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An Interview with Karen Combs - January 2008

by Penny McMorris

Karen, you've been an EQ user for so many years. What EQ version did you begin using, and how did you find out about the software?

I started using EQ with the very first version. I believe it was in 1992. At that time, I belonged to two online quilting groups; Genii Online Quilters and the quilting group on Prodigy. I remember hearing about this new software from several people in each group and I could hardly wait to purchase it.

It has been my favorite quilting software ever since. In fact, my newest book, Celtic Pieced Illusions, was completely designed in EQ.

Were you designing your own blocks back then?

I was. I started playing with block designs over 20 years ago. At that time, I worked with graph paper and colored pencils. It took forever and I'm sure many designs were lost, because it took too long to draw one block. Using EQ has allowed all those ideas in my head to actually make it into reality.

I know your latest book, Celtic Pieced Illusions, is actually your fifth book, right? Were you using EQ before you published your first book, Optical Illusions for Quilters was written?

Actually, Celtic Pieced Illusions is my 6th book. I've written these 6 books in the past 11 years. Whew! I did not realize it was that many! EQ has been a part of each and every book.

I was using EQ when I wrote Optical Illusions for Quilters. This book focused on different types of optical illusions and how to apply them to quilt making.

I used BlockBase software to help me research different quilt blocks that illustrated concepts in the book. Many of the quilt drawings and illustrations were done in EQ as well.

Tell me how that first book came about.

I have always been fascinated by illusions. The more I thought about it, the more I wanted to write this book. In fact, I had no choice; I had to write this book! I could not rest until it became reality. This book took about 5 years to research, write and publish. I am very proud of it!

You're a traveling teacher. I know it varies, but give us some idea of your schedule – for example, are you gone each month for a week? More? Less? Do you enjoy the traveling?

My schedule does vary. I try to keep my schedule to 25-30 trips per year. I do not travel on business from mid-November to mid-January, so the trips are plugged into the other months. Some months I only travel one time, but other months, I may have 4 trips.

If I can, I try to piggy-back the trips. If I do this, I may be gone a week to 10 days. However, most of the time, I am gone 3-4 days per trip.

I do like seeing new places and I love meeting quilters in my classes, at lectures and shows. However, travel has gotten harder in the past few years. It takes more planning than when I first started. Now, I ship more class supplies and samples, rather than put them in my checked luggage.

Since flying has become more of a hassle, I drive to my trips whenever I can.

What other things do you do, besides teach?

I wear many hats in my business. Besides being a teacher, I am an author, a pattern designer and I've designed notions. In addition, since 2001, I've been a fabric designer for Blank Quilting. I love fabric design! My newest collections are Shade Cascade and Gilded Greenery.

Shade Cascade is a gradated fabric that shades from light to dark, from selvage to selvage. Each shade is 11" wide and is separated by a cut line, so you know exactly where to cut it apart. The 11" wide section gives you a good cutting area; so many cuts can be made.

Gilded Greenery is a beautiful floral fabric with a small scale leaf print and a scattering of gold. (I've included Gilded Greenery in the project file as well as my Essence fabric collection.)

  

And does your family fend for itself when you're gone or do you need to do the "meals in the freezer" preparation before you go?

Our children are grown. Our daughter, Angela is 27, just graduated with a Master's degree in Music Performance and was married in May. She and her new husband, Joe, live in Florida. We try to see them every few months.

Our son, Josh, is almost 25 and graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Business Management last year. He lives nearby, in Nashville; I try to see him whenever I can. His condo is only 10 minutes from the airport, so I often stop and see him when I am returning from a trip.

My husband, Rick and I are empty-nesters. We have a Shin Tzu named Cocoa. He keeps Rick company when I am gone.

Rick is pretty self-sufficient. He is good at fixing himself dinner and handling things when I am gone. Rick is a computer geek and has his own computer business. I know he misses me when I am traveling, but he stays very busy with his business.

