Historian by day, crafter by night.

I was born in the Midwest and have deep roots there but I grew up in the Northeast. Cornfields and farmhouses fill me with nostalgia, but the woods and rocky beaches of New England are equally beloved. For the past 20 years, New York State has been my home and I usually think of myself as a New Yorker. (You gotta problem with that?) I lived in NYC for 18 years before moving upstate and now I reside in the amazing small city of Troy. It is the best place I have ever lived.

I have been making things with my hands for as long as I can remember. I went to art school then turned to the study of history. Professionally, I am a historian and a teacher – work that fills me with joy and intellectual satisfaction. But I still itch to craft. Mostly I sew. I make gifts for my family and things for my home, and I have recently been teaching myself to make (very simple) clothing. I also love to embroider and I hand-embroider every piece that I sell or give away. I have the attention span of a puppy ("squirrel!") and am inspired by so many things that I make a wide variety of crafts and only infrequently do I make multiples of any particular item. I also do a lot of collage and make things with paper.

You can learn more about my work on my blog: kleiosbelly.wordpress.com or find some of it for sale in my shop: kleiosbelly.etsy.com. And please follow the shop on facebook for updates: www.facebook.com/pages/kleios-belly/168611806495264