Hetterson

New year, new beginnings

2012-02-04T15:47:00.000-08:00

2011 was my first year of doing Hetterson full-time. It was a big step to quit my job, and the first year taught me a lot! It was a time of many ups and downs. I spent the last couple months of 2011 taking a good hard look at how the year really went. I weighed the good + the bad and figured out the things that wore me down most:

1. Seasonal = disposable.

I dislike the idea of seasonal collections, even though I try to make my pieces

transitional/long-lasting. Naming something "fw" or "ss" makes it seem short

lived and disposable.

2. The ever hungry internet.

After launching a collection I see it circulate (blogs, twitter, tumblr) for a month or so....

then everyone is blowing up my inbox asking "what's next". Like an ever hungry monster

the internet has taught the consumer to ALWAYS be looking for next thing/best deal.

As a designer this is super frustrating. I put so much work into my pieces, it would be

nice to keep making them for a while without pressure to always create something new.

This is responsible for a lot of my burn outs. Still haven't figured out a way to beat it....

3. Growth

Generally, to be successful, a business has to expand. I could bring in help or outsource,

but I don't ever see myself doing that. Why? Because I enjoy making all the clothes in my line,

and I'd miss the connection between maker and customer!

4. Copying and not crediting.

Images get "borrowed" from a blog, the person doesn't credit them and other people keep
sharing them. There are way too many platforms for image sharing and as a result the internet
has become over saturated with uncredited images. It's so easy now for someone to copy an

original design (be it a big company or a small one) if they see an image of a garment somewhere
with no credit. This has happened to me, and it sucks.

5. Making the kind of collections/clothes I want to.

I have come to terms with the fact that my favorite pieces (time consuming, lots of detail, more $$),
are rarely the biggest sellers. I usually make 1-2 of these garments per season. ANY designer will
tell you that a collection needs to be well rounded with a variety garments at a range of price points
to be successful. That's the bottom line. Instead of making a couple of my favorite pieces each
season mixed with a bunch of pieces (that sell in the blink of an eye) I'm less than stoked to be
making, I'd prefer to make smaller collections with my favorite/most awesome pieces.

Thinking about all of the above made me realize how BURNT OUT I am. I needed to take a break and step back from Hetterson stuff. As of now the SS collection is cancelled. I'm pondering all things Hetterson....and IF I decide to proceed with designing clothing in my off time, some serious changes would need to be made. I moved this week to an apartment closer to Portland, and will be starting at my new job (!!!!!) Monday. I think taking the financial pressure off my creativity is going to make me so much happier/more chill! Don't worry, I'll be back in this space soon sharing apartment-y stuff and whatnot!

PS. I have no internet at my apartment yet. Responses to emails/comments will be few and far between (free wifi spots...ugh) until I get that sorted!

2011-12-22T11:06:00.000-08:00

I think spinning my DSLR like a top might be a bad idea....BUT IT MAKES CHRISTMAS LIGHTS LOOK SO COOL.

New stockist - LOWELL

2011-12-17T17:37:00.000-08:00

LOWELL

shop gallery food drink

819 N Russell

Portland, OR 97227

503.753.3608

lowellportland@gmail.com

lowellportland.tumblr.com

Opening tonight (9pm-12am)!

They have two custom organic cotton sweaters...A Salt sweater (forest + charcoal) and a

Heather sweater in (Poppy + brown). Portland people, check it out!!!

HOLIDAY SHOP UPDATE PREVIEW no. 1 - SATCHLETS

2011-12-10T19:14:00.001-08:00

Satchlets are sold out! Since the first run was so popular, I'll be restocking all the

colors this Wednesday, 10am PST

~~There will be a Hetterson holiday shop update tomorrow (Sunday) at 10am PST.~~

This is a two-part update with the second part happening Wednesday at 10am PST!

Each update will have a variety of small items that are great for gifting

- to others or oneself, ha.

First up are Satchlets (satchel + wallet = Satchlet). Besides being able to fit a variety of

bits and bobs (cards, lipsticks, ipod etc...) they're just cute in general. There will be a

variety of colors available in tomorrows update, but only a couple of each colorway!

If you are planning on gifting any of these items please order by the 15th to ensure

delivery by Christmas.

New stockist - Myrtle, LA

2011-12-06T22:34:00.001-08:00

photos by Elizabeth Daniels for Racked LA

LA people! You can now check out Hetterson sweaters at Myrtle, a new boutique in Echo Park. Myrtle features independent (and many of my favorite) lady designers...Scout and Catalogue, Dusen Dusen, Fieldguided, MCMC fragrances, Rifle and more! My sweaters are in pretty awesome company!

I had the pleasure of meeting Myrtle's proprietress-Whitney Bickers-when she visited Oregon. Whitney is (of course) an all-around rad lady with extra cool style! It's been so awesome watching her vision come to life through her tumblr. I'm so stoked my clothes are a part of her gorgeous store!

Myrtle's opening party is this Saturday from 5-10! I WISH I WAS THERE. Please go, then tell me all about it, so I can live vicariously through you...

Like Hetterson...

2011-11-28T21:59:00.001-08:00

I finally set up a Facebook page for Hetterson (yay)

Click to visit

2011-11-20T14:21:00.001-08:00

So. Much. Yarn

PRINTING pt.2

2011-11-20T14:16:00.001-08:00

Print, print, print

PRINTING pt. 1

2011-11-20T13:46:00.001-08:00

From a big printing day last weekend! These are all blanks - ready to be printed.

W.H.C packaging + no new hat collection today (sorry)

2011-11-20T12:46:00.001-08:00

So I got to thinking last week that the Weekly Hat Collection should really have it's own packaging!

Here is what I came up with:

These boxes are a ton of work to make, but I love how they look! Each W.H.C box is hand-printed with the edition (ex. 1 of 2) + week # and there's even a little window for the hat to peep through!

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There will be no new hat collection this week! I am missing some knitting machine tools (it was a bad idea to re-organize my workroom) that I need to make them. I ordered back up tools...unfortunately they won't be here till next week. Sorry guys. New knit hats will have to wait til Sunday (Dec. 4th)!

PS. There are two hats left in the shop. Both were editions of two, only one left of each now!

Weekly Hat collection - No. 1

2011-11-13T15:39:00.001-08:00

I've been planning this for the last month and I am so excited to finally share it with you guys! When the last caps sold out I kept getting requests for more, and here they are! I love the idea of being able to make new colors and patterns each week, because as much as I may love the original idea of a design, it can get soooo...boring making it a billion times. I have a ton of awesome knit cap ideas up my sleeve and will be sharing them (as collections) over the next couple months. Most of the caps are a combination of either organic merino or organic cotton. However, I might just have some cashmere caps planned for a little closer to the holidays. I think these would make great gifts ;)

There will be new cap collection every Sunday, until Dec 11th. Then I will be taking a break and resuming after Christmas (Dec 11th is also the last ship day for guaranteed arrival by Christmas).

Shibori

2011-11-11T20:07:00.001-08:00

I was scrolling through my photo albums and stumbled across a shibori project I did ages (2 months) ago, can't believe I forgot to post it way back then.

It's hard to tell in this photo, but the piece of fabric is huge! Each diamond is about two feet across.

2011-11-11T12:00:00.001-08:00

I looked at my schedule after (finally) filling it out for the next month and sort of panicked. With retail orders to fill (yay, more on this soon), getting ready for the holidays* and finishing up the ss collection...I foresee many long nights. I'm pretty stoked about working on the ss collection, which feels good! I was in an EPIC rut for the last month, but I think I finally got my mojo back. If all goes according to plan the new collection will be ready soon!

Better get back to work....

*More about my holiday plans for Hetterson this weekend

In the shop.....

