A woman with gray hair and glasses wrapped in a colorful patchwork quilt, holding a black mug, standing outdoors near a body of water on a cloudy day.

Meet The Quilter

Hello, I’m Karen - the perfectly imperfect quilter behind the seams.

Three sheep, one rose garden and a whole lot of thread.

If I had to describe myself, I'd say I'm perfectly imperfect. I'm very good at saying yes (but getting better at saying no - it's a work in progress!). I love bringing out my inner Nonna and feeding everyone who walks through our door. And I absolutely adore a messy day in the garden followed by flower arranging and cooking up a storm with homegrown produce.

But what truly fills my cup? Creating in my studio surrounded by fabric, making memories with my grandies (there's always a craft bin ready for their next masterpiece), and watching the pelicans glide past on Lake Colac while my three sheep wander the property. It's a pretty sweet life, if I do say so myself.

Come for the quilts, stay for the passionfruit sponge.

A woman with glasses holding a glass cake stand with a layered angel food cake with white frosting, standing in a kitchen near a window with a brick wall background.
A woman holding a quilt standing on a rocky hill beneath a large tree with a clear sky in the background.

How I got hooked on quilting

I've always loved craft. My grandmother taught me to knit when I was 10, and her advice has stuck with me ever since: "There's no point making something you're not going to use." She also taught me to go big or go home - so naturally, I knitted a brown jumper as my first project. I can't remember wearing it, but I definitely learnt to knit.

That "go big or go home" attitude has shaped everything I do. I never start with something easy - I like a challenge. (Some might call it stubborn. I call it determined.)

Quilting became a constant about 15 years ago when my kids and their friends started getting married and having babies. Suddenly everyone needed a quilt! True to form, I didn't just learn to piece a quilt top - I learned the entire process from start to finish. Piecing, longarming, binding, and everything in between. I started with traditional patterns, and while I still love that style, I've found my true joy in modern, artistic, free-form quilting. Perfectly imperfect, just like me.

My ‘Why’ as a Quilter

Older woman sewing a quilt at a sewing machine in a well-lit craft room with shelves of fabric in the background.

The joy is in the using. There's nothing like seeing the quilts I've made being used. And I mean really used - dragged into pillow forts, spread out for picnics, wrapped around tiny shoulders for movie marathons, snuggled under with a loved one and a good book.

Whether it's one I've gifted, a commission I've completed, or a quilt top I've longarmed for another maker - the joy on someone's face when they pick up their finished quilt is everything. I love knowing that all those hours of love and work are appreciated. And seeing babies and kids playing on their quilts? That's pure magic. That's what it's all about.

No Quilting Police Allowed

(Except the Grandkid Safety Patrol)

I don't believe in rigid rules about how quilting "should" be done. There are no quilting police in this studio - just a deep respect for your creative vision, decades of crafting experience, and a genuine love for seeing quilts being used, loved, and remembered. (The only "police" here are the ones keeping my grandkids safe while they raid the craft bin!)

That said, as a longarmer, I deeply admire and respect the accuracy and style that other quilters bring to their work. Whether you're a first-time quilter or a seasoned maker with a mountain of unfinished tops (we've all been there!), I'm honoured to be trusted with your creation.

Person sewing with a quilted fabric on a sewing machine, at a wooden table near a window, with sewing tools and a pin cushion on the table.
A woman standing on a grassy area with her arm resting on a wooden fence, overlooking a landscape with rocks, trees, and a partly cloudy sky.
A person with light skin and white painted nails touches the nose of a black sheep with cream-colored wool on its head. The sheep is looking directly at the camera, in an outdoor grassy area.

Why ‘Three Sheep and a Rose Garden?’

The new home for She Cooks, She Sews.

The name says it all - I work from home, surrounded by the things I love. My studio overlooks Lake Colac, where swans drift by throughout the day. Three sheep graze in the paddock (they're excellent studio companions - quiet, judgement-free). And somewhere in the garden, roses are (hopefully) blooming.

It's a peaceful, creative space where quilts are stitched with heart, stories are sewn into every seam, and every piece is treated like the treasure it is. Come visit sometime - the sheep would love to meet you!

How I can help you
  • Halved passion fruits on a white plate with a hand holding tongs nearby, next to a glass dish with a baked item on a wooden table.

  • An elderly woman with gray hair, wearing a brown shirt, is reaching for a book on a white bookshelf filled with colorful books and craft supplies.

  • A green striped vase holding a bouquet of various flowers and greenery on a wooden table, with an open magazine nearby.

  • Scissors placed on various pieces of patterned and plain wrapping paper.

  • A person with gray hair hanging in a brown blouse, standing facing a wall with a quilt, hanging from hooks, on it, in a room with light blue walls and a white wooden ceiling.

  • Person sewing fabric on a sewing machine in a craft room.

  • A middle-aged woman with gray hair and glasses standing at a table covered with fabric scraps, holding a piece of fabric and looking at the camera in a craft room.

  • Person slicing a layered dessert cake with a knife on a cake stand near a window.