With all the moving back and forth that comes with college life, it can be easy to put decorating on the backburner. Luckily, University alumna Courtney Tate has a customizable, locally-made solution to your interior decor needs: knit wall hangings.
What started as a chance Pinterest browse last October quickly turned into a full-fledged hobby. As Tate taught herself to make knit wall hangings out of yarn, the 23-year-old realized she had a knack for the craft and enjoyed creating them.
“It’s cool because I didn’t expect it to be something that I really enjoyed doing,” Tate said. “It was a way for me to be doing something [with my hands] and a way to wind down at the end of the day instead of just watching TV.”
Nearly a year later, the Houston native is in the process of transforming her hobby into a business, Hemmed In Wall Hangings. She shares photos of her work on Instagram so customers can see which pieces are available and can request custom pieces.
As she experiments with different stitching techniques like fringes and tassels, Tate’s customer base is expanding from friends to more people in the city.
Most of Tate’s hangings have been smaller in scale, as she weaves yarn into a 20 by 23-inch loom frame, but as she expands her business she’s looking forward to expanding her pieces into ones that span several feet long and wide. She envisions these as centerpieces in rooms, she said.
Having graduated from the University in May 2016 in photography, Tate is no stranger to the creative scene. She is currently a freelance photographer and took her fair share of ceramics and painting classes in college.
“Being an art major, you put your hands in a little bit of everything,” she said.
The process of turning her hobby into a business has come with its fair share of decisions — designing displays and working out payment methods — and like weaving the hangings, Tate is learning along the way.
Eventually, Tate wants to open an Etsy shop and focus on making custom pieces.
Until then, those interested can get their wall-hanging fix at Tate’s stand at the Mid City Makers Market on Oct. 28 or on Instagram at @hemmed_in.
LSU alumna Courtney Tate displays her wall hanging outside of French Truck Coffee on Sept. 24, 2017.