2011-10-12T14:40:00.000-07:00

All caps are sold out (thank you, customers!!!)!! The two at the left and right are knit from a super soft, locally grown, processed and spun cashmere mixed with my favorite organic merino. Both are odd size samples, offered at a discounted price, check the product pages for more info . The middle is the hat featured in the last post. After getting some emails asking about this one, I decided to make a small, limited run for the shop.

Peach ombre cap + Cashmere stripe cap + Cashmere speckle cap

Ombre knit cap

2011-10-10T21:29:00.000-07:00

Yep, I'm still on a hat knitting kick. I actually knit this weekend before last, then decided it was kinda boring in the cream. So, this week I dug out the dyes I used on the fabric of this dress and played around with ombre-ing it. Getting a nice ombre effect is surprisingly tricky, but (after much trial and error) I think I've got it down. I definitely want to make a few more ombre hats...Maybe in orange or navy blue...hmmm?

Mini stripes

2011-10-03T05:00:00.000-07:00

Two hats

2011-09-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

I picked up a sample skein of (gorgeous) locally grown and processed brown cashmere at a fiber festival last week. I initially bought it to test the yarn for bigger projects, but we'll see if I can actually get more. Since the skein was so small, I blended it with some creamy organic merino I had and knit two hats. The first one came out waaaaay...too small. The second one turned out just right. Hat #2 (on the right) is my first completed fairisle piece. It figures, when I finally decide I want to knit fairisle on my machine, the pattern reader breaks. I'm hoping to bring it up up to the knit machine doctor in Vancouver, but until then I am hand selecting all my patterns...it takes forever, ugh.

Orange you glad...

2011-09-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Sephora by Opi in Hi Def = best orange ever!

I was (sort of) resigned to having stubby, non existent nails for the rest of my life. But, in the last couple months they started growing like crazy and quit tearing (I suspect from a new medication, as it also made my eyelashes super long). It's sort of hard to tell how long they are in this picture, but they're a good 1/4in. past the nail bed. Even my mom said she's never seen my nails so long. I'm hoping they last forever, but in reality they will probably go back to their stubby selves when my medication runs out...sigh.

I'm looking for some rad polishes to try before my nails revert to their old ways. I want to hear about your favorite polish(es), let's get paint crazy!!!!

Wash tests

2011-09-28T14:26:00.000-07:00

Salt sweater patch- after 5th washing.

left: salt sweater + 5 times washed patch ~ right: red and cream crenelle sweater + once washed patch

I used to recommend dry cleaning for all my leather patched sweaters. Mostly because leather can be finicky, and I wasn't sure how it would react to water + soap. I really don't care much for dry-cleaning (it's an ucky process) and I've had many a crappy experience at the cleaners (including one lady who put two of my sweaters in a solution that felted them completely...then kept denying it... even with me sticking the sweaters she felted and a non felted sweater - all in the same size - in her face...wtf). So, I've been looking into other ways of cleaning my sweaters for the past few months....

I'm happy to say (after testing numerous sweaters) that it's safe + cool to hand-wash the be-patched sweaters. Hand-washing is pretty awesome. Not only is it nice and gentle on the natural fibers, but the sweaters get better and better with each washing. With each washing, the merino/cotton sweaters are softer + drape better and the veg-tanned leather butters up, becomes more flexible and gets a pebbled texture. I'm a big fan of anything that gets better with wash and wear, and the sweaters certainly do.

I'm working on a sweater care page, with (hopefully) a photographed step-by-step hand-washing tutorial. Keep an eye out for it in the next couple weeks.

Can you spot the Hetterson sweater....?

2011-09-26T13:16:00.000-07:00

Thanks to lovely Portland talent, Meredith Adelaide, for letting me know about this.

Shop open + thank you

2011-09-10T09:31:00.000-07:00

The shop is now open, click the here to visit!

Thanks for all the sweet comments and posts about the new collection! I really appreciate it! I know I say this every season, but I really, really do! I thought it might be nice instead of just saying thank you, to actually do something nice in return. So, from here on out, you can send me - hannah (at) hetterson (dot) com - a link to your post about the new Hetterson collection and I'll send you a special code for the online shop (it's a surprise what it is), which you can choose to use on yourself or gift to a pal (it's only good once though)!

x x x x,

Hannah

behind the scenes ~ fw11 photoshoot

2011-09-08T12:51:00.000-07:00

Fw clothes (there were bees everywhere, all over the clothes, I was terrified)

Boots

Kaylie doing Courtney's makeup

Fall/winter ~ handprinted stripe cropped blouse

2011-09-06T15:33:00.000-07:00

Japanese organic cotton double gauze- mustard. Handprinted tomato stripes. 2 Button shoulder closure.

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~ coming soon ~

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

. . . . .And that wraps up the fall/winter collection. Phew! this is definitely the most pieces I've done for a season!

The shop will be opening this Saturday (the 10th). Sign up for the mailing list to be notified of the exact time. In the meantime, click on over to the shop to see the pieces that will be available. The rest of the collection will be coming to the shop over the next month. I'll be setting up a sign up list for anyone who wants to be given a heads up when the rest of the pieces are available, but more on that later.

Over the next few days, I'll be sharing my inspiration this season, behind the scenes etc....Stay tuned.

PS. for the complete fall/winter lookbook go here

Fall/winter ~ Navy scout dress

2011-09-06T13:34:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Coming soon

Fall/winter - Heather and Leather sweater

2011-09-06T13:02:00.000-07:00

Organic merino + Organic cotton. Shades of navy, grey and cream.

Vegetable tanned pocket and elbow patches.

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Available as made-to-order: Saturday, September 10th

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Fall/winter ~ Mustard Scout dress + organic merino Crenelle

2011-09-06T11:22:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Organic merino Crenelle sweater: available Saturday, September 10th

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Scout dress: coming soon

Fall/winter ~ Organic merino Crenelle sweater

2011-09-06T10:08:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Organic cream merino wool + organic hand-dyed tomato merino wool.

Vegetable tanned elbow patches.

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Available for made-to-order: Saturday, September 10th

Fall/winter ~ Saturday afternoon dress

2011-09-06T09:57:00.000-07:00

Made from a super cozy Japanese organic double gauze. Fitted at the shoulders, loose through the waist and hips.
Deep front pockets.

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~ Coming soon ~

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.
PS. model is wearing one size larger than she should be...oops.

Fall/winter ~ Organic merino Crenelle sweater

2011-09-05T13:31:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Organic, naturally colored, merino, : heather grey + cream. Vegetable tanned leather elbow patches.

- - - - - - - - - -

Available for made-to-order: Saturday, September 10th.

Fall/winter ~ faring sweater

2011-09-05T13:13:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Organic, naturally colored merino wool. Wood buttons

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Available for made-to-order: Saturday, September 10th

Fall/winter ~ Mustard Scout dress + Salt sweater

2011-09-05T11:27:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Salt sweater: Organic cotton, navy + cream. Vegetable tanned leather elbow patches.

Available for made-to-order: Saturday, September 10th

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Scout dress: Coming soon

Fall/winter ~ Organic cotton Crenelle sweater

2011-09-05T10:29:00.000-07:00

Model: Courtney Williams ~ Makeup: Kaylie Danelle ~ Photography/Styling: Hannah E.

Organic cotton, Navy + cream. Vegetable tanned elbow patches.

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Available for made-to-order: Saturday, September 10th

On being creative...

2011-09-01T13:53:00.000-07:00

Okay, despite blogging for 2 + years I still struggle to get my thoughts and feelings across through my writing. There has been many a topic I wanted to address on this here blog, but have never even started a draft because of this writing-phobia. That being said I'll only get over this obstacle by writing more, so bear with me through the rough patches, we'll get there, ha.

