Her quilts are known for taking a traditional pattern and giving it her own unique "twist." Karen is intrigued with quilts of illusions and has been designing quilts with a 3-D look for several years.

Karen is the author of Optical Illusions for Quilters (AQS),  Combing Through Your Scraps (AQS), Floral Illusions (AQS) , 3 Quilters Celebrate the 4 Seasons (AQS) & 3-D Fun with Pandora’s Box, co-authored with Sharlene Jorgenson of Quilting from the Heartland. Her newest book is Celtic Pieced Illusions (AQS).

She has been a fabric designer for almost a decade, starting with Blank Quilting and recently partnering with Avlyn, Inc. Karen's current fabrics can be seen at karencombs.com/newfabric.htm. Look for them at your local quilt shop!

Karen's work has appeared in the Silver Dollar City Wallhanging Challenge, the Hoffman Challenge and in many magazines such as Quilter's Newsletter Magazine, Traditional Quilter, Traditional Quiltworks, Sew Many Quilts, McCall’s Quilting, and Lady's Circle Patchwork. She was the "Feature Teacher" in the March 1997 issue of Traditional Quiltworks.

Nominated for Teacher of the year in 1995, 2000 and in 2005, by Professional Quilter Journal,  Karen travels nationwide to teach her techniques and methods.

She has appeared on several TV quilting shows, among them Quilting from the Heartland, Series 700, Quilt Central, Quilt America and Simply Quilts, Show 411.

Karen now lives in the rolling hills of middle Tennessee with her husband Rick, daughter Angela, son Josh (when they are home from college) and a very sweet Shih Tzu named Cocoa