Meet Kara
Pellon: Where do you find inspiration for your work?
Kara Sanders: I find inspiration for my work everywhere! When working with fabric, I like to mostly use straight lines and, as such, often peruse pictures of architecture from Frank Lloyd Wright and the Arts and Crafts Movement.
P: What does your creative process entail?
Kara Sanders: I like to stew over a project for a while before I get done to the act of producing something tangible. I have a notebook that I keep with me where I draw various shapes and grids that are in my mind or that I’ve seen in architecture. From there, I make a more concrete drawing and work on the layout and math for the project. This process can last a month or just a few days- it usually depends on what else is taking up space in my mind at the moment!
P: Why do you enjoy sewing/crafting/quilting?
Kara Sanders: I love the history of quilting. I love that I am one of a countless number of quilters throughout history that has made items for utilitarian purposes that can also be art. One of my favorite parts of sewing is thinking of the person I’m making an item for and lifting them up while I sew, so that every time they use or think of their gift that they will know that there is someone who loves and cares for them. I absolutely adore being able to make gifts for the people close to me, gifts that were uniquely thought of for only them in mind.
P: Do you create mainly for satisfaction, gifts, art or another reason?
Kara Sanders: I mostly sew gifts for others though I am starting to make more things for my home too!
P: What tips or tricks learned through experience can you share?
Kara Sanders: One of the big reminders I always tell myself while sewing or doing any sort of craft- or in life, for that matter- is that nothing is perfect! The act of making something should be enjoyable; don’t be upset if it’s not perfect. I have yet to create a perfectly crafted item and I imagine I never will- and that’s ok! It shows that a real person made it.
P: When and why did you start sewing/quilting/crafting?
Kara Sanders: I grew up in a crafty house- my mother made many of our clothes- but I didn’t start sewing until I went to a quilting festival in Lebanon, Ohio with a friend in 2008. While there, I was so fascinated by all of the people I saw there- really fun, diverse people- and the beautiful things they were making! I picked up a copy of Pat Sloan’s “I Can’t Believe I’m Sewing!” and a charm pack and my first project was a set of four coasters- they’re the projects I’m most proud of to this day.
P: What inspires you to start a project?
Kara Sanders: I start projects for a variety of reasons; sometimes it’s because I’m in a swap, sometimes a friend is having a baby or- if I’m honest- often times it’s because there is some fabric that I’ve fallen in love with and want to make something with it!
