Kara Schorstein of Seams & Dreams has a wide variety of patterns.  Her quilt designs range from easy modern styles to rather intricate traditional pieces.  Whether you are a beginner quilter or have been quilting for a long time, Kara will have something for you.   And she hasn’t stopped at just quilts.  Several of her patterns are for aprons, skirts, jackets and home decor.

Marble Game uses marble fabrics to frame prints.   The fabric used for the sashing within the blocks is repeated in the narrow border.   Tiny contrasting corners in each block come together to create multi-colored diamond pieces.  This is a great quilt for you to use up some of your scraps. Instructions for crib size and queen size.

Kara Schorstein started with the traditional Irish Chain Block, modified it, and created Crossroads.  Two simple blocks that work together for a striking design.  Instructions are for a table topper with a scalloped border and a queen size quilt.

Need a summer skirt?  Need to look like you lost a few pounds?  Try the Simple Slimming Skirt Pattern.  With sizes from 6 to 18+, there are three style variations and the underskirt is optional.

Need a new purse to go with your new skirt?  Oh, you made two skirts?!  No problem!  Make one of Lizzie’s Reversible Bags and you have a different purse for each skirt!

Do you have an occassional table that you like to dress up and change with the seasons?   Seasoning The Table gives you seven options for appropriate table toppers.  Log cabin blocks grace the center of each and you can choose the layout.

This selection barely scratches the surface of Seams & Dreams quilt patterns….. there are dozens more.

(Don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win the pattern A Bouquet For My Love!)

It’s always interesting to talk to people that share the same interests; to hear about their take on things and how they got started in this wonderful world of fabric.  In the past few days I’ve been learning all about quilt designer Claudia Atchison, pestering her with questions and requests for pictures.  Here is some of what she had to say . . . .   

My great-grandmother was a quilter and did all kinds of hand work. She taught me mostly embroidery and crochet.  She will always be my greatest influence. She had stopped quilting by the time I was old enough to learn from her, so quilting came later.  I continued to sew and by the time I was twelve I was sewing my own clothes and by high school I was getting paid to sew for friends.

In the mid 1980′s I took a quilting class at the community center in North Richland Hills, TX.  When the class ended I was hooked.  There weren’t any quilt shops in my area, but I bought a few books about the basics and learned more as I made a few quilts.   In the mid 1990′s I worked for an applique designer, Robyn Pandolph, and helped make samples. This is when I fell in love with applique and all things folk art.  A love that, like quilting, continues today.

I first met Judy Reynolds in 2005, working at a quilt shop with her. I had an idea for a baby quilt and told Judy I wanted to give it to her. She said to make a sample and write instructions and she and her partner, Amy Cotham, would decide if they could market my pattern under the Black Cat Creations name. I’m happy to say that “Snuggle Up” was published and I have been designing ever since. Judy and Amy are great and very supportive of their guest designers.

As mentioned earlier, I love applique, all kinds. Needle turn, fused or dimensional. I have several wool applique quilt patterns that I really enjoyed designing.  Pictured here are A Yard of Roses, A Yard of Hydrangeas, and A Yard of Sunflowers.

But, most of my patterns are pieced, and some have a little applique on them. My favorite is “A Bouquet for My Love”. I designed this for my husband in blues and browns. For the last 44 years he’s brought me flowers for no reason, I thought it was time I gave him some in return.

I don’t have a typical work day schedule. I might sew all day for several days in a row and then not sew at all for a week. My husband is semi-retired, if that explains anything! If I have an idea in my head, I might spend all day and half the night to get it down on paper before I forget what the idea was.

Instead of a studio, I use a small bedroom at the back of the house. My husband put shelves in the closet for my fabric. I have a wrap around sewing table that holds two machines and has a small space for a cutting board between them. I have a cutting table that the sides can be folded down when not in use. All my rulers and cutting boards are on a rack on the wall. One wall is a design wall. (I have ruler envy… I can’t imagine that there are any that Claudia doesn’t have!)

I have a room above the garage for my Tin Lizzie and my reference books and extra fabric, of course. 

As for inspiration, I get it from lots of places. Sometimes the fabric just speaks to me and I know right away what it will be when finished. I got several of my wool designs by working in my flower beds. Sometimes just doodling on a piece of paper will give me an idea. “Chocolate Fondue” was inspired by the fabric. When I saw that beautiful pink and brown fabric, I could almost taste chocolate dipped strawberries and chocolate covered cherries.  And I always keep a notebook handy to jot down ideas. You never know when these ideas will turn into a quilt pattern!

