Where's Jennie?
Hello there!
Yes, it has been a very long time since I have checked in, but I’m still here, still sewing on occasion, and still answering customer questions, running online classes, and wearing historically inspired creations as often as possible in everyday life. But when the world shut down and ended in-person costume events, I knew things were going to change for my business. I also quit my Instagram account in 2020 when my mom was diagnosed with breast cancer, and what I’ve been doing in real life has kept me super occupied for a very long stretch.
Our family moved back to my husband’s hometown in 2020, purchasing a 1906 house in need of TLC. That kept us happily occupied for months, painting, repairing old windows, and planting English roses all along the picket fence.
The previous owner had a copy of this photo of the original family on the front porch, ca. 1910. The mother and father are in the center (she’s in the dark dress with a bun on top of her head). They had nine children. In this photo, the married children pose with their spouses and children. We were tickled pink to have the history of the house when we bought it! Below are a couple of shots taken in the same spot (a little less spread out). A lot of the original gingerbread is gone, along with the wood-turned columns, but it’s amazing how much still looks the same.
We thoroughly enjoyed being within walking distance of our adorable downtown but lamented that there wasn’t a coffee or tea shop. Our oldest children, one of whom had worked as a barista for two years, all began hatching a plan to open one ourselves, calculating a budget, looking for a space to put it, and researching equipment, business regulations, taxes, and more. Within a couple of months, the perfect space opened up for rent just five blocks from us in what used to be the post office 100 years ago. And the most amazing touch of serendipity? My husband’s great-grandfather was the postmaster way back then, so we even had a family connection to the building! We signed a lease and immediately started raising funds for the build-out and equipment, and I was blown away to find a 1920s counter at an estate sale from a general store 45 minutes up the road. The counter was exactly the right size for the space and fit through the doorway, which was just incredible. I spent a week refinishing it to make sure its surface was food-grade for the health department’s inspection, and the entire family pitched in to help get the space ready for a free tasting to get the word out that a coffee shop was finally coming to downtown.
We were determined to keep everything as locally sourced as possible, and we were excited to find a coffee roaster just down the road from us who really knew his coffee (one whiff of his roastery, and we knew we’d found our coffee beans!). Our first open house “test tasting” was a huge success, complete with live music and delicious baked goodies.
By September of 2021, we had everything in place, passed our inspections, trained the staff, and were ready for our grand opening. We thoroughly enjoyed being able to open a European-style coffee and tea shop, incorporating all the things we’ve loved in our travels around Europe and Africa, both of which have incredibly strong café cultures. We wanted our customers to feel relaxed and welcome to stay from the start, and it has been ten months of joy as the entire family has worked together to create a hospitable and warm environment—and serve awesome coffees and teas!
Another delightful facet of this new venture has been hosting “high tea” with our local tea blending expert (who does all of our loose leaf teas and has her own shop on Main Street). We also held a bouquet workshop with a nearby florist who grows her own flowers and loved watching the creativity flow.
And, nope, I haven’t left sewing and costuming behind! For our first Halloween weekend, we chose a “Back to the Future” theme, which was a hoot. On May the 4th, we did Star Wars Day and encouraged customers to come dressed up as well.
But, by far, the most fun I’ve had with costuming in the past two years was for our town’s Spring Fest this April, when our community decided to host its first ever Easter Hat Parade. Contestants decorated their own hats, there was a contest for the various age categories, and we all got to strut our stuff down Main Street. It was such a blast that we are already planning hat workshops for next year. I didn’t have much time to prep my own hat (and I didn’t compete), but I have big ideas for the next go-around!
As you can see, we have kept ourselves thoroughly occupied over the past two years. I’ve made dresses for myself and my girls, I’ve altered some vintage clothes found at estate sales, and I taught one of my twins to sew when he wanted to make his own tabard for a medieval SCA event nearby (he did a great job!).
My two youngest daughters are now champing at the bit to learn, so we will be starting with circle skirts this summer. I made myself another Dior Palais de Glacé dress from the silk rayon I got in Paris in 2019, and one of these days I really will finish that blog series and show the final dress I wore on that trip!
I also turned 50 this year, and my husband surprised me (understatement of the year) by flying our oldest son and his wife here for a visit after lockdowns had kept them in South Africa for so long. It was a glorious way to celebrate half a century, and we had so much fun together. Ruby, who is a trained barista, even got to hang with us at the coffee shop and teach latte art!
Sense & Sensibility Patterns isn’t going anywhere, though I put the brakes on new patterns and videos while we focused on our local endeavors. My next big MUST-DO project is updating all ePatterns to both tiled and large-format to accommodate all printing options, since many customers have reported that Adobe’s Poster Print feature no longer functions on certain platforms (so sorry!). A dear friend in the costuming community has shared her know-how with Adobe Illustrator, and I’m planning to set aside the last week in July to blaze through all the pattern sheets and get them done. If you already own an older version, you’ll be able to request the updated ePattern as soon as those go online.
Thank you all for your patience and understanding during the whirlwind of the past two and a half years. Your kind emails and snail mail have been so encouraging, especially as my mom battled cancer (and won!). I always say I have the best customers in the world, and I honestly believe it.
Have a wonderful summer, and stay in touch!