I've been wanting to talk about creative processes for a very, very long time. I think everyone has their own process when it comes to creativity. I am a routine person. For me, creativity NEVER strikes, it's more like banging my head against a pinata and sometimes if I hit it hard enough for long enough, candy comes out.

At the beginning of every collection, I sketch and sketch and sketch like crazy. After the sketch I draft a pattern, stitch up a muslin and then (more often than not) decide I hate it. The design gets scrapped, and I move on to the next sketch. I'd say probably 1 in 20 designs (that have made it from sketch) actually make into a collection. But the editing doesn't stop there. I am notorious for editing out pieces mere days before a shoot. I even binned a whole season's collection (after it had been photographed) once. Why? I have no idea. When I finalized the pieces for the collection I loved them, then over time I decided I hated them all. Sometimes, I think it's because I work so hard and so long on each piece that maybe it's hard not to get completely sick of them? Maybe my personal style is still evolving and over time I fall out of love with the pieces? When all is said and done, if I don't love something completely, I won't put my name behind it. It sounds crazy, but I want everything to be perfect in every collection. Each collection tells a story and stories need to flow. All the colors have to coordinate, the styles need to be complimentary and unique, because who wants to read a story they've read a million times? The pressure is immense to create something unique to my label, but at the same time it can't be too crazy or over the top, or I risk alienating my customers. On the one hand I think it's important to edit...careful editing is what makes a good collection, but, on the other hand editing can be a huge waste of material, time and money. It makes me feel even worse when family and friends tell me they liked the pieces I binned. Am I crazy to be nixing perfectly good pieces that other people/customers might like?

I think the pressure to create and be successful started building even more after switching to full time. It's scary knowing that my sole source of income depends on how well I can create. What if I suddenly don't have any good ideas. Or what if I take a new direction with my line and no one likes it? There are so many fears whirling around my head before each collection. When I finally start the creative process, all those negative thoughts are weighing on me. I don't think suffering (er....not sleeping or eating) should be linked to creativity. Creativity should be a joyful, freeing, awesome thing. Not a doom and gloom, I'm-going-to-make-something-because-I-have-to thing.

This season I really did my best to relax and go with the creative flow. I still had my routine, but I didn't let all my self doubt and fear take over my process. I addressed all the crap that had always weighed me down and said what's the worst that could happen? So maybe everyone hates this new collection but me. Maybe I don't sell anything and have to get another PT job. Big deal. I'm not going to die, and it's not the end of the world. I felt so much better after letting all that stuff go. Now, I definitely wasn't all zen all the time. I still edited out a bunch of pieces last minute and had a second last minute shoot to squeeze in a few more pieces. Plenty of glitches happened that had me pulling my hair out, but I wasn't nearly as stressed as I have been past seasons. The worst part was not finding a photoshoot location (till the very last minute). The best part....I still love. Every. Single. Garment.

The blog world has been taking a lot of hits lately for promoting perfectionism. There are so many pretty images and people making pretty things and as much as a love seeing all that pretty stuff, I wish we got to see more of the blood sweat and tears that went into making it. Because no matter how much you love what you do, it's still takes effort. I LOVE what I do and wouldn't switch jobs for the world. I don't want my take on creativity to come off as negative or debbie downer-ish, I just wanted to talk about how creating is sometimes a real struggle.

I would love to hear everyone's take on creativity! Let's talk about it!

2011-08-07T10:30:00.000-07:00

A custom dress for a lovely gal.

Day-cation

2011-08-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I went on a day-cation with my family for my mom's birthday! We went to Silver Falls, I hadn't been since

I was a kid, and it was even more awesome than I remembered. As my fellow Oregonians know, we haven't had much

of a summer this year (it was still raining in July), but the sun was out in full force last weekend, making our trip even

more spectacular. I actually got sunburnt (YES!!!).

I can't remember the last time I went out to actually do something fun! This spring/summer was so crazy, I ended

up having to miss out on quite a few family get togethers/vacations. I figured this would be my last chance to leave

work for awhile, and hang with my family (especially my mom, the birthday girl). Now I'm ready to be shut up in my

sweatshop again, Besides finishing up ss orders, I'm also pre-making quite a few items for the fw shop

opening. I felt really bad about how long the wait times got during ss, I'm hoping having a good stock of pre-made

items this fall will (a) ensure people get their items faster (b) free up my time to focus more on custom orders and

other such things...

Admittedly not the most graceful looking photo of me, it was rocky and slippery (right after this photo was taken,

I nearly fell into a pool. I had totally overpacked my poor Rennes bag and was quite tippy...oops)

midweek photos

2011-07-19T11:28:00.000-07:00

I always forget how insane the last week before a collection photoshoot can be. So much to do, so little time.

Paint crazy

2011-07-11T09:37:00.000-07:00

Here is the painted fabric I mentioned in my last post. This photo is zoomed in to see the pattern, but it looks way cooler from a distance. I hardly ever use prints or bright colors, so it was a lot of fun to just cut loose from the norm and go wild! Well, wild for me at least. The fabric below is a test swatch I did before the final yardage. Everyone I showed it to thought it looked like a...ummmm...leak of some sort. I nixed that color from the final, even though red and cream is my favorite colorway ever. It just didn't work here. Oh well.
In case you were wondering what happened to Fave Friday...It will be making a comeback next month. I'm right in the middle of getting the FW12 collection ready and there is so much to do! Back to work!!!!

In the works: new labels

2011-07-07T10:09:00.000-07:00

2011-07-06T15:30:00.000-07:00

This is a Japanese organic cotton + linen gauze. I picked it as the replacement for the cream voile fabric (which I could no longer get from my supplier) used in the Sunday, Plissé, and Feé dresses.
I think I might just like this fabric better than the original, I suspect it's the linen, I'm a linen freak. It's super light, soft and drapey. It comes in a natural cream color, and while it looks like a solid, if you get really close you'll see that the linen blends with the cotton to create a super subtle heather effect. Neat.
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The Plissé, and Feé dresses in the cream colorway organic cotton + linen blend will be available (made-to-order) in the shop within the next couple weeks. I just need to finish ironing/washing all the fabric. The Blush colorway will be in a little later. No E.T.A on the Sunday dress, as I'm having trouble getting any more entredeux insets from my supplier.

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On a rather fun note, I played around with painting a few yards of this fabric a bit ago (photos soon). I had all these grand plans of painting flowers...but the painting part totally kicked my ass. The fabric ended up looking more like confetti blew up on it, which I ended up liking. Go figure. I think I'm going to make myself a birthday dress out of it, since I'm hoping to actually take the day off and dress up/celebrate my birthday this year. Last year I ended up having to work and didn't celebrate at all, so this time around I figure I have to celebrate enough for two birthdays...right, right? Makes perfect sense, I know.

Leather rainbow

2011-07-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Some swatches I ordered during my search for the new crenelle patch leather. Most of these didn't work out, due to the aniline dyes (chemical...uck) used in addition to vegetable tanning or being the wrong weight/drape. I ordered a leather from a different place that is entirely tanned/dyed with sumac, fingers crossed the weight is right! If it is. the Crenelle + patches sweater will be available after I can cut all the patches out. YAY!

2011-06-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

My computer has been having death spasms for the past two weeks, which explains my pathetic internet presence of late. It got to the point where I couldn't use google reader, upload pics, see my email box or even load twitter. Nightmare. Aaah! I really need to just buy a new one, but after ordering in supplies for FW12, that's not gonna happen anytime soon. Boo. It decided to behave today..sort of...I'm trying to get as much done as possible: catching up on email, writing blog posts in advance (if devil-puter kicks it I can at least publish them via my phone) and ordering in remaining FW supplies amongst a billion other things. So much to do!

