The Early Days - The Story Behind Humble Hearts Clergy Apparel
When my youngest daughter went off to college I found myself with time on my hands - time to try some new things.
I said “yes” to just about every opportunity I was offered; volunteer work, neighborhood Bible study, dog walks, work-outs, hula dancing (I loved this but it wasn’t a natural fit for me - although I stuck with it for 5 fun years), coffee gatherings, administrative work for my brother, community courses, violin lessons, travel and more.
What I found most engaging was the class I took at Minneapolis Community and Technical College (MCTC) in fashion illustration. I immediately enrolled in the next offered course which was Draping and Pattern Construction.
Measure twice, cut once!
With the encouragement of my instructor I enrolled in the Apparel Design program as a full-time student the following Fall
When I arrived for my first official class I was so comforted to see that, at the age of 52, I was not the oldest in the class. The age span was 18 to 71. That’s one of the things I love about community colleges!
At the start of my first class we were all asked (predictably) to introduce ourselves. I told everyone that I had spent the last 20+ years taking care of things at home (something I have always loved!). The most notable response was an ”eew” from the back of the room.
Oh well . . . it’s not for everyone :).
I spent the next 2 years in school full-time taking every class that was offered in Apparel Design.
Line Design Sketches
My garments were made from cotton gauze, linen, blended soft tweed, burlap coffee bags and cut strips from a worn cotton blanket.
My Final Project in a
Product Development Class
I had so much fun with this assignment. The inspiration for Humble Hearts!!
Red Dress Event 2012
In addition to the class projects and assignments we were encouraged to participate in local events. My favorite was the Hearts for Fashion Show sponsored by Boston Scientific. This Go Red event was one of many to bring awareness to women’s heart health.
Red coat with gold mesh overlay. Red jersey knit dress with a built-up neckline, contouring tucks and billowy bishop sleeves.
Red Dress Event 2013
The following year my goal was to create a beautiful gown that could be worn to an award ceremony or celebration.
Bias cut gown with a deep cowl in back that drops down into horizontal pleats at the center. The excess fabric cascades down from the shoulders covering the back of the arms and creating a wing-like effect.
I graduated in the Spring of 2013. Immediately after that I accepted an internship with a local designer of couture women’s garments. It was during this summer that I learned what a challenge it was to bring a line of clothing to market. By the end of the summer the business was shut down and I was again looking for more challenges and work experience.
Through an informational interview I was referred to the Costume Director at The Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis. I began my second internship as a stitcher in the theater’s costume shop in October 2013.
I spent several weeks attempting to perfect my skills - especially my hand sewing skills (which were severely lacking). First and foremost I learned the importance of using a thimble. Truly, it was an actual lecture!
Eventually, I was guided through the complete construction of a costume for “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. I was so thrilled and honored and scared about ruining the garment by . . . well, any number of mishaps. I can tell you now that it all came together and is still in the rotation.
Before starting each new show we were shown the renderings created by the costume designer (these were often incredible works of art depicting what we were about to turn into a 3-dimensional creation). The exquisite fabrics and trims, the passementerie, the layers of undergarments to hold, lift and frame, the unique closures and the specific techniques used for constructing these wonderful garments were all new to me. Thankfully, I was paired up with an amazingly talented draper/tailor who was patient enough to carefully and thoroughly instruct me each step of the way.
Scrapbook
As a souvenir I kept a small swatch of the fabrics and trims used on the costumes that I helped to build and attached them to an informational postcard prepared by the theater for guest. It may surprise you to learn that most of the costumes took weeks to create and were often worked on by a team of stitchers.
I never dreamed of finding work in costuming but it was a great fit and a great experience. In addition to learning an incredible amount about garment construction I also learned an incredible amount about being of service and figuring things out. I always brag about the production crew at The Guthrie - whatever crazy thing can be dreamt up by a designer the costume shop staff can make. And if the designer or the director would change their minds about a look the staff would always work quickly to accommodate the change.
In the Fall of 2019, after working 6 years in costuming, I was itching to try something different; something that allowed me to have a more flexible schedule. Whether I was ready or not, that is exactly what happened when, in February 2020, the Coronavirus became a very real threat resulting in widespread closures of public buildings and businesses. I was out of work.
This says it all!
Taking time to think about . . . things.
Over the years I have, somewhat sporadically, made clergy apparel for pastors. It started when my (then) Pastor Kae asked if I would be willing to create a clergy dress for her. I can honestly say that my first garments, made while I was a student at MCTC, were not that great. Growing up in a Baptist church, where our pastors wore their “Sunday best”, I did not appreciate the complexity or significance of the clergy collar. My first attempts were flimsy and floppy and didn’t do the work of holding in the tab. Additionally, they were too short, too tall, too tight or too loose. Generally speaking, they were bad!
But I kept trying. Eventually I created a clergy tab collar that really worked. It looked good, it felt good, and it held in the stiff collar tabs that my pastor friends were using.
When I decided to turn the hobby of designing and sewing clergy apparel into a business I enlisted a clothing design resource company to guide me through the process. An early issue in product development was, once again, the challenges the collar presented. They would only use one type of interfacing in the collar and not the 3 different thicknesses that I had been using successfully. I was continually reminded that what was happening now was not “home sewing” or “slow sewing” and I needed to choose just one. Hmmm . . .
So I chose one and then spent the next several weeks investigating options for creating more flexible collar tabs. I am so grateful for all the contacts (mostly men) who took up the challenge and helped me to find a solution. Incidentally, all those who assisted me were happy to help because they had a meaningful connection to a pastor and felt it would be a way to support them; albeit in a roundabout way!
What I have continued to find out is that when you need some help you have to ask for some help. I started making calls for help and suggestions regarding tabs. The trail to creating a new collar tab is a long and winding one (I kept track of the calls for fun!?!). But, I eventually found the resources needed to create my own flexible non-restrictive tabs. Yay!!
Recycled, recyclable clergy collar tab
Tabs with amazing comfort and flexibility!
In the mean time work continued on my first garment; a tunic.
First, I have to tell you that I decided to “go it alone”. Using a design resource company did not seem to make things easier or better, just more costly. Instead I reached out to a friend from The Guthrie Theater, dj gramann ii, for support and advice. He was so wonderful! He spent several hours with me reviewing my progress and brainstorming ways to proceed as well as people to meet. It really does help to talk things through with a trusted friend. I now had a new plan. It felt good.
So, basically, I started over in developing a tunic for Humble Hearts. I met with a former CAD instructor from MCTC who digitized and graded the pattern for me. She then referred me to another former student who recently started a design and sewing service who was willing to work with me on production. I corralled friends and family into acting as fit models as I continued to evaluate and adjust. Thankfully, things started to move forward again. I am very blessed to have the support of all these special people!
Lo and Behold
It all came together and I received my first order of tunics in September 2020.
In addition to family and friends who acted as fit models I will be forever grateful to my son-in-law, Joe, for providing creative and technical support along the way. Joe designed Humble Heart’s logo, set up my website, helped craft communication and provided priceless guidance and feedback.
Finally, and most importantly, I want to thank my husband Brad for encouraging me and fully supporting this “adventure” without terms or conditions. He’s also been more than willing to review every detail and decision I’ve agonized over, given wise advice and perspective, and endured my sleepless nights.
This is just the beginning!!
