Bib & Tucker Sew-Op

What Bib & Tucker Sew-Op does

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization founded in 2010 in Birmingham, Alabama by Annie Bryant and Lillis Taylor. The organization cultivates sewing, quilting, and textile arts skills across four primary audiences: adult community members, Birmingham-area youth, workforce trainees, and partner schools. Its portfolio spans paid classes and workshops (beginner through advanced quilting, English paper piecing, sewing machine instruction), proprietary products including the QUARK educational kit and KAYJU digital appliqué pattern, finished quilts sold through retail and online channels, sustaining memberships at $125/year, sewing machine rentals, and free community programs like Sustainable Saturdays and Recycled Runway youth showcases.

The underlying "technology" is traditional craft skill rather than software; the differentiators are program architecture (peer-teaching model, buy-one-donate-one social entrepreneurship in QUARK) and intellectual property (KAYJU pattern, QUARK curriculum aligning to 4th-6th grade math standards). Distribution is hybrid: a single physical retail shop at 7001 Crestwood Blvd in Birmingham open ~18 hours weekly, a Shopify e-commerce storefront, and on-site workshops plus partner-hosted sessions at venues including Birmingham Museum of Art and Avondale Public Library.

The revenue model combines earned income (class fees, retail sales, memberships, rental fees) with nonprofit funding (donations at tiers from $25 to $2,500, grants from entities like AL Power ELEVATE, EBSCO, and SAIL). Recurring revenue is anchored by the $125 annual sustaining membership. Major spin-off activity occurred in 2024 when The March Quilts civil rights quilting project became its own independent nonprofit under Lillis Taylor's leadership, refocusing Bib & Tucker on education, youth programming, and community sewing.

Name

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op

Legal name

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op

Website

https://bibandtuckersewop.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op is a 501(c)3 nonprofit in Birmingham, Alabama that teaches sewing, quilting, and textile arts to adults, youth, schools, and workforce trainees through classes, proprietary kits like QUARK, and community programs such as Recycled Runway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Arts and Crafts Education

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130)

SIC

Wholesale-Apparel, Piece Goods & Notions (5130)

akta.pro primary industry

Quilting & Patchwork Shops (CRALADAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sewing Machine & Serger Retail (CRALADAD)

Keywords

• Sewing education
• Quilting classes
• Community arts
• Workforce training
• Youth fashion

Headquarters

HQ city

Birmingham

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Classes and Workshops: Revenue from teaching sewing, quilting, and textile arts classes and workshops to adults and youth. Classes range from beginner to advanced skill levels.
2. Product Sales: Sale of quilts, patterns, kits, notions, and sewing supplies through the physical shop and online store.
3. Membership Dues: Annual sustaining membership dues for Sew-Op Sewers and general membership to Bib & Tucker Sew-Op, with options for monthly, bi-monthly, or quarterly payments.
4. Donations and Grants: As a 501(c)3 nonprofit, primary funding comes from grants and monetary donations from individuals, organizations, and government entities.
5. Sewing Machine Rental: Rental of sewing machines to registered workshop/class participants for use during classes at $15 per rental.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op is a 501(c)3 nonprofit that delivers sewing and textile arts education through classes and workshops (quilting, hand-sewing, machine sewing, decorative techniques), sells proprietary kits and patterns including the QUARK educational kit and KAYJU appliqué pattern, offers handmade quilts and member-made products, and runs community programs such as Recycled Runway (youth upcycle fashion), Sew-Op Sewers (weekly quilting group), and Sustainable Saturdays (textile repair workshops) at its Birmingham, Alabama shop and online store.

