Daily Inspiration: Meet Jane Pierce

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Pierce.  

Hi Jane, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I am a mom of four grown adults who live in the Cleveland, Columbus, and Tampa Bay areas. I began upcycling on a fluke by making t-shirt grocery bags to use as a way to package gifts for family. The t-shirt material I had leftover was colorful like paint and I began using it for practical products like laundry pillow sheets, shoe odor absorbers, and more. I was just making these for myself but I noticed how long-lasting they were and how well they held up. I decided to sell some of the products and other people really enjoyed them. Fast forward to my latest upcycled project, comfortable reversible bucket hats. These really give me creative freedom in using upcycled materials which are often like-new finds at the thrift but also include but aren’t limited to- my own fashion pieces that don’t fit, end-bolt textiles, remnants from beloved clothing of my customers, and other quality fabrics that I come across secondhand. Each bucket hat feels like a work of art and is unique and one of a kind. There’s so much waste and upcycling materials work toward zero waste. I’m pleased to be able to use my sewing skills in a way that helps the planet by keeping perfectly usable materials out of landfills. 

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I didn’t own a sewing machine when I started. I actually paid someone to sew the bottoms of the bags I made and I hand-sewed the finishing touches. I couldn’t keep up. A friend offered me a 1951 White (beautiful) cabinet machine left in a basement rental. That was it! I had it refurbished. Found another one just like it (they have a beautiful top stitch I like) online and I’d like to think Upcycling and ZJayne became one. 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
For me, I love the creative process. I enjoy the ideas that I come up with and finding a way to make them into reality. In fact, I’m really good at going, “Hey, look at what I made!” and then people want it and I’m like “oh boy, now what do I do?” From what I understand from my son with a Master’s in Business that’s not a business plan! We laugh about it. Still, I persevere. 

One of my successful products are my lavender laundry pillows. They are an eco-friendly healthy alternative to replace chemically treated dryer sheets. I’ve been able to find local small batch production sewers to make components for the pillows and I do the finishing touches. 

In the past, I also created art dolls from upcycled jewelry and other metal objects. When I look back on my assemblage art and my creativity in recycling textiles and helping to keep material out of landfills… that’s a good feel. And these bucket hats are trending!!!

If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Resilience and perseverance have a lot to do with my success. Sometimes when I’m working on something and it’s just not as good as I want it to be… I walk away from it. Take a break. Go dancing. Take a getaway if I can. I get right back to it in a better frame of mind. 

I could see my laundry pillows in every store but it’s overwhelming to figure out how to make that happen. They do make it in stores and magazines. I have a decent reorder business on Etsy too. 

Pricing:

• Bare bones laundry pillows $15 for 3
• Fancy laundry pillows $18.50 for 3
• Bucket Hats start at $65 (reversible too!)

Contact Info:

• Website: www.ZJayne.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zjaynecle
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/UpcyclingByzJayne/
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/zjayne
• Other: https://www.etsy.com/shop/zJayne