PEARL CITY — They say form follows function. It’s more important for something to work well than look good.

But sometimes, form takes the lead.

Take a quilt for example. Its function is pretty simple — to keep us cozy and warm — but its form? Now that’s a different story: Quilts can take countless forms, and they have just as many stories to tell, too.

You can knit ’em or sew ’em, patch ’em or piece ’em. They can be like a fabric photo album honoring a family’s heritage or celebrating a loved one’s memory. Some are works of art, and some are, well, a little crazy. Quilts are like a patchwork of inspiration and creativity. The possibilities are endless and so are the designs, even for someone who’s been making them as long as Jill Shaulis.

The Pearl City native and owner of Yellow Creek Quilt Designs in her hometown has more than 30 years of history at her fingertips, and she’s still creating one-of-a-kind quilts. She’s even managed to make a name for herself nationally through her creations and workshops.

But even though she’s been on cross-country trips teaching her craft, returning to Pearl City is like wrapping herself in a warm quilt, a place where she can connect with fellow quilters. Both novices and experts alike come to her shop for supplies, original quilt patterns, kits for wool appliqué designs, and fabrics, many of which are themed around Civil War reproduction styles.

Quilters would be hard-pressed to find at a big-box store what Shaulis has in stock at her shop. When it comes to what she stocks, she likes to pick fabrics that are personal favorites.

“When we opened, I felt like there wasn’t a lot of availability in the area for quality fabric,” said Shaulis, who’s been quilting since 1989 and owned her store since 1992. “There were a couple of shops, but they didn’t carry the things that I liked. So I decided we needed a place that had quality fabric that I liked. We sell all of the supplies that somebody needs to do quilting and wool appliqué, and they can get the supplies they need here to go home and do it themselves.”

The shop is open Thursday through Saturday,, and Shaulis has helped quilters of different skill levels, from tasks such as getting out of a tricky spot to picking the perfect blends of fabrics and color. If a customer has an image in their head of what they want their quilt to look like, Shaulis can lay out the blueprint for it.

“When you’re going to take the time to make something from fabric, you want it to last,” Shaulis said. Another benefit of her fabrics: “Our customers find that when they get fabric from a big box store, they then find that it’s easier to work with what they get here because the quality is better.”

Colorful stacks and shelves of bolts and fat quarter fabric are found throughout the store. She also stocks notions (tools) as well as the batting that gives quilts their softness and thickness. Books on quilting — including some that Shaulis wrote or contributed to — also are available, along with small gift items.

Shaulis’ quilts, each branded by a line and pattern name, are sold at the store. Her sixth and current line, Meyer House, consists of quilt patterns themed with triangular and hexagonal shapes in the Civil War style. Each pattern has a name, and the ones in Meyer House — Seven Meyer Sisters, Scioto Mills, Air Waves, The Blue Room and the titular pattern — are a tribute to her father Ken’s family and childhood life. Scioto Mills is a small town in northern Stephenson County where Ken grew up, and The Blue Room once was the town’s tavern next to the former Illinois Central railroad.

The Civil War-style fabrics consist of both dark and light patterns, typically next to each other, and are “warm colors that fit with most people’s homes and make people feel happy,” Shaulis said.

It was in 2011 that Shaulis earned national recognition in the quilting scene with the inclusion of her store — then called Sew Me Antiques, and co-owned with her sister Vicki — as a “Top 10” shop in the U.S. and Canada in Better Homes and Gardens’ “Quilt Sampler” magazine. The recognition led to increased foot traffic, and a name change, to Yellow Creek Quilt Designs, now solely run by Shaulis and her husband Dave (who does the bookkeeping).

For Shaulis, switching from sewing to quilting allowed her to create something that would make a lasting impression.

“Sewing can be its own challenge, getting things to fit, making one particular thing that you’re going to wear only for a short period of time,” Shaulis said. “When I started quilting, the equipment made the process more accurate and more enjoyable. You have something that you can enjoy for years, and that your family can also enjoy.”

Shaulis gets customers from both far and near, including some from Lake Carroll, in particular those who are members of the community’s Quilt Club. For nearly 30 years, the club has met once a month at the Lodge to enjoy company, camaraderie and “circle time” to show off their creations. Members make quilts both for personal use or as donations to local charitable organizations.

Donalee Yenney of Lake Carroll has helped Shaulis with her Meyer House works and has cherished a great working relationship with her, she said.

“The Lake Carroll Quilt Club members are extremely happy to know we have a world-renowned fabric and pattern designer so close to us to answer quilting questions, give suggestions on color or help pick out the perfect backing fabric,” Yenney said. “Our members also love shopping at Yellow Creek due to the large variety of fabrics and wool projects available.”

Shaulis has enjoyed the club’s company as well: “They’re a huge source of my enjoyment,” she said. “They’re a great group of ladies and are great customers.”

Her teaching travels have taken her throughout the United States, but from May 4-11 she taught from beyond its borders, on the Caribbean Sea aboard Royal Caribbean’s Harmony of the Seas cruise ship, during the Legacy Quilting Voyage.

Before she took up fabric education, she taught physical education at Chadwick and Eastland schools, but now that she’s teaching the art of quilting, it’s somewhat of a full circle moment for her.

“When I was going to college, I didn’t know if I wanted to teach phys-ed or wanted to teach art,” Shaulis said. At the time, she followed the money — “I went with the one that paid the most” — but now that she’s teaching quilting, “I get to do art and I still get to teach.”

For Shaulis, it’s the best of both worlds.

“I love being able to have a creative outlet,” Shaulis said. “I love having customers come who enjoy doing what they do, and enjoy having me help. I enjoy the process of creating and sharing with people, and enjoy helping customers make their ideas a reality. It feels good when they feel good about what they’ve been able to do, especially with people who think they couldn’t do it at the start, and then they did.”

Making a quilt or wool appliqué takes its share of time and effort, but when they’re done, the quilt becomes a gift that keeps on giving. There’s a sense of pride and accomplishment in a job begun and done, no matter they’re skill level.

“I’ll have someone who’s not a big quilter but wants to make something for their grandchildren, something pretty basic,” Shaulis said. “Some people come in and are looking to make a milestone thing, like a wedding gift where they want it to be amazing. It allows people to do what they’re comfortable with, and still feel good about it.”

It’s an experience Shaulis has enjoyed sharing with her students and fellow quilters.

“Once you get over the learning curve, like anything, it’s relaxing,” Shaulis said. “You feel like you’re producing something that someone is going to care about. You feel like you’ve accomplished something from beginning to end, you have a product and you did it and made it yourself.”

Yellow Creek Quilt Designs, 160 South Main St. in Pearl City, is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Thursday through Saturday. Find it on Facebook, go to yellowcreekquiltdesigns.com or call 815-443-2211 for more information.