The legacy sewing pattern brands Simplicity, Butterick, McCalls, and Vogue, commonly referred to as the Big 4, have been sold to a liquidator.

The brands were owned by IG Design Group, a leading manufacturer and distributor of stationery, crafts, party, and gift products based in the UK. On Friday, the company announced it had sold its US division, IG Design Group Americas (DGA), which owns the sewing pattern brands, to Hilco Capital, a liquidation firm. DGA also owns other craft brands, including Boye needles, Wrights trim, and Perler fusible beads, among others. Hilco has also been involved with liquidating Joann’s assets after it filed for bankruptcy in January.

IG Design Group cited the impact of tariffs imposed by the US as a factor. Over 50% of DGA’s products are manufactured in China, although the sewing patterns are made in the US. The company also mentioned a softening market over the last several years, as well as the bankruptcy of Joann, as factors in the sale.

DGA was sold to Hilco for a cash payment of $1, plus 75% of any proceeds Hilco generates from future sales of the brands. There’s no obligation or specific timeline for the assets to be sold by Hilco.

. . . “The Big 4 pattern companies have been foundational to the sewing industry for over 100 years. These companies have provided the majority of home sewing patterns in the United States for decades,” said Molly Hamilton, owner of Folkwear Patterns and The Green Pepper. “These are household names and historic companies,” she said.

Hamilton also pointed out a significant ancillary role that the Big 4 play in the indie sewing pattern ecosystem. “They also own the last pattern tissue printers in the country, and that is significant to all the other pattern companies that rely upon it.”