5 QUESTIONS WITH
CREATIVES J A M I E L E AT H E R N BY MORGAN COLE
Until recently, you couldn’t hear the word “macramé” without it conjuring up visions of thrift-store place mats, summer camp friendship bracelets or that dusty oversized wall-tapestry hanging in aunt Sue’s house. But thanks in part to creatives like local macrame artist Jamie Leathern, this once nostalgic medium is having another day in the sun. Jamie’s passion for this ancient form of fiber art first began about three years ago when she stumbled across some old macrame plant hangers that her mother had made back in the 60s and 70s. Inspired by her mother’s trendy creations, Jamie decided to give macrame a try for herself and she began making her own plant hangers for her beloved plant babies. Today, Jamie is now the proud owner and operator of her own macrame business called Macrame by Jamison. Check out her complete line of trendy macrame plant hangers available for purchase at Millie's Garden Boutique located at The Garden at Palafox + Main in downtown Pensacola or shop online at macramebyjamison.square.site/. For more custom designs and creations, follow @macramebyjamison on social media.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and what brought you to Pensacola? I grew up in a tiny farm town in the middle of Kansas. My hometown is only one mile wide with a population of just a little more than 1,000 people. I graduated in 2012 and moved to San Diego, CA where I met my husband who serves in the U.S. Navy. We lived in San Diego for four years and then Washington State for another four years before my husband’s military orders finally brought us to sunny Pensacola, where we have lived for almost two years now.
plants. Plants and gardening have always been a huge part of my life thanks to my green thumb parents. My dad is very good with his hands and taught me at a young age that if you want something durable it's sometimes better to just make it yourself. This is one of the main reasons I started to make my own macrame plant hangers. I never thought that I could actually make money doing something I love.
What types of things do you make out of macrame and what’s your specialty or most popular item? The first item I created, which is also my top seller, are macrame plant hangers. I started to run out of floor and window sill space for my 60-70 indoor plant babies so I needed to find an alternative. Hanging my plants was that alternative! Plant hangers are definitely my specialty but I also make keychains. I also have goals to start creating more wall pieces in the future.
What inspired you to start your own macrame business and how did you get started? I started making and selling macrame about three years ago for an extra source of How did you first become inter- income. I didn’t really start ested in macrame? to get fully into it until I met In between transferring to an amazing person through Where can readers shop for your duty stations, I was living in the Pensacola plant commu- macrame products locally? my hometown in Kansas for nity on Facebook. Melissa Yes, I sell my plant hangers six months. During that time, (owner of Millie’s Garden in Millie’s Garden Boutique. my mom and I happened to Boutique) offered to let me Millie’s carries a wide variety come across some macrame sell my pieces in her booth at of my products. I also particihangers she had made back a couple of the local markets. pate in Palafox Market as well in the 60s and 70s. She hadn’t That gave me the confidence I as other local markets with crafted anything in a really needed to realize that I’m actu- Millie’s Garden Boutique a long time, so we decided ally pretty good at this! Since few times a month where my to learn how to macrame then my business has steadily products are also available for together. Another reason I increased and we have now purchase. really got into macrame was become great friends and partly due to my love for business partners.
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