One of Jeff Orlowski’s earliest memories is sitting next to his mother at her sewing machine while she worked on projects. That hobby was largely forgotten as the Wisconsin native became a National Park Service cartographer, moved to Evergreen and started a family.

“I like a hobby like sewing where you make something tangible,” Orlowski said. “Now it’s a hobby that’s turned into a side hustle.”

Orlowski sews fanny packs, satchels, biking and ski bags, backpacks and custom truck accessories under the name Evergreen Threadworks. He’ll have a booth featuring some of his products at the Evergreen Park & Recreation District’s upcoming Frostival, a holiday event set from 2 to 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Buchanan Park ball fields.  

For Orlowski, his career and hobby give him the best of both worlds. As a Denver-based park service Geographic Information Systems specialist, he travels to national parks across the country to create maps of all kinds.

“I’ve mapped everything from a T-Rex still in the ground and the sprinkler system at the Little Bighorn Battlefield to glaciers at Grand Teton and park visitor maps,” he said. “Parks are basically little cities. You never know what they need.  

“It’s so much fun,” he continued. “Even if I won the lottery, I would still keep this job.”

While map making is artistic, sewing lets him indulge his creativity in a different way. It’s also satisfying because Orlowski’s products often provide practical solutions to problems.

“I started sewing masks during the pandemic,” he said. “Then I randomly thought, why not try a bag? People needed a way to carry masks and hand sanitizer, and I’ve always loved bags. A good bag helps you carry your stuff and makes your experience in the mountains better.   

“I made two fanny packs for my wife and daughter. Someone offered to buy number three. Now I’m at about 390.”

An avid mountain biker and skier, Orlowski was also frustrated in searching for gear to bike and camp. 

“That’s when I realized there was a need for locally made, custom bike bags,” he said. His waist bags, sling bags and fanny packs work well for walkers, hikers and bikers, and quickly became his best sellers. But Orlowski also likes the challenge of meeting niche needs. 

A friend asked him to make a tailgate extension that would cover his feet while sleeping in his truck bed. Word got out about Orlowski’s practical, but otherwise hard-to-find product, and he’s made about 75 of them since.

“I like to make the bag work for what somebody needs it for,” he said. “If I say yes to an idea, I figure out how to make it all work. There’s geometry behind making the bags or truck products; it takes a blend of math, science and art to make it work.”

That’s proven to be a winning formula, as existing customers have spread the word about his products to others.

“I started a Facebook and Instagram account for Evergreen Threadworks, but most of my sales have been word-of-mouth,” said Orlowski, who also sells some of his products at Evergreen’s Bivouac Coffee and Black Fox Provisions. “I’ve created items for people in France, Germany, Norway and most of the States.”

Orlowski also takes pride in making his products not just practical, but fun.

“Most bags you buy tend to be black and kind of boring,” he said. “I like to make it functional and try to add a little style to it. Because I make each item myself, people can always reach out and tell me what colors they want.”

He also sees a crossover in the skills he uses for his full-time job and those needed in sewing.  

“Sewing is a lot like cartography,” he said. “Where you create maps data, you may be tracing the edges of a river. It’s similar to sewing along the edges of pattern pieces.”

While Evergreen Threadworks is gaining a following, Orlowski doesn’t plan to hire help or move beyond his basement workshop.

“Right now, I want to improve my skills and make better bags for people,” he said. “I like the craftsmanship. I like overthinking every stitch. And I don’t really want to give up the hands-on aspect. At the size it is now, I can focus on quality and making bags I’d be interested in using.

“I’m not going to be able to retire off it,” he continued. “It’s just rewarding to see people get excited about a bag they’ve had in their mind for a while and to actually be able to make it for them. I used to wake up early and go skiing and biking; now I wake up early to sew.”