From making pretend stores out of cigar boxes as a little girl to winning Emmy Awards and designing fabric and sewing patterns, Jane Clauss has always followed her creative heart. She loves sharing ideas that help people make something with their own hands, and her excitement for creativity shines through in everything she does. In this interview, Jane shares the story behind her colorful career and the joyful outlook that keeps her creating every day.
What were you like as a creative kid? Were you always making things?
I was a Creative kid from the start. My earliest memory of making is waking up at 4 AM, walking into my parents’ room, and leaning over to wake my mom up to say, “Mommy, is it morning time yet“. She would say, “Not yet, Janie,” and pull me into bed.
At 6 am she let me go, and I ran downstairs to start crafting. I would use leftover cigar boxes and miscellaneous supplies to make my own cash register and then use paper towels and toilet paper rolls to make items to sell in my “pretend store”. I was always creating, I was always making, and I was always using my imagination.
How did your journey into sewing, crafting, and design begin?
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My journey into sewing began when I was about 7 years old. As a little kid, I would sit on the floor under my mom while she was sewing, collecting all her scraps. I would cut those scraps and create very fashion-forward jackets, skirts, and purses for my Barbies.
I stapled the fabric together to create these runway-ready outfits for my dolls. Finally, my mom said, “OK. You can’t staple your Barbie clothes together, so let me show you how to sew.”
She sat me at her machine and taught me what to do, saying, “It’s just a couple of stitches and a little bit of math. You’ll be OK.”
I can vividly remember the first time I sat at her machine and how scared I was that the machine was too big and heavy. But once I got the hang of it, I realized that you are actually in control of the machine; the machine is not in control of you. I’ve been sewing ever since.
How did your path lead you to television and sharing creativity with others?
I grew up in an era when the idea of pursuing a professional career as a creative wasn’t easy. So, I got into television and radio (also not easy!), but I always kept that spirit of creativity, of crafting, of making, and sewing in mind.
As the Promotion Director at a radio station in the early 1990s, I made invitation pillows to send out to the media. I even had my staff hand stitching the pillows closed after we were done stuffing them – so totally not rock n roll but probably the start of the “Grandmacore” trend!
I would always make my outfits for every Rock concert and every Gala. Across multiple markets, I continued to grow in my radio and television career.
In 2006, I noticed there was a lot of cooking creativity on local morning shows but no crafting or making segments. Since I was already “on the air”, it was easy for me to get booked on a morning show.
I would go on with a table full of projects; most were already finished, and I left a couple unfinished so the host would have to dive in and start making. Each segment had a theme; maybe it was Mother’s Day craft ideas, or back-to-school DIY, or gridiron tailgate crafts.
I continued doing this for so many years while there were no sponsors, no paychecks, and no one was doing this on TV yet. Yes, it was before YouTube and Instagram and TikTok. I just wanted to inspire the masses to create. I
n 2010, while living in Atlanta, I came up with a television show concept called America’s Domestic Divas. The concept was taking a peek behind the curtain of a real American maker. I got funding for the pilot from a mutual friend who liked the idea. I hired a crew, and we shot a pilot. I had no idea what I was doing, but I thought it would be a great show. Sadly, it never got picked up, but I never stopped pitching new crafting ideas to networks. In hindsight, I think I was a little bit ahead of my time.
I continued doing radio on television in the U.S. and was invited to host a show in the UK called Create & Craft. It was a home shopping television network. There I would talk to the top brands and newly launched companies to feature their products. Most of the products where in the paper crafting arena.
Remember, I was a sewist who also liked to craft, so this was my entrance into understanding paper crafting. One shift for CCUSA was during a live broadcast at CHA in California (yes, the whole production came to the USA!). While I was on the stage interviewing a guest, I looked out at all the exhibitors, and I thought to myself, “These are my people”. I immediately walked over to the BROTHER booth and said, “Hi. I am Jane, and I think we need to work together”. That was the start of a great partnership with Brother Sewing.
In 2017, still doing mainstream TV and radio in Chicago, a friend of mine from Phoenix was in town and now running COX MEDIA. She said they needed a host for a local show, and I would be able to travel back and forth from Chicago to Phoenix to film. Soon after I started, they added a second show for me called Creative Living. It was a national show that featured creativity and turned into one of my favorite hosting gigs of all time. BTW, I also won two Emmy Awards hosting that show.
Where do you find inspiration in your everyday life?
Finding inspiration in my everyday life is easy. I’m always noticing textures colors prints keeping them tucked away in my memory for the next project.
I’m also a huge fan of trends. I’ve always been so interested in “what the future brings,” so I base a lot of my content and designs on future trends. I’ve also done some television work as a guest trend expert in the last couple of years because I’m obsessed with trends.
What I love most about trends is taking what’s happening in current day/pop culture, mixing it in with a trend, and featuring it to the mass audience to encourage creativity. Everything is about finding inspiration to bring you to the next big thing! One of my favorite things to do!
How does your personal style show up in your work?
