A Little Bit About Me
Hi there, I'm Karen! I'm the owner and designer of Blooming Poppies Modern Quilts and currently wearing all the many hats needed to run this small business. I'm so happy you stopped by and am grateful for your support of my work here!
My first love of designing with fabric is quilts! I adore the process of creating a functional yet artful item for the home and body. For me, quilts are iconic symbols of warmth, love, and community. As a young girl, I sat many hours with my grandma while she hand quilted blocks for the quilts that eventually went on mine and my sister's beds. After the birth of my first daughter, some maternal instinct drew me to creating my own first quilt that could provide her with an extra dose of handmade love and warmth. In the years that followed I discovered a deep passion for "the quilt". While my process and aesthetic is quite different from my lovely grandma's, the integrity of the finished product remains intact.
Since that first quilt (somewhere around 2007), I have designed and created many Modern Quilts and Wall Hanging Pieces, helped found my local Modern Quilt Guild here Santa Barbra and started my Blooming Poppies Modern Designs Blog. My quilts have been in juried Modern Quilt Shows that have traveled internationally. I was delighted to receive top honors for one of my quilts at the First Annual Quilt Con Show in Austin, Texas in 2013. I have made many a dress, shirt, dolly blanky, you name it for my three daughters. I have sewn bags, aprons, hot pads, pillow covers, etc. for friends and family. And loved every minute of it! I simply love fabric, color, design and handcrafting! The integrity and "soul" of a handmade item that is pretty and/or artistically interesting goes a long way for me. I appreciate simplicity in design and gravitate toward items that are functional and durable.
In the last couple of years I have enjoyed moving my work in the direction of quilt pattern writing. This allows me to create a design I love and then share it with other makers, giving them the tools to envision and make their own unique yet, tested and tried, work of quilty art. I strive to create for you, both items that are infused with integrity, handmade goodness and are durable, functional and artful as well as quilt patterns that offer detailed instructions for creating quilts that combine traditional charm with modern, clean lines.
I'm happy you have visited my shop. Please feel free to look around and check back often as I am continually coming up with new designs and items for you.