I grew up sewing, embroidery and making things with my mom and sisters, there was always some kind of creative project going on around the Hand house! Our mother was such a creative spirit. She went to fashion design school and could draft patterns.

We grew up in Iran and she made all of our clothes, even our Dad’s button down color work shirts! The house was decorated with homemade decorations for every holiday — yes, every one anyone could ever think about. I learned about building a stash from my mom – you never know when you might need that!

Here’s more about me:

I have a lot of UFOs and probably have at least 10 active projects going at once.

I don’t really plan out projects in advance, which is probably why I have so many UFOs! I will have an idea in my head, sometimes it is just an idea I act on, and sometimes the ideas will grow over years — especially some of my art quilts. I think about art quilt ideas for a long time, gather materials around the idea and then when I sit down to actually put it together, they go fairly quickly (except for all of the beading and handwork I like to do).

Thanks to some awesome mentors and friends, I now make almost all of my own clothes — they fit better than store bought, and I can get what I want. Some are pretty boring, because I like to show off great necklaces that I’ve bought or made.

I have surrounded myself with creative and amazing women who are willing to share their experiences and learnings. They encourage and support my creations.

My studio is generally a mess. I love to organize — that is when I rediscover my collections and get inspired again — and probably start another new project! Then the mess starts again.

I’m trying to upcycle more by adding to my collections via the local reuse store and estate sales. When I do buy new, I support local businesses – it is sad to see so many amazing shops close.