On today’s episode of the Craft Industry Alliance podcast we’re talking about textile design with my guest, Jen Hewett. Jen is currently on a book tour and she came to visit me while in the Boston area so we recorded this interview in my house. It was so lovely to meet her in person!

Jen is a printmaker, surface designer, textile artist and teacher. A lifelong Californian, Jen combines her love of loud prints and saturated colors with the textures and light of the California landscapes to create highly-tactile, visually-layered, printed textiles.

The Hank Field Bag is a collaboration between Jen Hewett and Fringe Supply Co.

Jen’s first book, Print, Pattern, Sew: Block Printing Basics + Simple Sewing Projects for an Inspired Wardrobe (affiliate link), was published by Roost Books in May 2018 and her first line of commercial fabrics will be available with Cotton+Steel in August 2018.

Jen and her dog Gus live in San Francisco, two blocks from Golden Gate Park, and three miles from the Pacific Ocean.

In this conversation, we talk about Jen’s conscious path towards becoming a full-time working artist, including the many years she worked full-time and part-time in jobs not related to art in order to make it happen. Jen talks about the mistakes she made in her first foray into entrepreneurship starting a stationery business in the early 2000’s.

Jen took a printmaking class on a whim and was totally hooked. Printmaking has led her down a variety of different paths including small-batch manufacturing, online and in-person teaching gigs, licensing, collaborations, and now writing a book. Through it all, Jen has done an expert job at setting limits and maintaining a strong sense of identity as an artist.

Imagined Landscapes is Jen’s fabric line with Cotton+Steel coming out in August.

We reference:

• The Makerie (and my interview with Makerie found Ali DeJohn)
• Squam
• A Verb for Keeping Warm and Kristine Vejar’s book The Modern Natural Dyer (affiliate link)
• Gather Here
• Roost Books
• Jen’s ecourse Design, Carve, Print: Block Printing on Fabric

And, of course, I ask Jen to recommend great stuff she’s enjoying right now. Jen recommends:

• putting bags into bags to keep organized when you travel
• keeping a notebook so all your ideas end up in one place
• getting outside every day especially when you feel stuck or anxious

Follow Jen on Instagram to see what she’s up to day to day and visit her website where you can sign up for her email newsletter to see where she’ll be teaching next.

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This episode is sponsored by Indygo Junction. Inspire your creative spirit with Indygo Junction books & patterns! Visit our Indygo Junction Blog to learn more about fabrics and techniques as well as giveaways & events. Join our Facebook Sewing Pattern Group and receive our Everyday Dress Pattern! Use coupon code WSN25 for 25% off your entire order!

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