My life in Istanbul in 2012 was exciting and creative. I took Turkish lessons, frequented the sprawling outdoor farmers markets and discovered the industrial parts of the city where artisans went to buy leather, findings, tools and yarn. I was in maker heaven.
I’ve made physical objects my whole life - from knitted hats to sewn dresses and handbags you could always find me creating. And I was always trying to sell my creations, even when starting a business felt like a far off dream.
Living in Istanbul inspired me. My leather sandals and knit skirts took on the essence of the exciting city. I would combine colors and techniques that no one else was using, reveling in the excitement of creating something new.
A natural extension of making is selling my art. So, I opened an Etsy store and listed my products, having a friend take photos and modeling everything myself. It would be another few years until my work took off but I started to make local friends in Istanbul through Etsy’s community.
One of my maker friends knew I was obsessed with vintage Turkish headscarves adorned with ‘oya’ a hand crocheted lace edging. She invited me to her mother’s house to learn this technique and that changed the trajectory of my life and business!
Check out this post to read about how I started my business.
