Life & Work with Kate Sandstrom

Today we’d like to introduce you to Kate Sandstrom.

Hi Kate, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Well, I grew up with two very creative parents. They weren’t in traditionally creative fields, but their hobbies spilled over into our daily lives. I used to watch my dad paint on canvas in the kitchen, and my mom did it all. She sewed costumes for plays, took film photos of our dance recitals, bake themed cupcakes for every event. While creativity and craftsmanship has always been a part of my life, I’ve had a hard time identifying as an artist for a number of reasons. It wasn’t until I started studying art history in college, started learning about the vast impact art makes on the world. I realized not only did I want to study artists, I wanted to be one. It took me around five years to feel comfortable with that fact. I started painting after college, using colors and shapes that excited me and felt aligned with my personality.

As I began to develop my own style with my paints, I decided to attend an artist residency in Puebla, Mexico in the beginning of 2019. There I painted daily but found myself hungry for a more tangible experience with color and shape. I started experimenting with fabric. I collected scrap pieces that I found throughout the city and all of the mercados. After pinning them and trying to incorporate them into a painting, I decided to sew them onto a sweatshirt. So the first Kate Sando sweatshirt was born in Puebla, Mexico. After I got home, I wore my sweater around and got a lot of good feedback, so I taught myself how to sew and I continued to make more, and now here I am. Since I’ve only been designing and sewing for under three years, I still feel like I am starting. But I will say it’s cool to see how much I’ve evolved and grown in that time. I am just so excited to keep going!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I think the biggest hurdle I’ve had to overcome was myself. I had a lot of self-doubt about not being qualified enough or about being self-taught; I didn’t feel like I was good enough. I have had to push through and just continue to make every single day and continue to share what I make. That too was always hard for me, sharing my work. It still can be a struggle but it’s so rewarding, even just when one person reacts to your work in a positive way. If I can evoke a feeling in someone through my paintings or something they can wear and feel good in, that propels me to keep going. Another struggle I face is presenting myself as a female artist and toes the line between housework, like mending clothing, making quilts and creating a piece of artwork. All of the women in my family are artists, but few would admit it. I think just being able to say hey, yeah I’m an artist took me a long time to say, and still feels hard.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a visual artist. My line, Kate Sando, consists of one-of-a-kind hand-sewn sweatshirts and t-shirts. Sando was my dad’s nickname that inevitably passed onto me. Each sweater is found in Los Angeles: I source from vintage vendors, estate sales and flea markets. I find each piece and create fabric applique patchwork according to the unique color, fit and style. Lately, I have been creating a lot of floral cut out patterns. My designs always try to evoke a sense of humor and lightness. I want to give people a piece of artwork that they can wear with a sense of joy and comfort. During quarantine, I taught myself how to quilt. I’ve always loved quilts and drawn a lot of inspiration from them. So far, I’ve made two improv quilts and I am really proud of how they turned out. I feel like it is the best reflection of me as an artist. The beauty of improv quilting is it’s very painterly and expressive. I am the most proud when people comment that my work makes them smile or when they say “That is so you, Kate!”

Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
I have extremely supportive people in my life and I am so grateful for it everyday. My mom and dad have always encouraged me to choose any path that feels the most authentic to me. My mom is also an entrepreneur, she just got her degree in baking this year and is starting her own cupcake company that specializes in floral and themed decorative cupcakes. Her company is called Buttercream Gardens. It’s been really special to embark on our creative endeavors together. And my dad taught me style and ease, without his light and wisdom I would not be the person I am. My whole family sports Kate Sando sweaters on the regular and it means so much to me. I also have incredible friends that have supported me through everything and have truly been the reason I have kept creating and making. They model for me, photograph my shoots, share my work online and answer every FaceTime when I’m feeling stuck.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: katesando.com
• Instagram: @katesando