After high school Kristine went to the Fashion Institute of Technology where she received a BFA in Interior Design. She eventually fell in love with the jewelry making process and went on to get an AAS in Jewelry Studio. She also completed several intensive classes with Cecelia Bauer, specializing in a technique called granulation and learning the art of hand-engraving while on the job. Kristine worked in the jewelry industry starting in 1994 and is still doing custom design work and hand-engraving today.

Now caring for her children at home, Kristine was reintroduced to knitting. At that time, felting wool and knitting handbags helped her satisfy her unyielding need to create. With the kids no longer toddlers, a business plan was developed that moved beyond hand-knits alone and into up-cycling sweaters and other natural fibers. Combining these with other eco-friendly fabric options, Kristine returned to her family roots and created the limited edition and one-of-a-kind handbags and accessories that you see today. Please Enjoy!

One of our beloved artisans, Kathy Dries (who lives right in our town of Emmaus!) has created a stand-out collection of children’s accessories that truly belongs in fashion magazines. These gorgeous floral items (hats, pins, hair clips, headbands) compliment her adorable vintage pillowcase dresses, and their brilliant colors and textures are certainly appropriate for the upcoming spring weather! We’re happy to present this artist interview to show just what inspires Kathy’s line of beautifully crafted accessories. Stop by to see them in person…they are a delight!

OOOH:  How would you describe the craft you work in? What sets your items apart from other artisans?

KD: I do several types of crafts mostly needle arts and floral to decorate my home. Right now I am continuing to do knitting – something my grandmother taught me when I was a girl. I resumed my interest in knitting about 10 years ago when all the beautiful Italian yarns became available and I made many scarves. Since then I have followed the trends and have quite a stash of yarn. I love to add beads to my work. I also had an aunt who taught me to sew as a girl and I have made clothes, learning to smock when my own girls were little. I think I also made every Disney Princess costume for Halloween. Although my girls are grown and I am not yet a grandmother, I still love to make fancy things for little girls – hence the vintage pillowcase dresses and fabric roses.

OOOH:  How long have you been crafting? Have your interests and materials changed over the years?

KD: I have always loved to make things and be creative – my friends tell me I am all right brain. I have been “making things” since I was little and recently came across all the handmade gifts for my mother I made as a toddler and she will get another this year. I always have to be doing something and cannot just “sit” somewhere – knitting is very portable.

OOOH:  Your handcrafted accessories often include vintage elements. Where do you find these treasures?

KD: I love the thrill of the treasure hunt (and a good bargain). I have kept many of my grandmother’s things and like her, love the make things and be creative. I go to flea markets and antique malls and shops for vintage scaves, hankies, buttons, laces, pillowcases etc. I cruise through thrift shops as well.

OOOH:  Where do you find inspiration and how do you keep up with the latest trends?

KD: I love to go to craft festivals and read craft magazines for inspiration and then adapt the idea to put my own spin on it. The internet has great ideas and one website leads to another and I can get lost.

OOOH:  Do you have any plans for future work? What would you like to accomplish?

KD: I always have plans and usually have more ideas than time. I have a closet full of things “to do” . I see something that inspires me and I decide I can do it myself and make it my own.

OOOH:  What would be your best advice for someone interested in creating handcrafted accessories and clothing?

KD: Just do it – it is a great way to relieve stress – knitting is very relaxing and helps keep the brain in shape. It gives me an outlet to be creative and feel like I have accomplished something. My hand made gifts are always appreciated.

Sarah is also the artistic director of DANCELINK, a bridge-building dance organization, and a dance educator at Muhlenberg College & DeSales University.

OOOH:  What sort of quilting do you primarily work in?

LM:  I mostly enjoy geometric-type piecing, and in using triangles and squares that when combined, build a whole picture not seen in only one single block. I am working with a piecing method called Foundation Piecing. This is a technique that allows you to have finer, sharper points and intersections between fabrics. You actually sew upside down, using a printed grid instead of lining up the fabrics against each other.

OOOH:  What do you think sets your work apart from other fabric artists?

LM:  I believe every fabric artist has tried quilting of some sort – I just like the challenge of color combination, and adding embellishment (such as old buttons) to compliment the piece.

OOOH:  How long have you worked with quilting?

LM:  Do I have to admit this? When my children were pre-school, we lived in Lancaster County – almost 25 years ago I made my first wall hanging, and still have it over my piano. It reminds me of how “green” I was, using scraps from clothes I had made for my daughters. Looking at this piece also reminds me of how far I have come with my skills, and encourages me to create unabashed!

OOOH:  Who or what inspired your first quilt, and what continues to inspire you?

LM:  My first whole bed quilt (a queen size log cabin that I hand quilted) was inspired by the Amish quilts I would see when I drove through southern Lancaster County during the day. They were hanging high, airing in the wind, and they just called out to me – you can do this, too!

OOOH:  In our gallery, your work ranges from smaller ornamental creations to large scale wall hangings.  What interesting items have you created in the past?

LM:  I have been asked to do many custom pieces – some successful, and some not so much. It is difficult to envision another person’s thoughts in abstract. One success was for the mother of distant cousin who wanted a wall hanging in a lofted foyer. The pattern she chose was out of my comfort zone, and I was nervous when I brought it to her. She loved it, and that gave me added confidence. It is nice to know something you do pleases others.

OOOH:  Where do you normally find your supplies?  Do you have a favorite supplier?

LM:  I like to shop the fabric department of Good’s Store in Quarryville, PA, and at Shady Maple near Morgantown, PA. My favorite online supplier is Keepsake Quilting in Centre Harbour, NH – where I visited with my family one summer. I was in heaven!

OOOH:  Do you have any new plans for future designs?  What would you like to eventually accomplish?

LM:  I am working on two miniature projects, one a log cabin star, and hope to have them framed and in your shop this season.

OOOH:  What would be your best advice for someone interested in working with fabric?

LM:  Go for it! Nothing ventured, nothing gained! Fabric is an ever changing medium, and there is always something new and exciting out there to sample. You will always have to rip out some seams, re-do some of it, and form a love-hate relationship with it, but in the end, there is great personal satisfaction and solice in basic acts of creativity. When your friends ask why you buy large pieces of fabric, cut them up into smaller pieces and sew them back together again – smile and say “You would not love me any other way!”

I love transforming the ugly or discarded into something beautiful. I call these my “Re-Creations”. My inspiration often comes from unexpected places; flea markets, yard sales, my mother’s attic, and even my own garage. I often find myself envisioning the hidden potential of an object. So far, I have made designer pillows from timeworn clothing and handpainted chairs from old school desks. Some would say I am a hopeless junk collector. I prefer to think of myself as a savior of the imperfect.

Using pattern books and a state-of-the-art machine, Louise has advanced her skills to include foundation piecing and stippling. These techniques have led to an interest in the miniature quilt genre.

When Louise is not crafting, she is working as an assistant to a special education staff, where she still finds time to share her sewing talent with donations of hand-made items for auctions and raffles.