Anyways, I meant to post about this awhile ago, but devil-puter would let me upload the photos. This is my new (old) knit loom! It's a Brother KH965i and IT IS AMAZING! I don't think I ever talked about my knit-looms before. I previously knit on a hand operated punchcard Toyota 901. It's a good basic machine but there were no attachments and very little I could do with it. The Brother KH965i is computerized (instead of punch card) for patterning etc..., but it's still hand operated. What really sold me on it was the fact that it had a ribber bed, lace carrige, garter bar and was perfectly intact. Usually the loom's parts/carriages go missing or the the ribber bed is separated from the main bed....but everything was there. The things that this machine can do are insane. It's opened up a whole new world of creative possibilities for me. I'm knitting all the FW stuff on it now and I'm so excited by how everything is turning out. I feel like I just came out of the dark ages into the 21st century!

Oddly enough I wasn't looking for a new knit-machine when I found this guy. I stumble-bumbled across it while estate-saling with my mom (partner-in-thrift). I almost died when I saw it, but they wanted an arm and a leg. I haggled with the estate sale manager for a couple hours and at the end I got the price I wanted (woohoo). I thought it was pretty hilarious/embarrassing that after I haggled him down, my mom asked about the price of a book and the guy gave it to her for free because he was afraid I would start haggling again, mwaha.

Rennes summer 2011 (or OMFG!!!!!!!!)

2011-06-29T10:50:00.000-07:00

How awesome is the new Rennes collection? REALLY AWESOME!!!!!! It's no secret I'm a big fan of Rennes. I love everything in new collection, but, if I had to pick a favorite.....it would be the Siduri backpack. I imagine taking long bike rides around town with it while wearing a cute sundress and floppy hat.

Credits: Model- Yoshie Hozumi ~ Photography- Julia all images via the Rennes blog

Midweek photos

2011-06-16T10:27:00.000-07:00

Fave Friday :::: Josh + Mer = Awesome

2011-06-10T09:42:00.000-07:00

Photo by Erik Simkins
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I listen to music all day long, it makes me work faster(er). I'm also
one of those people that listens to the same song/album over and over
and over again. The band that has been on repeat the most these
past few months has got to be Portland based duo Joshua Schroeder
and Meredith Adelaide (a.k.a Josh and Mer). They are AMAZING
...Take a listen below and I think you'll agree...

josh and mer by josh and merThey have a blog and website if you want to find out more out more
(you know you do).

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PS. Fave Friday is a new weekly post for things that are inspiring
me right now. Instead of just letting all that good stuff pile up
in my favorites, I thought it might be nice to share!

Midweek photos

2011-06-02T13:30:00.000-07:00

Springtime....

2011-05-29T16:36:00.000-07:00

Well, it's about time Oregon.

Crenelle sweaters...

2011-05-23T18:30:00.000-07:00

~~There is one Crenelle + patches (made to order) left in the shop.~~ Sold out!

My leather supplier had a heart attack (poor guy), and decided to close up shop, leaving me patch-less. I'm hoping to bring the patched version back in the next couple months, I just need to find a new source of leather patches. The plain Crenelle will continue to be available, in both colorways (grey +cream stripes and cream + grey stripes).

Also, the price of the Crenelle will be going up*. I get all of my organic merino yarn from a family farm in NZ, and suffice to say the exchange rate has gotten crazy. The price change goes into effect June 1st. Orders placed before that date will be charged with the original price.

*I really don't like talking money stuff on the journal. This is a situation where I felt that I needed to explain my reasoning beforehand to my customers. I figured this would be better than suddenly increasing the price, and having my motives for it most likely being misunderstood.

bloggaversary

2011-05-19T16:08:00.000-07:00

Dear journal,

I can't believe you've been around for two whole years! I remember when you were a wee little blog with shaky, fuzzy photos and random content...you grew up so fast....*tears*! This calls for a drink (and by drink I mean rootbeer because we are both still underage)! Happy anniversary sweet journal o' mine!

yeah, twitter pals, you knew I'd squeeze that mustache pic of me in somehow.

*********************************************************************************

Megan Nielson was nice enough to include me in her Becoming a Designer Series. You can read my story here (embarrassing anecdote included). And while you're there you should check out her new SS collection, it's gorgeous and totally makes me crave warmer weather!

*********************************************************************************

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend + Memorial day! I plan on finishing up some orders and trying to squeeze in time to work on my FW2012 collection (sneak peek photos coming with the midweek photos)! Be back Tuesday!

First attempt: Shoemaking

2011-05-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

This would go alot better if I knew what I was doing. Seriously.

Knocked off

2011-05-02T15:52:00.000-07:00

I noticed a couple weeks ago that people were coming over to Hetterson journal from a site on livejournal, I clicked to visit the site and lo and behold there was one of my dresses…only it wasn’t. This company had copied my dress. The CO said they “got the inspiration for this piece (from my blog) by surfing the internet late one night” It’s not “inspiration” if it’s an obvious copy. Then they went on to say that they “searched high and low (for my dress), but it was completely sold out at the time, despite the whopping price tag of USD$200” but, it gets even better “I fell in love with this piece so much and I just had to bring it to you ladies, in our own simple, chic, affordable style. Contacted my manufacturers and the rest is history” I really had no idea what to do. The fact that they copied my dress and were proudly displaying the fact, left me completely snacker-schnuckled. I emailed the people behind this and they claimed that they “came up with my own version of it, which I believe you already saw. I really wanted a piece for myself and tried to make it look different from yours” It was so obviously a copy right down to the color. After I requested they take it all down, they went on to say: “I would like to apologize sincerely for this misunderstanding, and seek your kind understanding that I will not be able to take down our own version, as we already have ready stocks for them.” Ready stock that should have never been manufactured. The whole email was full of this smooth, apologetic BS, all they were really saying was that they didn’t care that they copied my design and were going to sell the knockoff anyways. The cherry on top was that they used the original image I took of my dress as the sneak peek on their twitter/FB for their knock off. My image used to promote their knockoff, I mean really… the nerve.

After my first email they removed all content relating to Hetterson but kept the dress up (only then it looked like they just came up with it on their own)- luckily I had already printed all the pages before they took the Hetterson content down. After my second email they took down the page and locked down their twitter account, FB page, etc. I realize that despite taking down the images of their copycat dress on their public livejournal page they are probably still selling it via facebook and email. Yes, that does still make me mad, but really, there is very little I can do about it now.

I put so much work and love into my designs. Which can take me anywhere from a week to months to perfect, and for someone to just take a photo off my blog, bring it to their manufacturer and have it copied for their own profit…makes me sick (bleeeech). Judging by their cheap synthetic materials and manufacturing I guess they weren’t "inspired" to copy my sustainable design/manufacturing ethic, hahaha.

Even though clothing designs cannot be copyrighted, that doesn’t mean its okay to copy them!!!

------------------------------------------

I hope everyone has a fantastic weekend, The sun is finally out in Oregon! I'm hoping to take a walk and catch a few rays, but I'll most likely just end up finishing the last few orders and battling my email box. The shop will be opening by the end of next week. Alot of items are currently out-of-stock (out of materials, more are on the way). But there will still be Brocius + Saturday dresses and Crenelle sweaters. I'm debating making some changes to how the shop works, but we'll see. If I do it will be addressed next week. Bye for now!

How to wear #5

2011-04-30T08:58:00.000-07:00

Wow, this is super duper late! I completely spaced the final How To Wear post,

even though the lovely lady doing the how-to-wearing already posted hers. I

blame it on the lack of sleep.....Sorry!!!

Next up in the H.T.W series is Carrie!

Carrie has the cutest personal style, and she writes the dreamiest blog- Wish Wish Wish.

I've been in love with her blog since the dawn of time, or at least pretty close too it.

