Bio
Karen has been working with fiber and fabrics since she was a young child. Observing and learning from grandmothers and aunts, she learned the craft of sewing to make her own stuffed toys and clothing. She moved on to quilts, handbags, blankets and rugs and anything sewn. Her medium of choice is repurposed, felted wool sweaters. From her vast collection of thrifted wool clothing, she creates a variety of items including stuffed animals designed from her own patterns. After the clothing is felted to kink up the wool fibers, she selects from an array of colors, shapes and knitting patterns in order to create the perfect stuffed animal. She uses mostly hand-stitching to maneuver around curves and tricky shapes. The animal takes on its own personality deriving from the sweater used. A Scandinavian knit sweater becomes a perky bunny. A soft cable knit becomes an ivory lamb. The ribbing of a sweater becomes the mane of a horse. An argyle sweater transforms into a box turtle. As opposed to the delicate needle felted animals, Karen's wool sweater animals are made to be hugged and loved or displayed on a shelf. The stitching is often back-stitched for stability. Rock bags may be used for a ballast to keep the animal in a sitting position. Plastic wrapped wire may be used as an interior skeleton to assist the animal to stand on a shelf. They are designed to be simple in form and made to be held by young hands and admired in the hands of adults.