When you're home, can you describe a typical working day?

When I am home, I am usually up at 6am. I walk the dog, work-out for about an hour and then get breakfast.

After some light housework, I am usually in my home office by 9am. I usually work until 4 or 5pm, fix dinner and am back in my office most nights until 10pm.

And do you have a sewing studio, or do you do your work all over the house?

I do have a sewing studio, just off my home office. I try to get into my studio several evenings a week. When I am working on a new book, class samples or new patterns, I may spend all day sewing.

With such a hectic schedule, how do you keep a balance in your life?

It is very important to find a balance, otherwise; it is easy to burn out. I find a balance in several different ways. Church is very important to our family. Sundays are always spent with church activities, also with our friends and family.

About 5 years ago, I started learning American Sign Language. Now, I am one of the interpreters at church, signing to our deaf members.

I try to get together with friends whenever I can. I have a core group of friends, we get together to celebrate each others birthdays and have lunch from time to time.

In addition, I find it is very important to maintain a good exercise routine. This gives me energy, and I love the endorphin rush!

You're known for your 3-D illusions. Do you remember how you first became interested in creating designs of this sort?

I have always loved illusions. They have fascinated me for years. I think the first illusion I saw as a child was a "hollow cube." I remember watching someone draw one and it intrigued me.

Tumbling Blocks was the first quilt of illusion I saw. I remember touching it and wondering why it looked like it had depth, even though it was flat.

Illusions still fascinate me. I am always playing with color, value and line to think of new ways to create illusions.

Do you look to anything special for design inspiration?

I look at everything for inspiration. Nature inspires my color choices. For design inspiration, I look to architecture, floor mosaics, ceiling designs, wrought iron railings and buildings. I also love going to museums and historical sites.

Thanks for sharing a free EQ project with us here. Tell us more about it, and about how your book is perfect for working through exercises with EQ. Sounds like fun...

Thank you for the opportunity to share this EQ project with everyone!

I love Celtic designs, but I would rather piece than appliqué. All of the Celtic designs I've ever seen are appliquéd. I wanted to make Celtic designs, but I knew I would never make one, if I had to appliqué it.

When I was working on my first book, I discovered the illusion of "straight curves." I knew I could create the illusion of curves using straight lines. You can see that illusion in quilt blocks such as Snowball or Virginia Reel.

Since the Nine-Patch block is one of my favorite blocks, I started playing with it. I tried it with different blocks to create "straight curves."

After playing with many different combinations, I discovered a way to create Celtic designs with only two blocks, a Nine-Patch and a "Connector block."

These two blocks allow me to create almost unlimited Celtic Designs. Let me show you how using the project file.

I always start with a grid. In the project file, I started with a 6 x 6 grid. Then I add the nine-patch blocks, quilt 2 in the Sketchbook. Now for the magic!

I added the connection blocks into the remaining spaces. It's amazing! All of a sudden, a Celtic design appears.

Now for more magic: I play with the rotating tool and click on the connector blocks. Rotating the Connector Blocks changes the design completely, quilts 4 & 5 in the Sketchbook.

I can change the designs by putting the Nine-Patch blocks in a different formation. You can see this in quilts 6-8 in the Sketchbook. Different designs are created quilts 9-12 and in quilts 13 & 14.

Any grid will work. In quilts 15 & 16 in the Sketchbook, you can see a 10 x 10 grid.

Notice these quilts are in black and white. This is how I design, always starting in black and white. I do not want the design to be influenced by the color.

After I have created some quilts designs, I added to color to my favorites. Take a look at quilts 17-24 in the Sketchbook. These quilts have color and are gorgeous! There are many different ways to add color; I have included some of them in the Sketchbook.

Please enjoy playing with this project file, use these quilts to create your own Celtic Pieced Illusions quilts.

To see more of my quilts of illusion, please visit my web site at: www.karencombs.com