Her vidoes (shot by her talented BF Miguel) and travel photos are my favorite.

Wish Wish Wish is one of my top reads whenever I need a healthy dose of inspiration!
Click on over to Wish Wish Wish to see Carrie's How To Wear post! Enjoy!

2011-04-29T20:14:00.000-07:00

Okay, so I am a total NERD when it comes to packaging supplies. I'm always on the lookout for new and better stuff to pack up Hetterson orders with. Right now I'm obsessed with speech bubble stuff. Stickers, Kraft tags you name it. I...uh even changed my return address sticker to a speech bubble. I said I was OBSESSED!

Oh, and The B-E-A-utiful letterpressed hangtags/business cards are from a trade with Alyson of Mossière. I love them so much I almost don't want to give them out!

2011-04-23T20:13:00.001-07:00

You may have noticed that I shut down the shop temporarily. First off, I know, I know! How lame, especially after saying I would keep it open 24/7 this season. Sorry guys, but I was order-whelmed. I worked 18hr days for the past month and then finally had to quit sleeping (okay, that's a lie, I was waking up at 6am and going to bed at 5am the next morning). The lack of sleep was wearing me down but I didn't realize till I wiped out (it was epic trust me) while heading to bed (one of my finer moments) and got an enormous black bruise on my leg. Now every time I see my purple/black leg, I'm reminded: 1. of this movie and 2. that I need to take it easier on myself. I agonized over closing the shop, but when the number of orders in the que got to be such that the wait times were going to get ridiculous(6-7 weeks)for any additional orders, I finally decided it was time to simmer the shop down. I really like to take my time on each order, I enjoy the process of making clothing by hand, and when I'm a sleep deprived zombie that process is lost. Anyways, the shop will stay closed until I catch up on orders (probably may 10th-ish). In the meantime, I'll try to start up the midweek photo posts again, to keep everyone up to date on workday doings and whatnot.

-

I've been getting in new fabrics, yarns and notions just about every day (so exciting)! Most are for FW2012 (that time already?), but some are for variations on the dresses in the current SS collection. Once I get caught up on orders, I'm hoping to have enough time to make samples and take shop photos of the new styles! Or I might end up taking a 2 day nap. We'll see! Stay tuned!

By the by, I just started on Twitter, and am totally addicted. It's so easy to tweet updates throughout the day from my phone, way better than interrrupting my workday to trek to the computer. You can follow me here (if you feel so inclined). I tweet about the general goings on with Hetterson and also my everyday life (such as when I end up running to the PO in sweatpants without a bra...that only happened once...really)

My new intern...

2011-04-23T13:44:00.000-07:00

...worked pretty hard his first day....but ulimately wasn't able to cope with my standard workday.

2011-04-01T16:52:00.000-07:00

Strawberry heather ~ Smoky heather voile

Which one is your favorite?

2011-03-19T22:43:00.000-07:00

1. I am working super hard on all the your orders (been knitting/sewing into the night). I have been knitting so much/so hard that a couple of my fingers are actually crooked from pushing the knit carriage. I kid you not, my fingers have developed knots and a couple are bent severely inward, and I can't get them to go back, this is some freaky shit (not unlike this guy here). Creepy fingers aside, I'm so grateful for everyone's orders, I can't tell you how much your support means to me! 2. This is my latest mechanical baby, a Hague Linker. I've been calling it...Steve. I actually name all my machines, it makes it easier to swear at them when they misbehave, haha. This guy has made work soooo...much easier. Steve + Hetterson = together4ever.

3. Okay, I totally did not expect the Crenelle sweater to be such a favorite this season - what with it being spring/summer and all? I am completely out of yarn except to cover the orders I already have (hence the unavailable status in the online shop). More yarn will be arriving soon - April 5-6th. If you want to get on the wait list for the next batch; email me : hannah@hetterson.com with the subject line Crenelle Waitlist.

4. Seeing Ms. Emily's post on her fave workday candy got me thinking about one of my favorites: Yummy Earth candy drops. They are super hard to find here (in Mcminnville). I first discovered them at Trader Joe's in Portland (f.y.i Yummy earth actually manufactures candy that TJs sell under their name), which used to be right by my big sis' apartment. I stocked up last time I was there but, I...uh..ran out pretty quick. I hardly ever make it to Portland, so I finally just ordered some online. From here. The prices + shipping is pretty reasonable and there are lots of other kinds of natural/organic candies (perfect for us artificial flavor and color intolerant people). I was pretty stoked to find they also carry my beloved Glee gum. The last place I was able to get this was at college. I've been missing it so. Needless to say there is substantial quantity of candy on it's way to me now. Yeeeeees...I can feel the sugar rush already.

5. Thank you so much everyone for spreading the word about the SS collection I truly appreciate every blog post, tweet, tumble and pin! An especially big thank you to the bloggers at......Miss Moss, Clever Nettle, Babble (by Chelsea of Frolic), Rennes, Commas And Clauses, Sally Jane Vintage, Wit and Delight, Elephantine, Olive My Love, Clouds and Candy, Motion and Art, Tracing Style, Ansel Blue Design L' ATELIER...For their super sweet posts (these are all the blog post I know of, if you blogged about SS too and aren't on here just leave a comment or send an email and I'll add you to the list). 6. I'm debating opening (ahem...actually I made them ages ago to reserve the name, just never got them going) a twitter account and possibly a Facebook (I don't even have a personal Facebook, yes really). What do you think? Would you like to see Hetterson on Twitter or Facebook? Annnnd...that's it! Have a good Weekend friends! Back to the sweatshop for me.

2011-03-18T09:56:00.000-07:00

The shop is now open! ( *2ND EDIT* Thank you so much to everyone who purchased something! I was NOT expecting so many orders, I'm not complaining...just surprised and happy, thank you! The shop will still continue to be open 24/7, yea! I am doing my best to keep up with orders/emails, I'm sorry if it takes me a couple days to get back to your inquiries!

5% of all sales from the spring collection will be donated to the Red Cross as relief aid for the Japan Tsunami/Earthquake -(*Edit* I decided to extend this from the launch to the whole weekend).

photo by me

Shop preview + info

2011-03-16T14:11:00.000-07:00

The shop preview is now up on the website with pricing/more information
on each garment.

The shop will open Friday the 18th at 10:00am PST for made-to-order and pre-order garments ...and then it will stay open. No more shop updates. Instead of having shop updates with a few pieces, The shop will now be open 24/7 like a NORMAL online shop! I'm pretty happy about this change. I've been wanting to make this transition forever, but until I phased out my day job I simply couldn't manage it! However, even with the new shop, everything is still made-to-order, so the sooner you get your order in the faster I can
make it and send it out to you.

Click here to visit the shop and preview the s/s collection.

Hetterson SS ~ Crenelle + Patches

2011-03-16T13:58:00.000-07:00

Crenelle sweater. Handknit. Organic merino wool. Grey with cream stripes. Vegetable tanned suede elbow patches. Available Made-To-Order Friday the 18th.

The bag in photos 1 & 3 is the market tote by Rennes. THE raddest bag...EVER!

This post concludes the SS collection. Woohoo! Thank you so much for the positive response guys, it means the world to me! Shop preview/details coming tomorrow!

Photography: Anja Verdugo
Hair +makeup: Katie Groover
Model: Terra Lynn Cathey
Model: Meredith Adelaide

Hetterson SS ~ Fée dress ~ blush

2011-03-14T15:04:00.000-07:00

blush organic cotton voile, available for Pre-order Friday the 18th.

Photography: Anja Verdugo Hair +makeup: Katie Groover Model: Terra Lynn Cathey Model: Meredith Adelaide

Hetterson SS ~ Plissé dress ~ Blush

2011-03-14T14:51:00.000-07:00

Blush organic cotton voile.
Available for Pre-order Friday, March 18th.

