Marie Van Steene says, “Hand sewing for me is all about precision, flexibility, and meditation. It’s precision because you can make spot-on stitching in places hard to reach with the machine. It’s flexibility because it preserves fabric softness, and it’s meditation because the relaxing rhythm enables you to empty your mind.”

By day, Marie works as an engineer, and by night, she sews couture projects and practices crewel embroidery. Find her on Instagram @couture_au_coeur.