Ever since the day she rescued a brightly colored piece of plaid wool from her mother’s scrap bin, stitched on a bit of fringe and happily called it a poncho, Karen has loved sewing and has chosen fabric as her medium of choice. It’s fair to say that she had a creative head start coming from a family of artists and teachers who always encouraged her to make things. In a household full of paints and markers, fabric, yarn and buttons the creative options were endless. Soon, art as enterprise became a theme in her life as she began selling her creations. First, as a way to earn money to buy more fabric and yarn supplies and then to find a home for all the bracelets, purses, autograph books and stuffed animals she was making!

In 5th grade, friends bought the embroidered purses and chokers Karen made out of dime store felt. In 8th grade, she earned $110 for an oversized crocheted dog, commissioned by one of her father’s friends. While babysitting, she crocheted cute little stuffed animals after the kids went to bed and was delighted when moms would see them and want to buy them. After college, she exchanged a handmade quilt for one month’s rent in a shared flat in Barcelona.

Even when it came to sewing her own clothes as a teen, she pushed herself to create pieces that could pass for store bought, like button-down oxford cloth shirts and terry jogging shorts. “I’m not sure if anyone was totally fooled, but I learned a lot trying to avoid that homemade look!”

Karen earned a BFA in Textile Design from Indiana University and spent some time living abroad. But it wasn’t until after marrying and having her first son that she realized that sewing offered career options that would let her spend time with her family and still contribute financially. So for two decades, Karen has been working continuously for one designer or another. For the past 15 years, she’s been a sample maker for Janice Paradies, whose classically inspired, custom tailored pieces are sold directly to a loyal following of Atlanta women.

Now, as her kids prepare to leave the nest, Karen is concentrating once again on her personal goals as an artist, while benefiting from what she’s learned working for others. Karen’s purses and accessories deftly mix polish with frivolity by using a wide range of materials, like recycled sweaters, vintage serapes, needlepoint and antique lace. Inspiration comes from her large fabric and trims collection, much of which has been acquired on her annual trips to Spain. Yet even among the unexpected combination of textures and colors, it’s easy to spot her meticulous construction choices.

“Handbags are functional sculptures,” Karen says, “with unlimited variations and design challenges. I feel most creative when my sewing room is strewn with fabric, buttons, and trim and I am faced with many, many choices.” Ultimately, she’s found a perfect medium for both her designer’s eye and her technical skills. But when you ask her, it’s a lot simpler than that: “I sew because I’m very happy when I’m doing it!”