Photography: Anja Verdugo Hair +makeup: Katie Groover Model: Terra Lynn Cathey Model: Meredith Adelaide

Hetterson SS ~ Brocius dress + Bow belt

2011-03-12T14:53:00.000-08:00

Available Friday the 18th for Pre-order

Brocius dress = Organic ink denim + wood buttons.
Bow belt = Vegetable tanned leather. Brass buckle and rivets.

Photography: Anja Verdugo Hair +makeup: Katie Groover Model: Terra Lynn Cathey

Hetterson SS ~ Sunday dress

2011-03-12T14:12:00.000-08:00

Creamy organic cotton voile + Swiss entredeux insets.
Available Friday, March 18th for pre-order.

Credits. . .

Photography: Anja Verdugo Hair +makeup: Katie Groover Model: Meredith Adelaide Model: Terra Lynn Cathey

Hetterson SS ~ Saturday dress + Toggle sweater

2011-03-12T13:02:00.000-08:00

Saturday dress. Organic cotton/hemp chambray. Wood buttons.
Available Friday the 18th. . .made to order

Toggle sweater. Handknit bulky organic grey merino. Wood toggles. Vegetable tanned leather details. Available soon!

I have been wanting to address the earthquake and tsunami in Japan, I've actually been trying to write about this all day, but haven't been able to put it into the right words. When I first saw the photos and videos I couldn't believe it was real. My heart goes out to all the people there. Seeing all the displaced families makes my heart ache. I want to help as best I can, even if it is in a small way. For the SS collection launch, I will be donating 5% of all sales to the Red Cross which is helping to provide food, shelter and medical aid to victims of the disaster.

Photography: Anja Verdugo Hair +makeup: Katie Groover Model: Meredith Adelaide Model: Terra Lynn Cathey

Hetterson SS ~ Fée dress ~ cream

2011-03-12T12:17:00.000-08:00

Now I'm going to talk about all the folks that made this shoot awesome! The SS collection was photographed by Anja Verdugo! I've been in love with her photography style FOR-EVER, and I asked her about shooting the SS collection when we met at Little Winter. The photos she took for Hetterson totally blew my mind. Katie Groover did the hair and makeup. Katie is such a talented lady, the makeup and hair was exactly what I wanted. I kind of wish I could just tote her around with me so she could make me look that pretty all the time (the Joey to my Rachel Zoe if you will). The models, Meredith Adelaide and Terra Lynn Cathey, were both such sweethearts, I really couldn't of asked for a better pair! Best team ever!

left to right. Katie's adorable assistant, Katie, Meredith, Terra, me, Anja.

Each SS garment will have it's own separate photo post and intro on the blog, then the shop will open this Friday(the 18th) for pre-order(4 weeks), as well as regular made-to-order(2 weeks)garments! Woohoo!

Hetterson SS photoshoot ~ behind the scenes

2011-03-11T15:09:00.000-08:00

Photos by me.

I have to say this photoshoot was the most fun of any I've done, just because of all the super sweet/crazy talented people involved. When you get that many creative folk together, good stuff is bound to happen!

Due to all the crazy weather (rain then sun then rain then cloudy), I ended up changing the location 3 different times like an hour before we were supposed to start the shoot (fortunately I was working with the most patient and understanding team on the planet, I heart you guys big time). When location # 3 was a bust, Meredith was nice enough to offer her apartment as the new location. After that everything went along nicely. The rain quit (finally) and we ended up photographing almost everything on the apartment building's patio. Hooray! Photos + more info coming later today...STAY TUNED!

SS hair inspiration

2011-03-11T10:27:00.000-08:00

Image 1 by Martha Stewart Weddings via All This Happiness via A Cup of Jo. Image two by See Creatures via Honey Kennedy

It was awesome...

2011-03-10T20:24:00.000-08:00

The SS shoot was so awesome in fact, That I'm totally wiped out. Excuse me while I go pass out on the couch...until tomorrow peeps!

Stressed? Go bake some tarts!

2011-03-08T20:04:00.000-08:00

I actually baked these over the weekend. Apple pie (and pudding) are my comfort food. Speaking of pudding, I only just realized how easy it is to make! Some flour, sugar, butter, milk and egg yolks, easy peasy. I've been making variations on my basic recipe all week long.
I'll try to post said recipe here sometime....

Pudding aside, the Hetterson SS photoshoot is Thursday and I am FREAKING OUT! I ended up editing out a few pieces then I decided to add some more at the last minute, but couldn't get the fabric in time, and am now a few pieces short of a collection...sigh. I'm going to try to magically make some pieces appear out of thin air (kidding..it's going to be a long night tonight) before tomorrow, or I might just add them in later this season. Of course I should know by now that NOTHING works out how I plan...EVER! Really though, I shouldn't be so whiny. I'm in love with the pieces I do have (and I hope you will be too) and I am super stoked to be working with a bunch of crazy talented ladies this photoshoot...STOKED I TELL YOU! It's gonna be fun!

On a totally random side note, I always love looking at the sitemeter to see what people are searching for when they find my blog. I have to say the best search I saw this week was a "high waisted jeans on big butts" google search. Hopefully they were just searching for big butts in general and not mine in particular, haha.

How to wear # 5

2011-03-04T13:32:00.000-08:00

Next up in the How To Wear series is the lovely Starr Crow of A Thought Is

The Blossom. I can't remember where I first came across her blog but as

soon as a I saw it I knew it was going to become one of my favorites!

I always wonder what she will wear next! Her latest obsession with

maxi skirts even has me wanting to try one out(I am making one as

I'm writing this, really). Click on over to A Thought Is The Blossom to see

Starr's H.T.W post and get her outfit details!

Midweek photos

2011-03-03T08:30:00.000-08:00

Thought it might be fun to have a midweek photo post, just photos of what's going on around my studio/living space. I usually end up doing something like this weekly anyways, but now I have a name for it, which makes it more official! I played around with the html a bit and now you can run your mouse over the individual photos to see more info...yea!

How to wear ~ #4

2011-02-28T08:56:00.000-08:00

Next up in the How To Wear Series is Rhiannon Leifheit, the gal of many
talents behind Liebemarlene Vintage!

Rhiannon is a vintage seller and an amazing stylist. I wish she lived closer!
I mean can you imagine a Hetterson collection styled by her? That would
be so awesome! I've been a stalker (er...reader) for about three years
now, once you see her blog you'll know why. It's a lovely
combination of personal style photos, inspiration interviews
(my personal favorites are 1, 2 and 3), travel and most recently
Australian/New Zealand fashion (love).

Go click on over to Liebemarlene Vintage to see Rhiannon's How To Wear post!

Because it's cold outside....

2011-02-26T12:43:00.001-08:00

There is a new scarf available in the shop. Made from a heather grey, bulky organic merino(what a mouthful). I was having trouble capturing the delicate grey heathering, so the last photo is the most accurate color representation. This yarn is so, so soft and not scratchy at all..like...butter. Chunky knits are something I'm just starting to get into and I love the extra coze bulkier yarns give an item. I figured it was time to start adding some chilly weather items to the shop, especially since I had to cancel the SS photoshoot due to snow(snow in February? What is going on with Oregon weather???) I'm rescheduling the SS collection, but in the meantime I decided it was time for some scarves!

Click here to nab one!

Red shoes

2011-02-25T09:18:00.001-08:00

All clothing + photos from here

Lately I have found myself really drawn to red shoes. I love the pop of color they bring to an outfit. As someone who dresses in ALOT of boring neutral colors I think I could use that pop! Especially for summer, wouldn't they be cute under a floaty cream colored (or denim) dress!

