Eric Lugo Turned $375 and Eight Used Sewing Machines Into a Full-Time Studio

Eric Lugo started Stitch Lab ATX, a sewing workshop business in Austin, Texas, as a side project in May 2025 with an outlay of $375. Within weeks it became his full time work, and today the studio offers about two dozen classes a month, according to a CNBC Make It profile published Oct. 24.

His path offers a practical look at how a skill, a small budget and a clear plan can become a business.

A Skill Built Over Years

Lugo, 29, told CNBC Make It that he learned to sew from his grandmother when he was 5 and got serious about it as a teenager. He went on to launch his own fashion brand, Casa Amiré, and became the person friends called for hemming and alterations.

In April 2024, as the requests piled up, he had an idea: teach his friends to fix their clothes themselves. "I think I have enough knowledge after you know 14 [or] 15 years to be able to teach other people, and so I went from there," he told the outlet.

A Plan, Then a Small Bet

The idea sat on the shelf for a while. Around August 2024, Lugo took a bookkeeping job at a local PR firm. By early 2025 the plan was back, and he mapped out the classes he would offer and how he would spread the word.

In April 2025 he spent $375 on eight secondhand sewing machines from Facebook Marketplace and set up in a friend's warehouse space that sat unused outside business hours. He asked friends and family to test his curriculum before opening. The first classes ran in early May, with a few private lessons and a handful of students in a beginner "crash course."

The Moment to Commit

Toward the end of May 2025, Lugo was laid off from his day job. He told CNBC Make It that within 10 minutes of the call, he phoned the friend who owned the warehouse to ask whether he could go all in on Stitch Lab, and his friend agreed. "I honestly hadn't felt so sure about something like that in a long time, if ever," Lugo said.

Growth was slow at first. He estimated four to six classes in the early months, sometimes with only two or three students in a room that holds 10. Demand picked up around September 2025, he said, after he began partnering with local businesses on pop up events and posting on TikTok.

Where the Business Stands Now

Classes typically cost $65 to $85 and last about two and a half hours, covering everything from using a machine to hemming pants and installing a zipper. Lugo also hosts private events, such as bachelorette parties and corporate offsites, about once a month, and he told the outlet he draws a salary from the business, which is his main income.

He recently hired two part time instructors, which he said will let the studio grow to as many as 30 workshops a month. In August he launched Sew It Forward, a monthly giveaway of a new sewing machine, supplies and a free class. He has said he hopes to expand to New York City, California and Mexico City.

CNBC Make It also cited Bank of America card data showing hobby spending grew 7.9% in August 2026 from a year earlier.

Lessons for Your Own Goals

Lugo's story follows a clear sequence: he built a skill for years, spotted a need among people he knew, tested a small version cheaply, and committed when circumstances changed. He kept costs low by buying used equipment and borrowing space, and he found customers through partnerships and social media rather than paid advertising.

For anyone weighing a side project, the takeaway is to start small enough that you can afford to learn, and to keep a plan ready for the moment you decide to go further.