online classes and lectures

I’ve been working on changing some of my lectures and classes to be offered online to guilds and shows. We’ve even set-up a studio in my studio area, it looks like a mini TV studio!

I’m also working on offering online classes for individuals, that will be coming soon. Sign up for my newsletter here to be the first to know when we go live with them.

Below are the new Virtual Lectures and classes I will be offering.

Guild Program Chairs: If you would like me to visit your guild virtually, please click here and complete the online contact form  and I will send you a complete information packet. 

 

Virtual Lectures

QUILTS OF ILLUSIONS

Explore the world of optical illusions with Karen as she shows you some of the wonderful quilts that she has created and shares tricks and tips how to make them.  This virtual lecture is a beautiful and inspiring trunk show. There will be time for questions after the lecture. 

 

 

 

YOU BOUGHT THAT WHERE?!?

A fun and information lecture!  Let Karen take you around her little town, searching for the best quilting supplies found in some unexpected places.  It’s amazing what you can find at the local “feed” store!  As a bonus, Karen will take you into her studio to show you how she uses many of her finds. 

 

Virtual Classes

 

 Chip out of Every Bock (3 or 6 hour class)

new quilting cruise for 2021!

Baltic Vikings and Czars

July 9-19, 2021

Dear quilters and friends,

We are very excited to return to Europe in 2021 with a fabulous itinerary. Beautiful cities, rich in history await us as we sail roundtrip from Copenhagen with stops in Finland, Russia Germany and Denmark! We’ll cruise on Holland America Line’s beautiful new ship, the Nieuw Statendam.

Quilting and “sewcializing”

Relax in our floating hotel…why not try the spa? Sit in on exciting port lectures and find out more about the area we’re visiting or plan a few excursions. Or, after an exciting day of exploring, visit with your fellow quilters at our evening “Sew”cials and open sewing sessions. You will also have the opportunity to perfect your quilting skills by taking stunning and fun classes taught by award-winning instructor Karen Combs.

Whatever you decide to do, this will be a “trip of a lifetime!” For all of you that have sailed with us before – welcome back! For those of you that are new to the fabulous experience of quilting at sea, we look forward to getting to know you and creating lasting memories. Bring a friend, your spouse or your family. Non-quilters will get a discounted rate and are always welcome to join us! They have many activities to pursue while you are in class.

A Fabulous Itinerary!

We will begin our cruise in Copenhagen, Denmark, famous for the Little Mermaid that greets you in the harbor. Our first port of call is Talinn, Estonia where you can wander the cobblestone alleys beneath turrets and red tiled roofs in Medieval old town. We will then head to St. Petersburg, Russia where an overnight stay allows you 2 full days to explore this fascinating city, home of the Hermitage Museum and Cathedrals galore! From St. Petersburg we will travel to Helsinki, Finland, where you can explore the Rock Church and the stylish and sophisticated shops of Esplanade Street. Then to Stockholm, Sweden, one of Europe’s most beautiful capital cities. On to Germany where we will make port in Warnemunde, the gateway to Berlin. See the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church, Brandenburg Gate and Checkpoint Charlie. Next, we stop in Kiel. A university town, naval base, and Germany’s largest passenger port, Kiel offers the perfect blend of urban charm, culture and history. Kiel also serves as your gateway for Hamburg, a beautiful port city on the Elbe River. Spend a delightful day exploring St. Michael’s baroque church, the St. Pauli District, and the gardens and cafés around Alster Lake. Our final port of call is back to Copenhagen, Denmark. At its center is Tivoli, whose gardens, lakes and fountains are said to have inspired Walt Disney.

We can’t wait to see you in Copenhagen!

Sincerely,

Karen Combs

Amy Ross
Group Coordinator
Quilt Seminars at Sea

 For complete details, visit this link  or call Amy at 866-573-6351

home . . .

Greetings to everyone!

Just like many of you, for the past few week, I’ve been making masks for our local hospital as well as doctor’s offices and many other locations. 

Our hospital requested masks with ties to go over their N-95 masks, to help extend the life of the masks they have.  I’ve made several dozen of those masks.  The other masks I’ve made using elastic. . . which is in short supply.  I’ve managed to use hair ties which as worked well.  Using what I can find and making it work.  😊

As I’ve been working on these masks, I’ve discovered some little thread snips that I forgot I had.  Interesting what you can find once you start digging about.  I love them and have been using them constantly to clip threads. 

The links to both mask patterns can be found here, on my Favorite Things webpage.

I’ve also been working on some new patterns.   Just finished the mini version of my SUMMER STAR – SPRIAL, which is part of my “no diamonds” Lone Star Illusions pattern line. 

I love this little star, done in one color, gradated from light to dark.  Believe it or not, this little quilt really does not have any diamonds in its design .  Click here for more information about the pattern.

The little tea pot and cups with my quilt were purchased on one of our Quilt Seminars at Seas cruise to Bali several years ago.  Many fond memories from that trip! I love picking up little things when I travel.  When I use them at home, I remember the fun I had on that trip. 

In January, we had the opportunity to travel to New Zealand with Quilt Seminars at Sea. We had a wonderful group traveling with us and we saw such beautiful sights!  It was a blast.  Here is a link to a few photos from our trip

I’m looking forward to several up-coming cruises.  April 2021 is our Paris to Normandy river cruise.  Such lovely sights to see and who won’t love to be in Paris in the Spring? 

I know we are going through a difficult time right now.  Thinking of all those who are ill and praying for their quick recovery.  As my grandmother would always say to us, “This isn’t forever and this too will pass.”  She also always reminded us to always wash our hands.   

