Business Feature: Hannah Lamar Studio

Modern hand embroidery and custom pet portraits.

About the Founder

Hannah Lama Koelbl is a self-taught embroidery artist with an undergraduate degree in art. Back then she mostly worked in fibres and used embroidery on newspaper to tell a visual story. Post-college Hannah continued making art while holding many jobs including children's art instructor, jewelry making, potter's apprentice, nannying, and service industry. Eventually, she went back to school for a master's in Occupational Therapy, but never stopped embroidering.

"I have always come back to needle and thread because it is accessible, affordable, and totally cool. I love that it can dance between two dimensions and three dimensions, fine art, and craft. I decided to launch my Etsy shop and really go for making a business out of my embroidery art after the birth of my daughter in 2020. This past year has been a time of deep prioritizing and reflecting for many people, and having small children just makes time feel so precious. I realized that art-making and creativity are such a core part of who I am, and I wanted to follow through on my dream of making a living as an artist."

Having grown up in the Appalachian mountains of East Tennessee and spending lots of time in the Catskill Mountains of upstate New York, Hannah is forever inspired by the natural world around her when designing embroidery projects. She is also inspired by her dog Steve and the beloved pets of family and friends. Hannah absolutely loves doing commissioned pet portraits, because she knows how much pets mean to their owners!

Q: What was the biggest challenge you or your business faced that you had to overcome?

A - Hand stitching takes a lot of time, and I have so many ideas of projects I want to create but never enough time to get to all of them! It can be a challenge to keep prices at a point folks can afford while paying myself a living wage for the time it takes to create them.

Q - How did you stay flexible and navigate your business during the pandemic?

A - The pandemic forced me to take a longer than anticipated maternity leave, which ultimately resulted in more time for embroidery. I have noticed that people still want to buy beautiful things for themselves and their loved ones, not despite the pandemic but perhaps more so because of it. I am grateful to be able to create things with my hands that people can cherish.

Q - What has been the most rewarding moment since starting your business?

A - Every time I hear from a happy customer who is seeing their piece for the first time is always so rewarding! It is hard to let some things go after spending so much time with them, but knowing they are loved in their new homes is a wonderful feeling.

We are so thankful to have Hannah Lamar Studio as part of our featured business community! If you know of someone who is working hard on their own venture and deserves a feature click here and send us a message.

Follow @hannah_lamar_ and shop her products at www.esty.com/shop/HannahLamarStudio.