The last ten years of running Deer&Doe have been incredibly fulfilling, but life is full of changing seasons and the time has come for me and Eléonore to write the next chapter of our lives. So while this is goodbye for us, it is with much excitement that we are announcing the sale of Deer&Doe to our very capable friends and experienced pattern designers at Closet Core Patterns.

It has been a privilege to share our creative vision with so many, and we cannot thank you enough for your support over the years. While designing sewing patterns for a living has been a blessing beyond belief, simply put—the time has come for a change. After the rollercoaster of last year, it became clear to both of us that we could no longer give Deer&Doe the creative and emotional energy it deserved. And so we’ve made the decision to transition to our next great adventure . . . I have taken a full-time role at Spoonflower while Eleonore is taking time to rest before embarking on a new chapter.

Please know that this is not a sad announcement. Change always comes with exciting possibilities, and we cannot wait to see what the future holds for ourselves and for the Deer&Doe brand. So without further ado, let’s discuss what you can expect moving forward.

Looking Ahead

When we first began discussing possibilities for the future of Deer&Doe, our hope was to find a buyer with both the resources and expertise to continue offering bilingual patterns and support, with the level of attention and care our customers have become accustomed to. Closet Core was the obvious first choice. Not only do they have a consistent track record of publishing high-quality sewing patterns in both English and French in multiple size ranges, but they are also a Quebec-based company with the infrastructure and expertise to take care of our many French customers. In short, we knew they were the perfect candidate for the job and we trusted them to do it well.

To our delight, Heather Lou, the founder of Closet Core Patterns, replied to our initial inquiry with immediate interest. Interest in not just supporting our existing catalogue, but in keeping the spirit of Deer&Doe alive on an ongoing basis. Not only will they offer complete continuity of service for our existing patterns—but they will continue to publish new patterns under the Deer&Doe brand! Romantic, feminine, and timeless designs have always been at the heart of our creative ethos, and this is a vision they plan to carry forward into future designs. We are incredibly excited to see the spirit of Deer&Doe live on, and can’t wait to see what Heather and her team will bring to the brand going forward. You can also read Heather’s blog post if you’d like to learn more.

We’re also pleased to share that Sylvie has joined the Closet Core team as their new customer service coordinator. Sylvie has been an integral part of Deer&Doe since 2019, and will be bringing with her a deep knowledge of our patterns and the library of resources we’ve built to support them. In addition to continuing to answer questions and assist with the Deer&Doe library, her role is expanding to support the entire Closet Core catalogue as well! We are so thankful for the opportunity to have worked alongside Sylvie these last five years, and we want to offer her heartfelt congratulations on her new role. 

Starting today, the entire Deer&Doe pattern catalogue can be found on the Closet Core website. The Deer&Doe blog with its extensive library of content will also live on. Deer&Doe will be maintained as a separate brand, and you will be able to find all of this content easily anytime you visit their website. We encourage you to take the time to explore the new website, become familiar with the updated navigation, and check out Closet Core’s catalogue of patterns if you haven’t already (all CCP patterns have fully translated instructions in French!) We have made many of their patterns over the years and personally cannot wait to try out some more! You can also look forward to the next Deer&Doe pattern release in early 2025.

“So long, and thanks for all the fish”

As we close this chapter, we cannot emphasize enough what a privilege it has been to share our work and connect with you all through a love of sewing over this last decade. We cannot imagine what our lives would look like without the overwhelming amount of community support we’ve received over the years, and we want to extend our deepest gratitude to every person who has ever shared, purchased, and sewn our patterns; for every person who has followed along with our journey and welcomed our messages to your inbox; for every person who has sent us a note of support or shared the meaningful place sewing holds in your life. All of this would be meaningless without you, and from the bottom of our hearts—thank you.

FAQ

Do I need to download my PDF patterns? 

As of today, the old Deer&Doe website no longer exists. However, the CC team is working on fully importing your PDF purchase history into the Closet Core website, and you will be able to access and download past patterns anytime you like by creating an account on our platform. You should be getting an email “order confirmation” email in the next few days with a link to the pattern you purchased and further directions on creating an account. In the short term, if you would like access to digital files you’ve purchased from the old D&D site you can do so using the order recovery page here (please note our old file server will be shut down shortly, and future access to downloads will be through the Closet Core site only). The free Plantain Tee can still be accessed anytime here 🙂

Are any patterns being discontinued?

No, the entire Deer&Doe catalog will remain available for purchase, including the Dressed ebook.

Will patterns continue to be released in French?

Yes! Closet Core is a Quebec-based company with a bilingual team (their entire pattern team is Francophone and their designer is from France!) and will continue to offer Deer&Doe patterns in both French and English. Sylvie, our customer service manager since 2019, is joining the Closet Core team and will continue supporting the Deer&Doe brand as she always has.

What is going to happen to existing blog content and tutorials?

All of the tutorials, inspiration, and pattern resources that have been published over the years on the Deer&Doe website will remain available on the Deer&Doe blog. 

Will pattern prices stay the same?

Prices have increased slightly so they are more consistent with existing Closet Core Patterns pricing. If you’ve ever purchased from CCP in the past, you will notice they have also standardized Euro and UK pricing on their own patterns so that VAT is included in the final price, rather than added at checkout.

Can I still purchase both size ranges separately?

No. Closet Core Patterns include both size ranges with all PDF pattern purchases. To be consistent, they will now include both Deer&Doe size ranges with purchase as well.

Will paper patterns be coming back?

Perhaps! If interest is strong from retailers and brick and mortar stores, Deer&Doe patterns may come back into print but only time will tell 😉

Will any older patterns be expanded?

Yes! Closet Core is planning on extending the sizing on select Deer&Doe patterns but do not have concrete details to share just yet. However, they do hope to release a couple patterns in extended sizing before the end of the year.

Will Deer&Doe patterns continue to be released in collections?  

The team at Closet Core has standalone Deer&Doe patterns planned for next year, but may release patterns as collections in the future. Anything is possible!

Will the Deer&Doe block stay the same for future patterns?

Yes! Closet Core will continue to draft using existing Deer&Doe blocks so you can expect the same trademark fit with all future patterns. We are even shipping them our custom dress forms to use for drafting future patterns.

I am an existing customer, what is going to happen with my data?

If you have purchased a PDF pattern from Deer & Doe, your order history has been imported into the Closet Core website to allow you to access and download past purchases through their account page. If you are on our mailing list, the ownership of that list has transferred to Closet Core Patterns in accordance with their privacy policy and GDPR legislation.

Will I start receiving Closet Core marketing emails?

No. You will not start getting emails from Closet Core unless you have opted in to receive their weekly newsletter. However, future emails from Deer&Doe may mention CCP patterns from time to time if it is relevant to the content of the email (for example, recommending a pattern that uses a similar technique or is suitable for a similar occasion). With that said, if you are interested in receiving emails from Closet Core, you may sign up for that newsletter here.