Stitching together every last detail

GENESEE — Karen Hagen, who stitches her imagination into fabric art, has created a quilt display that is a treasure trove in downtown Genesee.

Hagen recently remodeled the old Masonic Lodge, owned by her lifelong friend, Eva-Marie Sher and her husband, Ron Sher, and turned it into Kascha Quilts, a private exhibit open to the public, free of charge, Thursdays through Saturdays, year-round from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or by special request.

The Shers have moved to western Washington where they operate the Organic Farm School on Whidbey Island.

Inside the multi-level building with a twisting staircase, Hagen displays about 360 of her one-of-a-kind quilting projects, many that have been hand-stitched. There is a giant quilt in the shape of the United States. The fabric of each state is printed with the state flowers.

Another quilt shows an old, black steam engine and the smoke coming out of the smoke stack is filled with dryer lint.

Downstairs, a long table is laid out with smaller quilt pieces representing every card in a deck of cards. And there are two quilts with Hagen’s interpretation of each letter of the alphabet.

“They’re all different from each other; lots of different varieties,” Hagen said as she showed around a few guests Saturday afternoon.

“I come up with a design and I have hundreds of ideas. I’ll never live to do them all.”

Hagen, 74, didn’t start quilting until she was in her 30s. She grew up in Viola and when she and Eva Sher joined the Viola Community Club, they were the youngest members there.

Hagen remembers that all the ladies of the club were quilting. So she learned to do it, too, mostly by hand stitching the quilting designs.

“It grabbed me, for sure,” she said.

Quilting became her passion. One of her quilts, which shows a shore of white-rimmed black rocks, took her three years to complete.

“With black quilting thread I sat with my quilting frame and went around every single rock with thread. It took me from 1991 to 1994 to make it. The whole thing is hand-quilted, hand-appliqued.”

Hagen currently belongs to the Genesee quilting guild and the Palouse Patchers, which includes quilters from Moscow, Pullman and surrounding communities.

One thing she enjoys about the quilting clubs are the mystery projects they often create. Only the person hosting the meeting knows what the finished product will become and the quilters work on it through the day until they reveal the design.

But Hagen said she doesn’t like to stop there. A couple of the quilts in her display started as small mystery quilt projects but she kept adding on to them to develop full-size quilts that often tell a story or read like a mural.

One of her signature touches is to add tiny figures within her creations, such as plants, animals or people.

If one looks closely at the large Statue of Liberty quilt, one can make out tiny human figures standing on the observation deck.

Her crazy quilts, especially, are chock full of hidden details, like a “Where’s Waldo?” puzzle book.

Nancy Mack of Pullman and Mary McGregor of Moscow, who are quilters themselves, were visiting the display Saturday and said they are in awe of Hagen’s creations.

“She isn’t a horn tooter but, man, is she a quick quilter. And so diverse,” Mack said.

“The thing about Karen’s work is that she can take fabric and create an image in her head. She doesn’t even sketch it out; she just starts making it. She’s my idol. I love her inspiration and flexibility; the fact that she’s willing to try things that most people go: `Oh, I don’t think so.’”

Although reams of fabric and thread have been used in the display Hagen said she does not spend a lot of money on materials. Mostly it’s stuff that other people give to her or that she salvages from what other quilters toss aside.

“I make sure that I don’t go (to buy) the latest things because I’d want all of it,” she said.

Quilting seems to have grown in popularity in recent years, she said.

“It’s so much fun. And the fabrics — well, they’ve come out with beautiful fabrics.”

Hagen’s display has been open since June and she envisions it as a place where people can come, view the quilts and relax. She doesn’t sell her quilts and she does not charge admission.

“It’s just an exhibit thing,” Hagen said. “It’s just here because I want people to come in here and have a peaceful place and just be. I just want to share it with people.”

The Kascha Quilt display is located at 148 Laurel St. in Genesee. Hagen can be reached at (208) 285-1786.

Hedberg may be contacted at kathyhedberg@gmail.com or (208) 983-2326.