Personal style is an interesting conversation because, as I said, I love trends, but I also know who I am. A lot of my aesthetic is based in my likes what I’m “into”. It’s always been big and bold and rock ‘n’ roll and edgy, but also florals and bright colors with an edge. I think you can follow the trends but never steer away from who you are.
My personal style is unique, it’s something unexpected, and it’s always connected to what’s happening in each season or each calendar year.
Let’s face it, the calendar year never changes. We know we always have New Year’s, Valentine’s Day, St. Patrick’s Day, Spring, Easter, Cinco de Mayo, Mother’s Day, End of school, Summer fun, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Wedding season, Picnics, Barbecue, Back to School, Football season, Fall, Halloween, Holidays, Christmas and you’re back at it the next year, so keeping your personal style is important because you can always lean into it and pull from what you love then change it along the way.
Do trends influence you, or do you follow your own creative path?
I like to stay ahead of the curve on trends. I like to know what the colors for the year ahead, I want to know what is going to be trending in food, fashion, home décor, crafting and sewing.
If I’m trying to book a media segment, I’ll absolutely lean into the trends to create the segment around the trend, and if I am producing a new project, video or self-promotion I’ll always lean into the future trends. It’s always about inspiring people to get creative.
What inspires your fabric and pattern designs?
My fabric and pattern designs are inspired by my personal aesthetic.
When I was asked if I’d like to do a fabric collection for garments with Benartex, I jumped at the chance and thought, “Well, I better do me.” My fabric collection is called Grunge Gone Glam, and it’s a wink and a nod to the 1990s alternative rock radio that I worked in.
So again, my personal aesthetic meets fabric, but it’s totally accessible for everyone to use in crafts, home decor, quilting, and garments. I started the collection based on a cohesive garment pattern collection.
Before I could decide on what the print would be, I needed to know what it would become in a garment pattern. My garment patterns are based on fashion. I like to create easy-to-sew garments that are fashion-forward and stylish.
When you think about fashion, there are the basic shapes you work with that can take you to the next pattern. As I was coming up with these garment patterns, I also had to consider what would sell in a store, what would look great walking down the runway, and what can be fashionable but also has longevity.
Describe your creative space. What makes it feel like you?
I love my creative space, it’s ever evolving, and at this stage in the game, it is everything to me. I always had my creative space in the second bedroom of a condo where I was living.
When I started getting more work in the creative space, I moved into an Artist Loft space where I set up three studio sets that I could use for television and video production, but also have a working creative sewing studio.
Now, I have a 1500 square-foot basement that I use as my creative space. There are multiple background sets for television and full video production components for a live stream.
I have a green screen and a wonderful working space for sewing and crafting. I literally have everything I need to and it’s organized, in my opinion. It is my happy place.
I used to do a segment called Craft Room Crash, where I would go visit other people’s creative spaces. Someday I wish somebody would visit my creative space because it is so much fun to inhabit.
Honestly, I could feel the energy of creativity swirling around in my creative space in every corner. It is just so magical.
How do you stay organized with so many different projects happening at once?
Staying organized with all the different projects I am working on is a very interesting question because it just is what it is. I guess I am just used to multi-tasking.
People who work in the corporate world typically have systems. They have a system that the company works with, and that is just how the company does it. For me, my system is knowing what falls into what pillar.
One day of the week I might be filming, another day of the week I might be editing, another day could be emails, proposals, and pitching, or writing. I think you just tackle it one project at a time while keeping a really good calendar.
It can be overwhelming when you’re a solo-prenewer, but I’ll never get bored! I’ve always said, with all these projects, I’m like a Greek menu, I serve it all.
What does your creative routine look like when you’re on a deadline?
When I have a big deadline to meet, I typically write down the tasks that need to be done and when. I complete the tasks in order and mark them off.
If it’s one project with a big deadline that must be accomplished within a certain number of days, I will focus only on that project.
If I need a break, that’s when I’ll tackle emails or make phone calls, but if it’s a deadline, I focus, get it done, and then move on to the next project.
I am a very start-to-finish oriented person and am trying not to get distracted by outside projects. They will all eventually get done; I’m never worried about that.
What’s your process from idea to finished piece?
My process from idea to finished piece is so fun.
Typically, when I come up with the idea, I am in flow exercising. Maybe it’s running or lifting weights, and my mind can wander into its creative corners. I’ll do the geometry of “how would this work” in my head and figure out what the project will look like.
If it’s a sewing project or if it’s a home decor project, it’s a matter of visualizing it first and doing a little bit of the math ahead of time. Then once I get back to the office, I’ll sketch it out. I’ll write notes and get pretty specific on the how-to steps.
Next, I’ll actually make the project to see if it works. However, if I’m on a deadline, I’ll write the script first, then film the on-camera parts, and film the making process. Once it’s complete, I’ll edit the video, grab some still photos, and then post it or publish it or turn it into whomever I’m doing that project. There are definitely steps to the process.
Do you ever surprise yourself with where a project ends up?
Not really. I know that for some strange reason my projects always turn out great.