Product overview

Bib & Tucker Sew-Op is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization offering a diverse portfolio of sewing and textile-related products, services, and community programs centered in Birmingham, Alabama. The core offerings include Classes and Workshops (rotating roster of quilting, hand-sewing, and machine sewing instruction for all skill levels), a Patterns and Kits line featuring proprietary products like the QUARK educational kit and KAYJU digital appliqué pattern, finished Quilts and Products sold through the Members Market, and Membership programs. The organization runs several flagship programs including Recycled Runway (an annual upcycle fashion showcase for middle/high school students), The March Quilts (annual civil rights themed quilting project), QUARK (math education through quilting), Sew-Op Sewers (weekly quilting group), and Sustainable Saturdays (free monthly repair workshops). Additional services include sewing machine rental, gift cards, and physical/donation support. The portfolio reflects a unified mission to cultivate sewing skills and community through education, economic opportunity, and sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Magic City Seams: A sewing workforce training program that provides economic opportunities for Birmingham-area residents to learn sewing skills for small-batch manufacturing jobs. Originally called Woodlawn Sewing Training, renamed in 2018 as the program scope expanded.
• The March Quilts
• QUARK

Products and services

• QUARK (Quilting Activity Resource Kit) A hand-sewing educational kit that teaches 4th through 6th grade students math fundamentals (fractions, scale, multiplication, measurement) through quilting principles. For every kit purchased, one is donated to a Birmingham-area school child (buy-one-donate-one social entrepreneurship model).
• KAYJU Digital Appliqué Pattern A digital appliqué pattern featuring KAYJU, a young Black girl character inspired by African roots, designed by co-founder Ms. Annie Bryant. Can be used to create pillows, baby quilts, wall hangings, or full-sized bed quilts.
• Classes and Workshops A rotating roster of in-person classes and workshops focused on sewing, quilting, and textile arts for adults and children, ranging from beginner to advanced skill levels. Offerings include quilting classes, English paper piecing, sewing machine instruction, and decorative techniques such as crazy quilt pillows.
• Introduction to English Paper Piecing A workshop introducing English paper piecing (EPP), a relaxing hand-sewing technique where fabric is wrapped and basted around paper templates then stitched together by hand to create intricate designs. Taught by Janice Ford-Freeman at $40 per student.
• Intermediate Baby Quilt Class (Square in a Square) An intermediate quilting class taught by Mary Bergeron teaching the square in a square block pattern using 5" and 10" squares. Students learn piecing, adding borders, assembling quilt sandwiches, machine quilting, and binding. $45 per person.
• How Does This Thing Work?! Sewing Machine Class A beginner sewing machine class taught by Sonya Muhammad teaching how to thread machines, change needles, wind bobbins, sew basic stitches, and perform basic maintenance. Machine rental available for $15.
• Beyond the Straight Stitch: Decorative Crazy Quilt Pillow A workshop exploring decorative built-in stitches on sewing machines to create a Victorian-inspired crazy quilt pillow. Students learn decorative stitching and zipper closures.
• Sustainable Saturdays: Repair Your Lovey A free workshop teaching hands-on practical techniques for repairing common issues with stuffed animals and dolls, helping reduce textile waste.
• Sewing Machine Rental Sewing machine rental service available to registered workshop and class participants for use during sessions at $15 per rental (non-refundable).
• Bib & Tucker Sew-Op Gift Card Gift cards available in denominations of $5, $10, $20, $25, $50, and $100 for use across classes, products, and memberships.
• Quilts and Finished Products