Celtic Pieced Illusions now ebook!

I enjoyed creating my Celtic Pieced Illusions technique and writing the book. It is beautiful book, filled with many drawings, quilts and patterns.

Here’s a little more information about it:

Piecework enthusiasts rejoice! Now great Celtic designs can be created with only two simple blocks. Quilters traditionally use appliqué to create Celtic designs. Instead, Karen has translated knot work into pieced patterns. She found she can create many Celtic designs with two, three, or more blocks, so the possibilities are unlimited.

Famous for her use of color and color illusion, the author shows how to use color, texture, and value to add excitement to Celtic quilts. She shares her simple design concepts for those who want to design their own Celtic quilts, while providing piecing tips, pressing options, and quilting ideas. Even beginning quiltmakers can tackle these colorful quilt patterns.

It remained in print for over 10 years. Sadly, as happens with most quilt books, it is no longer in print or readily available. . . until now!

I’m so happy to announce Celtic Pieced Illusions is now available as an ebook!

You can see more information by clicking here.

New Lone Star Illusion Patterns!

I’ve has created a new way to create Lone Star designs without diamonds and have two new patterns using this technique!

Red, White and Blue Spiral Star 

(A LONE STAR ILLUSIONS design)

So easy to do! The quilt is a beautiful spiral of red, white and blue, perfect for the 4th of July or a quilt to honor the military.  You can even select your own three colors to use in this pattern.

 Pattern contains yardage needs, full color cutting needs, sewing instructions and includes two sizes 56″ x 56″ and 24″ x 24″. 

Summer Star Spiral

(A LONE STAR ILLUSIONS design)

 Pattern contains yardage needs, full color cutting needs, sewing instructions and includes two sizes 64″ x 64″ and 24″ x 24″. 

To see more details about my Lone Star Illusions booklet, click here.

To see more details about my new Lone Star Illusions patterns, click here.

Colorfall is here!

I’m so pleased to be a Guest Designer with Banyan Batiks (division of Northcott) and I’m very excited to share  my new fabric line. 

As you know, I love designing gradated fabrics and I love designing batiks.  COLORFALL combines both in a very special way.

COLORFALL shades from light to medium to dark, from selvage to selvage, approximately 14″ per value.  However, COLORFALL does something that is new . . .  . we’ve been able to achieve an actual cut-line on the batik!  Now you will know exactly where to cut it apart to work with each value.

Not only that, we’ve been able to add a texture to the gradation!!!!!  This is something never done on a gradated batik.  I’m so excited we’ve been able to achieve this.

The texture of broken dots in a soft undulating line add a bit of interest and movement to the fabric.  It looks fabulous in a quilt!

I’ve been having a blast creating quilts with this new line and will share more in the future.

Here’s my Magic Cubes pattern created in COLORFALL.  The three values on one piece of fabric made piecing this a breeze.

Here’s a look at the complete collection.

80368-77 

80368-73 

80368-45 

80368-63 

80368-43 

80368-83 

80368-85 

80368-28 

80368-26 

80368-22 

80368-53 

80368-58 

80368-61 

80368-49 

80368-57 

Click here to see the collection and to order.

New Colorfall Patterns

NEW Quilt Exploration Cruise!

Quilt Seminars at Sea and I have created a new “Quilt Explorations” cruise, this time we are traveling on a River Cruise!   Starting in Paris and sailing on the river Seine, just a few of our stops include Normandy, Monet’s garden and the charming port town of Honfleur.  History, art, timeless landscapes, stunning architecture and good food fill this itinerary.  

There is already lots of excitement about this cruise, I’m looking forward to sharing it with you!  

 For complete details, visit this link  or call Amy at 866-573-6351

Paris and Normandy River Cruise Quilt Exploration

7 Days • March 25 – April 1, 2021

Paris always sizzles while Normandy beckons. Experience an unforgettable trip with fellow quilters and renowned instructor, Karen Combs.

 Each Quilt Explorations cruise revolves around a specific quilting experience presented exclusively by one quilting expert. Intimate and upscale, these unique cruises help you explore quilting in ways you never imagined.

Dear quilters and friends,

Join Karen Combs for an unforgettable journey as you sail from Paris on the beautiful Seine River. Karen is an internationally known quilter, teacher, author and designer who has been nominated by students for Quilt Teacher of the Year in 1995, 2000 & 2005. Teaching since 1989, she is in high demand as a teacher who encourages her students, makes learning fun and makes the complex easy to understand!

A Unique and Exciting Itinerary

Paris always sizzles while Normandy beckons with its stunning coastline, incredible food and artistic beauty. Monet’s Gardens, Rouen’s Cathedral of Notre Dame and the charming harbor town of Honfleur, will inspire you the same way as they inspired the great Impressionists. For inspiration of a different kind, travel the “Routes des Abbayes,” visiting some of the most magnificent monasteries, and to the unforgettable beaches of Normandy where Allied forces landed during WWII’s D-Day invasion. Relive the grandeur of royalty at Château Malmaison, the former home of Napoleon and Josephine Bonaparte, and at Chateau de Bizy, once referred to as “the Versailles of Normandy.” Blend a passion for the good life with culture, art, architecture and timeless landscapes, and you have Northern France.

With get-togethers with Karen, shopping time and surprises along the way, this will be an unforgettable trip of a lifetime!

Best wishes and hope to see you soon,

Karen Combs

Amy Ross and Kim Hedges
Group Coordinators
Quilt Seminars at Sea

 For complete details, visit this link  or call Amy at 866-573-6351