Our Team

Tania - Designer and Maker

After taking one textiles class in high school more than two decades ago, I never touch a sewing machine again until around 2018. By then (thanks in part by my husband) I was a mother of two lovely kids. Not only was our house full of humans, our closets were full too of unwanted and outgrown clothes. After I turned my old shirt into a skirt for my daughter, I never stopped upcycling! Friends and family began to add their unused textiles to our supplies stash as well, and overtime we received requests for custom orders and mending. U&I is still a tiny hobby business (I usually make more for my family than actual paying customers), but we’re still 100% totally legit!

Willem and Keona - Assistant Designers

In the early days of U&I, this sibling dream team created pendants from old buttons that raised money for charity. The pair are now off running their own upcycled paper products business, but still stick around to advise mom and demand snacks.