My Story

Amy and Emma
Amy and Emma

My daughter Emma and I at a recent Indygo Junction photo shoot. Emma is in our Kitchen Shirt Tales pattern, I”m wearing the Perfect Pullover.

Mom teaching Amy to sew

My mother and I with my first sewing machine.

Hi! My name is Amy Barickman and I am a creative arts entrepreneur based in Kansas City with over 30 years of experience in the craft industry. I was lucky enough to grow up immersed in the sewing and crafting business, as my mother owned a creative arts shop in West Des Moines, Iowa. My mother’s success inspired my entrepreneurial “gene” and I launched my first business designing and selling teddy bears while I was still in high school. I graduated with a Fine Arts Degree from the University of Kansas (go Jayhawks!) and quickly founded my first company, Indygo Junction, in 1990. Since that time, I have helped discover and launch more than 25 artists and my designers and I have released over 1000 pattern titles and published 80 books – including my most popular book – Vintage Notions – An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion & Fun.

Trained as a Home Economics teacher, my mother not only introduced me to sewing at a young age, she also passed on her “collector gene”, bringing me along to local flea markets, tag sales and antique shops. She instilled in me a life-long love of the hunt for vintage treasures and over the years I have curated a personal collection of fabrics, quilts, sewing books, patterns, and notions that I love to share with the creative community.

As the industry evolved, I became interested in how crafters could combine vintage ephemera with the computer technology they had at home. In 2002 I founded The Vintage Workshop to create digital products that combined timeless vintage artwork with modern printable materials – opening up a whole new world of DIY possibilities.

My newest creative endeavor is the Treasured Threadz™ Collection in partnership with Colonial Patterns, which is located right here in my hometown of Kansas City. Upcycling fabrics has always been a favorite focus of mine and Treasured Threadz™ is the culmination of my love for vintage textiles and passion for repurposing thrifted fabrics and preloved apparel. These authentic digital reproduction fabric panels are ideal for applique and small projects and are perfect for embroidery, quilting, stitching and collage techniques.

I am passionate about helping others find inspiration for handmade projects and to cultivate more joy in their everyday living through needle and thread. If you are looking for more vintage fun, be sure to sign up for my newsletter which is full of sewing patterns, seasonal inspiration, and my latest projects.

Let’s create something amazing together!
— Amy

Learn With Amy

 Use the links below to learn about my latest in-person events and lecture options, my Vintage Modern Makers online courses, and I would love for you to subscribe to my YouTube channel—which houses dozens of fun videos and tutorials.

Licensed Products

Follow Along With Amy

Be sure to follow along with me on Instagram and Facebook. These are the best places to keep up to date on all my most recent goings-on! Can’t wait to see you there!

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