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Dimension in quilting has always intrigued and challenged me.

The idea of taking a flat quilt top, making it look like it actually has three dimensions, and that it might even be moving, has always been an interesting prospect.

The first time I tried to make a quilt look 3 dimensional, I was less than pleased. That was before I really understood about color value in fabric. So, my quilt was still flat, and I couldn't figure out what was wrong with it.

Then I took some workshops in color value and one in creating 3 dimensional quilts.

That workshop was fun, and I left the workshop with a small wall hanging and a better understanding about dimensional quilts. The quilts were somewhat contemporary, art quilts. And I am a traditional patchwork gal.

So, those ideas were interesting, and I made my floating boxes quilt, which appealed to my "Space" interests. But it didn't occur to me to take a traditional patchwork block and make it three dimensional.

Until I saw the quilts of Karen Combs, that is.

Karen is known for taking a traditional pattern and giving it her own unique twist, as you can see in the picture above.

In that quilt, Karen has taken a traditional star block as well as the traditional tumbling blocks (or baby blocks), added angles and carefully placed the fabrics to create the illusion of dimension and movement.

Looks difficult, doesn't it?

The amazing thing is that it is really easy - once you have Karen's secret techniques. Karen has developed techniques that make this creation so simple that even a beginner quilter can make one of these beautiful quilts. The most challenging part of making this quilt is sewing diamonds together, and Karen has even created techniques to make your diamonds easy to sew and perfect every time.

Karen has taken her technique of creating illusions in quilts one step further, and is now creating Celtic quilts using this technique.

Now, these are really easy to sew. In at least one of her quilt designs, she uses only two different blocks. And just with the placement of the blocks, you create this amazing Celtic design.

Using this technique, You can create a completely original design just by changing the position of some of the blocks.

What is amazing, too, is that these Celtic illusion quilts are easy to sew, too.

If you are anything like I am, you took one look at the quilt and decided that it would be much too difficult to figure out how to make it.

The thing is, that Karen has done all of the hard work in figuring out the few basic quilt blocks to make, including the colors to sew into each block. Once you have those, all you need is time to sew the individual blocks, play with the design on your wall or floor, and then finish the quilt.

The result will be a quilt that will amaze your family and friends. Show them one of these quilts, and they certainly will think you have been quilting for years or just plain bought the finished quilt.

How fun would that be?

Learn all about quilts of illusion in this CD recording of the Eavesdrop on a Telephone Conversation with Karen Combs.