Amy Barickman

Amy Barickman (www.amybarickman.com), founder of Indygo Junction (www.indygojunction.com) is a leader in the sewing, needle arts and retail crafting industry. She is the author of multiple books including Amy Barickman’s Vintage Notions: Any Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun, as well as The Magic Pattern Book, which offers 36 unique fashion and accessory patterns - a whole wardrobe in a book! Amy grew up immersed in the sewing and crafting business, spending hours at her mother's creative arts retail store working and watching the business evolve along with the trends. The seeds of entrepreneurship took root in Amy, and she started her own business designing and marketing collectible teddy bears while still in high school. After graduating from the University of Kansas with a degree in art and design, Amy founded Indygo Junction in 1990 to publish and market sewing books and patterns and to showcase the work of leading designers. Amy’s knack for anticipating popular trends has led her to discover more than 45 innovative artists and designers. Through Indygo Junction, Amy has: - published over 1000 pattern titles - sold nearly three million book and pattern titles. - licensed craft kits and fabric lines - published over 80 books that have sold at stores throughout the U.S. and internationally. Amy, an avid collector, has one of the largest archives of vintage fashion and sewing books, images and ephemera in the United States. This vintage collection is inspiration for many of Indygo Junction’s modern patterns. Amy’s research into sewing history led her to discover her muse, Mary Brooks Picken, the founder of The Woman’s Institute of Domestic Arts & Science who was a fashion and sewing authority in the early 20th century. Amy realized she was compelled to share Picken’s timeless work with modern audiences. That dream was brought to fruition when Amy published Amy Barickman's Vintage Notions: An Inspirational Guide to Needlework, Cooking, Sewing, Fashion and Fun. Vintage Notions is a treasury of the best lessons and domestic arts wisdom from Mary and The Woman’s Institute, presented monthly with accompanying projects, inspiring essays and recipes. Recently, via her personal website, Amy has continued to reach out and share her collections. AmyBarickman.com offers the crafting community digital sewing images, labels and books as well as free vintage patterns. Through her blog, AmyBarickman.com/blog, she has continued to share her collections, views on vintage, travels, and projects with the ever-growing community of crafters and sewers that have embraced her work for twenty years. Amy and her work have received much acclaim in the news media, including on home and fashion shows and in magazines and industry periodicals. Amy had the honor of being named one of Country Living magazine's prestigious Creative Women Entrepreneurs. In addition, Amy has made numerous television appearances including regular visits to Sewing with Nancy on PBS. Through her published works, business websites and e-newsletters, Amy inspires countless crafters to explore their own creative spirit and experiment with the newest sewing, fabric and crafting techniques.