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.
