Sallie Tomato

What Sallie Tomato does

Sallie Tomato is a privately held, founder-owned e-commerce company founded in 2014 by Jess (Jessica Barrera) and headquartered at 112 Karavan Drive, Fox Lake, Wisconsin. The company designs, manufactures-sources, and sells sewing patterns, bag hardware, cork fabric, faux metal zippers, notions, and ready-to-sew project kits targeting home sewists and bag makers, with a secondary wholesale channel supplying local quilt and fabric shops and a Certified Educator network of 25+ instructors offering in-person classes at partner retailers. Its product ecosystem is organized around a proprietary pattern library (paper patterns, PDF instant downloads, and Spanish-language patterns), hardware coordinated across five metallic finishes, designer collaborations with Tula Pink and Alison Glass, a cosplay-specific sub-line, and free educational content (blog, YouTube tutorials, weekly 'Make the Cut' live show).

The business model combines transactional direct-to-consumer e-commerce (Project Kits priced $59.99-$79.99, individual patterns $5.99-$14.99, hardware kits $4.99-$29.99, zippers by the yard and bundles, fabrics, and grab bags) with two recurring subscription products: the Cork Club monthly subscription at $34.99/month (delivering exclusive designer cork fabric, sew-in labels, and member-only coupons) and a seasonal Advent Box ($249.99 for the 2026 edition). Revenue diversification spans one-time consumable purchases, hardware/zipper hardware at scale, recurring subscriptions, wholesale distribution, and event-based sales at quilting shows and craft fairs. Operational technology consists of a Shopify storefront with checkout shipping to 50+ countries, ReCharge Payments for subscription billing, and Judge.me for customer reviews; no proprietary software or API exists, and AI/ML capabilities are not part of the product or operations today.

Sallie Tomato's customer base is entirely SMB/consumer, with no enterprise customers and an at-risk segment of discretionary hobbyist spend. Distribution is multi-channel — direct e-commerce (primary), wholesale to local fabric shops, warehouse pickup in Wisconsin, and physical presence via trade shows and Certified Educator classes. The company is bootstrapped, with no disclosed external funding, no parent company, and no M&A activity to date.

Name

Sallie Tomato

Legal name

Sallie Tomato

Website

https://sallietomato.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sallie Tomato is a privately held e-commerce company that designs and sells sewing patterns, cork fabric, bag hardware, zippers, notions, and ready-to-sew project kits to hobbyist sewists, bag makers, sewing educators, and wholesale fabric shops, with a Cork Club monthly subscription and Tula Pink designer collaborations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sewing and Bag-Making Supplies

NAICS

Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (459130), Sewing, Needlework, and Piece Goods Retailers (45913)

SIC

Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190)

akta.pro primary industry

Outdoor Travel Gear (Duffels, Packs, Dry Bags) Retail (CRAMAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Laundry & Cleaning Storage Organization Retail (Hampers, Caddies, Utility Shelving) (CRAIAJAG)

Keywords

• Bag making supplies
• Sewing patterns
• Cork fabric
• Bag hardware
• Project kits

Headquarters

HQ city

Fox Lake

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Direct E-commerce Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer online sales of sewing patterns, fabrics, hardware, zippers, notions, and project kits through sallietomato.com. Single-purchase model for physical goods with optional gift cards.
2. Cork Club Monthly Subscription: Recurring monthly subscription ($34.99/month) delivering exclusive designer cork fabric cuts, sew-in labels, inspiration cards, and member-only coupons. Billed monthly or annually. Includes free US shipping for members.
3. Education & Class Revenue: Revenue from Certified Educators teaching paid classes using Sallie Tomato patterns and supplies. Educators pay to become certified and earn income from teaching at local shops and events.
4. Wholesale/Retail Distribution: Wholesale program selling patterns and supplies in bulk to local fabric and quilt shops at wholesale pricing for resale.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Sallie Tomato designs, sources, and sells a curated ecosystem of bag-making supplies, including proprietary sewing patterns, cork fabric, bag hardware, zippers, notions, project kits, and a monthly Cork Club subscription. The company operates a direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront and wholesale distribution to local fabric shops, with educational support via certified educators, YouTube tutorials, and a blog.

