About

Meet Virginia

Wife/Mom/community counselor/consummate over-scheduler. Creative + ADHD + Empath

Hi there! I’ve called Austin, Texas home for 25 years. I’ve spent most of my career doing all kinds of admin support work, which means a lot of time spent behind a computer screen. When I turned 40, I joined a makerspace which rekindled a love for making things. Knotty Neighbor was born in 2016 out of a desire for a creative outlet and way to share my projects with friends.

And while I get by with a little help from my friends (and family), everything I sell is something I’ve made with my own two hands. I love the challenge of learning a new creative technique or process and thrive on a budget.

Iced coffee and garage sales fuel my creativity.

Driven By A Love For

Creating and Making Things

I enjoy working within a lot of different creative mediums, from jewelry making, to woodworking, laser cutting/engraving, quilting, sewing and embroidery. My favorite materials are wood, leather, fabric and acrylic, but I love experimenting with new things!

Some of my favorite projects involve reimagining/reusing an item or creating something functional and beautiful from scraps. I’ve cut up leather jackets and purses and have taken apart an existing necklace to repurpose them. I also love reworking or repairing a piece of clothing or accessory to extend its life.

Connection and Community

The communal nature of “making” can be incredibly powerful. We learn by sharing with others. Whether it’s learning a new skill online, attending a class, reading about the history or cultural origin of a craft, or sharing a new creative skill with friends.

Gee’s Bend Airing of the Quilts Festival, October 2023

Intentional, Handmade Design

“When you learn to make things with your hands, you begin to awaken an awareness of the beauty and value of things in your life. Handmaking teaches us about slowness: the antidote to brevity and efficiency. It shows us, through the patience of our own hands, what goes into a thing. When we put those long efforts into bringing beauty into the world, we are honouring that which made us by creating as we have been created. We are taught to respect the slow, attentive piecing together of the life we yearn for.”

– Toko-pa Turner, in Belonging, Remembering Ourselves Home

I’m Thankful For

My Supportive, Amazing Family

My husband Lee makes me laugh more than anyone else in the world. Our kids are creative, compassionate people I’m proud to call my own.

My daughter Bella, is an insanely-talented photographer and does my product photography. Check out her work. My son, Carter, is the calm one in our family, which is desperately needed in a family filled with first-borns.

My Gorgeous, Encouraging Friends

My friends are my biggest cheerleaders! They graciously agree to model my designs and continue to support my small business.