ANDALUSIA — Mary Catherine Clem Folmar credits her mom, Mary Nelle Clem, for the creative artistic path that she has taken.

“As long as I can remember, I have always been drawing or doing something creative,” Folmar said. “My mom let me run pretty much free with being creative, including letting me paint and decorate an entire room in our home in middle school/early high school.”

As early as the second grade, Folmar was entered in the Ziploc National Sandwich Contest with her “Tropical Flamingo Sandwich.”

Folmar said, “I went to Los Angeles for the finals where I placed third place in the nation. The ‘Hangin’ with Mr. Cooper’ cast were the judges.”

Currently living in Andalusia, Mary Catherine Clem Folmar calls Athens and Andalusia “a mirror image” and said, “it reminds me of Athens when I was growing up.” A graduate of Athens High School in 2004, Folmar left home and pursued a medical degree at Auburn University.

“It wasn’t too long before I was torn between math and science, pre-med and creative work,” said Folmar.

Creativity won out as Folmar transferred to the Auburn College of Architecture, Design and Construction. Before graduation from Auburn, Folmar had an opportunity to do a design focused internship with Johnson & Johnson in New Jersey.

“I absolutely loved New Jersey. The hardest challenge initially was how fast-paced everything was, but it was a great learning curve and I was working for a great company,” Folmar said. “I did also listen to lots of Jimmy Buffet and read lots of Georgia native and author Mary Kay Andrews books to get me through the cold weather. Honestly, if the job market had not been so bad in 2009, I wouldn’t have come back.”

After the hiring freeze at Johnson & Johnson, Folmar moved back to Athens for six months before accepting an opportunity as an environmental graphic designer with ASD and Sky Design in Atlanta, Georgia. After becoming engaged to be married, Folmar moved from Atlanta to Birmingham to work with her husband’s family business. Folmar continued to do freelance design work for clients before opening her own design firm in 2012 called, “Cotton + Quill.”

“I absolutely love being back in my home state and truly believe everything works out for a reason. I wouldn’t have left Cotton + Quill if it weren’t for moving back to Alabama,” she said.

She launched her business at the West Indies Market in Rosemary Beach, Fla., offering finished product items such as pillows, textiles, table linens and wall coverings. Through this experience, Mary Catherine says that she quickly learned how to do wholesale and how to work with retailers and mills.

“I have worked with a few different mills. I keep everything in the US and primarily in the southeast. I use a mill in South Carolina to produce fabric and a wallpaper mill in Michigan to produce wallpaper. I also have a full workroom in Birmingham which produces pillows, draperies, table skirts — everything but upholstery. The inserts that go into my pillows are produced in Tennessee,” said Folmar.

Something that Folmar has recently added to her business is licensing.

“I work with other companies who use my designs, such as Jayes Studios, Holly Stuart Homes, Lucy Grymes and Hive Design,” she said.

Currently, Folmar is working on an interior design project in Andalusia for Sister Schubert, known for her dinner rolls. Sister Schubert’s home will host a fundraiser with cookbook author Brenda Gantt on April 29 for Bethesda House, a home for abused women and children.

“I look at this as a great opportunity to encourage the women who have gone through so much,” said Folmar. “These women who are going through such tough times and they can see there is hope and see opportunities for them to be able to move forward. None of us would be where we are without the help of others. I am a firm believer in that and I am a firm believer in the good Lord up above allowing us to do that and to put everybody in place to help others,” said Folmar.

She said a lot of women-owned businesses and brands help bring awareness to Bethesda House, such as Sister Schubert and Brenda Gantt, who have used their platforms to give back.

While she makes those same efforts in her new community, she hasn’t forgotten her home and will be back for another local fundraiser on April 19 in support of the Athens-Limestone Public Library. In 2019, she was asked to speak at a fundraising luncheon for the library but because of COVID-19 closures in 2020, that speaking engagement was put on hold. Folmar will finally be a part of this fundraising effort at the library next week.

Folmar’s message to those who are pursuing a goal is to work hard, be kind, be courteous, listen to all points of view, and keep your mind open.

“Everybody makes mistakes, everyone gets down here and there, but it only makes you stronger. Do what you love if you can,” Folmar said.

Folmar attributes her success to having a strong support group of family, friends, teachers and surrounding herself with people who have built her up and encouraged her.