I started sewing and knitting in the early 2000s out of a restless longing to create. After admiring a friend's scarf at a house party and hearing that he'd knit the scarf himself, I knew I had to learn.
A born and raised New Yorker, I found myself enrolling in many fiber related classes across the city and discovered the existence of my future career — textile designer. What started as learning to sew soon became collecting fabric as I realized I enjoyed learning about how a fabric was made as much as I enjoyed sewing.
As an avid collector of African print fabric and clothing, I began to develop a line of project bags for discerning crafters using these prints. African prints make me feel elegant and fierce. They are spirit boosting. I want to make bags that spark that same feeling of elegance, pride, and fearlessness in others.
After a long career in Information Technology, I eventually quit my job to finally learn how to make textiles professionally. Since earning my BFA in Textile & Surface Design at the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2024, I've brought my original textile designs to my bag collection and introduced a line of apparel using small batch and local manufacturers.
I plan to build yarn&whiskey into a lifestyle brand that centers quality craftmaking and prioritizes sustainable practices. I hope to give my customers lots of color, print, refined functionality, and a way to express themselves. yarn&whiskey products are for people who appreciate good design, who never met a color they couldn't rock, and who stroll through life to their own soulful soundtrack.
You can see my original textile designs and how I envision their end use in my portfolio. To view yarn&whiskey products featuring my original textile work, see the Textiles By Tammi section of the website.
— Tammi Williams, Founder & Creative Director of yarn&whiskey