Before there was GE Designs, before there were Stripology rulers or quilting retreats, there was just Gudrun in a spare room in Selfoss, Iceland. She was surrounded by fabric, ideas, and a lot of energy.

Gudrun grew up in a very active, athletic household. She actually studied to become a physical education instructor. But somewhere along the way, she caught the quilting bug after taking a class, and that was it. None of her friends quilted, but Gudrun had grown up around traditional handwork. Her family was full of knitters and crocheters. Quilting was a natural extension of the creativity and craft she’d always been surrounded by.

At the time, she was running a gym in her small town in Iceland while raising three young kids. But soon, her love of quilting turned into something more. She opened a small quilt shop in town, began writing patterns in Icelandic for her customers, and eventually started dreaming bigger.

One day, a rep from an American distributor came across one of her Icelandic patterns, the Braid Runner. He encouraged her to translate it into English and try selling it in the U.S. market. So she did. And to her surprise, it took off.

That moment sparked a huge change. Gudrun made the bold decision to sell her gym, her quilt shop, and her home. She moved her whole family to Minnesota. She wanted to give this growing business her full attention, and she did.

From that leap of faith came years of hard work and steady growth. Gudrun kept designing patterns and eventually published her own books. She built tools that solved real quilting frustrations like the Stripology rulers, built a team, opened a warehouse, and kept building. Always with the same purpose in mind, to make quilting simpler, more fun, and more accessible.

Quilting with Iceland in Mind

A lot of what shaped Gudrun’s approach comes directly from her upbringing in Iceland. Back then, fabric was harder to come by, more expensive, and often in short supply. So you had to be efficient. You had to plan ahead. You couldn’t waste much, and you definitely couldn’t take shortcuts. That experience influenced not just her designs, but her whole philosophy. Work smarter, enjoy the process, and get to the fun part faster.

Now, years later, Gudrun still pulls from that same inspiration. Her books, patterns, tools, and fabric collections are all rooted in her Icelandic background, even if they’re being used by quilters all over the world.

Quilts of Iceland

The Quilts of Iceland book was of her first major projects that was inspired by Iceland, Quilts of Iceland features 18 original patterns inspired by Icelandic culture and nature. It includes vibrant photos from her travels and recipes from friends and family. It’s a little peek into where GE Designs came from.

Heima Fabric Collection

And then there’s Heima. Designing her own fabric line had always been a dream, and with Andover Fabrics, she made it happen. Heima, which means “home” in Icelandic, is filled with textures and colors that reflect her roots. From mossy greens to glacier blues and cozy knit-inspired prints, it brings the feeling of Iceland into every project.

At the end of the day, GE Designs is built on one woman’s love of quilting. It was shaped by the place she came from and shared with a growing community of quilters who want to have fun, learn something new, and make something beautiful.

We hope you find a little Icelandic inspiration in whatever you’re working on right now. If you’ve made something with Echoes of Iceland, Quilts of Iceland, or Heima, we’d love to see it. Just tag us on Instagram @gedesignsgudrun or post a pic in our private Facebook group at Gudrun's Quilt Crew!