What do you get when you combine a product designer with professional sewing abilities and an extensive understanding of textiles plus 30 year’s experience to back it up? If you are lucky you will get the person who will be doing your next furniture makeover. This is Karen Powell of The Slipcover Maker.
Karen first learned how to sew back in Junior High Home Ec class “when learning how to sew was serious stuff.” She zipped through her first sewn project: An A-line skirt made with a floral calico print. SHE WAS HOOKED. It’s no wonder that she found her herself working as a designer in the textile industry sourcing materials from all over the world living in Chicago, Paris, New York and San Francisco.
Today she has a thriving business in her home town, Kalamazoo, Michigan specializing in furniture makeovers with her custom slip covers. Lucky for us, she really enjoys working with cotton canvas, which is how we got to know Karen. I was fortunate enough for her to answer some questions about sewing and her life. I chose some of the questions to share here. Thanks Karen!
Q&A With Karen Powell: The Slipcover Maker
AMANDA: What kind of sewing machine do you have?
KAREN: Juki industrial DDL-5550N for my straight stitch work and Juki industrial Serger MO-6714S for seam finish. Both are fabulous for slipcover making!
AMANDA: What is your #1 tip for sewing beginners?
KAREN: Fabric can make or break your sewing project so, get really good at your craft, spend time experimenting with as many types of materials as you can. Become a fabric guru!
AMANDA: What is the easiest fabric to work with for slipcovers?
KAREN: Cotton canvas is at the top of my list of easiest-to-work with fabrics. I like it because it’s such a simple, stable weave that’s super versatile.
AMANDA: Three words to describe Michigan winters?
KAREN: Impressive. Long. Brrrrrrrrrh!
AMANDA: What is your favorite thing about life in Michigan?
KAREN: My friends.
If you would like to make a slipcover, check out Karen’s blog for tips and tricks!
Karen has some great Before and After images on her Pinterest page. Here is a nice one!
