Julia Kagan ’21 originally became interested in embroidering patches and clothing because she always saw embroidered projects on Etsy that she wanted to purchase.

“Since I love art and crafting, I thought it would be worth it to try making the projects myself – that way I could have as many as I wanted,” said Kagan.

Kagan has been working on textile projects since she learned to sew in elementary school, however, she did not start embroidering until her junior year of high school.

Kagan enjoys making designs that promote social justice or environmentalism, but she also likes to embroider cute sayings.

“I make a lot of patches that have slogans taken from signs at the women’s march or the march for science, like a ‘p*ssy grabs back’ patch with a cat on it, or a ‘there is no planet B’ patch with mountains,” said Kagan.

Kagan loves to embroider T-shirts, but, as an environmentalist, she tries to be conscious of where the shirts are coming from. She also has a lot of fun with in-depth projects, such as jackets with detailed designs on their backs or embroidery hoops that can eventually be framed.

Kagan has an Instagram account featuring her work (@heartfeltdesigns_) where people can feel free to place orders. They can also contact her via email ([email protected]) or just speak with her in person. She accepts cash, checks or Venmo.