Hi! Babolulu is a one-person operation. My name is Joanne, I was raised in Queens, NY and lived there for most of my life. In 2010 I gave up my dirt cheap rent controlled apartment in Manhattan. With my partner and our young child, we moved South to the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. When in NY, I did commercial photography for donkey years. Working as a photographer, I put unnecessary stress on myself. Along with the competitive nature of the industry, I was left a bit mentally exhausted. After moving to Asheville, I wanted to explore something completely different. Since I was a child, I loved making things with my hands and it turns out that Asheville is a crafters paradise in so many ways. One summer, my young daughter Lulu took a sewing camp which introduced to me to sewing. Shortly after, I started to make small items such as hats and purses mostly out of recycled materials and sold them in local craft markets. That was the beginning of Babolulu. When not sewing, I paint, make jewelry, and explore other DIY projects nonstop.

(That was the short and happy version. In between, there were bumps, unknowns and hardships. But all in all, crafts saved my life. I am thankful to all the folks who supported me!)