KATA GOLDA

Retail > Gifts

My studio, the home of Kata Golda, is nestled snugly in the small, mossy seaside town of Port Townsend, Washington. Much of the inspiration for my work comes from the subtle details in the natural world, where nothing is straight and nothing is perfect. I try to begin each day with a walk in the woods or time digging in the garden. By midmorning my mind is fresh and full of ideas and I’m ready to spend the day creating. I have a hard time sitting still. The flow of my day shifts between the repetitive production of filling orders, scheming and sketching new ideas for my line, and stitching something simply for pleasure. This rhythm is punctuated by domestic arts as I love cooking, mending, and keeping a tidy and organized space. I use these rituals as a way to clear my head, structure my day, and focus my craft. I almost always have a hand-bound journal and sharp pencil within reach. It is a practice that I started over twenty years ago to make space for my artistic, wandering ideas while keeping my methodical mind at peace.
I come from a long lineage of resourceful, creative and artistic women. I grew up surrounded by knitters and spent many childhood days in my mother’s knitting, cross-stitch and needlepoint shop, The Strawberry Patch. I was drawn in by the possibility of color and the simple joy of making. Kata and Golda were my great grandmothers who laid the foundation for hand work in my family. My grandmother and my mother continued the thread with their profound talent – I have never met anyone as talented as my mother in the realm of knitting, needlepoint and cross-stitch. As a result, my life has also been one steeped in art and craft: my coping tools and my great joys in life come from making things – just like the women before me. I am a passionate learner and am mostly self taught through observation and modeling. This desire to create has led me on a wandering path rooted in hand-craft where I have spent time as a professional custom quilter, a book binder, and ultimately starting Kata Golda.

In 1999, inspired by the color and texture of hand-dyed wool felt, I started making toys for my baby girl. As she grew and began to draw I made her first sketchbook, decorated with a hand-stitched felt teddy bear and adorned with her name. It became the forerunner of the Kata Golda collection. My friends helped me stitch, and as I looked around the sewing circle I saw brilliant people who were not fully using their talents: machine stitchers, pattern makers, fabric dyers, a potter and a letterpress printer. Their skills are now vital parts of my workshop.

One of the things I love about making a living from crafting is the joy and satisfaction I feel from making something just right. I create slowly and with intention. The things I make take time. I am reminded each day just how important it is to pay attention to the little details. I will jot down a note to remind myself of a good word, draw a picture to keep a shape and eventually these parts take form in a project idea. When I pay attention and take note, my life is rich. I also deeply appreciate the opportunity to adapt my business to reflect my current artistic interests. While my roots are in wool felt and simple line drawings, I am now finding myself pulled to the vivid color and texture of plant-dyed linen, cotton and hemp. As I seek out new ways to challenge myself and grow as person and as an artist, my collection also changes, expands, and matures.
By carefully selecting environmentally friendly materials, using up every little scrap of fabric, and reusing supplies as much as possible, Kata Golda strives to produce zero waste (producing less than one can of garbage a year!) and have the lowest impact on our planet as possible.
Special thanks goes to all of the people that help make Kata Golda possible: Joan Wenske, Heather Hicks, Kathy Hattori, Frank White, Galadriel Nichols, Lisa Leporati, Joanna Camp, and Odette Jennings.
Thank you for your support and interest in our work.

– Alison Kaplan, Owner/Founder of Kata Golda

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