Designing Sewing Patterns for Men & Boys with Jane Harbison - Creativity, Dressmaking & Handmade Style

In this episode of The Sewing Social, I'm joined by Jane Harbison, founder of Jane Harbison Design, to explore her inspiring journey into the world of dressmaking, sewing pattern design and creative entrepreneurship. 

Jane shares how she followed her passion for sewing, identified a gap in the market for men's and boys' sewing patterns, and built a business around helping more people enjoy making their own clothes.

We chat about the importance of the creative process, why sewing is about so much more than the finished garment, and how handmade projects can become meaningful gifts that tell a story. 

Jane also shares her thoughts on designing accessible sewing patterns, nurturing creativity and building confidence through making.

Whether you're interested in dressmaking, sewing patterns for men and boys, handmade gifts, or you're dreaming of turning your creative hobby into a business, this episode is full of inspiration, practical advice and thoughtful conversation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jane's journey from accounting to sewing pattern designer.
• Creating sewing patterns for men and boys.
• Finding gaps in the sewing pattern market.
• The joy of the creative process and handmade sewing.
• Building a creative business around your passion.
• Why handmade garments and gifts tell a unique story.

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Guest Details: 

Website: Jane Harbison Design - https://janeharbison.com.au/ 

Instagram: @JaneHarbisonDesign 

Pinterest: Jane Harbison Design - https://au.pinterest.com/janeharbison/

Skool: The Pocket Square Club - https://www.skool.com/the-pocket-square-club-3733/about?sc=1

YouTube: Jane Harbison Design - https://www.youtube.com/@janeharbisondesignau

Creative Process document: 

https://janeharbison.com.au/blogs/puckerup-sewing-blog/how-to-give-gifts-that-speak-their-love-languages

Other Information: 

• Destasher Summer Destash event - https://www.destasher.co.uk/blog/summer-stash-reset

Transcript

Gemma Daly (00:00)

Before we get into today's episode, I just wanted to let you know that I'm taking a little break over the summer. the reason for the break is an exciting one. Over the next few weeks, I'll be putting my energy into launching a brand new business, the Daly Thread Studio, based in Nottingham. It'll be a space where I'll be teaching people how to sew through friendly, confidence-building classes and workshops. It's something I've dreamed about for a long time.

And I can't wait to welcome both complete beginners and experienced sewists through the door. Of course, I won't be stepping away from the podcast for long. I will be back on the second of September, and I promise it'll be worth the wait. In the meantime, if you've missed out on any episodes, now's the perfect chance to catch up. There are some amazing conversations waiting for you. Thank you so much for listening.

sharing the podcast and supporting The Sewing Social Every download, review and message means more than you know, and I'm so grateful you've been part of this journey. Have a wonderful summer, keep creating, keep sewing, and I'll see you back here on the second of September. Now on to the episode.

Gemma Daly (01:26)

Jane, welcome to the Sewing Social Podcast. I'm so happy to have you on today.

Jane Harbison (01:31)

Thanks, Gemma. It's lovely to be here.

Gemma Daly (01:33)

I was wondering if you could introduce yourself to the listeners.

Jane Harbison (01:37)

Yes, my name's Jane Harbison and I have a business called Jane Harbison Design, terribly original.

Gemma Daly (01:45)

You

Jane Harbison (01:46)

and so I design sewing patterns and fabric for boys and men and I design it

With boys and men in mind solely. So I d I don't really design any sewing patterns or fabric for women, even though it's a it's a huge market, but I love the I love the space that I'm in. And I somebody asked me the other day, why do you just do boys and and men? And I had to think about where the idea originated. And I

think it came from, actually I'm pretty sure it came from wanting to solve a problem. And I don't know if you have this problem at all, Gemma, but I am always asking myself, and it comes around every year, what do I get my husband for his birthday? And

Gemma Daly (02:36)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (02:39)

I don't know, it seems to be a universal problem that we have trouble working out what to give the special men in our lives. And

So I set out wanting to solve this problem but I wanted to do it in a way that resonated with me. There's plenty of solutions out there for buying gifts and things for our husbands and our sons and fathers, but I think I wanted something that created a deeper connection. And so that's how I've ended up.

designing sewing patterns and surface pattern designing for boys and men. And I I guess I have always done it. I think when I was a little girl, I grew up in a very small town called Texas, actually just outside of Texas here in Australia. And we grew up on a property so we didn't have big department stores and lots of choice. So

A lot of the gifts that I gave Dad were ones that I'd made. And I always remember having just so much fun making those gifts. And I I I was thinking the other day w one that I did make dad was I don't know if you ever remember seeing them. I'm a seventies child

and it seemed to be a bit of a a

rage or something back in the seventies. This I'm going to s probably say it wrong, but the philigraphy, filigraphy? You know those It's you know

Gemma Daly (04:07)

I saw this on your website and I wondered what it was, so please, yeah, tell us.

