About us

Modern Macramé stands for quality craft materials, inspirational content, and our wonderful community.

Emily Katz

Founder, Chief Creative Officer, Author

Emily has taught macramé to thousands around the globe, from private lessons, to beautifully curated workshops, to team building for creative companies. Her aim is to not only share her love of this simple craft, but also inspire people to be better versions of themselves.

Emily has been featured in Forbes, The LA Times, London Daily Mail, Buzzfeed, Nylon Magazine, Ku:nel, Popeye Magazine, and Elle Japan, Elle NL, and Elle France to name a few.

Her first book, Modern Macramé, 33 Stylish Projects for Your Handmade Home, was released by Ten Speed Press in May 2018.

Modern Macramé grew out of Emily's observation of a lack of accessible and high quality materials for crafters and fiber artists, and so in 2014, the company was born.

Click below to follow Emily on Instagram.


Our Values

CREATIVITY

Creativity goes beyond the materials we choose and the projects we create. It means more than just making beautiful things; it is how we think about the act of making, how we choose to spend our time and how we share our light with the world. It is in the music that we love, the art we experience, the nature that nourishes us.

We share our passion for craft with playfulness, curiosity and imagination. Our world is a better place when we create together with courage, intention and delight. In an effort to nourish creativity in our communities, we extend our knowledge as a resource to you.

INSPIRED

From the beginning, Modern Macramé has been about that moment of delight when you “get it” during a workshop. You see the connection of how the knots work together to make art out of rope. You feel activated and uplifted to make something in your own unique way.

Our resources and tools are here to help guide you on your journey of making. We love designing fiber art that pushes the boundaries of what you have seen before to what you can only dream.

From our first macramé tent, made in 2013, to our best selling book, Modern Macramé: 33 Stylish Projects For Your Handmade Home, our work is not just about fiber art but the dream of crafting a more intentional and beautiful life.

QUALITY

We hand select the highest quality DIY supplies from around the world and offer them to you with care, intention and integrity. We want you to love shopping with us and that each step of your experience is filled with delight.

We are creating accountability to the standards we strive to uphold and are proud to create products that you won’t find anywhere else.

Our dream is to be THE go-to, trusted partner for all your DIY needs.

ETHICAL

We prioritize sustainable practices and materials and weigh each decision against our goals of being better for the planet. That’s one reason we chose to bring our fulfillment back in house, to divest from supporting companies whose giving doesn’t align with our values.

We ship all of our goods to you in 100% recycled cartons and mailers and try to eliminate plastic whenever possible. We are working on initiatives to offer more recycled, organic and upcycled materials, and move away from conventional cotton altogether as well as support more domestic manufacturing.

To be here for the long haul, our planet has to thrive along with us and that is why we are making steps to becoming a B Corp.

EMPOWER

We believe in your potential.

Our operation depends on lifting each other up. Our intention is to do this throughout every aspect of our company.

We do this by providing our team members a living wage and health care. By empowering each person to do work that lights them up. Through supporting featuring artists and designers from around the globe and collaborating with brands and makers who align with our values and dreams for a better world.

We do not exist without your success. We thrive when you thrive.

Our Team

woman owned tagline

Team Columns

Nadya Matiya

Operations Manager

Nadya Matiya ensures that our operations run smoothly. From issues with the printer, to making sure the delivery truck drivers can access our building, to connecting with customers to make certain they are happy with their orders!  

She has been lucky enough to be surrounded by arts and craft her whole life.  From her nana teaching her to sew matching outfits for her and her American Girl Doll to taking dance classes all the way through college.  She even performed at the Kennedy Center, in Washington D.C.!

Her affinity for women run businesses began early on when she first started working at the dance studio she also took class at.  More recently, she was an early employee at The Riveter (formerly, a national coworking brand), which all led her to Modern Macramé. 

Nadya spends her free time with her partner Matt and their rescue pup, Runa.  They are on the hunt to find the best dog park!  You can follow Runa’s adventure on Instagram @mongrelandmoondog.  When she isn’t playing with her pup she’s probably wondering what her next meal is going to be, binge watching crime tv shows, or chasing the sunset. 

