Spotlight on Kim Lapacek

Kim Lapacek is a quilter and jewelry designer (though she creates in so many media, it's difficult to label her) who has been making art since she was a small child.

When she was five years old, she sewed a quilt for her older brother using rags from her mother's rag bin. As she got older, she continued to pursue her creativity and took art classes whenever her schedule permitted.

Though she was a civil engineering major in college, that didn't stop Kim from creating in her spare time. After meeting her husband's mother for the first time, Kim knew her creativity and passion would be appreciated by her new family.

She taught Kim how to quilt and allowed her to sell her jewelry at the family's apple store, and today, Kim sells her entire line of quilts, bags, jewelry, hand dyed clothing and whatever else she creates at the apple store each fall. She has two shops on Etsy and is an avid blogger.

What inspires you?

I guess I would have to answer this with, "What doesn't inspire me?" Everything inspires me: my kids, my home, things I see on the Web, things I see while I shop, the color of the sky and sunset, the pattern in a piece of fabric I found, a bead that needs something more to create something just amazing.

How did you branch out into jewelry design?

Hmm... I don't think I really branched out into jewelry - it has always been a part of what I create. I have always created using a wide variety of media because I think it helps keep me interested and inspired. I split my jewelry into its own shop because my other shop was getting too cluttered with the wide variety of items I made, and it seemed to be the best choice.

What word would you use to describe your personality?

This question is very difficult for me to answer - I put it up on my Facebook to ask for help. My favorite response was, "Very Kim-Like." I think that's who I am. I'm loud, opinionated, caring, have a quirky sense of humor and a good listener all at once.

I'm one of those people you're either going to like or not like. I would say that is reflected in my work. I do such a range of things from bright and loud, to calm and simple. I create in my many moods, and you can see what mood I was in when I created an item.

What is your favorite quilt you've ever made, and why does it mean so much to you?

My squarey quilt is my favorite (pictured above). I rarely keep things for myself, and I've kept this one. It's on my husband's and my bed. I just love everything about it.

I dyed most of the fabric for the quilt by myself; it was one of my first quilts (yeah... I made a lot of big quilts when I first started to quilt), and my aunt did an amazing job with the quilting on it. I can still stare at it for hours and find something new... I just love it.

What is the most important thing you've learned since you first started Kim's Crafty Apple?

You can't just list your items and expect them to sell. You have to put a lot of work into it. Somehow, you have to portray to your virtual customers who you are as a seller without giving them the opportunity to meet you.

Designer Spotlight on Kim Lapacek What I've learned: Good pictures, blog, good pictures, good descriptions, good pictures, communicate and good pictures are how you make the sales.