Jane Harbison (04:13)

those chunks of wood or pieces of wood that have little nails all nailed into them and then you run this thread through them and it creates these geometric patterns and then people would hang them on the wall.

Gemma Daly (04:26)

yes.

Jane Harbison (04:26)

And for some

unknown reason, I have decided that dad would really love one of these. So I've I've gone to our wood heap and found a piece of wood, you know, so equivalent to a piece of wood that you would throw on the fire. and I'd probably sanded it down a little bit. And I've painted it black because they always seem to have a black background. So I've painted done a couple of layers of.

black on this huge big chunk of wood and nailed all the nails in. And I've had to do it in secret too, because I'm doing it in dad's workshed. and he I had to do it when he wasn't around and it was usually after school or something like that. And then I'd have to hide it away and bring it back out when he was down in the paddock or something. and so it felt like weeks I was making this thing.

but I'm sure it wasn't. I don't know. Time seems to go slow when you're a child. But yeah, so I'd I'd done done this big chunk of wood, nailed all my nails in and gone to Mum's sewing room and found some wool and wrapped it all around it. and then the big day came, his birthday came, and I sort of proudly presented this philography or this.

chunk of wood, this very chunk big chunk of wood to dad and I was just so proud of it. And bless him, he had it under his bed for the rest of his life until he passed away a few years ago. So so

Gemma Daly (05:56)

Aww.

Jane Harbison (05:57)

yeah, so he had it it meant something to him and it meant something to me and

so I intimately understand how it feels to give something that you've made. And I also know how it feels to be given something that somebody's made, you know. mum made so many of my clothes. and she's spent a lot of time doing that for both myself and my brothers. More so me, I think, than my brothers, but

So that was sort of how I've ended up here and now I've surrounded myself with two other next generation of beautiful men so that I get to sew for.

Gemma Daly (06:35)

Aww, that's such a lovely story Jane and it sounds like you've always been quite a crafty child. So how did you actually get into sewing?

Jane Harbison (06:46)

Mum taught me, I think so I mean that it seems to be the story of so many of us.

Gemma Daly (06:51)

Mmm.

Jane Harbison (06:52)

but mum mum taught me and her mother taught her and I I mean Harry's not interested in it yet or or has been, but so I it might stop with me, but I was yes, I was sewing.

From a young age, actually. I can't remember when I first started sewing. but we'd I'd make something things for the Texas show, and I remember doing it, it was one of my favorite subjects at school, home economics. it's starting to get a resurgence again, which is exciting. it's g being given a different name, of course, because of home economics is not is not

Gemma Daly (07:31)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (07:32)

a fashionable term, but it just it was something that I did and it's one of those few subjects I got A's in, you know, and I wish I took it right through to my senior years, but you know, you're told that back then that those sorts of subjects, home economics and art and all those sorts of things which I just love doing, don't there's no career in them.

Whereas it's such a different beast now, there's so many so much opportunity. Mm.

Gemma Daly (07:59)

Yeah, there really is. And I'm glad times are changing and that it's having a bit of a rebrand as well.

Jane Harbison (08:06)

Yeah.

Gemma Daly (08:08)

So am I right in saying that you went on to train to become an accountant? So you had quite the career pivot, didn't you?

Jane Harbison (08:16)

It's interesting. I I had, you know, accounting is one of those easy to understand careers, isn't it, at school? It's easy to explain. and I think today, you know, commerce, lots of people are still doing commerce and it seems to be a a path for so many. And I was one of those and j I just didn't know.

what other careers you could have with the subjects that I love doing. And so I did that for quite a few years, like you know, 20 odd years, and it served me well. You know, it's a skill you don't lose. but I did never really love it. and I think when you don't love something, you don't strive necessarily to be the best at it.

