I’m Karen Barbé
Designer | From Chile based in Chicago

In 2009 I founded my design studio in Santiago and since then I’ve championed a handmade lifestyle by creating craft-based designs, teaching embroidery, and sharing inspirational visual stories on my blog and social media (@karenbarbe).

My mother got me into embroidery when I was a girl. She was (and remains to this day!) always doing things with her hands—sewing, knitting, embroidering, quilting, painting—so it was natural that I got into this world. Becoming a designer was my way of honoring a handmade lifestyle that’s been held by all the women in my family.

In 2012 I started teaching hand embroidery and, as I noticed how my students felt frustrated about their color choices, I set out to teach about color in an accessible way. My book “Colour Confident Stitching” (2017)—published in English, German, Spanish, and Korean—along with my online class on Domestika present a simple and hands-on method that help makers understand color and create beautiful palettes for their textile projects.

Would you like to work with me? Send me a email.