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Around Town: An epic way to spend my birthday

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<p>If necessity is the mother of invention, then pending motherhood may have given Sarah Vander Neut a creative boost.</p><p>The Aurora, Colorado, seamstress was pregnant with her first daughter eight years ago and running in her husband&#8217;s heavy hoodie when she decided to sew a jacket to fit her growing form.</p><p>&#8220;I was running every day until I had her, and it was winter,&#8221; said Vander Neut, now the mother of two little girls. &#8220;A husband&#8217;s hoodie does not make you feel fast. This jacket solved my running problems.&#8221;</p><p>Already selling handmade skirts and dresses at Denver-area craft markets, Vander Neut began sewing athletic jackets in spectacular color combinations. The handmade sportswear features extra-long arms for covering hands or cuffing back, a large hole at one wrist for checking the giant sports watch, deep pockets for holding gear, and reflective accents for nighttime runs. Her jackets are made from double-knit polyester &#8212; fabric designed to last.</p><p>&#8220;The light just kinda went on for me,&#8221; said Vander Neut, who has an art degree and studied fashion design. &#8220;Colorado is not New York, is not L.A. This is our fashion statement. A jacket is something a woman is going to need for layering.&#8221;</p><p>She&#8217;s made 730 jackets since launching Vander Jacket in 2011, selling the hoodies online and at craft markets. She has no plans to let up on the five-hours-per-jacket effort.</p><p>&#8220;If I was pouring all the time in and it stopped growing . then yeah, I would fall out of love pretty fast,&#8221; Vander Neut said. &#8220;I&#8217;d be taking time away from my little kids and husband. It works when my little business is helping them, helping my little girls go to ballet or helping my family buy a car.&#8221;</p><p>Vander Neut is not alone. Other makers pour their passion for a sport into handmade goods.</p><p>For Ruby Amsen, in the Netherlands, inspiration was twofold: She loves roller skating and the 1970s. She sews roller-skating pants and shorts in outrageous, &#8217;70s-style fabrics.</p><p>&#8220;Flare pants and Farrah Fawcett, the windy blown hair. It&#8217;s mesmerizing,&#8221; said Amsen, of Amsterdam.</p><p>A few years ago she learned how to dance on skates, and was hooked. She started sewing pants to accentuate her hip-hop and jazzy moves, piquing other skaters&#8217; interest.</p><p>&#8220;The &#8217;70s-style clothing really accentuates your moves,&#8221; she said.</p><p>Part-time work grew into a fulltime business for Amsen, who sells her skater wear on Etsy.com . The designer keeps her home minimally appointed so she can skate indoors, including while she works.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s like a kind of meditation for me. It keeps my mind still,&#8221; Amsen said. &#8220;Some people puzzle or go running, I start with drawing and then creating, then skating. That&#8217;s one synergy going on there.&#8221;</p><p>Althea Rizzo of Salem, Oregon, sews rock-climbing chalk bags from second-hand stuffed animals. Her VertGear online site features chalk bags made from a pink elephant, green frog and purple zebra, among other critters.</p><p>The chalk bags appeal to a certain level of rock climber.</p><p>&#8220;The people who wear mine are not the super intense, professional athletes,&#8221; Rizzo said. &#8220;These are people who enjoy a little bit of fun and lightheartedness.&#8221;</p><p>She began sewing sportswear and gear for her outdoorsy daughter. Her Etsy shop includes tank tops and shorts, made from fabric she designs.</p><p>Rizzo recently streamlined her sewing process to save time. She only sews at night and on weekends; by day, she is the earthquake, tsunami and volcano program coordinator for the state of Oregon.</p><p>The sewing work helps Rizzo avoid boredom and pay her bills.</p><p>&#8220;I like to stay busy and I like to make money,&#8221; she said. &#8220;When I retire in less than 10 years, I&#8217;d like to have my student loans and mortgage paid off . and a stream of income to keep me from eating cat food.&#8221;</p><p>The three businesswomen are inspired to do more: Vander Neut has expanded into windbreakers, Rizzo recently added new apparel, and Amsen talks about designing jumpsuits.</p><p>&#8220;Stop? No, no, no. That&#8217;s impossible,&#8221; said Amsen. &#8220;My mind can&#8217;t stop thinking. I have designs to last for 80 years from now.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">This photo provided by Ruby Amsen shows Amsen modeling the 1970s-influenced skater pants she hand makes in her Amsterdam, Netherlands, home. Amsen sells her skater wear at her Etsy.com shop, RewBdesigned. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_AP19163431525326.jpg</photo0><caption0>This photo provided by Ruby Amsen shows Amsen modeling the 1970s-influenced skater pants she hand makes in her Amsterdam, Netherlands, home. Amsen sells her skater wear at her Etsy.com shop, RewBdesigned. </caption0><photoCredit0>AP photo </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_AP19163431540388.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">In this Spring 2019 photo provided by Sarah Vander Neut, a model wears a Vander Jacket, sportswear handmade by Vander Neut in her Aurora, Colo., home. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_AP19163431540388.jpg</photo1><caption1>In this Spring 2019 photo provided by Sarah Vander Neut, a model wears a Vander Jacket, sportswear handmade by Vander Neut in her Aurora, Colo., home. </caption1><photoCredit1>AP photo </photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_AP19163431599020.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">This photo provided by Ruby Amsen shows a closeup of the 1970s-influenced skater pants handmade by Amsen in her Amsterdam, Netherlands, home. Amsen sells her skater wear at her Etsy.com shop, RewBdesigned. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_AP19163431599020.jpg</photo2><caption2>This photo provided by Ruby Amsen shows a closeup of the 1970s-influenced skater pants handmade by Amsen in her Amsterdam, Netherlands, home. Amsen sells her skater wear at her Etsy.com shop, RewBdesigned. </caption2><photoCredit2>AP photo </photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Handmade workout clothes make strides</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Jennifer Forker</p><p>Associated Press</p></bylineMeta></div>

Sewing for sport: Handmade workout clothes make strides