Welcome to The Cottage Mama!
About The Cottage Mama: My name is Lindsay Wilkes and I am the owner / designer behind The Cottage Mama. The Cottage Mama is a lifestyle blog and children’s sewing pattern company dedicated to inspiring handmade living and the domestic arts. I am a wife, mother of four young children, author and stay-at-home mom turned handmade business owner.
Company History:
The Cottage Mama blog was started in October 2009 as a way to share my love of all things handmade including things such as sewing, recipes, decorating and crafts. From there The Cottage Mama clothing brand was launched in January 2010 selling ready-to-wear boutique-style children’s clothing. As the demand for clothing became increasingly hard to meet, and with our family expanding with more children, I then took the brand in a new direction. I started offering some of the most popular, ready-to-wear The Cottage Mama clothing designs for sale as sewing patterns for the home sewist. I no longer sell ready-to-wear clothing as the pattern business and blog are the main focus of The Cottage Mama. Patterns can be purchased here on the website and wholesale accounts are available for retailers. Some of the major distributors of The Cottage Mama Sewing Patterns are Checker, Brewer, United Notions and CS Distribution.
In June 2012 I signed on with a publisher (F & W Media) to write my first sewing book. ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls: 20 Girls’ Dresses, Outfits and Accessories from The Cottage Mama‘ which was released in October 2013. You can order a signed copy of the book here on the website or get a copy at a major retailer such as Joann Fabrics, Hobby Lobby, Michael’s, Barnes and Noble, etc. as well as Amazon.com.
The Cottage Mama has been featured in the following print publications: Altered Couture, Sew Beautiful Magazine, Where Women Create, Stitch. Craft. Create., Sew UK, Sew Hip.
I’ve also taught at the Martha Pullen School of Art Fashion, Riley Blake Design’s Fabric Fest and Baby Lock’s ‘Love of Sewing’ Retreats with Nancy Zieman. I have two sewing DVD’s and can also be seen on the PBS show, ‘Sew It All’ season 7 and Fons and Porter ‘Love of Quilting’ 2015/2016 season. See the Press tab for more information on The Cottage Mama features.
More About Me:
- I really DID live in a cottage when I started The Cottage Mama. That’s how the business name came to be (see picture above). However, we have since moved into a larger home with our expanding family. I like to call it the NEW Cottage Home.
- I married my high school sweetheart, Brett.
- I have four children: Savannah Rose, Matilda Jane, Caspian Finn and Josephine Mae.
- I went to Cincinnati Conservatory of Music to study Musical Theatre, but ended up in Chicago with a degree in Finance from DePaul University.
- We live in the Chicagoland area though I’ve also lived in Indiana, California, Texas and Ohio.
- I have a passion for sewing, cooking, crafting, decorating and pretty much all things domestic.
- I love antiquing, treasure hunting in thrift stores and going to the flea market.
- I love home decorating and hope to share more about that on the blog in the future!
- I enjoy planning a good party.
- I sing and am trying to get back into piano.
- I think the farmers market is a wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning.
- My favorite season is Fall.
- I am addicted to fabric. It’s my favorite.
- I love, love, love coffee.
And lastly, I just want to say thank you for making your way here to The Cottage Mama.
I hope you like what you see and will stay awhile.
I always love meeting new friends.
Lindsay Wilkes is the owner and designer behind The Cottage Mama. She creates timeless, vintage inspired sewing patterns for children’s clothes. She is also a fabric designer for Riley Black Designers / Penny Rose Fabrics, author of the book ‘Sew Classic Clothes for Girls’ and can be seen teaching nationwide and online in her video series ‘Lessons with Lindsay’ sponsored by Baby Lock Sewing and Embroidery machines.
