About

Meet Rachel, founder of Austin Designs! 

What started off with sewing clothes for her dolls as a child has blossomed into a beautiful craft and a business based on Martha’s Vineyard. Rachel’s love for sewing and her creative talents draws off of years of experience and inspiration from all over. 

Rachel spent two years studying costume design at SUNY Purchase, realized it might not be for her and went on to graduate from Hunter College with a different degree and later move to the island of Martha’s Vineyard where she began her painting career. Rachel spent 20 years painting homes, inside and out all over Martha’s Vineyard. In 2008 she did another career pivot and opened up her first business—a hardware store. After four short years and unforeseen economical hit, Rachel closed up shop and set off on a year of soul searching, photography, gardening and healing. Not long after, Austin Designs came to be.

The namesake behind Rachel’s business comes from her middle name, Austin which was her grandmother’s maiden name (nope, no relation to the city in Texas!). Rachel chose the name Austin Designs because she believes her grandmother to be her biggest inspiration; a strong, talented and creative driving force of a woman.

Austin Designs is a one-woman show. Rachel’s home studio is stocked full of colorful fabrics, multiple sewing machines and fragrant herbs. Everything is handmade with thought and care using only the best quality products. When she isn’t at the workbench, Rachel can be found walking the North Shore of Martha’s Vineyard with her dogs or spending time in Maine with her husband, Chris. 

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After 20 + years working in the building trades on the island of Martha's Vineyard and running amy own Hardware Store for 5 additional years I now find my self reuniting with my childhood dream. I thought that I had lost the ability to fulfill my dream but I just had to learn to live first. As a child I was always at the sewing machine making the next best thing for my dolls then it was costuming actors and actresses in the summers at Children's Theater summer program, where my mentor the director Mary Payne suggested that I continue in the art of costume design. I studied costume design for two years at SUNY Purchase but found that it was not the right fit at the time. I finished my degree at Hunter College in an entirely different field, graduated and moved to the Island permanently. I found that I had a talent with a paint brush and with the guidance of my painting mentor Robbert Schweir I was on my way to a new career path. After 20 years of painting homes inside and out all over this beautiful Island I decided to make a career change. I opened my hardware store in 2008 and closed it in 2012 as the economy hit us hard. A year of soul searching photography, gardening and healing I found my dream again.

Many people are curious about the name of my company Austin Designs and usually assume that I am from Austin Texas, but I am not. My middle name is Austin and it was my grandmothers maiden name, I named the company after her because she was a huge inspiration to me. She was an amazingly talented and strong women who raised six amazing beautiful children my mother being the first, and I carry her in my heart every day. So I hope that when you think of Austin Designs you think of strong talented creative women and men and not just the capital of Texas.

I take great pride in my work, and use the utmost care in each item that I make.  I work directly from my home in West Tisbury, on the island of Martha's Vineyard, in my basement shop.  I am currently running a one women show in two work spaces with 5 sewing machines and countless yards of amazing fabrics.  My works are sold primarily in open markets and festivals, but I have a few locations where some of my work can be found.  

Please take this rare opportunity to shop one of a kind products on line and enjoy these quality hand made items.