Tidy Tea Witch

Emily Nguyen is a multimedia artist based in Richmond, Virginia. Since her mother was an art teacher and fiber artist she grew up learning multiple art forms, but now specializes in hexagon hand quilting and nail art. Her mother made her a quilt when she was two that was so well loved it didn’t get retired until she was in her twenties. It’s been her goal that the hexagon quilts she makes has the same impact of giving homemade love to whoever it is gifted. Emily also loves the personal expression someone can convey through their nails and how press on nails can amplify someone’s personality without all the time in a salon chair.

Instagram: @TidyTeaWitch

Tidy Tea Witch – Emily Hyatt Nguyen

Emily Hyatt Nguyen, widely known as Tidy Tea Witch, is a multimedia artist. Her work spans fiber, resin, acrylic, digital, and paper mediums, with a focus on sustainable fiber utilization and nail art. She was born and raised in Richmond with a fiber artist mother and stained glass enthusiast father. She still lives in Virginia with her husband, father, and orange fluff wizard (cat). Her art pulls from diverse cultural and style influences, including—the flowing nature motifs of Art Nouveau, illustrators like Chiara Bautista and Cassandra Jean, Asian street fashion, manga/anime, celestial motifs, astrology, and tarot divination. 

Tidy Tea Witch’s fiber works are designed to be both visually captivating and tactilely engaging, inviting audiences to experience art through multiple senses. Not only can sensory stimulation help with recovery and developmental growth, it can also be a soothing comfort for children, people with disabilities, neurodiverse individuals, and the elderly. With the use of new and recycled fabric she creates clothing, accessories, and toys to minimize waste and step away from the damage of fast fashion. Also seeing the waste that goes into press on nails, Tidy Tea Witch started making custom nails. The artistry she puts into each nail allows them to be reused multiple times minimizing plastic use and waste. 

Currently she is exploring the art of making stationary. Being a writer in addition to an artist, she has always enjoyed stationary that tells a story. In her own writing she regularly explores the themes of humanity’s connection with nature and the human condition to inspire her storytelling. Divination through astrology and tarot also heavily impact her art and writing. In crafting calendars, journals, washi tape, and stickers she aims to help others not only personalize their daily organization but face challenging questions, stay inquisitive, and tell their own stories. Not only is her art about connecting with yourself and originality, it is also a reminder that we all share one Earth that we must protect. Art serving as a physical piece of emotional support and self expression is just as important as the craftsmanship, form, and function working in unison to her.

✦ Thank you for your interest in Tidy Tea Witch! ✦

Growing up my mother, being an art educator and artist, was always getting into new forms of art. My childhood was filled with sitting in on her classes at the Visual Arts Center and peeking in her home studio while she created. She didn’t formally train me in any of her mediums but I still would follow behind with a watchful eye, picking up some of her crafts. When she passed away from ALS in 2016, I inherited all her studio supplies. Name a craft and this woman absolutely had the tools to do it! I donated a lot of her tools and materials to other art educators and family, but what I kept I used to start my personal studio. 

Some of the fabric I inherited, my mom used to make my favorite childhood items; so, it was a no brainer, what I wanted to start making. In kindergarten, I struggled to learn my ABCs; so, she made a fabric activity book that went A to Z. I spent countless hours going through that book on long car rides up north to visit family for the holidays. Not only did it help me learn my ABCs but also helped with developing my fine motor skills. We learn through our senses and they are especially important if you are neurospicy or learning to adapt to a change in your body. The struggle with my ABCs also affected my vocabulary and ability to read, but my parents did everything they could to help me catch up with things like my activity book and reading together every night before bed. It wouldn’t be until later in elementary school we figured out most of my struggle was associated with hearing loss from constant ear infections as a baby. Also, the fact that I have mild dyslexia and ADHD contributed to the learning delay. I aim to make not just toys, but aids that can be used as a fun way to learn, adapt, and recover. 

My mom didn’t just make things to help me learn. A purple lion onesie meant for one Halloween ended up being my choice of pajamas every night until it no longer fit. The Lion King obsession really took hold of me and nothing was better than running around helicoptering my purple tufted tail. Taking her design I made my own pattern, so other kids can run around pretending to be their favorite animal. At two years old she gave me a quilted blanket that became my beloved blanky. I slept with that blanket every night until I was in my early twenties. By then I was forced to retire it because the fabric had been worn thin from time and countless laundering. The love sewn into each of those items and the fond memories became my inspiration for most of my first products.

My own dip into traditional quilting made it abundantly clear it wasn’t for me, but hexagon hand quilting was another matter entirely. The minimal math and soothing process of hand sewing had me reimagine how to bring the love and comfort I got from my blanky to my customers. It warms my heart to think that my hexagon quilts can become what my blanky was for me growing up—a constant comfort. For my more crafty customers I am in the process of putting together kits to make the hexagon quilts yourself! I’ve never been someone that could commit to the math involved with knitting and crocheting, but hand sewing holds the same meditative appeal in my opinion. Looks like something you would need to use math to construct, but blessedly lacks the necessity of counting out stitches like knitting and crocheting do.

I’ve always been someone that uses their nails, hair, jewlery, and clothes to express themselves. Dressing and accessorizing in a way that feels authentic to you is something small you can do for yourself that makes a big difference in your confidence. It’s a form of self care. If you think you look good, you feel good. I make clothes, jewlery and nails not only for self expression, but to weave in a little of my intentions for the wearer. Everyone could use a little spell or charm to ward off outside negativity and attract positive self-esteem.

Best Wishes,

Emily, The Tidy Tea Witch & Uzu, The Fluff Wizard