Since childhood, Gwen has enjoyed carrying handbags. As a teenager, she looked to her mother and grandmother for style guidance, often coordinating the perfect bag with the perfect outfit. In seventh-grade Home Economics, she learned to make her very first macramé purse — a moment that sparked a lifelong creative passion. For over 20 years, macramé has been her artistic language.
In 2003, she began experimenting with handbag design in her living room and launched her first brand, Handmaiden Macramé Purses by GwenJ. From there, she participated in fashion shows, local craft shows, mall kiosks, and seasonal marketplaces. Her work has appeared on television programs such as Taking Care of Business (Village Television), Another Look (Time Warner Cable), and Game Time (TV20), and has been featured in The Cleveland Plain Dealer as well as the 11th Anniversary Edition of Who’s Who in Black Cleveland.
What began as handcrafted artistry has grown into a thriving family-based fashion business known as Handmaiden by GwenJ, celebrated for exquisite, elegant, and durable macramé purses, wrap sandals, and accessories. Each Handmaiden handbag is designed from an engineer’s perspective — thoughtfully balancing geometry, structure, and style.
Macramé pieces are created using specialized cord, along with recyclable appliqués, resilient hardware, and materials that resist fading and wear. Many designs are one-of-a-kind, even when crafted within the same style. Collections include a variety of shapes, sizes, and colors, and can incorporate recycled suede, leather, hemp (natural fibers), placemats, juice containers, crochet accents, and eye-catching embellishments. Innovation is constant — and the possibilities are endless.
As both an educational success coach and self-proclaimed Math Myth Eliminator, Gwen uses the art of macramé to teach hands-on learning, inspire confidence, and break down barriers for students of all ages. Her engineering background empowers her to see pattern, structure, and problem-solving in every stitch.
Beyond fashion, Gwen is the author of Problem Solved, a book found in several Cleveland-area libraries, and she is a sought-after speaker on homeschooling and educational success for grades K–12 and beyond. She continues to teach, write, and speak with purpose — reminding others that learning and creativity go hand-in-hand.
