About

I’m Karen, the woman behind all things Birch and Ivory.

I never would have thought that I’d be a stay-at-home mom with my own business. I am a licensed physical therapist but stopped practicing in 2018. My forever love of arts and crafts as a child developed into this creative business of mine. I taught myself how to sew while I was pregnant with my first son back in 2013. I started making quilts, baby clothes, and simple cosmetic bags out of repurposed materials. My curiosity and love of textiles grew and I became interested in working with leather. That’s when I purchased an industrial sewing machine and the rest is history. I absolutely love what I do. My passion is to create and be a maker and I am so thankful I get to do what I love every day.

Every bag that I make is designed and meticulously sewn in my home studio, located in Hampden, MA. I utilize the highest quality of full-grain leather available. With full-grain leather, the unique texture and natural imperfections from the animal’s life have not been removed from the hide. This means your item may have some small scars and blemishes. Not only do these marks lend a tremendous amount of character, but they are also signs that you’re getting the best leather available. Rather than wearing out, full-grain leather will naturally condition with use, developing a much sought after patina and unique character over time. The more you use it, the better it will look and feel.

I am a sucker for unique textiles. Always on the hunt to find rugs, blankets, mud cloth, and hair-on cowhide at affordable prices. I order most of my rugs online and have them shipped directly from Turkey. It’s an exciting time opening up the package to touch and feel it in real life.

My ultimate dream is to one day open up a working studio. I would love to be able to work outside of my house where customers can walk in, see the process, shop, and pick out materials for a custom bag.

Thank you

I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for all of you! Your support, business, and kind words have all kept this small business of mine going. I truly appreciate each and every one of you.

Many thanks,

Karen