I sew and upholster out of my studio/home in the beautiful river town of Stillwater, MN. My interest in almost-forgotten trades has taken me to England for classes in shoemaking and millinery, Italy to learn mosaic making and tapestry weaving, and back to Minnesota, where I earned my bachelor of fine arts degree with a focus on furniture making and textile arts. Several years after graduating college, I went back to school to learn how to upholster through one of the last programs in the U.S.

In addition to upholstering for a living, I also make unique bags, purses, and pillows from the hundreds of fabrics, remnants, and upholstery samples that I have collected over the years. I love the process of choosing and combining different textures, prints, and colors to create these one-of-a-kind accessories.

Shawn Kiene, owner of Cloth & Saw