Kansas Troubles Quilters by Lynne Hagmeier

We are so excited to introduce quilter, educator, author, pattern designer, shop owner, Moda fabric designer and Aurifil thread collection designer Lynne Hagmeier of Kansas Troubles Quilters. Lynne’s debut Aurifil collection is a gorgeous selection of 10 rich and neutral colors of our 50wt thread. It was designed to accentuate and highlight fabrics from her upcoming Oak Haven collection and also her now available Bees n’ Blooms collection, both available via Moda Fabrics.

THREAD COLLECTION DETAILS
Kansas Troubles Quilters
100% Aurifil Cotton, 10 Small Spools, 50wt
Colors included:
5013 – 2370 – 2326 – 2692 – 2570 – 2785 – 5024 – 2355 – 2335 – 2460

To view this info on our website, click here. For purchasing, please contact your local Aurifil Dealer.

THE INTERVIEW
Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you first came to love the art of quilting?
I have always loved textiles, collecting scraps for doll clothes as a child and later, making my own clothing. When my Gramma gave me a quilt she’d made for her hope chest as a wedding gift, I was immediately obsessed with antique quilts. As a young newlywed, I couldn’t afford vintage, so I decided to make new quilts that looked old, the scrappier, the better.

What is your greatest creative inspiration? 
Nature. I love the changing colors of nature outside my studio window throughout the seasons.

Do you have a favorite technique and why? 
I’ve developed a technique I call Layered Patchwork. While working with Moda’s precuts years ago, I realized I could dramatically simplify a traditional block by layering squares and triangles and other shapes on top of a background square. With fewer seams, the blocks are more flat, square and true to size, plus the bonus of dimension and texture from the layers.

What do you love most about teaching quilting? Do you have a favorite class or class setting?
The quilters! Hanging with a group of quilters for the day is the most fun you can have and call it work! I’m constantly inspired by these women who are the most generous and supportive of their quilting community.

What inspired your current Moda fabric collection, Bees n’ Blooms? 
I start my fabric collections with vintage fabrics. One particular large floral had a tiny bee in the background. I snagged the little bee, cut and pasted him onto various background colors, and selected floral and geometric prints that reinforced the bee/flower motif. So fun!

How did you first discover Aurifil threads? 
Several years ago, everyone at Moda was raving about how wonderful it was to sew with Aurifil threads. I had to see what all the excitement was about! I tried it and was hooked from the start. I love that the 50wt. is fine, but strong and doesn’t shred or break. It’s the perfect accent for my layered patchwork topstitching and great for all around piecing.

Do you have a favorite color/weight?
When topstitching on a variety of colors, I prefer to pick a neutral thread and use it on everything to avoid changing colors. I love #5013 green/gray. It blends with all of my KT darks and even looks great on my tans.

How did you go about selecting threads for this new collection?
I use a neutral thread when I can, but for projects like Bees ‘n Blooms flowers or the new Oak Haven leaves/acorns, I prefer to match the thread to the fabric for raw edge applique motifs. Aurifil has so many yummy colors to choose from, it was easy to gather 10 that blend beautifully with all my fabrics.

You’ve released countless patterns, authored 2 dozen books and released a staggering number of fabric collections as a Moda designer — with such ample experience, what advice would you offer to designers just starting out?
Be true to yourself. I live with my color pallete every day in my home. I decorate with my quilts and even take fabric with me to choose paint colors. Don’t feel the need to follow the current trends. Your passion for your individual style will carry you further.

THE GIVEAWAY

To enter-to-win 1 Kansas Troubles Quilters Aurifil Thread Collection and one bundle of Oak Haven by Lynne Hagmeier for Moda,  click here to head to the Rafflecopter entry page, or simply click on the image above. You do not have to complete all the options to be entered but the more options you choose, the more entries you have!  Entries will be accepted from now through 11:59pm Eastern Time on Friday, June 24! Winner will be randomly selected and announced here on Saturday, June 25. Good luck!

Update (6.25): This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations to our winner, Janie McCombs! 

ABOUT LYNNE
Website — Store — Blog
Lynne learned to quilt over 25 years ago at a local quilt shop in Salina, Kansas, called The Quilting Bee, while working there part time. Her love of quilting evolved from other interests over the years; from cross-stitch & painting to home decorating & antiques. In 2000, Moda fabrics offered Lynne an opportunity to design fabric for their growing company. What a thrill to create a line of fabrics in exactly the colors you want & then make a quilt you’ve designed with that new fabric! In 2001, she & her husband Robert sold their house & moved to a restored two-story brick building in Lynne’s childhood hometown of Bennington, Kansas, to expand her studio & offer Quilting Getaways on the weekends. Robert joined the business full-time, promising Lynne that if she designed & made quilts, he’d do everything else. Lynne is traveling several times a year to quilt shops and guilds across the country to offer programs & workshops from her quilt books & patterns.

** All images and biographical text courtesy of Lynne Hagmeier and Kansas Troubles Quilts.