It’s like magic. It’s like little angels working through my arms, my fingers, in my brain when I’m actually creating. It’s kind of a fun space to live in.
If I do mess up, and I have, as we all do, I learned from my paper crafting English friends at Create & Craft, “if you mess up just put a butterfly on it“. So, what that means to me is pivot and turn it into something else and make it work for you. I don’t like to mess up.
When I’m doing a project under a deadline, and because there’s not a lot of time to remake it, I work carefully, but if it is not right, I will work on it till it’s fixed. Thankfully, fingers crossed, knock on wood, most of my projects turn out, and I’m always really excited. One of my favorite things is to step back and say, ” Wow, I made that”!
What have you learned about yourself through making?
What I have learned about myself through making is that you’re never done learning.
I spent half my life doing broadcast, content creation, segments, and producing. That is also a creative job, but what I learned about myself when I really focus on the handmade part of my life is that I love being creative.
I learned that swimming around in my little creative brain is the happiest place that I can be. I learned that I want other people to experience that same satisfaction you get when you make it yourself. That is what drives me every single day to promote creativity, making, and crafting to the masses.
Is there a piece or project that feels like a turning point in your career?
I feel like a turning point in my career, the big shift, was when Creative Living TV happened and I won my first Emmy Award. That show was like peeling off a layer of my skin and putting it out there. That is when I knew I wanted to lean into creativity and spread that joy to a national audience.
Of course, we all need to work, so I continued doing mainstream radio, but now I’m solely focused on creativity and inspiring others to make. I think another amazing shift for me is starting to create garment patterns and the fabric collection. That is all so new for me, but it’s interesting to be a part of, and I learn something from this new journey every day.
You do so many things—pattern design, fabric design, TV, teaching. How do you balance it all?
I think when you love what you do, balancing everything sort of comes naturally. I think everything is connected. Everything is woven together.
I said it’s like a Greek menu, people say, oh you do all these things pattern, design, fabric design, TV teaching, content creation, producing, writing, hosting it’s got to be overwhelming. But for me, I think you just look at it and take one thing at a time, one day at a time. When I wake up, I say I get to do this project today, or I get to do this TV shoot today, or I get to answer emails today. If I frame it as a gift, then every day is a joy, and it doesn’t feel like I’m balancing anything.
Do these different roles feed each other creatively?
All of my different roles absolutely are intertwined.
Everything is based in the art of creativity. From writing a script to coming up with a project idea or a TV segment, content, or editing. Everything is based in creativity, and they are absolutely diving boards into one another.
Sometimes I’m overloaded with creativity, and I need to just focus on one thing at a time. Everything I do is connected, and it could get so big that I wish I had a team of 20 people helping me out. Anybody interested?
How do you decide what ideas to say “yes” to?
When I am asked to do a project, and I must decide when to say yes, I learned a long time ago to say yes to almost everything, knowing that not everything is going to be a payday, and that other things are going to be extra big paydays.
I look at the opportunity that the project holds, the learning that I can gain from it, and the people that I can meet and interface. If I’m doing a media segment for free, I know that there’s great visibility and public relations, and that if I’m doing a video for a client or brand, I know that it is an opportunity to work with great people and it can be a great résumé builder when it comes to this creative arts world.
I also consider if it fits into the calendar before I say yes, because I want to make sure that I do a great job. I say yes to the work that brings me the most joy.
What helps you stay energized and not feel overwhelmed?
When it comes to staying energized and not feeling overwhelmed, well, balancing and being overwhelmed is a state of mind, so I focus on one thing, finish it, and then start the next project.
I’m blessed with a ton of energy, so I have no problem staying energized. Sometimes I have too much energy, and I don’t really ever get tired. I love to maintain a positive mental attitude and share that with anybody who wants some energy and enthusiasm. When you love what you do, you can’t help but stay happy and be energized.
What advice would you give someone just starting their creative journey?
The best advice I could give to someone starting their creative journey is to start with one thing. Focus on the one thing that you truly love to do and find out how you can make that work professionally.
If you’re doing it as a hobby (like my morning show television segments back in 2006) you may not have a ton of time to put into it, so start small.
If you are pivoting and you’re already in the creative space, what’s the next thing you would like to do? What goal do you want to accomplish. If you are a painter, how could you get it into an art gallery? How can you teach a class? What can you do to take the next step in your creative journey?
I think there’s two sides, for people who are saying wow I’d sure love to focus on my art or focus on creative content, just pick one thing to start with and take the first step. The other are people already in the creative world but just need a pivot or growth and they need to think differently.
Ask yourself, what’s the next step you could take from where you already are? Write it down, let it simmer, and then circle back and make sure that idea is still working for you, and go for it. You will never regret trying, but you will always regret not doing it.
Rapid fire fun:
- Favorite color right now? Pink (I’ve nicknamed my office the PPC “Pink Pony Club”
- Messy desk or tidy space? Tidy or at least organized. Yeah, I’ll definitely like tidy over messy
- One tool you always reach for? A great pair of scissors
- One word to describe your creative style? WOWZA!
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Interview posted August 2026
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