Rain Blanken is a designer, seamstress, and writer specialising in upcycling, recycling and reinventing clothing. After learning the arts of sewing and crochet from her mother and grandmother, Rain spent most of her youth experimenting with different techniques of making and embellishing clothes. She went on to complete a degree in Fine Art and become a professional artist and seamstress. After making and selling her handmade clothing for many years, Rain is now the host of the New York Times Company About.com's DIY fashion site offering tutorials in handmade clothing jewellery and costume techniques. Her popular daily blog features handmade artists as well as her own fresh ideas and inspirations.