Meet Michele Diprima of Hummingbird Moon in Boulder

Today we’d like to introduce you to Michele Diprima.

Michele, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
My journey into the Fiber Arts began because well, I needed to heal. In 2009 shortly after I moved here to Boulder, Colorado, I lost my grandmother. I was heartbroken, lost and fell into a bit of a depression. I knew I needed something to occupy my mind and hands so that I could learn to heal this heartache.

The tonic of wool entered my life through a class I took with a well- known spinning teacher Maggie Casey from a yarn shop in Boulder called Shuttles, Spindles and Skeins. Making yarn provided me with that medicine I needed to recover from that heartache of losing my best friend. My grandmother became my inspiration to enter this unknown world of becoming a fiber artist.

Through spinning, I became enchanted by combining colors in unexpected ways, and wow what a world that was opened up to me! So at first, I started selling my handspun yarn, but unable to keep up with customer requests and demands, I turned to undyed mill spun yarns and spinning fiber. My husband encouraged me to take that next step and start dyeing. So I did and I haven’t looked back since. Spinning and dyeing became my yoga, my therapy, it helped bring me out of my sadness.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Life is never a smooth ride so you always have to be ready for anything. But what’s most challenging for me as a mother, wife and one woman-run business is finding that good work/life balance, while also practicing self-care and getting things done.

Please tell us about Hummingbird Moon.
I knew I had found my calling as a Fiber Artisan/Indie Dyer. I really wanted to share how I saw the magic of color with others, so everything that I bring to them is inspired by my life and especially my daughter. We are a household of witches who believe in unicorns, fairies, and everything magical. We are a true mother-daughter team especially when it comes to naming my crazy colorways, that is just one part of the charm of the Hummingbird Moon. The other is my unique colors, I am a child from the 80s after all and I love my bright crazy colors.

Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
I have always been an artistic kid doing whatever I could to get dirty and messy whether it was painting, drawing, tye dyeing anything I could get my hands on, I just loved being creative. My most favorite memory would be of my grandmother and I sitting on her back porch and her teaching me to sew. Practices on her pillowcases or dish clothes. Laughing and having fun picking out different color threads and making all sorts of fun designs.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.thehummingbirdmoon.etsy.com
• Email: hummingbirdmoon@gmail.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hummingbirdmoon
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheHummingbirdMoon

Image Credit:
Michele Diprima

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