waysideviolet - cozy, lovely things

I’ve been wanting to feature Janey Clothing for ages!  Since warmer weather is right around the corner and lots of us are thinking about our summer wardrobes, today seems like the perfect time! Each of Jane’s pieces are so lovely and functional in the prettiest way, I’d happily wear the whole shop! A big thank you to Jane for making time for an interview and she has even offered a wonderful giveaway for one lucky reader!

Q. Could you tell us a little about yourself?
I am born and bred in rainy Dublin, Ireland. I live with my endlessly patient fiance, and wish my cat/dog/rabbit allergy would disappear so we could have pets again! I have a background in printed textiles which I hope to incorporate into my designs at some point. Besides fashion, I love textiles, patterns, stationary, homey stuff and anything that is beautifully designed. My longstanding favorite colour is coral, its not even a conscious decision at this point, I just always end up picking up pinky/orangy/red things wherever I go.

Q. How did you begin making clothes?
After finishing a degree in textiles and doing markets around the city I got frustrated with not being able to make finished products to the level I wanted. So I decided to further my skills in pattern cutting and enrolled in an evening class, learning things the hard way!

Q. Your shop is so lovely! What is your creative process like?
I do little scrapy sketches all over the place and tend to problem solve pattens in my head for a while before they emerge in fabric. I try to think of how the fabric would like to be used. After many attempts to battle fabric into the shape I want, I try to let it decide for me. I think I am drawn to the textiles first and then have to figure out what to do from there (probably not ideal), but I try to be organic and not too structured about things. Generally I have to try a couple of different designs before I finally get the right look.

Q. What’s a normal day in your life like?
At the moment I am working with my fiance on his business, so I am limited time wise to what I can do. In a way it’s good because I spend more time thinking about what I want to get done, so when I get into the studio I am a lot more focused than when I have all the time in the world.

Q. What inspires you most of all?
Hmmmm, I think colour. I am endlessly in awe of beautiful colour combination’s. Some of my friends design patterns and I just love to look at the colours they choose. It makes me happy to look at certain colours, I think they can lift your mood and change your outlook. When my sister and I worked together I remember we were using a super bright pure sun yellow jersey, and just laying out the meters of fabric on the cutting table made us both giddy. I would have happily just hung up the fabric all over the place and not cut it up at all! When you live in a wet, dull country it can be surprisingly energizing to look at really intense colour!

The Giveaway: a pretty Black Heart Shrug!

To enter just visit Jane’s shop and leave a comment here about your favorite item.

The giveaway will be open until April 15th. Good luck!

Tags: etsy interview, giveaway, janey clothing