Claudia has been sewing nearly all her life.  She was making her own clothes by the age of 12, so I wonder how old she was when she actually took her first stitch! 

Claudia’s patterns aren’t just for quilts.  She has several purse and bag patterns. 

I hate to pick favorites, but isn’t this just the cutest?!?!  Texture Magic gives those flowers some texture and makes them pop.  You’ll love carrying this Lizzie bag around.  

Here’s a great idea.  The Quick Change Bag pattern is for a reversible bag with a separate lining.   Pull out the lining, reverse the bag, replace the lining.  Ready to go!

And Claudia’s patterns aren’t just for cotton.  Her “Yard” patterns are table runners of beautiful flowers.  They are designed for wool, which gives a beautiful three dimensional quality to the finished piece. 

Hand embroidery and beading create additional interest on A Yard of Roses.  This quilt measures 10″ x 36″ when finished.

But, never fear, Claudia DOES have quilt patterns too.  And not boring, same old same old patterns.   Her quilt patterns are not each like the other.  Some of them are bold and graphic.

Sunflower Farm is a good example.  The design is striking, yet fairly easy to construct.  Four basic blocks and some simple applique… before you know it you’ll be snuggling under this quilt dreaming of Spring.

Ramblin’ Rose is another one of the bold, graphic designs and I’m excited to be making it over the next couple weeks…. I’ll share progress with you.

And then there are the beautiful, gently graceful quilts, such as Morning Star. 

Flowers in varying shades of purple flow across an ever so subtle pieced background.   Before adding the beads to embellish the flowers it might be fun to do a little free motion quilting on the flowers and leaves. 

So there’s a peek at a bit of what Claudia Atchison is all about. Be sure to check back with us over the next two weeks.   We’ll be posting an interview with Claudia and some pictures of where she creates, there will be progess on Ramblin’ Rose to report, we’ll look at some more patterns, and of course a giveaway!

(Don’t forget! Any comment made before midnight Friday on any of our blog posts dated between Jan 14 and Jan 21 gives you another chance to win three patterns from Prairie Sky Quilting! Same goes for comments on status updates and links at our QuiltersWarehouse Facebook page!)

In this part of the interview Susan tells us about her daily life as a quilt designer.

What is your favorite part of the quilting process?

I’ve come to enjoy so many parts of the quilting process as I’ve expanded into designing.  Today’s software technology has made designing quilts so much fun, and easier than the colored pencils and graph paper that I started with!  I use EQ7 for my patterns, and CorelDraw for my show quilts.  But, I love to sew, and need to do it regularly.  Sewing is how I relax and recharge, but there are never enough hours in the day to sew as much as I would like.

I so agree about there not being enough time each day to sew and I’ll bet our readers feel the same way!  Susan, can you tell us what a typical work day is like?

I began this career when my youngest child started school.  I was still a full-time mom, and I started teaching quilting on a limited basis.  My business grew gradually as I had more time to devote to designing, teaching, and eventually the pattern business.  Now I have 2 daughters in high school and a son away at college, so I’m glad to be home and available to them as needed.  I spend a lot of time on things that aren’t very creative or quilt-related, like packing orders, bookkeeping, and keeping up with emails.  My design and sewing times vary based on the demands of my current deadlines.  No two days are alike, and most days don’t go as planned.  It’s always a challenge to juggle the many responsibilities of work and home life, but I appreciate the flexibility that I have to keep the balance that works best for me.

Can you describe your studio?

I am fortunate to have a room in our basement to use as a studio.  It’s small, but it’s wonderful to have a dedicated sewing space. In my studio, I have many features that I consider to be essential for me.  My favorite sewing maching is set into a large sewing cabinet.  I have a separate cutting table and an HQ16 in a sit-down table for machine quilting.  I hung felt from a rod to make a design wall, which is an essential part of any studio.  My stash is overflowing, so I either need to stop buying fabric or get a larger sewing room.  I think I’d prefer that larger sewing room!  (Yep, that sounds like a plan!)

As my business has grown, so have the demands of maintaining inventory levels on multiple items.  Prairie Sky Quilting has taken over other parts of our house and garage.  As my kids have grown, I’ve moved toys out of the closets, and taken over that space for patterns.  But I do dream of having more room, so maybe when the kids move out, I’ll take over the whole basement!

When you are starting a new project, what comes first for you – the design or the fabrics?

I usually start with the design, then look for the fabrics that work best for that design.  Finding the right fabrics can be very challenging, especially finding the right combination that will photograph well for a pattern cover.  My stash is evidence that my original plan doesn’t always work, and I need to revise the plan and buy more fabric.  When choosing fabrics, I often start with a focus fabric, and pick colors to coordinate with that.