Gemma Daly (09:03)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (09:04)

you're not prepared to

you know, put in all the hours and the effort to make something of something that you don't necessarily really enjoy. but yeah I think at 40 I decided putting my tools down and I'm going to go back to my creative roots. And I did a graphic design course really intensive for three months, so equivalent of a three year degree.

yeah squeezed into three months and it was big big long days, you know, sort of ten hour days, amazing tutoring and expectations were high. but I just loved it, you know, I could have kept going and so I just yeah, things have evolved since then. yeah, so now I'm

I'm back now combining art and home economics, my two favorite subjects, in my surface

Gemma Daly (09:54)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (09:55)

pattern design and my sewing pattern design. And so it's just a shame that it's taken me fifty years.

Gemma Daly (10:01)

Sometimes it does, you know, to get

Jane Harbison (10:03)

Yeah.

Gemma Daly (10:04)

right back where you want to be or where you need to be. So you took that graphic design course. So was the fabric design the first part of the business?

Jane Harbison (10:14)

No, interestingly I've always been really interested in creativity and the process of creativity and and what are the elements of us being creative. And so I developed actually a whole curriculum around creativity and teaching girls how to be creative because I didn't want them to go through what I did.

You know, I I finished school and I wasn't doing what I love doing. And I I didn't know how to work out how to do what I loved doing. And so I created this program under Dreaming Big for Little Girls. And I did that for quite a few years and I created lots of

products for got, you know, stationary and we did a collaboration cookbook with about twelve girls and that ended up in ten countries and just lots of a little creative projects until I sort of found what I actually really wanted to do. even that that was such a fun experience though. Gosh we did some fun creative projects. but yeah I I love this space that I'm in now.

Gemma Daly (11:24)

It sounds like you could develop that course if you ever wanted to go back to it for women that are like you say in their 40s who need that career

Jane Harbison (11:34)

Mm.

Gemma Daly (11:34)

change. I'm in that position too. And it's taken me absolutely years to define like, what do I want to do? Cause you,

Jane Harbison (11:43)

Mm-hmm.

Gemma Daly (11:44)

you sort of push down a path, aren't you from school? And I'm not saying I didn't want to go down that path. absolutely did. But.

The options at that time were limited. And, you know, how do you know at 16, 18, what you really want to do?

Jane Harbison (11:58)

Mm-hmm. I know that and there's so much expectation on kids these days to know at that age what they want to do. And it's unrealistic, completely unreal realistic. Can particularly, you know, we're still grappling with that decision in our forties and fifties. You know, how can

Gemma Daly (12:14)

Mmm. Mmm.

Jane Harbison (12:15)

we expect a child to know what they want to do? so this it was just it

It was a valuable experience and interestingly I still use the process of that creativity myself every day to come up with new creative sort of designs or content or you know courses and things like that. And so I I still apply it. I still use it myself.

Gemma Daly (12:41)

Yeah.

So you said that you obviously design patterns with men and boys in mind. What was it specifically? So you said that, you know, it's about gifting and giving to the men in your life because we don't often know what to get them. Was that the thing that made that decision for you to go into that space?

Jane Harbison (13:04)

Yeah, I think so.

I probably probably to step back from that a little bit too. I think there is something really extraordinary happens when you have these you have men and women working well together and when there's this connection. And you know, extraordinary things get created and done in the world when you've got both men and women working together. And I I mean I've sat on enough in enough boardrooms to see that.

happen in action. And it's it's my simple way of creating, sustaining or starting those connections. I think it's it's my small way of doing that. And I'd like to think that maybe when a gift like this, you know, someone takes the time

And the care and the thought into making something for someone. And it resonates beautifully that a deeper connection and a deeper bond is created. And so that's probably at the core of why I do this. Most of my customers are women and and they're sewing for the men in their life. But that's not to say that all my customers are, and I've got some fabulous.

male sewers that buy my patterns and then they show me what they've made and I just you know I love it. but they're also sewing for other people too you know it's not just for themselves. so yeah I that's probably the origins of why I've chosen men. I also my design style just fits that

I don't know.

I want another word for it, but it the simplicity of it. my drawings, if you ever see any of them, I just pair them really down. I'm not a I'm not great at drawing flowers. Even though men wear flowers,

Gemma Daly (14:56)

you

Jane Harbison (14:58)

they're simplified flowers. You know, there's something I think you recognize it when you see it. and the same goes for my sewing patterns. There's a

element of simplicity to them but then you can add your creativity through, you know, the embellishments and and notions and fabric types and fabric colours and that sort of thing to add your own splash of creativity to them.

