Patchwork Hearts is the brainchild of Maeve Banks (me!), a punk from the 502 with a passion for clothing alteration, style, and embroidery. This project came to me earlier this year, when I started getting comments on my battle jacket, affectionately dubbed The Prototype, from friends and strangers alike:
"Do you sell these?"
At first my answer was no - that my jacket is a passion project that I made for myself and myself alone. I had actually never held a sewing needle until January of 2026, when I decided I wanted to get into sewing to impress a person I had a crush on who had been making battle jackets since childhood. What started as an old denim vest with a single patch and some buttons has now snowballed into a jacket with several patches both homemade and sourced from small business, spikes, chains, lace, embroidery, and a zipper (it used to be a button-up)!
As my hobby grew however, I realized after more and more interactions with people on the street, at bars and clubs, from friends and family, that people want to wear this thing. "Can I commission you to make me one?"
The answer is now a resounding yes. I want to give to the community and my friends what they ask for.