Product overview

Sallie Tomato is an e-commerce platform offering a comprehensive ecosystem of bag-making supplies, centered on proprietary sewing patterns and cork fabric as core products. The portfolio includes five main product lines: (1) Sewing Patterns available as PDF instant downloads and paper patterns; (2) Cork Fabric in rustic solids, designer collaborations (Tula Pink, Alison Glass), and LITE lightweight variants; (3) Bag Hardware and Hardware Kits offering D-rings, swivel hooks, magnetic snaps, and zipper pulls in five metal finishes; (4) Faux Metal Zippers with coordinating colors and Tula Pink exclusive collections; and (5) General Fabrics (canvas, cotton, faux leather, vinyl). The offering is extended by Project Kits (ready-to-sew bundles), the Cork Club monthly subscription ($34.99/month), seasonal Advent Boxes, and education through a Certified Educator network and YouTube tutorials. Notable collaborations include Tula Pink (fabrics, hardware, zippers, patterns) and Alison Glass (cork designer series). The company operates exclusively as an e-commerce platform without API access.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cork Club: A monthly subscription service delivering exclusive designer cork fabric, coordinating solid corks, sew-in labels, inspiration cards, and member-only coupons to subscribers.

Products and services

• Sewing Patterns PDF instant downloads and paper patterns for bag making, wallets, and accessories, designed by Sallie Tomato and featured designers like Tula Pink. Available in English and Spanish (Patrones en Español).
• Cork Fabric Premium cork fabric sourced from Portugal, available in rustic solids, designer prints, and LITE lightweight variants. Core specialty material for sustainable bag making.
• Bag Hardware Comprehensive hardware selection including D-rings, swivel hooks, magnetic snaps, slider buckles, rivets, bag feet, and zipper pulls in five finishes: Antique, Nickel, Gold, Gunmetal, and Rose Gold.
• Faux Metal Zippers Nylon coil zippers with faux metal appearance, available by the yard with multiple tape colors and hardware finishes. Includes Tula Pink coordinating collections.
• Fabrics Wide selection including Canvas, Cotton, Denim, Faux Fur, Faux Leather, Laminated Cotton, Mesh, Microsuede, Sequins, TurtleTex lining, and Vinyl.
• Project Kits Ready-to-sew kits containing all materials needed for bag making projects, including Tula Pink branded kits and general designs like Dalana Book Bag, Gwen Crossbody, Aurora Slouchy, and Lamont Sling. Priced $59.99 to $79.99.
• Cork Club Monthly Subscription Monthly subscription delivering two exclusive cork fabric cuts (designer print and coordinating solid), custom sew-in label, inspiration card, member-only coupon, and free US shipping at $34.99/month.
• Advent Box Annual December advent box with 25 daily sewing surprises including patterns, fabrics, and global-inspired supplies. Pre-order for 2026 featuring Around the World theme at $249.99.
• Webbing Bag-making webbing in various widths, colors, and patterns including reflective, zebra print, and solid colors.
• Hardware Kits Pre-assembled hardware bundles for specific patterns and general use, available in multiple finishes and sizes from 1/2 inch to 1-1/2 inch, priced from $4.99 to $29.99.
• Free Patterns and Freebies Free downloadable patterns, tutorials, and printable guides including bag handles, webbing keychains, mug cozies, corner page markers, and technique guides.
• Grab Bags Random assortment grab bags including zipper tape, webbing, fabric scraps, vinyl cuts, and mystery fabric at discounted bulk pricing.
• Brand Merchandise and Gift Cards Brand merchandise including collectible stickers and gift cards.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cork Club maintains a 4.86-star average rating from 3,752 verified reviews.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 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