Gemma Daly (15:27)

I love that, especially about that sort of deeper connection, because I think when you gift something that is handmade and somebody knows how much work has gone into that, and you care

Jane Harbison (15:38)

Yeah, thank

Gemma Daly (15:39)

enough to do the work for them, it's lovely, isn't it?

Jane Harbison (15:42)

Mm-hmm. It's beautiful. I rem I have these conversations with people. They ask me what I do and I say I design sewing patterns for boys and men. And interestingly, when I mention this, particularly to men, they always leaning into me and saying, or reflecting on something that their mother or their grandmother had made them. And often they'll still have the sweater that they knitted them or

you know, something a keepsake that they still have or still have kept, you know, thirty, forty, fifty years later. And it still means so much to them. you can see it in their faces, you know, they sort of have this little glow when they're telling you the story. It's beautiful.

Gemma Daly (16:25)

That's really sweet. Why do you think sewing for men is still an underserved area in the sewing world?

Jane Harbison (16:32)

it's it's an interesting question. I think there's probably a couple of reasons. There's probably many reasons actually, but two that seem to stick with me most are one, traditionally, I think home sewing has been done by women. which is very different to tailoring. You know, men would if they wanted a suit or a pair of pants or something, they would go to a tailor and

get it made. But for home sewing, traditionally that's been a space for women. and they would sew principally for themselves. if you are one of the big sewing pattern companies and nowadays if you are an an indie sewing pattern company you're making patterns for the people that are buying them.

And so it's kind of a self-fulfilling prophecy. You've got women who are sewing for themselves, who need sewing patterns to make for themselves. So the s sewing pattern companies make what is demanded. so then you see this proliferation of at wonderful sewing patterns and variety for the women and a much smaller amount for men.

So that's sort of my first thing. So it's it's traditionally economic, is one of my is my first thought. And then the second one is around

creativity coming back to that space again. It's I think when we think about men's clothing, we think about it being simplified. And I've just talked about, you know, that's how I describe some of my designing. and so there's potentially a thought there that because it's simple and the structures are simple, then I

don't have enough space to express my creativity when I'm sewing these my first sewing pattern was a camp collar shirt and it's a it's a classic camp collar shirt as we all know it. And I all my designs are this relaxed fit it's relaxed because it's principally for summer so you want a little bit of movement in it.

It's got a mid, you know, a mid-length sleeve in it to protect you from the sun. that we're exposed to it here in Australia. and the other thing I wanted to make sure that it had was a little bit of a scoop back so when they bend over, there's no surprises, you know.

Gemma Daly (18:50)

You

Jane Harbison (18:52)

and so that was my my first pattern, and it was it was reliable, it was

simple to sew and easy to understand, a very wearable garment. And then my next iteration of that was a long sleeve. And so it had a long sleeve, it had a cuff. I straightened the hem and I gave it some pockets. But both of those two patterns were interchangeable. So you could put the long sleeve on the scooped back so you could still

wear it in the cool weather and bend over at the same time. And then the next iteration of it is I designed six pockets that you could apply to both shirts. And so you start to have these simple pattern pieces, these simple constructs and being able to mix and match to make something really unique and creative.

something that's in no one else has got. And the next iteration could be, you know, a set of four different types of cuffs, you know, a set of four different types of collars. And then when you put all of those together, your options, your creative options are endless. So I think it's the way we think about

The way we design for men, I think it's becoming way more creative and and way more interesting. And I think you've had people on your podcast that have talked about

Gemma Daly (20:18)

Mmm.

Jane Harbison (20:19)

the limitations of sewing patterns for men, and they've gone out and they've solving the problem themselves by creating their own sewing patterns that have new and interesting ways of assembling an a garment. So I think.

Creativity in men's fashion is is becoming way more interesting in the sewing pattern space. So those are sort of the the two big reasons why I think up until now there has been a reasonably limited amount of variety for in men's sewing patterns.

Gemma Daly (20:50)

Yeah, I think you're absolutely right there, Jane, and you've hit the nail on the head because having spoken to those few men on the show, they do say how limited things are. They want that creativity. So it sounds like, you know, you're helping them to find it by having that variety of things that they can add to the pattern. So that's great.

Jane Harbison (21:11)

for me it's about providing a template for them to be creative themselves rather than necessarily creating a really unique sewing pattern that might only appeal to a few people. But if you get enough variety in all the pattern pieces and that they can assemble and all fit together like Lego, then

You know, I think you can have some really interesting unique garments.

