N.S. nursing student spends time between classes creating destination-inspired sweaters for new business
A nursing student at Dalhousie University in Halifax is spending her spare time between classes and studying creating destination-inspired sweatshirts for her business "Celestial City."
Hannah Fougere is originally from Cape Breton but moved to Halifax for university.
It was in January 2021 when she started juggling school and a small business.
"I basically began designing sweatshirts relating around Canadian provinces, specifically Atlantic Canada designs," says Fougere.
(SOURCE: Instagram/ celestialcity.clo)
"When I started off with my Nova Scotia design, my first one, I had a lot of requests, so then I expanded to the rest of the Atlantic Canada provinces."
Fougere designs, dyes and embroiders her sweatshirts all in her Halifax apartment. She says her designs are inspired off what her Instagram followers are interested in seeing.
"So, I put out some polls to see what they're interested in and then I digitize designs from there," she says.
Fougere says her most popular sweatshirt is likely her Nova Scotia design with an embroidered deer that reads, "It's the Wind That Gets Ya."
Along with polls on designs, Fougere also asks her followers for popular sayings to use as well.
"That's something that I wanted to do. Have fun sayings on Atlantic Canada because I think Atlantic Canada has some really unique sayings," says Fougere.
(SOURCE: celestialcityclo.com)
In order to manage her new business and studies, everything Fougere sells is made-to-order. Orders can be made once a month on her website.
"Just because when I am in school I need to have control over how many I make," she says. "So, I take pre-orders. I set a time and a day where people can log onto my website and make orders."
Fougere says, although most of her orders are within Atlantic Canada, she has sent some as far as England.
"I'm slowly getting across Canada because I've put out some designs for other provinces and territories," Fougere says.
(SOURCE: Instagram/ celestialcity.clo)
According to Fougere, she's grown a skill at working, while keeping up on schoolwork at the same time.
"The good thing about this is, where I do work from home and I'm in school, I'm able to write papers while I'm embroidering and study as well," she says. "I have big headphones I put on to block out the noise of the machines so I can comfortably study for school."
(SOURCE: Instagram/ celestialcity.clo)
As far as when Fougere graduates and is working fulltime, she plans to keep up with her designs.
"I still plan on continuing this while I'm working as a registered nurse," she says. "I'd like to get a machine to upgrade to do hats as well, and I plan on actually hiring my mom and my aunt to maximize my capacity even more so I can take more orders."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Early estimates indicate 200 structures damaged in Halifax-area wildfire
Approximately 200 homes or structures have been damaged by the wildfire that began burning Sunday in the Upper Tantallon, N.S., area, according to preliminary estimates.

Danielle Smith's UCP holds onto power in Alberta
Danielle Smith is still the premier of Alberta, surviving a vigorous campaign and a tight vote Monday against NDP challenger Rachel Notley.
Top AI CEOs, experts raise 'risk of extinction' from AI
Top artificial intelligence executives including OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Tuesday joined experts and professors in raising the 'risk of extinction from AI,' which they urged policymakers to equate at par with risks posed by pandemics and nuclear war.
'This has been called a genocide': New book details the fight for missing, murdered Indigenous women, girls
New investigative book 'Unbroken' shares the stories of families raising awareness for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls in Canada.
opinion | Tom Mulcair: David Johnston should leave graciously while he still can
If indeed a majority of the House of Commons says David Johnston has to step down, he'll have no choice but he shouldn’t wait to be shoved. He should leave graciously while he still can, writes former NDP leader Tom Mulcair.
Lone tenant in a $400-a-month apartment could hold up major Montreal condo project
Carla White is the only remaining tenant in her building, which is slated to be demolished to make room for a 176-unit condo project. But in order to move forward, the developer must reach an agreement with White -- and she says she won't leave until she's provided with a home that offers the long-term stability she needs to ensure she won't end up back on the streets.
Rare all-white panda spotted in China's Sichuan province
An all-white giant panda was recently spotted on surveillance video at the Wolong National Nature Reserve, in China's Sichuan province.
opinion | Find out how much contribution room is left in your RESP to avoid penalties
Opening a Registered Education Savings Plan (RESP) is a great way to fund your child’s future education. Personal finance contributor Christopher Liew outlines the contribution rules for RESPs and explains how to find out how much contribution room you have left so that you can avoid penalties.
Taipei's hottest new menu item is a 14-legged crustacean
A 14-legged giant isopod is the highlight of a new dish at a ramen restaurant in Taipei and it has people queuing up—both for pictures and for a bite from this bowl of noodles.