Episode 20: Leah Pitkin

Leah’s passion for fashion began when she was a young girl. When she was in the fifth grade, her mother enrolled in her in a summer sewing class. Leah loved it and begged her mom to enroll her in another class. Unfortunately, none were available, so her grandmother became her teacher. Her first major creations were three hand‐sewn A‐Line dresses for herself, her sister, and their friend. Once they all had their dresses on, they decided to try them out on a friend’s trampoline. According to Leah, “One jump and a toe touch and them suckers split all the way down the side.” She laughs, saying that from that moment on it was, “game on.” (4:44‐ 9:11)

Leah’s grandpa used to say to her, “Baby, you’re only as good as your tools.” After buying a very cheap machine when she was just starting out, Leah learned firsthand that having the right equipment can make a world of difference. She admits to being a perfectionist and says that now she always makes sure she has the right tools to ensure that what she creates looks professional. ( 13:45 – 16:18)

Leah started out sewing and doing pattern testing for several leading pattern companies. After about five years, she became a designer for Violet Field Threads. Soon, however, she knew it was time to dive in and follow her dream of designing her own patterns and opening her own company. The company’s name, Vintage Little Lady came from her telling her little girls, “You look like a vintage little lady,” every time one of her daughters put on one of her creations. She talks a lot about the ins and outs of starting a company, and her process of making her dream come true. “When a dream is written down with a date, it becomes a goal, then it’s broken down into steps which becomes a plan, then it’s backed up by action, which becomes a reality. And the action for me is diving in.” (17:45 – 21:30)

Leah talks in‐depth about the process of creating a pattern: the vision, the research, the designing, drafting, checking, re‐designing, re‐drafting, re‐checking, and doing it all again until everything is perfect. Then she explains that you have to fit the models, style their hair and do the fashion shoot. The process she says, takes 6 to 8 weeks of very long days, with a lot of back and forth. A lot of trial and error. (24:30 – 34:26)

The Vintage Little Ladies store has been up for over two years, and Leah has no plans for slowing down. When you listen to the podcast, you’ll be engaged, uplifted, and 100% inspired. If you have questions or would like to share your inspiration, you can reach out to Leah and her team at vintagelittlelady.com