Gemma Daly (21:36)

Yeah, I love that. I also read on your website that you are on a mission to create one million love stories. Can you tell us what that means?

Jane Harbison (21:48)

Every time you make something for someone, it's a love story. and for the reasons that we've talked about. So it's going to be very hard for me to count when I get to when I get to one million, but I'd like to think that, you know, every time I I sell a sewing pattern that somebody else, somebody is making a love story. And hopefully I'd like to think that they're making it more than once.

And so I'm hoping it has a multiplier effect. yes, it's going to be very hard to quantify, but I'd like to think that it's it's possible and I'm on my way to helping people create those love stories for all those beautiful men out there.

Gemma Daly (22:32)

so lovely. I was wondering when someone's choosing their first men's sewing pattern what should they look for before they buy or cut into the fabric?

Jane Harbison (22:43)

I think there are a a number of things that to think about even before you have decided racing off to buy a sewing pattern. it comes back to who you're making it for. And when we're making it for ourselves we're we intuitively know about the

the style, the occasion and the season. And those are the three things that I'd really like people to think about before they race off and buy a sewing pattern. And the style, you know, think about the the style of the person that you're sewing it for. So, you know, do they walk around in tracksuit pants and a t-shirt all the time? You know, are they are they in sports gear? Are they grunge? Are they classic?

Are they streetwear? You know, just understanding their style really helps you fine-tune the language around searching for the pattern that you're looking for. Because so often we we're searching increasingly searching for our patterns online. but also if you've got the right language when you walk into a shop to ask for the

ask the attendant for a particular type of style of pattern, then it's much easier for them to help you. So it the first thing I would say is understand the style of the person that you're making for. The next one is the occasion and for example, you want to make someone a shirt. There are so many options around what type of shirt you can make.

you know it from a t-shirt to one that you wear to work. So understanding the occasion, you know, is it something he's going to wear every day? or is it something for a wedding? I've had my camp collar shirt purchased for someone's going to a wedding, but the it was for a beach wedding. So and it's which it's perfect for that. Or is it is it a shirt that they're wearing to a black tie wedding, for example. So

Two very different types of garments, even though it's the same occasion. And the last one is the season, you know, is it is it for summer, summer, spring, or is it for winter? You know, is it going to be something to keep you warm or is it going to be something to keep you cool? And because comfort's a huge thing if you're going to be pulling it off the racks all the time, you want to feel comfortable in it, don't you?

so those are three the three things that I would highly recommend people do or think about before they race off and get a sewing pattern. And and with each of those you've you've got all the language that you need to search for something, narrow your search and spend less time on the internet and more time sewing.

Gemma Daly (25:22)

Great advice, and I think I need to apply that to myself sometimes as well because

Jane Harbison (25:27)

Yeah.

Gemma Daly (25:27)

you get like carried away when you see something new and shiny, don't you? But if you stick to those rules, it will likely fit in with your life rather than

Jane Harbison (25:37)

Right.

Gemma Daly (25:37)

just purchasing willy-nilly.

Jane Harbison (25:39)

Yeah. It's one of the I mean one of the other important things to do too is you know take a photo of your of your wardrobe because it's you can spend so much time making a a beautiful garment, but if it goes with nothing else in there, then you're never going to pull it off the rack.

you might l really want to wear it, but it doesn't match anything. And so it makes it then very hard to wear. I made my husband a my camp collar shirt and I love seeing it in the wash. I'm not a big fan of washing but

Gemma Daly (26:13)

Hahaha

Jane Harbison (26:14)

but I love seeing it in the wash because it means he's wearing it all the time, you know. So yeah.

Gemma Daly (26:21)

Yeah,

that's really nice. How do you think sewists can make something original without over complicating the project?

Jane Harbison (26:30)

I mean a sewing project is a creative one for me. and I think the important thing to keeping any project uncomplicated is following a process. I'm a big process person and I think when you understand where you are in that process, you don't get overwhelmed by getting s by being stuck.

or overthinking something. And I go back to my simple sort of little five-part process all the time with every single creative project I have. And it just keeps me calm because I know where I'm at in it and I know what I need to do to get take myself to the next step. and it this was this was the process, the creative process that I was teaching

the girls, you know, 10 years ago and and I still use it every day. Did do you want to hear it? Yeah.

Gemma Daly (27:24)

Yeah, tell us.

