By Karen Parr-Moody
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – As the trendiest chorus sings “make your holidays local,” shopping takes a new spin. The “locavore” movement embraces purchasing Christmas gifts from one’s fellow citizens and neighbors.
Now Clarksville fashion has an answer to the locavore trend in Hypatia Steed. She makes an amazing variety of baby headbands, necklaces and hair clips for girls of all ages, as well as infinity scarves and crochet head wraps.
Her Christmas-themed merchandise is a kaleidoscope of holiday whimsy, including hair bows shaped like peppermint candies and necklaces adorned with peppermint-striped beads.
“I have been making crafts since I was a child,” Steed says. “I have a degree in art education and taught art for more than three years, so I have done a little of everything when it comes to arts and crafts.”
Bows that will put the “f” in festivity./Photo courtesy of Hypatia Steed
When her daughter, now a toddler, was born, Steed’s love of crafts naturally evolved into making things for her.
“I started just making headbands and have gradually added items over time,” Steed says. “I enjoy making accessories that I like and I hope others will like them too.”
What is especially nice is Steed’s total readiness to make items to order.
“When a bow or headband isn’t exactly what someone wants, I love being able to say that all my items are handmade and can be customized,” she says. “When someone finds something that they love, I think I’m just as excited as they are.”
Steed sells her items through an Etsy shop at www.etsy.com/shop/Hypatias. People can also find some items on her Facebook page.
Photos courtesy of Hypatia Steed
Karen Parr-Moody began a career as a New York journalist, working as a fashion reporter for Women’s Wear Daily, a beauty editor for Young Miss and a beauty and fashion writer for both In Style and People magazines. Regionally, she has been a writer at The Leaf-Chronicle newspaper and currently writes about arts and culture for Nashville Arts magazine each month.