Meet Karen Combs
Instructor for Creating Illusions
Quilting Adventures - Hill Country Style
Seminar 1: February 26 - March 3, 2006

What have you been up to lately?
I've been on many teaching trips this year and have been working on new fabric designs. I design fabrics for Blank Quilting (www.blanktextiles.com ) and I'm really excited about the new designs we debuted at Fall Market. I also have developed a new technique called Celtic Patchwork Illusions. I'll be writing a book on this technique, AQS will be publishing it sometime in 2007.

Do you enjoy writing books and designing fabrics?
I love doing each. In some ways, they are the same process. You start with a concept and develop it into something you can actually see. Both take a long time. It usually takes 9-12 months to write a book and another 9-12 months to edit, layout and publish the book. Fabric designing is a bit quicker, but it still takes months to develop the texture, color ways, lay it out, get the design engraved, print the fabric and ship it to the US . From idea to actual fabric usually takes 6-9 months.

Where do you get your ideas ?
I gather ideas from everywhere. I carry a little notebook with me and jot down ideas as they hit me. I have gathered fabric design ideas from antique mosaics, decorations on buildings, flowers in a garden, ideas come from everywhere. My ideas for quilts hit me at the oddest time. I've had ideas for quilts while driving the car, when I'm in the shower, while walking the dog. I think the more open you are to ideas; the more they will come to you.

When you make a quilt, what colors do you prefer?
I like to use all colors. In many of my quilts, I find that value is more important than color. If my value selection is right, the colors will fall into place. I find this especially true with my optical illusion quilts.

Any trips recently?
Well, I have had many, many teaching trips this year. My husband and I drove from our home in Michigan to Tennessee in October to visit family. In December, we will be traveling to Panama to attend a graduation. Our congregation is very active in supporting a preaching school in Panama . Every December, several members attend the graduation at the school. I've been able to attend, with my husband, 2 times. I'm looking forward to going again. I know a little Spanish and will have to brush up before I go back. Also in December, we will be taking a family vacation. Both our children attend college and live away from home. Angela is in graduate school at Florida State and Joshua is a senior at Tennessee Tech. It will be nice to be with them over the holidays.

How do you like living in Tennessee?
We love it! We moved here 15 years ago, from Michigan. We love the beauty of the state, the people and our new house. We built our new house recently and moved in last year. It is our dream house and we absolutely love it. I have a wonderful office/studio/shipping area. We could not be happier with it.

What other interests do you have?
I like to read, I love walking with my dog (Cocoa is our little Shih Tzu). In the past few years, I have learned American Sign Language. I help interpret at church. I still have a lot to learn, but do love interpreting.

Books by Karen Combs:
Optical Illusions for Quilters, AQS, 1997
Floral Illusions, AQS, 2003
3 Quilters Celebrate the Four Seasons, AQS, 2004
Out of print books by Karen Combs:
3-D Fun with Pandora's Box, Quilting from the Heartland, 1997
Combing Through Your Scraps, AQS, 2000

Current Fabric Designs by Karen Combs
Essence, 2005, Blank Quilting
Techno Snow 2005
Geometrix, 2005
Sew On!, 2005

Web site: www.karencombs.com

E-mail: karen@karencombs.com