Jane Harbison (27:28)

it's it it all rhymes, you know, I love I

Gemma Daly (27:30)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (27:31)

love the rhyming process. So the first one is saturate, percolate, create, celebrate and rejuvenate. And so that first stage is

that saturation stage and we'll all be familiar with seeking inspiration from all sources and I love to sort of keep mine down to three otherwise if we keep spinning in that inspiration phase we never move to the next one and we have to just be happy with okay I've got my three sources of inspiration and I usually you can get that from online, you can get that from libraries.

you know that search engine source and you can get inspiration from those people that you admire so someone else you know podcasts are fantastic I've got so much inspiration from listening to your podcast just little

just little bits and I go I'm gonna use that I'm going to steal that

Gemma Daly (28:27)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (28:31)

And so you can so you can source your inspiration from from people from someone else and you don't have to know those people or you you can know them and they can be living in the same house as you. and then the last source of inspiration that I always go back to is myself. So I've had this problem before,

And so I reflect on okay, how have I dealt with it in the past? And so you always drawing on your own knowledge and experience sources of inspiration. And then you take yourself into that next phase of percolation, which is okay, I've got all these pieces of information. how do I match them?

Or which ones do I take with me that match my strengths? So the things that I'm naturally good at. So, you know, I can actually do this thing. I can't do that, but I think I can do that. So I'm going to take that with me. and they resonate with you. So they feel good, they feel right to you. And so you've you take those couple of things and you go, okay, I'm going to do something with these and I'm going to create something.

and you do it because there's there's no creativity unless you actually create something. You know, you otherwise it's just an idea, isn't it? It's it nothing comes of it. and then so you put it out into the world and whether you like it or not, you celebrate it. You know, I think we often forget to celebrate our failures, but I think they're just as important as those things that have worked well for us.

but the important thing to do with celebration is to do it with those people that you value and trust. So whose opinions mean something to you. And that could be your 500 Instagram followers. You might love who follows you. You've got built up a beautiful community. or they could be just your husband and children around the table. But

But take time to celebrate. And then the last bit of, of course, is taking a break. I think it's really important to rejuvenate at the end of any sort of project. even within a project, so you could go through that whole process in five minutes. And your rejuvenate stage is getting up and getting yourself a cup of coffee. Or it could be months and months and months of

a creative project and you're taking yourself through this process. and I think if you know that you're in that percolate stage and you're still mulling it over and making it feel good and feel right for you before you go and create something, if you know that's where you are, then you don't feel frustrated that you haven't created something yet because

You know where you're at, you know that you've got to spend time in that space. and it's really important not to miss any of them. You know, don't jump from create right to, gosh, I'm glad I've got that finished, you know, without celebrating the finishing sort of thing. So that's the creative process I take myself through that I think makes every

project that I do a joy. it's it's a calm process. I enjoy it. I know exactly where I am all the time. and that I think is what makes makes a project uncomplicated. Even though it sounds complicated it it

Gemma Daly (31:47)

You

Jane Harbison (31:48)

the process removes that

That anxiety that comes from not knowing where you are.

Gemma Daly (31:53)

I really love that Jane and I need to write that down because like you say it will get rid of the frustration like why aren't I over here yet? Why haven't I finished that yet? Because I'm only in this section. I love it and like you say it keeps you calm but also the important point to raise there is the celebration bit whether it's a success or a failure because I think we're all very good at

pushing down those failures because we don't want anyone else to see them.

Jane Harbison (32:25)

gosh, we and we've all got them, but I I'm sure we learned something from them. And it's the learning, it's the learning that you celebrate, not necessarily

Gemma Daly (32:29)

Absolutely. Yeah.

Jane Harbison (32:33)

the outcome. I think we associate creativity with the outcome rather than the process. Creativity for me is a process, not an outcome. Sir Ken Robinson, I think, defined it beautifully.

when he said creativity is a process of original ideas that add value and that's just always resonated for me and was the reason that I went in search of well if it's a process what's the process? You know

Gemma Daly (33:00)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (33:01)

and I think if we if we celebrate the creativity being the process and not

that little what we have shown what we've got for it at the end, then I think it becomes a lot more jo enjoyable and it becomes accessible to everyone because everybody can learn a process. You know, it just takes it takes time to perfect it. And like any process, the more you do it, the better you get at it. yeah. So

Gemma Daly (33:27)

Yeah, exactly. Well, thank you.

Jane Harbison (33:29)

I could probably create a l just a little one pager if you want to with those on it so people can have it if they want to want just you know where am I at? I'll do that.