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Tula PinkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSallie Tomato and Tula Pink, a renowned fabric designer and sewlebrity, collaborate on an exclusive product collection featuring coordinated hardware, zippers, webbing, fabrics, and bag patterns. The collection includes the Deja Vu collection and Floral Reef collection, with matching zipper coils in 8 tape options and branded hardware in Tula Pink's signature pink color. New collections and kits are previewed and launched seasonally with pre-order options.
• Alison Glass (Andover Fabrics)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlison Glass, a prominent fabric and surface designer for Andover Fabrics, is the featured Cork Club guest designer. Her artwork is transformed into exclusive cork fabric collections for Cork Club members, including the Art Theory Whole Cloth Cork Fabric. Six-month guest designer terms with new designer series introduced periodically. Alison Glass has designed more than sixty fabric lines since 2012.
• Local Fabric & Quilt ShopscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal quilt shops and fabric retailers nationwide serve as both retail resellers of Sallie Tomato products and hosts for Certified Educator-taught classes. The company encourages customers to visit local shops to request Sallie Tomato patterns and supplies, supporting local businesses while expanding distribution reach.
• Sallie Tomato Certified EducatorscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of 25+ independent certified sewing educators across the United States who teach Sallie Tomato classes at local fabric shops and events. Educators are vetted, trained, and authorized to use Sallie Tomato curriculum and branding for teaching. They cover diverse regions from the East Coast to the Mountain West, with some willing to travel internationally.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fat Quarter Shop: Fat Quarter Shop is an online quilt and sewing supplies retailer offering fabric by the yard, patterns, kits, and notions including designer collaborations. Broad incumbent with overlapping patterns-and-fabric catalog and similar DTC and YouTube content strategy.
• Etsy: Etsy is a global marketplace for handmade goods, including bag-making sewing patterns and notions sold by independent designers. Broad incumbent offering overlapping pattern and notion catalog but as a marketplace rather than a curated brand.
• Joann: Joann is the largest US specialty craft and fabric retailer carrying sewing patterns, notions, hardware, and fabric. Broad incumbent with overlapping product categories (patterns, hardware, fabric) but serving a much wider hobbyist base rather than the bag-making specialist niche.
• LoveCrafts: LoveCrafts is a broad online marketplace selling sewing patterns, fabrics, yarn, and craft supplies from many independent designers, including bag-making patterns from designers like those carried by Sallie Tomato. Broad incumbent offering overlapping catalog but as a multi-seller platform rather than a curated bag-making specialist.

Direct peers

• Swoon Sewing: Swoon Sewing designs and sells bag-making sewing patterns with a tutorial-first content approach, targeting hobbyists who sew their own bags and accessories. Direct peer competing on pattern quality and instruction clarity.
• Noodlehead: Noodlehead (noodlehead531.com) is a bag and accessories sewing pattern designer with a strong tutorial blog and pattern shop, serving the same DIY bag-maker audience. Direct competitor at the pattern-design and tutorial-content layer.
• Emmaline Bags: Emmaline Bags designs bag-making patterns, hardware, and supplies specifically for handbag sewists, with a similar curated product mix and DTC e-commerce model. Direct niche competitor targeting the same bag-making hobbyist segment.
• Sew Sweetness: Sew Sweetness offers bag, wallet, and accessory sewing patterns plus sewing retreats and education, serving the same bag-making hobbyist segment. Direct peer with overlapping pattern and educational content offerings.
• By Annie: By Annie designs and sells bag-making patterns, kits (By Annie patterns include stable interfacing and all notions), and supplies, serving the same hobbyist sewist base with a comparable all-in-one product strategy. Highly direct competitor with overlapping kit-and-pattern business model.

Others

• Cloud9 Fabrics: Cloud9 Fabrics is an independent designer fabric manufacturer producing organic cotton and specialty fabrics for the quilting and bag-making community. Ecosystem participant and supplier-class peer whose designer fabric collections are comparable in positioning to those sold through Sallie Tomato.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCGyxyffOLBMOip9WZMyKRyw
• Facebookfacebook.com/sallietomatoofficial
• Instagraminstagram.com/sallietomatopatterns
• TikToktiktok.com/@sallietomatopatterns?lang=en
• Pinterestpinterest.com/pinsallietomato
• Xx.com/sallie_tomato
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sallie-tomato

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Sallie Tomato