Elspeth Vance

Pattern Development & Craft Help

Elspeth spends her free time designing knitwear and jewelry in her home studio, watching old movies and playing music. An avid thrifter, her closet overflows with textile treasures and bodacious vintage pieces. She loves talking on the phone while taking long walks around her neighborhood and prefers leaving lengthy voicemail messages to texting. 

A lifelong fascination with textile processes has led Elspeth to explore their intersections; how is weaving like knitting? Or knotting like knitting? Where can these processes be combined, woven together and enmeshed? Seeking this conjunction, the creative union of opposites and complements, is her most enduring artistic endeavour. 

If you have ever reached out to us seeking help with a pattern or in need of an answer to an urgent craft question you have likely communicated with Elspeth, our Craft Helper! Elspeth believes passionately in the therapeutic power of craft and the deep, internal satisfaction derived from making things by hand and loves passing that joy to others. In her role in both Pattern Development and Craft Help, Elspeth seeks to inspire, encourage and empower every knotter in their pursuit of personal expression. 

Want to see what Elspeth is making? Find her and her knitwear here, IG: @elspethvance And check out her jewelry, here: IG @shopnoctiluca & here https://noctiluca.co/

Courtney Romine

Customer Fulfillment and Warehouse Lead

At Modern Macramé, you'll find Courtney carefully wrapping your packages like gifts, answering your email when you have a question about an order, and turning all our warehousing problems into solutions.

She spends most of her time watching and/or thinking about movies. There are too many favorites to list, but some of her oft-viewed films are: Elvira Mistress of the Dark, Fright Night, The ‘Burbs, Killer Klowns from Outer Space, Big Trouble in Little China, The Monster Squad, Adventures in Babysitting, and Best Little Whorehouse in Texas. 

Courtney’s been collecting VHS, movie memorabilia and action figures since she was a kid so she has amassed quite a collection. 

When she’s not watching movies you will find her scouring thrift stores for buried treasure, spending quality time with her dogs, and eating excessively.

Favorite foods: All of them

“I would never stoop so low as to be fashionable.”  - Dolly Parton

Beth Whelan

Social Media and Marketing Manager

Beth is motivated by human connection and finding the places where our lives intersect. Her work as Social Media manager is not just merely posting beautiful pictures on our Instagram and sending you emails, but really about sharing the heart and humanity of Modern Macramé and all that we believe in and care about with you.

Beth loves spending her free time in nature, camping, climbing, biking, or drinking a good cup of coffee with her cat on her lap. She’s happy just spending an afternoon in a hammock with a good book, or sharing a meal  with her loved ones. 

“Life is fleeting. Don't waste a single moment of your precious life. Wake up now! And now! And now!”  - Ruth Ozeki

Check out her work in dance and choreography here.

Kelly Thompson

Graphic Designer

Kelly Thompson is a multi-disciplinary independent creative professional specializing in brand identity & development, package design, and illustration. She has worked on a wide variety of projects over the years, but her niche lies in the development of innovative concepts that truly resonate with people.

A proven thought leader and creative problem solver, Kelly enjoys collaborating with the movers, shakers and feelers of society who aren't afraid to dig a little deeper. Kelly is a fresh thinker rarely satisfied with the status quo. She thrives in an environment where people are often found laughing and have the freedom to display forward thinking brilliance. She believes great design is a combination of beautiful, meaningful and powerful. 

At Modern Macramé, Kelly brings our brand vision to life! As a communication and design nerd, she is passionate about translating our brand message into every touchpoint, making sure every piece of Modern Macramé feels meaningful. She is inspired by Modern Maacramé's dedication to sustainability and values working with companies who put people and the planet first.

She currently resides in Austin, TX where she can be found working on her latest side project, waiting for the sun to come out, or mapping out her next trip.

IG Personal

IG KTOM Creative

Modern Macrame light skinned hand and dark skinned hand holding a bundle of rope

Our Collaborators and favorite vendors

We value and prioritize working with BIPOC, woman owned, and ethical/eco conscious brands, vendors, and contractors.

Kelly Lyons - Video editor

Sika Stanton - Video production/education

Anne Parker - Stylist/art director

Dave Depper - Custom sound design

Caitlin Garcia-Ahern - Thread Caravan founder/retreat coordinator

Nina Kaufman - Business coaching

Carla Titus - CFO services

Eco-Enclose - Sustainable packing materials