Do you have favorite types of fabrics?

I tend to like more contemporary fabrics and vibrant colors.  As a pattern designer, I try to use a variety of styles that might appeal to a wider audience of quilters, so that challenges me to stretch my comfort zone.  But it always has to be something that I like, because I can’t do my best work if I’m not enjoying the project.

Thanks for sharing with us Susan! 

Recently Susan Nelson, the designer of Prairie Sky Quilting‘s patterns, answered a few questions for our inquiring minds. 

How did you start your adventure with quilting?  Did someone mentor you or influence you?

I started sewing at 10 years old, making garments.  I went on to do tailoring and alterations during college, while I majored in Textiles & Clothing.  Several years later, my first quilt was a Trip Around The World design, made for a full size bed.  With my sewing background, I was confident in being a self-taught quilter.  Looking back, it think that was not a good decision, and I should have taken classes!  I traced 2″ squares around a cardboard template and cut them out with scissors.  (Having started my quilting endeavors with all the latest tools I can’t imagine making any quilt with cardboard templates and scissors.  And then to think you tackled a full size Trip Around The World!  You are brave!)  It’s no surprise that after that experience it was a few years until I got back into quilting.  Like so many quilters, I was motivated by the birth of my first child, since every baby needs a quilt!  I made a smaller version of the Trip Around The World design.  And this time, used a rotary cutter and strip piecing.  I have been hooked on quilting ever since then.

There is no one in my family who quilted, and I’m still the only one!  I have two daughters who aren’t interested in sewing or quilting, but maybe they will change their minds someday!    

We’ll keep our fingers crossed that someday your daughters will share your passion.  It will probably coincide with the births of your grandchildren!   So you were hooked on quilting…. what prompted you to start designing patterns?

I was teaching at a local quilt shop, and was asked to teach a quilt-as-you-go technique.  That particular method made beautiful quilts, but was very challenging for most quilters.  I saw the appeal that quilt-as-you-go had for my students, and wondered if I could find an easier way.  So, I experimented with some scraps for a while, and came up with an easy method.  I showed it to the shop and other friends, and no one knew of anything similiar on the market.  I named the method “Fun&Don!”, started teaching it at the shop, and went into the pattern business!

Do you have a favorite type of quilting?

One of the most appealing features of this art is its variety.  I started quilting knowing that I would never be interested in hand work, but I soon changed my mind and became interested in hand applique.  Now, I’m looking for a hand-piecing  project that I can take with me on-the-go.  I love classic piecing, paper piecing, hand applique, machine applique, and machine quilting.  There’s always something new to learn, so it’s always interesting and fun!  For my patterns, I look for easy methods that appeal to beginner quilters. But I also make quilts that I enter into contests, where I push myself to do very complicated pieces.  I enjoy the challenge, and it’s been very rewarding to win a few prizes too!

This is Swish & Swirl, one of Susan’s show quilts.  You can see the rest of her quilts on her website – check out the Susan’s Show Quilts page.    They are all stunning.

Come back in a day or two for the second half of Susan’s interview.  She has lots more to say!  And don’t forget to comment on this post for another chance to win three Prairie Sky Quilting patterns!   Read more about the giveaway at this post.

Prairie Sky Quilting is the home of innovative quilt patterns by Susan Nelson.  We’re going to be talking about Prairie Sky Quilting and Susan Nelson this week and next week.  There will be a giveaway.  An interview with Susan will be posted.  And you can “watch” one of the FUN & DONE! quilt patterns be put together!  So check back often!

The Fun & Done series is a group of patterns that feature a quilt-as-you-go technique.  As you sew the blocks you are also doing the quilting.  Sew the blocks together and you are done!  Fun & Done!  Each design offers instructions for several sizes.   Wouldn’t it be nice to make this Blooming Blossoms Quilt Pattern and be finished quilting when you finish putting the blocks together?!

The Triple Expresso series celebrates layout options.  Do you remember the first time you spread out all your blocks for a quilt and tried to decide what layout you preferred?  Were you amazed at the different options and results?  Triple Expresso patterns expand on that fun.   You’ll make three simple blocks and chose from three very different layouts.  It’s hard to believe the different looks all originate from the same three blocks.  The pattern above is called “Here There & Everywhere“.  Isn’t it amazing that these different looks all come from the same three blocks?!

Have you made any of Prairie Sky Quilting’s patterns?  Post pics of your quilts on our QuiltersWarehouse Facebook page so we can oooh and ahhh.  Everybody likes “show & tell”.