. What's New ?!?! The historic reproduction kit series is now online! more... Karen receives special honor (again!): Early Americana’s Best Craftsmen. more...

Karen Gates Folk Art is inspired by nineteenth century hooked rug and vintage quilt designs, Pennsylvania German fraktur motifs, and Henry Mercer’s Moravian tiles. These delicate folk art creations assert a distinguished elegance. Each punchneedle piece resembles a miniature hooked rug, but they are actually worked from the back using a specially designed tool called a punch needle.

The hand-grained frames that enclose the punch needle pieces are also an authentic reproduction from colonial days. A technique known as "false graining" is used to finish each piece, just as it was used back when fine wood was either hard to come by or very expensive to import from England.

More information on this particular form of folk art can be found here. As you peruse each page, please note that my gallery contains framed works of folk art for sale. Each piece is exclusive, as it is handcrafted to order. These intricate folk art pieces would make a great addition to your art collection.