Author: Jennifer Hartnett-Henderson
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Introducing A New Journey
You all know I’ve been sewing for a while. If you’re new here, I’ve written several posts in my journal about the garments I’ve made. Lately, I’ve been thinking about what “more” might look like. I want to learn more about fashion—and I’m beginning to see a path forward. At first, I thought, “Go get…
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Creating Stylish Anoraks: My Fall Jacket Journey
Can you believe it’s fall already! It’s almost time to wear a fall jacket. Fortunately, Anita by Design‘s make of a McCall’s anorak M6531 earlier this year inspired me. My journey from jazzed to jacket took more than 6 months as I made a muslin from reclaimed material, learned some, made a final version, and…
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Creating the Perfect Bethany Skirt: A Guide
The Bethany Skirt It’s Winter, and I’ve gotten to wear my Bethany Skirt a couple of times this month. The Bethany Skirt pattern was one of the assignments in an online Viki Sews class in 2023. Viki Sews describes the skirt this way: Bethany is a semi-fitted trapeze [aka A-line] skirt with a free-hanging lining.…
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Sewing with Brocade: Tips for the Bobbi Bomber Jacket
Brocade: gorgeous to wear, classes up any setting, challenging to sew. Ask me how I know!
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The Resurrection of a Rose: A Gardening Journey
After struggling with a lifeless community garden plot, a gardener experiences a surprising revival of a discarded rose bush over 18 months. Initially plagued by disease and despair, the rose eventually blooms beautifully, symbolizing hope and transformation. This journey highlights lessons about resilience, growth, and faith in unexpected outcomes.
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From Waste to Fashion: Creating Eco-Friendly Sportswear
Making my own clothes allows me to express my identity in fit, color, garment type, and style. Recently, I had the opportunity to showcase my sustainable fashion creations at Hidden Villa’s Sheep Shearing and Fiber Arts Festival. The ensemble on the left is called From Bottles to Sportswear. I am an athlete and rarely find…
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The Fascinating Journey of the Vasa Warship
We only had a few days in Stockholm, Sweden but decided this warship museum should be on the shortlist. A few things influenced us: Stockholm must-visit lists included it, friends had visited and enjoyed it, and another friend had built a model of the Vasa. Part construction epic, disaster story, and treasure hunter lore, the…
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Discovering Niepoort: From Pandemic Delay to Exquisite Port Tasting
We planned a big anniversary getaway to Portugal in the spring of 2020 but the world came down with COVID. Instead, we celebrated by visiting a local Portuguese grocery store and buying Portuguese sausage and wine. We continued to do our research in hopes that someday. Porto is known for port winemakers but at more…
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Ziggi Moto Jacket
After riding a motorcycle (Honda CB700 Nighthawk) for 10 years, I wanted to make a moto jacket. I wanted something more feminine than the vintage men’s leather jacket that I wore. Inspired by Karen Dolan of @intostitches makes, I chose StyleArc’s Ziggi Moto Jacket pattern. I harvested white denim from a ten-year-old sofa cover as…
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Fashion in Portland: Cloth, Construct, Culture
I visited the Cloth, Construct, Culture exhibit at the Parallax Center in Portland recently. The curator of the exhibit, Rhonda P. Hill, lives in Portland and has written extensively about each artist. I’ve included links to her posts for each of the designers below whose work caught my eye. All photos are by me, 2023.…
