girl, and worked as a copyeditor, proofreader, and translator for several years before joining the Chalk and Notch team. She learned to sew after her daughters were born, and recently started sewing for herself. Her obsessions include photography, fountain pens, anything to do with cherry blossoms, and collecting fabric, though not necessarily in that order.
As the copy editor for Chalk and Notch, Emi edits the sewing pattern tutorials, blog posts, and newsletters.
Nicole – Marketing Coordinator
Nicole has sewn most of her life but fell in love with garment sewing after taking a college sewing class in 2010. Her passion for fabric and sewing deepened while spending five years working in an independent fabric shop. She’s been regularly documenting her sewing on her blog, Merritts Makes, since 2016. Outside of sewing, Nicole is a mother of one. She enjoys reading, learning new creative skills, and eating tacos.
As the marketing coordinator for Chalk and Notch, Nicole creates and edits blog content, writes newsletters, and helps in coordinating our Contributor Team.
Teri – Content Creator
Teri has fond memories of her mom teaching her how to sew as a young girl. She grew to love garment sewing in high school and majored in Fashion Merchandising in college. She worked as an Inventory Analyst and Demand Planner for 10 years before she decided to stay home to raise her three kids. After her second son was born, she discovered the growing world of independent pattern companies and began her quest to build a handmade wardrobe. She posts her makes on her blog Fa Sew La. Teri also loves to bake, listen to audiobooks, and spend time with her family.
As a content creator for Chalk and Notch, Teri photographs, films, and, writes our sewing tips series. You can find the written posts on the blog here and video tutorials on Instagram Reels.
Tessa – Sew Along Creator
Tessa has been a maker for as long as she can remember. She started sewing at a young age, and her passion for it grew as she did. While her two children were young she spent the best part of a decade working from home making custom clothing and alterations for others. Now she makes the majority of her wardrobe, while also teaching others to sew at an independent fabric store in Boulder, CO. Apart from sewing, Tessa spends a lot of time trying to make her Colorado garden look like the one she grew up with in England. She loves a good cup of tea any time of day and will never turn down a slice of cake.
Tessa loves the construction side of garment sewing, so she is right at home making samples and taking photos for the Chalk and Notch sew-along posts. You can find the Chalk and Notch Sew Along library here.