ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Butterick Publishing Company

Butterick Publishing Company is a group of grown-ups who make patterns for people who want to sew their own clothes. Patterns are like coloring sheets for sewing - they tell you how to cut the fabric and sew it together so it looks like a shirt, dress or pants.

Back in the old days, before machines could make hundreds of clothes all the same, everyone made their own clothes by hand. That meant they needed to know how to sew and cut fabric, but not everyone had the skills. That's where Butterick Publishing Company comes in! They make patterns that show people how to sew clothes step-by-step, so even if someone has never sewn before, they can still make their own clothes.

Butterick Publishing Company started over 150 years ago in America. They were one of the first companies to make patterns for sewing clothes. They even invented the idea of using tissue paper to make patterns – it's like a very thin and see-through paper! This made it easier for people to copy the pattern onto their own fabric.

Today, Butterick Publishing Company still makes patterns for sewing clothes. They also make patterns for crafts and other things that you can make out of fabric. So even if you're still too little to sew your own clothes, you can still make cool things like stuffed animals or even a pencil case with their help!