SS inspiration # 3

2011-02-24T13:18:00.000-08:00

all images courtesy of the Frankie blog

I LOVE YOU Frankie Magazine! If you haven't seen Frankie before, go subscribe. . .RIGHT NOW!!! I'm sure you will love it as much as I do. Whenever I'm feeling uninspired and blah, I just go peruse my old issues, they are a treasure trove of inspiration!

PS. Thank you to Anabela for first turning me onto Frankie.

My other spring inspiration posts:

#1
#2.

S/S inspiration #2

2011-02-19T14:52:00.001-08:00

Need I say more.

2011-02-16T12:51:00.000-08:00

~~I think I bought like 500 billion toggles, and now I have no idea what to do with them...Damn.~~ Edit: Oh yeah! Found a purpose for these babies!

I'm still working away. Posting is going to be light to nonexistent until after the photoshoot! Be back soon!

2011-02-16T08:13:00.000-08:00

Next up in the series is Jennifer of Sally Jane Vintage!

Jennifer is a vintage seller and fashion blogger extraordinaire! I think I've been stalking her blog since before I even had one! I first stumbled across her blog via flickr (about two years ago), and it quickly became one of my favorite reads due to it's perfect medley of new and vintage inspiration. After being a reader for so long you can imagine how stoked I was when she agreed to participate in the How To Wear series. I'm so in love with how she styled the sweater, and I think I need to go find a pair of boots exactly like hers...like right now!

Click on over to Sally Jane Vintage to see Jennifer's How To Wear post!

The Loved One pop up shop

2011-02-12T08:17:00.000-08:00

images via Space 15 Twenty and Hannah and Landon

I just found out The Loved One is having a pop up shop at Space 15 Twenty In LA. I cannot even begin to express how much I love the styling of this little pop up. The flowers, the vintage, the girl swinging in her dainties. . .amazing! I wish I lived in LA.

SS inspiration #1

2011-02-11T07:33:00.000-08:00

Thought It might be fun to post some of the things that are keeping me inspired this spring.....

Okay, so when I get done sewing (I usually go from 7am to 10pm), all I want to do is relax and watch some TV. As of late TV means a movie with Kurt Russell in it. Words cannot express how much I looooove Kurt Russell movies! I mean really, who doesn't? So far I've re-watched Escape from LA and Escape from NY and of course Tombstone. Which brings us to one of my favorite characters(and Hetterson Style icon).....

Snake Plissken

He kicked some serious butt in NY and LA and looked good doing it.

I mean did you see the HIGH-waisted pants(love)/ leather jacket combo in Escape from NY, he wore the same outfit in Escape from LA (obviously Mr. Plisken believes in buying staple pieces instead of the constantly circulating fast fashions). I think it's pretty clear that Snake, while being an early pioneer of the eco-fashion movement, was also a damn handsome/stylish man. I applaud you Mr Plisken, you will always hold a special place in my sartorial heart.

A peek

2011-02-08T08:14:00.000-08:00

knitting machine tools

Organic merino yarn cones

Sorbet + fabric

A few photos taken around my workspace this week. It's kind of in chaos, what with preparing for the SS photoshoot (in 14 days, aaah) and collection launch. Working on a bigger collection has really made me realize how badly I need a bigger space to work, soon I hope!

My mouth is so sore (from getting my braces off), so I've been consuming massive quantities of sorbet. when I say MASSIVE I mean it! On the plus side the sorbet colors are kind of keeping with the theme of the new collection (whoops did I just drop a hint).

How To Wear Series ~ 2

2011-02-07T07:50:00.001-08:00

Next up in the How To Wear series is Stephanie Renee!

Stephanie creates the amazing jewelry line Dores (one day I will be fast enough to grab one of her pieces, one day I tell you!!!), and she also writes a lovely blog of the same name. Every single time I see one of her outfit photos I want to wear the exact same thing (dorky, I know) , the above outfit is no exception. I'm especially in love with her jeans...the high waist + the color = pants perfection! Now! Go! Go! Click on over to the Dores blog to see Stephanie's How To Wear post and get her outfit details!

PS. This is the second person in the How to Wear series caught carrying a Rennes Bag! Two in a row! How cool is that!

2011-02-05T13:40:00.000-08:00

I'm trying to incorporate leather details and accessories into the spring collection. I spent most of today hand polishing each and every piece to with natural oils to achieve the right patina. I don't think there is anything prettier than hand polished leather. I picked this particular leather because.....

A. It's made from leftover slaughterhouse skins, which means if it wasn't getting made into leather, it would be in the trash. I could never condone the killing of an animal for it's skin.

B. It's vegetable tanned (yea)!

I've always loved animals(pet rats, bunnies and chickens filled my childhood), my pets were really the reason I decided to become vegetarian. But, even though I am a strict vegetarian, I still prefer to use leather over it's synthetic counterparts.

There are alot of different views on the subject and while I don't expect everyone to agree with me, my opinion is that leather is the most durable/long lasting material when it comes to belt/shoes/ bags. Even when leather ends up in the trash it biodegrades naturally. Vinyl and leather substitutes do not hold up the same as leather and end up in landfills much faster(where they cannot break down) not only that but the process of making these faux leathers is extremely toxic and the waste from production is bad for the environment. Ucky ucky!

How to wear series # 1

2011-02-01T09:23:00.001-08:00

Photo credit: Clever Nettle

Kicking off the How To Wear Series is the lovely Anja Verdugo of Clever Nettle! I was so happy when she agreed to participate in this series. Anja's personal style is top notch and she has a real knack of mixing new and vintage pieces into her outfits. I actually got to meet Anja at Little Winter and let me tell you she is just as cute, sweet, stylish and all around awesome in real life as she is on her blog! Now click on over to Clever Nettle to see her full post!

(Note: After receiving a number of emails; the SS Crenelle sweater is now available for pre-order in the shop, right here. The rest of the spring collection will be in the shop around the beginning of March)

Hard at work

2011-01-30T17:24:00.001-08:00

....on the SS collection. I'm so excited about the direction it's going. This time around I'm trying alot of new and different things, which I'm loving! Definitely will be my biggest collection to date, can't wait to share!!!

Junya Watanabe FW 2011

2011-01-28T15:54:00.000-08:00

Yep, I'm still on a menswear kick! I know this collection has been popping up all over the blogworld, but I had to post about it! I mean really it's just too good not to! The plaids, fair isle jackets, duffle coats and all those lovely leather details = perfection in my book.

How to wear...(?) series

2011-01-27T07:49:00.000-08:00

Hetterson SS Crenelle sweater

This month marks the debut of the Hetterson How To Wear....(?) series. I'm pretty excited about this! It's been an idea floating in the back of my head for what seems like ever! It's a pretty straightforward series. I send around a Hetterson garment (in this case a SS crenelle sweater) to some of my favorite sartorially inclined bloggers and they style and photograph it their own particular way! All of these ladies have such a unique and lovely sense of style and I cannot wait to see how they are going to wear it! Whenever I am in a style rut(most of the time, ha) I just visit any of these ladies blogs and am instantly inspired to do better with my outfits, hopefully this will give us all a little inspiration!

Stay tuned for the first one this week!!!

2011-01-24T13:46:00.000-08:00

All photos from HERE

How cool are these two Elsa Schiaparelli sweaters! I'm dying! I find a lot of my inspiration from vintage clothing(especially children's clothing) and textiles, and the Met's online collection is to die for! I could meander about there for hours(and I have).

This.....

2011-01-18T18:30:00.000-08:00

...Is looking alot like Hetterson SS...except for that one girl in the second to top row with the
wild hair and surly look, you know which one I mean .

photo via Miss Moss via Shorpy

collage # 1

2011-01-18T12:36:00.000-08:00

I've been wanting to post more of my inspiration photos, and here you go. Of course I cannot remember where hardly any of these are from(sorry). I've been storing most of them for ages. I know a few are from the Sartorialist and the MET museum archives....If I keep doing these collages, I will start marking where I saw/got them from, I promise!

