ENCHANTED COTTAGE INDUSTRY: (Clockwise from top left) Gnomes and toadstools adorn the Black Forest-themed Schwarzwalder Skirt; Kopacz’ infamous Cuckoo Cabin; silk-screened skirt panels in progress.

some kind of place between growing and staying small. Is that even possible?”

Hannah’s clothing is clearly well made, but what jumps out is just how fun it all is. Skirts are festooned with frisky gnomes, juicy green apples, candy-colored tulips, and retro sunflowers — some even feature removable squirrel brooches. With such playfulness, it’s easy to see why Kopacz finds the actual screen-printing to be the most relaxing and enjoyable part of the design process.

“That folksy imagery really has a compelling sense of history for me; it gives me a feeling of nostalgia for a past I don’t remember but wish I did,” says Kopacz. “I always liked traditional folk handicrafts and clothing, things that were made by hand with love, and loved. That kind of stuff gives me a happy memory feeling, even if it’s not my memory.”

Kopacz’ affection for the handmade is shared by many of her friends and family members (including her boyfriend’s mom, who has her own page on

craftzine.com/06/kopacz

 

Hannah’s website called Made with Love by Grandma, where the 80-something sells snail-shaped potholders and popsicle-stick purses). Her reverence for old-school crafting is also evident in her popular blog, Knick Knacks & Ric Rac, where she catalogs her thrift-store finds, home improvement projects, and endless sources of inspiration.

“I’ll see something that tickles my fancy, some kind of cute doodad that will make me want to sketch out a new design,” she says. “I have stacks and stacks of sketches — like ten years’ worth — which I keep in case I suddenly run out of ideas.”

But judging by what we’ve seen of Hannah Kopacz so far, that’s just not likely. ×

See more images at craftzine.com/06/kopacz.

 

Jenny Ryan is an L. A.-based writer, crafter, and event organizer working on her first book, Sew Darn Cute, out next winter from St. Martin’s Press. She drinks a lot of espresso.