When Eric Lugo launched his sewing workshop business Stitch Lab ATX as a side project in May 2025, little did he know that within weeks it would become his full-time job.
Nor could Lugo have predicted that within two years, the business would become so successful that it would increase its offerings fivefold, regularly fill classes, and receive requests to host private events.
The idea came to him several years ago. Lugo learned to sew from her grandmother at the age of five, began sewing seriously as a teenager, and eventually started her own fashion brand, Casa Amiré, and became the go-to person for friends to help with tailoring and alterations. Dresses needed hemming and jeans needed to be shortened. Although the demands were high, Lugo was happy to lend his talents.
So one day in April 2024, he had this thought. What would happen if you taught your friend how to mend his own clothes?
“I really thought, wow, this is a pretty important skill that a lot of people don’t know how to do,” Lugo, 29, of Austin, Texas, told CNBC Make It. He could fill that gap. “After 14 (or) 15 years, I think I know enough to be able to teach others, so I started there.”
$375 investment
For months between her job and selling products for her fashion brand, Lugo couldn’t help but think about starting a sewing workshop. Around August 2024, he took a bookkeeping job at a local PR firm, but the idea was shelved. But by early 2025, it was back on his mind. He planned the classes he would offer and how he would spread the information.
By April, Lugo had put in the money. He spent $375 buying eight used sewing machines from Facebook Marketplace and set up shop in a friend’s warehouse space, which was unused during off-hours. Lugo gathered friends and family to test run the curriculum.
Lugo said Stitch Lab ATX held its first class in early May and had several people sign up for one-on-one private lessons, and several students attended his “crash course” workshops, which cover beginner-friendly basics like learning how to thread a sewing machine and sew straight lines.
After that, Lugo’s situation changed rapidly. Towards the end of May, he was laid off from his day job. It didn’t matter whether he was fully committed to his studio or not.
“Less than 10 minutes after I got fired and got off the Zoom meeting, I called my son who manages the warehouse and said, ‘Hey, I just got laid off. Is it okay if I just go full email to Stitch Lab?’” Lugo says. His friends were 100% on board.
“Honestly, I haven’t been so sure about something like that in a long time, if ever,” Lugo says.
Increase in DIY hobbies
It took a while for things to get going.
By my count, Lugo held about four to six classes in the first few months. Even though up to 10 people could attend, sometimes only two or three people showed up. Lugo said demand began to pick up around September 2025 after she began partnering with local businesses to host pop-up sewing events (such as one at a brewery) and spreading the word on TikTok.
Eric Lugo launched Stitch Lab ATX after spending $375 on eight used sewing machines acquired from Facebook Marketplace.
Provided by Eric Lugo
Currently, the lab offers about 24 classes a month, which can fill up quickly if they become available a month in advance, Lugo said.
Sessions typically cost between $65 and $85 and last about two and a half hours. Classes range from beginner lessons such as learning how to use a sewing machine to teaching intermediate skills such as hemming pants and installing zippers. Students can sign up for special workshops to create specific projects, such as floral tote bags, or book open sewing time in our warehouse space. Lugo also accepts requests to teach special events such as bachelorette parties and company off-sites, averaging about one request per month.
Lugo said he receives a salary from his business, which is his main source of income.
Stitch Lab’s success is consistent with a trend in which many Americans pay to invest in their hobbies despite rising costs of goods and materials, leading to what Bank of America calls “fanflation.” Spending on hobbies, from arts and crafts and hobby shops to retailers selling skiing, hiking, camping and scuba diving equipment, increased 7.9% in August 2026 compared to a year earlier, according to the bank’s analysis of card data.
Stitch Lab ATX offers approximately 24 classes per month and hosts private workshops for groups such as bachelorette parties and corporate retreats.
To help some students offset these costs, Lugo started a monthly giveaway called “Sew It Forward” in August. Participants can enter a chance to win a free new sewing machine, supplies, or a free studio class by commenting on Stitch Lab’s social media posts about why they want to learn to sew.
“I am grateful for the support I have received, so now that I am in a position to do so, I want to give all of that back to the community,” Lugo says.
Growing sewing community
Stitch Lab also stands out at a time when people, especially young people, are craving community-oriented, offline social events. Even so-called “grandma hobbies” like knitting and scrapbooking are making a comeback as people seek relaxing pastimes without using their phones.
In a warehouse dotted with sewing machines and early 2000s and reggaeton music playing from the sound system, Lugo says she aims to build Stitch Lab as a fun, creative, “judgment-free zone” that “feels like people’s homes.”
“This is a safe space for Latinos and people of color,” the Afro-Latinx founder says.
“I think we need community, especially today with so much going on in the world,” he added. “No matter who you are or where you’re from, there’s a safe space to be with others, learn the same things, and just have fun.”
Eric Lugo learned to sew from his grandmother when he was five years old. She started sewing seriously in her teens and started her own fashion brand, Casa Amiré.
Provided by Eric Lugo
Stitch Lab ATX’s future plans are already taking shape. Lugo said he has hired two part-time instructors to his team, which will allow him to hold more than 30 workshops per month. He still aims to keep his classes relatively intimate to support one-on-one assistance and small group interaction.
Lugo sees his business expanding beyond Austin, with sights set on New York City, hot spots throughout California and even Mexico City.
“I want to continue what I’m doing all over the world,” he says.