Is this sweater insane.....

2011-01-18T11:42:00.000-08:00

...or perfect? I'm leaning towards perfect. Those freaky bobble things are totally cool, need to figure out how to knit something like this. ~~I've had this photo in my inspiration for for a couple months, but I cannot remember where I got it from.....~~ The photo is from Vanessa Jackman , Thank you Ashley for finding it!

Grain & Gram

2011-01-15T09:25:00.000-08:00

all photos by Paul Vincent

How had I not heard of Grain & gram before?! I know it's for gentleman, but I love it too! Go check it out! I particularly enjoyed the Paul Vincent interview(one of the founders of S.E.H Kelly).

found via the Rifle blog

Monthly sewing tutorial ~ The (EPIC) scallop

2011-01-10T18:19:00.001-08:00

This is the first installment of the Hetterson monthly sewing series, woohoo for new stuff!

Here is my own personal method for scalloping a hem. I came up with this after alot of trial and error. It is a no pin method(I hate pinning). This is pretty much a step-by-step photo tutorial. Frankly I've never been able to learn how to do something from just text. I either need to see step-by-step photos or have someone show me how, if I don't, I end up getting really frustrated and come up with my own method ...like you see here.

FOR THIS TUTORIAL YOU WILL NEED:

Freezer paper (equal to the length of the edge to be scalloped)

un-hemmed garment or piece of scrap fabric for practice.

Clear presser foot(optional)

Iron (hot and steamy)

TO START! measure piece of fabric(or hem edge) to be scalloped. In this case 17.5in.

Divide the measurement by the number of scallops you want..(ex. 17.5 in = 5 scallops that are 3.5in long). I suck at math so if I can do this...you can too!

Right side of fabric(or hem) facing up! Fold the edge up the desired hem width(2.5) + 1/2in = (3in. total)

then fold over 1/2in

grab yourself the piece of freezer paper...

and measure and mark the width of your scallops(3.5) and the number(5) on the edge of the freezer paper...

square up with a ruler from each mark to make little half squares

Run a line across the top of the half boxes equal to your HEM WIDTH + 1/2in. - 3/4in extra!

Cut out your boxes

and fold up...

like....

so...each folded piece should be equal to your scallops width(3.5in)

get some kind of circular container(see above milk bottle), and trace around it.

OR fold the wad in half and cut out half of your desired scallop shape....be careful not to cut to to the edge or cut too deep! You want a good 1-1.5in of straight NOT SCALLOPED edge.

like so.

when you open you scallops up they should look like a paper chain.

Spread the scallops out on the hem edge.

make sure the top of the scallop edge OVERLAPS the folded top of the hem onto the main piece. This will keep the hem in place while you sew.

Iron, iron and iron. Make sure to really press into the overlapped area. So the freezer paper has a secure join to the main piece. You don't want this popping loose while you're sewing.

set your machine stitch length to really small. I usually set mine to a little under 1.

stitch along the scalloped edge making sure not to stitch on the paper(but it's okay if you do), go slow the first few scallops.

when you get to the place in between each scallop, turn and do 1 st. before turning into the next scallop.

when you're done sewing, peel off the freezer paper...slowly

notch each scallop, being careful not to cut the stitching.

trim each scallop seam allowance down to about 3/16in.

iron, iron, iron

then press the iron into each individual scallop, pressing the seam on the inside. This ensures the scallops will turn out perfect every time. Flip the scallops right side out, finger press them so the scallops are even and smooth, then press/steam with the real iron.

When you are all done the scallops should look something like this! YAY! GOOD JOB! You deserve to eat an entire tub of ice cream, go at it!

I did it!

2011-01-08T13:26:00.000-08:00

I have no idea why my face is SO overexposed in this shot...and hey, what happened to my eyelashes!

Thank you everyone for your thoughts! I was going to go with the Freja hairstyle, but my stylist said that it would be really hard to grow out! So I went with a sweepy bob instead. I think I like it!

Just a few things before I sign off for the weekend!
1. I answered a few questions for Jamee of a Diamond and a Tether on her blog, you can check that out right here

2. Monday will be the kick off for the first bi monthly column(yea), I hope you guys like it!

Okay that's all! Hope everyone is having a great weekend!

HELP...!

2011-01-03T21:36:00.000-08:00

...I set a hair appointment for tomorrow...and I have no idea what cut to get, besides short!

I've finally come to the realization that I cannot dye my hair back to my original color(expensive + tried + failed). My only option is to grow it out(I've got about 1.5 in. of my natural color). So, for the new year I'm gonna go short(to cut off all the ugly multiple shades) and keep cutting away at it until I have my natural color back....Then grow it out to the length I want. This is pretty sad for me because I am only 3 in away from my ideal length right now. Ah well, remind me to never dye my hair again. Such a pain. Now I'm on the hunt for cute short hairstyles, so far this is what I've come up with:

Any input is appreciated! Edit:(I have an oval/heart-ish face)

New kicks

2010-12-31T18:32:00.001-08:00

Custom Keds with my triangle print on them.

Impulse buy! In my defense I do wear sneakers alot, they are comfortable and I don't have to worry about being too hard on them.

These remind me of school days, I totally wore my sneakers, and running pants(don't judge me)24/7. Ah, the good old days of taking insane credit terms and being in class from 6am to 11pm.... honestly, I don't really miss it.

2010-12-29T16:19:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

I can't believe 2010 is over! Seriously, time flies!

There were lot's of exciting/crazy things that happened in 2010...such as:
1. I got a handknit machine, learned how to use it, then introduced my first knitwear line(okay, two sweater designs), thanks to such a positive response, I'm looking forward to expanding my knitwear line for the SS11 collection(YAY)!

2. Hetterson went to Little Winter Market in Portland, what a blast!

3. I quit my PT job(December 25th), I am so excited about being able to focus on Hetterson full time. Besides being able to accept more orders, and having a faster turnaround time, I will also be able to accommodate more special requests/custom orders(yea!).

4. I re-vamped my blog and shop to be more cohesive and easier to navigate(finished like 5 min. ago), and learned a little more CSS and html in the process.

2010 was great, but, 2011 is going to be EVEN BETTER! There are so many new things that are going to be happening this year.....like:

1. MOVING house/studio(Soon, soon, soon)!

2. I will be starting (January 10th) a couple bi-monthly articles on this here blog(more on these later)

3. There is a BIG, SPECIAL, project happening soon and I am super excited to share! I'M HAVING SO MUCH TROUBLE WAITING.....AAAAAH!

4. Who knows what else this new year has in store, I can't wait!

OKAY, enough blabbing I'm off to have some fun~ and you should do the same! Thank you all for your support and encouragement this year, you guys are so awesome!!

~ Hannah

2010-12-21T14:44:00.000-08:00

Happy holidays everyone!
Can you guys believe it's almost Christmas? I can't! I also can't believe it's almost the new year. I mean, where did the time go?

I'm really happy to be having a nice mellow Christmas with my family this year. I finally finished up all my gift shopping today(yay) and am going to wrap everything tonight(last minute as always) .

Alright, enough talk, I'm signing off the blog for a bit. I'll be back January 1st, there are so many new and exciting things that are going to be happening here in the new year, I can't wait to share(but I have to).

I hope you guys all have an awesome holiday!

Cabin dress

2010-12-18T16:22:00.000-08:00

*Update * Only one left in the shop! I might not be able to get any more of this fabric, just a heads up!

Things in the mail

2010-12-18T15:58:00.000-08:00

I love my new Ombre necklace from Elephantine.