Beth Seavey Finds Her Bliss

New Anderson Artists Guild member Beth Seavey has always loved making stuff, especially at the sewing machine. That desire led to a degree in apparel production from Iowa State University, but an internship told her this was not the right career path.

Eventually, she found her way to an MBA and jobs in financial analysis for Fortune 500 companies including Nordson, Siemens, and NCR. “I was very good at it,” she said. “I like the logic of it, I manage money well, and people appreciated me.”

Among her positions was two years as the controller of a (very cold) Canadian subsidiary of Nordson. “It was an experience,” she said. “I checked it off my bucket list.”

By 1999, she was living and working in Atlanta. But she was not happy. “I had a horrendous commute,” she said. “All I did was work. I did not have aspects of life that were fulfilling. Life was not fun.”

She read about retirement and researched places to move to. During a drive that led her through Anderson, she felt that she had found where she was meant to be and in 2017 moved here. “I didn’t know anybody,” she said, “but I made friends within six months. I just quilt, sew, hang out, garden, and do fun stuff. Life is fantastic.”

She made her first quilt in 1991 but soon moved onto clothing, and now she makes quilted clothes—wearable art. Her style is pretty, bright, and vibrant. “I like to take traditional quilting things and use those components to just come up with something,” she said.

Her creations are one of a kind, usually in her own size, and often pink. “I’m obsessed with the color pink,” she said. “I have pink hair.”

Serving on the Board of Directors of the Anderson Arts, Center, she’s still trying to figure out how she fits into the art world, but she knows she’s on the right path to happiness. “My life would be miserable if I wasn’t sewing,” she said.