to travel for shows and teaching
engagements as there is a lot of
interest from stores and guilds with
EPP’s rise in popularity. The part
I love most about having this business
is the collaboration with other
quilters. I get so energised working
with others. It brings me joy to help
others bring their creations to life.What’s the longest you’ve ever
spent on a project?
My first La Passacaglia took a year
and half. My current Pollinate quilt [by
Kitty Wilkin] is taking about that much
time too. I’m not bothered by how
long it takes to EPP a full quilt, as
I love a good challenge. For me it is
the process that is so rewarding.How many EPP projects do you
have on the go right now?
I have eleven projects going on,
ranging from pillows to king size
quilts. I never ever leave the house
without something to sew, you just
don’t know when you can grab time
to stitch. I’m not a very patient person
if I have to wait, so I need to havesellable pattern can take up to several
months of development time.Do you tend to approach a
designer, or do they come to you?
Both, really. If we see a designer that
has been designing fabric or machine
patterns that we think would translate
well for EPP we will reach out. Having
said that, we do have a fair amount of
folks that reach out to us and we are
always happy to have a look and give
our suggestions!How do these collaborations work?
I don’t think many people realise just
how much work goes into producing
a successful EPP pattern – coming up
with the design is only one small
portion. You have to make sure it
sews together in a reasonable
manner, the designer needs to write
the pattern and design the
accompanied packaging. Ideally, we
need a finished quilt and with EPP
that is still one of the hardest parts
because of its slow nature. Along with
the designer, I will also sew my own
quilt. We like it if the designer is ableAbove: Karen likes to take small
sewing projects on the go with herDESIGNER PROFILE