About Us
From Passion to Profession: The Journey of a Celebrated Quilter and Educator
Karen Kay Buckley is incredibly pleased that you have chosen to visit her website. She encourages you to explore the products she provides through her store. Her husband, Joe, often points out her fervor for quilting, which she certainly agrees with. She deeply enjoys quilting.
She feels quite fortunate that her quilts have received awards and have been featured on the covers of 18 magazines. She recalls a profound quote from Oprah: "Luck is preparation meeting opportunity. If you hadn't been prepared when the opportunity came along, you wouldn't have been lucky." So, although she has been tremendously fortunate throughout her journey, she acknowledges that it's partly due to her dedication and hard work.
After graduating from Lock Haven University (a Pennsylvania State Teachers College) with a bachelor’s degree in Education in 1978, she discovered that teaching positions were scarce and, at times, nonexistent. While her husband was pursuing postgraduate education, she was working full time in the insurance industry, and she also signed up for a quilting class at the local high school.
From her initial quilting class in 1982, she pursued every available quilting class to enhance her skills. In early 1986, her husband secured an executive role in the Philadelphia area. To motivate her to move from Carlisle, Pennsylvania to a metropolitan region, they decided that she could establish a small shop dedicated exclusively to quilting and quilting instruction. She swiftly started formulating a business plan and, leveraging her educational background, commenced the development of classes and lesson plans.On November 26, 1986, she inaugurated The Country Quilt Shop in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. The business experienced rapid growth. She instructed beginners through to advanced classes, hosted a multitude of workshops, and delivered several lectures. She continued attending workshops herself, using some of these quilters' ideas for classes and workshops. By 1988, she started designing her own classes and patterns.
In the summer of 1989, her husband received a government appointment in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. After selling The Country Quilt Shop, they returned to Carlisle, Pennsylvania. At the point of selling the business, she had tutored over one thousand students in quilting and many others in mastering various techniques. She left this aspect of quilting and dedicated her time to teaching, designing, and writing.
After penning a book on beginner's quilting in the summer of 1990, she signed a publishing contract with the American Quilter’s Society. Her first book FROM BASICS TO BINDING: A COMPLETE GUIDE TO MAKING QUILTS was published in Spring 1992. She has authored several books and articles since then, while also developing her own range of quilting products.
She has produced over 350 quilts and her personal work has won many awards, including twelve Best of Show awards at various prestigious quilting shows. Her work has been featured in multiple magazines and calendars. She has had the honor of having her quilts featured on 18 magazine covers, and two of her quilts were chosen for display in the U.S. Capitol in 1992 and 1993. She has been a guest on Simply Quilts and the AQS show American Quilter, while also having a very busy schedule teaching, judging, and designing.
Over the years, alongside creating quilts, she also developed a passion for creating products for quilters, which can be found throughout the store pages.
She hopes that you enjoy your journey through her website and encourages you to reach out if you have any inquiries.