Lovely Person

I met Karen through a contact at Andover Fabrics. I was at Quilt Market talking with Alison Glass and her team about their fabrics and asking for help on marketing. I was told that there was a lovely person that had just moved to my area and that we should meet and was given Karen’s contact information. Karen and I met when she came to my store to look around. I think we instantly bonded, but don’t almost all fabric lovers bond at the first meeting? We agreed that Karen should come and teach a class for Esther’s Fabrics. I had recently bought the store and was reinstituting its teaching program. Karen came to teach the class “Make Your Favorite Tee” which is a class that has students copy a beloved t-shirt that they can’t bear to live without. The first thing that comes across in Karen’s classes is her sense of fun and of no judgment. She makes everyone feel at home and gives them the confidence to take on their first sewing project with no trepidation. In her classes, you learn much about the basics of sewing, but it goes far beyond that to help people fit the shirts to their bodies with no judgment and much encouragement. You learn tips to make the sewing process easier and lead you to success. Whenever Karen was in the store teaching a class there is much laughter, and customers are always peaking into the classroom to see what all the fun is about. Karen is a loving and giving person and teacher and gives a lot to the sewing world.

- Susan Skalak, Previous Owner, Esther’s Fabrics, Bainbridge Island, WA