Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Bates.
Hi Karen, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
We opened our quilt store on the 4th of July, fourteen years ago. We have always specialized in quilts that are unique to our store many using Australian Aboriginal fabrics, We have the largest collection of Aboriginal fabrics in the country. I also design many quilts called Block of the Months. We send a part of the quilt to our customers each month so that they can make their own version of my quilt. We encourage customer creativity and love it when they modify our patterns to make them unique to them.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Covid was rough on us. We never closed our doors because we were supplying fabric for masks but nobody was allowed in the store. We lugged bolts of fabric to our front door so that folks could pick their favorites, However, at that time we were featured as one of the best 10 quilt stores in the country in the now defunct Better Homes & Gardens Quilt Sampler Magazine.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I have been quilting for almost 45 years, have written 3 books for children about quilting and have taught hundreds how to quilt. I am passionate about quilting and am known for my original designs and the uniqueness of our store.
What are your plans for the future?
I am looking forward to collaberating on more unique quilts with my daughter, Marni who has recently joined the business
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sewcreativeashland.com
- Facebook: sew creative ashland
- Youtube: @sewcreativeashland8220
