KMH Sewing Studio, since 2011

Karen Holmgren, Owner & Fiber Artist

My vision

• To express universal spiritual themes with beauty, creativity, and inspiration in contemporary style while honoring traditions of faith
• To support open and affirming faith communities in celebration of all people and the interdependent web of life
• To provide the highest quality clergy stoles to enhance the worship experience of all participants

What's my story?

I'm "following my bliss" through the expression of love, beauty, and joy in my art. I love fabric! I love color! I love to play in my stash, creating palettes and dreaming up ideas. I've been an artist since early childhood. Years of training and work experience as a watercolor painter and graphic designer are evident in my fabric art designs. Years of quilting and hand embroidery are evident in the quality and detail of my work.

How I got started

In the fall of 2011 I was asked to make a Standing on the Side of Love stole for Rev. Beth Johnson of Palomar UU Fellowship in Vista, California. When colleagues saw it they wanted one, too, and lo, a business was born! I am the exclusive producer of these stoles, with the full blessing of the Side With Love campaign.

A year later I was bored with making only one style and started experimenting with new designs. The Tree of Life design has been extraordinarily popular! And with the legalization of same-sex marriage, the Rainbow/LGBT designs have been in demand, too. I have also been commissioned to make ordination and installation stoles for clergy across the United States in many denominations. You can see some of these at Gallery and Celebrating Earth.

In 2021 I moved my studio from Oceanside, California, to Athens, Georgia, to be close to family. Another adventure!