Gemma Daly (33:34)

Mmm. Yeah, that would be great. Yeah.

Jane Harbison (33:40)

I'll I'll make a note to do that and I'll send it to you. Yeah.

Gemma Daly (33:43)

Yeah,

thank you for that because some really interesting points in there that I think will resonate with a lot of people. I was just wondering whether amongst all the things that you do, whether you get a chance to sew for yourself?

Jane Harbison (33:57)

I I don't. I've actually got two projects at the moment. I bought some fabric, two pieces of fabric. I knew exactly what I wanted to do with them. One is to make a just a gathered skirt. I I love skirts and dresses. I just find them once you put them on, it's just easier. And they're skirts and dresses are beautiful in a hot climate. You know,

Gemma Daly (34:16)

Mm.

Jane Harbison (34:17)

there's lots of

Marilyn Monroe moments that you can have with them to keep you cool. But

Gemma Daly (34:24)

See ya.

Jane Harbison (34:25)

it's so I've got that I've just got to find the right pattern for it. And I also have bought some stretch to make a t-shirt. I don't know about you, but at the moment all the shirts have got this croppy thing happening, and

Gemma Daly (34:39)

you

Jane Harbison (34:40)

I don't do crop very well.

Gemma Daly (34:42)

you

Jane Harbison (34:43)

so I'm looking at actually making my first t shirt. I've never made one before and so I'm not a big sewer of stretch fabric, but I thought I've got there those are the two things I want to do for myself before now and Christmas. Do you think that's do you think I should

Gemma Daly (34:59)

I think you could definitely do that.

I always say, because some people are scared of stretch and it's actually not, it's not that stretchy. Do you know what I mean? It's perfectly

Jane Harbison (35:10)

Mm.

Gemma Daly (35:12)

handleable. You can totally do it. So I believe.

Jane Harbison (35:18)

So well I'll let you know how I go with it. I've got somebody

Gemma Daly (35:20)

Yeah, great!

Jane Harbison (35:21)

guiding me very someone with a lot of ex of experience dealing with it. So she's guiding me carefully through the process. Yeah.

Gemma Daly (35:30)

Yeah,

definitely show me the outcome. So, just to tie up the interview, Jane, I like to do a game of this or that. Is that okay with you? Yeah?

Jane Harbison (35:40)

Yes, I like this section. I'm always curious about what people do what people say.

Gemma Daly (35:46)

Well, I think you've probably answered the first one because I was gonna ask you, knits or wovens? Yeah.

Jane Harbison (35:52)

wovens. Yeah. I

and it's because I learned that's what I learnt to sew with and

Gemma Daly (35:59)

Mmm.

Jane Harbison (35:59)

so I know it, you know. Mum Mum didn't do much knit fabric and so neither did I. Hmm.

Gemma Daly (36:06)

Fair

enough, fair enough. Classic plains or bold prints?

Jane Harbison (36:10)

Classic planes. Hmm. Yes.

Gemma Daly (36:12)

go with a lot, don't they?

Jane Harbison (36:14)

Yep. I love I love a pattern. but yeah, if I if I had to look at my wardrobe, I would say there's yeah, a lot of plain colours in it.

Gemma Daly (36:23)

Yeah scissors or a rotary cutter?

Jane Harbison (36:27)

scissors I think. I have more control. Yeah. A rotary cutter, it just seems to go I don't I must be doing it wrong.

Gemma Daly (36:34)

No, I do

the same thing. I'm like, why isn't this going straight? Spring, summer or autumn, winter?

Jane Harbison (36:44)

Spring summer. I think, you know, I live I live in a spring summer and it's probably spring summer all year round here in Brisbane. yeah.

Gemma Daly (36:51)

Yeah. Nice.

Jane Harbison (36:56)

I'm I'm not good in the cold. I'm not we were in Queenstown recently and you know it was zero. And yes, yeah. Anyway, it was beautiful. But it was cold.

Gemma Daly (37:02)

gosh. Yeah.

Yeah. An organized studio or creative chaos.

Jane Harbison (37:13)

Mm, I'd la I would love an organized studio, but I don't

Gemma Daly (37:19)

I don't know if I've come across anybody that has an organized studio or fabric stash.

Jane Harbison (37:26)

No,

I was watching a video the other day on YouTube about how to attain a organized studio because I do have all my fabric in my little baskets here and I started doing it but I haven't got very far. I I love the idea of it though, because it I can be very calming. I love a clean office, but

Gemma Daly (37:46)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (37:46)

it it is infrequently like that. What about you? Are you

Gemma Daly (37:52)

Oh, I have a bit of both. I like it to be clear and tidy as well, but I don't think that ever happens. There's piles of things everywhere.

