On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast, we’re talking about cosplay with my guest Madison May.
Madison is the owner and head pattern maker at CUT/SEW Sewing Patterns, a beginner-friendly pattern company that provides entry-level, customizable patterns to the cosplay and street fashion community. With over fifteen years of experience in the costume and fashion industry, Madison has provided patterns to both Broadway and off-Broadway theatrical productions, major US theme parks, cruise lines, and television.
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We begin this interview with Madison discussing her background in fashion and cosplay, highlighting her early interest in sewing and costume design, which was influenced by her great-grandmother and a local convention experience.
Madison pursued fashion design at Pratt Institute, but found the program shifted focus towards commercial and couture fashion, which did not align with her interests in costuming. After graduating, Madison took odd jobs in costuming, including circus work and dressing gigs for Fashion Week and Broadway, while seeking opportunities to create costumes rather than just assist with them.
Madison moved back to Florida, where she got experience working in the theme park and cruise ship entertainment industry after graduating, where she transitioned from being a stitcher to an in-house pattern maker due to her pattern-making training. She created costumes for theme park shows and Broadway-style productions on cruise ships.
Madison first got into cosplay as a teenager. After taking a break from cosplay during college, she returned to the hobby while working at a costume shop in Orlando, where she noticed a gap in the market for professionally designed cosplay patterns. This realization led her to start creating patterns for cosplayers, filling a niche that was previously underserved.
Madison founded her cosplay pattern company in 2015, launching 10 patterns on Indiegogo with an initial goal of $8,000 but only reaching halfway. The company’s first show was in March 2016, featuring a mix of cosplay-specific and Tokyo street fashion patterns.
Her business initially operated through pop-up shops at comic conventions. She transitioned to selling online through Shopify around 2017-2018. The company’s focus on community and beginner-friendly services was important to Madison from the start. While the business initially focused on print products, they transitioned to digital PDFs in 2018-2019, partially due to postal costs for international customers.
She emphasized that customers appreciate the quality and beginner-friendly instructions, which are designed for those new to sewing. Madison talked about ways that shops can create a more inclusive environment for cosplay sewists and for those interested in sewing who are a young demographic. This might mean adding clear signage that everyone is welcome and adding cosplay-focused classes to attract this demographic. She highlighted the role of cosplay in the future of sewing and the importance of understanding and embracing this community, which often feels overlooked or unwelcome in traditional sewing spaces.
CUT/SEW Patterns has a collaborative relationship with Bernette sewing machines and is now a dealer. She also has a great relationship with Famore. CUT/SEW Patterns will be at h+h americas 2026 next to the Famore booth.
And, of course, I ask Madison to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Madison recommends:
- Raindrop.io
- Famoré EZ Snips / Hook n Snip
- The Dungeon Crawler Carl series by Matt Dinniman
Keep up with Madison on the CUT/SEW website, on Instagram, and on YouTube.
