Karen DuMont was a dough artist and an avid gardener before becoming a full-time quilter.  She started designing dough ornaments in 1972 as a hobby shortly after her first son was born.  As the family grew and their needs changed, she turned her hobby into a f​ull-time business that allowed her to stay at home while raising her children.

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In 1992, her husband's job took the family from St. Louis, MO to Richmond, VA.  Several years later, Karen found a quilt shop where she took several classes and made new friends while developing a passion for fabrics.  She started designing whimsical, bright appliqué quilts for family members and was encouraged by friends to put her designs into patterns.  Karen enjoys teaching where she can share her knowledge and skills with all levels of quilters.  She loves doing trunk shows for quilt guilds and has stories to share for most of her designs.

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In 2008, Karen started doing freelance work for various quilt magazine publishers.  Her quilts have been featured in more than 100 publications and have appeared on numerous covers.  In 2015, Northcott Fabrics produced a line of fabric, Topsy Turvey designed by Karen and Deborah Edwards, featuring whimsical characters created by Karen.

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Like she did with her dough art, Karen turned another hobby into a business.

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If a guild or shop owner is interested in having Karen teach or present a trunk show, please call (804) 840-4201 or email kariepatch@comcast.net.