Jane Harbison (38:02)

Yeah.

Gemma Daly (38:03)

Tea or coffee?

Jane Harbison (38:04)

I like both. Depends on the day, but I always start my day with a coffee. Mm-hmm.

Gemma Daly (38:09)

Yeah, one project on the go or multiple.

Jane Harbison (38:12)

multiple. Yeah. It's I I'm very comfortable with putting something down that isn't quite finished and picking

Gemma Daly (38:19)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (38:20)

it up again later. And that's goes with every aspect of my life and business. I like the variety of lots of different things

Gemma Daly (38:29)

Yeah

Jane Harbison (38:29)

happening. It's pr probably not efficient. But it

Gemma Daly (38:33)

If it works for you, it's efficient.

Jane Harbison (38:36)

Life interesting, doesn't it?

Gemma Daly (38:38)

Yeah, exactly.

Fashion trends or timeless style?

Jane Harbison (38:42)

Timeless style. But I love incorporating a little bit of the current fashion into that timeless style. I think you can always just pick a little bit, whether it's a colour or a flared pant, or the way that they're the size of the pockets or something, you can always pick just something that.

suits what your the classic piece that you're making that to keep it contemporary. And that's what's so beautiful about sewing, isn't it? You can you can do that.

Gemma Daly (39:12)

Exactly, that's a great point. Sweet or savoury?

Jane Harbison (39:17)

Sweet.

Sweet.

Gemma Daly (39:21)

Yeah

Jane Harbison (39:21)

Mm.

Gemma Daly (39:22)

and the last one early morning creativity or late night sewing

Jane Harbison (39:27)

Early morning. Yeah. I'm usually awake by five, five thirty each morning.

Gemma Daly (39:31)

wow.

Jane Harbison (39:32)

Yeah. I just wake with the birds, I suppose. And I'm in bed by eight.

Gemma Daly (39:35)

Yeah. Yeah, you're definitely a morning person then, aren't you?

Jane Harbison (39:42)

yes. So my dinner parties these days sort of you know, I'm getting I'm getting tired at ten anyway. Yeah.

Gemma Daly (39:49)

Yeah,

fantastic! So where can people find you Jane?

Jane Harbison (39:56)

janeharbison.com.au is my website. That's where all my sewing patterns are and link to my fabrics as well. and I also have a community called the Pocket Square Club and I teach people how to design and hand sew those beautiful little pocket squares that men can pop in.

their pocket next to their heart. And

it's for someone who hasn't ever made something for a man before, it's a really lovely, simple way to start. And they can take it anywhere with them, anywhere they are in the world. So I think it's that's that was the origins of the Pocket Square Club. But we I invite lots of

different artisans with different skills into there so people can design and make their own pocket squares that are unique to them.

Gemma Daly (40:52)

Sounds amazing.

And you're on Instagram as well, aren't you?

Jane Harbison (40:55)

Yes, not as much as I sh probably should be. It's it it's one of those, yes, I'm I love Pinterest. So I'm I'm active on Pinterest. It's visual search engine and it just it makes it very easy to create a piece or a story or a message and send them on their merry way to exactly where you want them to go.

So if you're talking about the fabric I can, you know, or a blog,

Gemma Daly (41:23)

Yeah.

Jane Harbison (41:24)

you know, whereas that becomes quite difficult on Instagram. There's a few hoops you have to jump before they can jump off.

Gemma Daly (41:33)

Yes.

Jane Harbison (41:34)

so I I've spend a lot more time on curating pieces on on Pinterest these days.

Gemma Daly (41:42)

Amazing. Well, I will link all of that in the show notes, but I just want to thank you for being an amazing guest on the Sewing Social podcast today.

Jane Harbison (41:51)

thank you so much for having me. I I love listening to your podcast and I'm so glad I found it. And

Gemma Daly (41:58)

Aww.

Jane Harbison (41:59)

yeah, no, I love it. and thank you so much for all the interviews and the people that you bring to us each week. And so thank you very much for that. I love it.

Gemma Daly (42:11)

You're

welcome. Thank you so much. You take care.

Jane Harbison (42:14)

Thanks, Gemma.

Gemma Daly (42:15)

Bye!

Jane Harbison (42:16)

Bye.