people of the palouse

photos + interview gayle anderson

This is a new Home&Harvest series! Let’s get to know our neighbors, those like us and those who are different from us.

Karen Schoepflin Hagen

Have you ever been in the company of someone who radiates pure joy? If you haven’t, well let me introduce you to Karen Schoepflin Hagen from Genesee, Idaho. I’ve known who Karen was for years but never had a conversation with her until I reached out to her to do the interview. From the moment she met Rod and I on the steps of her 4000 square foot quilt gallery, her joy and passion were tangible, you could just feel it. The thought struck me; it was like a warm breeze that invigorated you on that first perfect warm spring day. Seriously. As Karen ushered us into her quilt museum, it was like she had never shown them to anyone before, which isn’t the case. For several years during the summer, Karen would pack up her handmade quilts which represented her life’s work and traveled to many cities to share her creations with others. Karen tells the story from one of her shows, wherein an older gentleman came in and was viewing her quilts. He approached her and asked if she had a piece of string that she could give him. As she was looking through her basket, she asked the man why he needed a piece of string? And Karen laughed and said as she was quoting him, “I need a way to keep my chin from hitting the floor every time I round a corner”. “It was his funny way to tell me he found the quilts to be amazing”. Now with the generosity of a dear friend who bought the building, Karen has a home to showcase these works of art. As we slowly wandered through the gallery, it was a kaleidoscope of colors, textures and intricate design. By the time we finished my brain felt like it was on a sugar high. Getting a one-on-one tour as Karen gave insights to the stories behind many of the quilts, you couldn’t help but marvel at each masterpiece. To say I was in awe is an understatement. I’m not sure what I enjoyed more, the quilts or Karen’s descriptions of how she made them or what inspired her. Karen doesn’t sell her quilts and has kept all of the ones she makes. Occasionally she will make one as a gift but will always make a duplicate to keep. She has does this 14 times. For her to sell anything in her personal collection she said would leave a hole in her collection. I suspected it would be deeper than that and would basically leave a hole in her soul. The 2-hour tour was time well spent.

There was one quilt that was the face of her mom. Next to the quilt was a photograph and up close you could vaguely make out the face, but what was extraordinairey was when you were at the end of the hall and looked back. That was when the face came to life in perfect focus. To make a face from fabric…. Pure talent. Karen described how after her shift ended at school, she would lay out the tiny pieces of fabric on the school cafeteria floor, and from the second story open balcony she would examine the creation through binoculars turned backwards. Then would descend the stairs to adjust any piece that wasn’t just so. How she ever rearranged and put them together in her home sewing studio is beyond my imagination. There were two other quilts that were my favorites and both were again from pictures taken and then the same scene recreated on fabric. Other interesting ones were almost like an “I Spy” book, with hidden objects. Many of the creations were hand stitched with added flair of textures. Pieces of cloth transformed into a visual almost a 3D work of pictorial art. After the tour, we sat down and I asked where her love of creating came from, what inspired her? And her answer was life. That was Karen’s inspiration. Taking walks and seeing patterns of light in nature, or raindrops on the windshield or some other visual that was an “aha moment”. Karen enjoys belonging to two quilting groups and getting the assigned “challenges” to create a specific kind of quilt. That seems to bring out her flair for whimsy and with a needle and thread creates. What struck me the most was Karen’s ideology, she said she has often been asked to judge quilt shows. And in her words, she says, “I refuse to do that because what other people make to me is wonderful” she went on to explain that she didn’t want to impose her vision of how to quilt or what it should look like on someone else. Each person’s quilt is an expression of their talent and it would be unjust for her to judge another’s creation by her standards. She also says she will assist with a technique, yet does not teach. Karen insists that each person figure out what works for them. It’s their work of art and it will reflect their passion. And I thought to myself, what a beautiful life truth. We are all unique in this world and our gifts and talents are not meant to try to copy others, we all need to be our own wonderful original works of art. I for one, think taking a page out of Karen’s play book to seek, create and do what inspires you is the best medicine and cure for the heart and soul. Karen says the question she gets asked most often is, where do you get the patience to do such detailed work? And her reply, “it isn’t work when you love what you do”. No truer words have ever been spoken.

The Kascha Quilt center is located at 145 Laurel Street, Genesee, Idaho. Hours Thursday-Saturday, 10am-3pm or by appointment at 208-285-1786. The exhibit is free of charge, but donations are accepted and please make sure to sign the guest book.

Just a few examples of Karen’s incredible talent