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,000+ reusable cloth masks produced for frontline workers during COVID-19
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• The Invisible Histories Project (IHP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for TMQ9 (Year 9 of The March Quilts) exploring Generations of Queer Joy in Alabama. Guided all aspects of the project for LGBTQ community voices.
• Magic City Acceptance Center (MCAC)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Partner for TMQ9 exploring Generations of Queer Joy. One of the community partners that guided the project to authentically support LGBTQ voices and stories in Alabama.
• Jefferson County Memorial Project (JCMP)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Grassroots coalition focused on research and education for placement of historical markers at lynching sites. Inspired Bib & Tucker's hosting of LaShawnda Crowe Storm's Lynch Quilts Project residency and subsequent TMQ6.
• LaShawnda Crowe StormcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Artist residency in February 2020 featuring The Lynch Quilts Project. Met with UAB students, faculty, general public, JCMP fellows, and McNeel School students. Exhibition ran February 3 to March 14, 2020. Acted as catalyst for conversation about Jefferson County's place in lynching history.
• West Elm LocalmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2018Retail partnership where West Elm carried product line (pillows and quilts) designed by Magic City Seams team as part of West Elm Local program in Fall 2018. Product line developed with two product designers and prototyper.
• UAB Department of Art & Art HistorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Long-term partner for The March Quilts project. Collaborated on inaugural 2015 project to commemorate Selma to Montgomery marches 50th anniversary. UAB's Department of Art & Art History has returned as sponsor for subsequent years including Gender Wage Gap quilt in 2016.
• Birmingham Museum of ArtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Venue partner for Recycled Runway annual showcase (since 2022) and March Quilts exhibitions. Provides gallery space for student fashion runway events and quilt installations. Returned as sponsor for Gender Wage Gap quilt in 2016.
• The Sewing Machine ProjectminorOthers · 1 January 2015Wisconsin-based organization that donated sewing machines used in Magic City Seams/Woodlawn Sewing Training pilot program.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• JOANN (formerly Jo-Ann Fabric & Crafts): National craft and fabric retail chain selling piece goods, notions, patterns, sewing machines, and offering in-store classes. Comparable as a retail competitor for sewing/quilting supplies but operates at chain scale, without Bib & Tucker's nonprofit community-building or workforce training programs.
• Hobby Lobby: National arts, crafts, and home décor retailer carrying fabric, notions, and sewing supplies at scale. Comparable only on the retail piece-goods/notions category; lacks any community, education, or nonprofit programming dimension.
• Missouri Star Quilt Company: One of the largest quilting-focused retailers and content creators in the US, offering fabric, notions, patterns, and extensive online quilting tutorials. Comparable to Bib & Tucker because it serves the same quilting hobbyist base and offers classes/workshops, though at vastly larger scale and with a national e-commerce footprint versus Bib & Tucker's local nonprofit model.
• LoveCrafts Inc. Online global marketplace and content platform for crafters, selling yarn, fabric, and patterns from multiple brands. Comparable as a fabric/pattern e-commerce competitor targeting the same DIY sewing and crafting audience, though without physical community/education programming.

Emerging players

• Stitch (formerly BurdaStyle Stitch): Online sewing community and education platform offering patterns, tutorials, and a curated marketplace. Comparable as an online sewing-education and pattern-distribution channel that competes for the same self-taught sewer audience that buys Bib & Tucker's patterns and kits.
• Black Women Stitch: Online community and resource hub for Black women stitchers, featuring artist features, events, and a stitch-group directory. Comparable as a mission-aligned, culturally-rooted sewing/quilting community organization sharing Bib & Tucker's emphasis on cultural heritage and Black craft traditions.

Others

• The Sewing & Craft Alliance: Industry trade association supporting sewing and craft education through programs like Sewing for Schools. Comparable as a sewing-education ecosystem enabler — adjacent rather than directly competitive — relevant to Bib & Tucker's QUARK and youth education mission.

Direct peers

• The Sewing Machine Project: Wisconsin-based nonprofit that refurbishes and donates sewing machines to community sewing programs — listed as an actual partner of Bib & Tucker. Closest direct peer because it shares the same mission of expanding access to sewing equipment and education through community-based programs.
• Gather Here: Independent fabric and sewing studio in Cambridge, MA offering classes, retail fabric, and community sewing space. Closely comparable business model — a hybrid retail + education + community workspace — operating at a similar small scale, though without nonprofit status or workforce-training programs.
• Modern Domestic: Portland, OR-based sewing studio and fabric shop offering classes for all skill levels plus a curated fabric retail selection. Closely comparable hybrid retail-plus-education model aimed at hobbyist sewers, though privately owned rather than nonprofit.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BibandTuckerSew-OP
• Facebookfacebook.com/bibandtuckersewop
• Instagraminstagram.com/bibandtuckersewop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bibandtuckersewop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Bib & Tucker Sew-Op