About

Recent Awards

New DVD "Multiple Ways to Applique" in my store.

1st Place Nature Quilts Houston 2012 IQA show

1st Place Domestic machine quilted 2012 Paducah AQS

Viewers Choice Award Audubon's Christmas AQS 2012

Best of Show Road to California International

Runner up to Best of Show Pacific International

2nd place wall Mid Atlantic 2013

1st place Innovative Denver National

2nd place Pictorial Quilts Pacific West

1st Place Applique, 2nd place wall and 3rd place applique

Monthly Tips Newsletter

1149 Current Subscribers

Jingle Bells

Hello my friends,

Twenty more gray hairs, 5 bags of Cheetos, dark bags under my eyes.... but hey I DID IT!!. I made my goal. "Jingle Bells" is done and entered into the IQA show this year. These deadlines are called that for a reason.

Now for the backstory. We always take a family Christmas vacation. This year we went to a lodge in Eastern WA. They had an old fashioned sleigh ride. Over the river and thru the woods to a tent for dinner. The drover looked like he had been doing this for the last hundred years. Beat up cowboy hat, oilskin coat down to his boots, beard, and a gruff weathered look to his face. My grand daughters were the only kids on the sleigh. He turned to my petite little 4 yr old and asked her what she got for Christmas. "A bow and arrow", she replied. He did a double take and said, " Really, a bow and arrow? What are you going to shoot?" "Bears", she replied. At that he let out a big belly laugh. "Bears?" "Well, just the mean ones", she said. That old red neck was roped and tied in seconds by my little mighty mite. "Do you want to drive the horses little missy, he asked?' "Well yes sir I do". He obviously was not familiar with Disney's newest Princess - Merida.

Thread Embellishments. Thank you to Carol Stocking for the great idea to do Sea Fans with thread. I apologize for not recognizing you last month. Love that idea! Check out the several new student project photos in my student gallery this month too.

Border choices. The majority of you chose our Rooster with the stripes all around. Laura, (the artist and I) choose the dark strip on the left side. Competition with the main subject of the quilt was my problem with the stripes. They are so visually powerful. I felt like your eye went there first, instead of the Rooster. On Jingle Bells, I chose a dark colored border to frame in the dark horses. The lettering was done with machine embroidery on two pieces of tear away stabilizer behind the border fabric. I did that prior to the quilting. There are real jingle bells attached to the little holly berry flourish.

News from Walrus Designs-

More than a Memory won an Honorable Mention at this years show in Paducah.

"Quilter's World" magazine has asked me to make a 18 inch block pattern for them.

It will be coming out this fall with an article on my "Multiple Ways to Applique" approach to quilting. AQS has asked me to partner with them in publishing two more patterns. One is the "Dancing Cranes" pattern. I am pushing for a CD to accompany it with directions and photos, as it's a complex pattern. The other is "Greeting the Golden Grandchild".

I am sometimes asked about how it works when you want to write a book or sell your patterns? Did you know that it is standard for authors to receive 5% royalty on each pattern or book sold? It is not a great way to become rich. Most of us do it out of our love for teaching and sharing our work with others. It often takes an author a year of work to make a book with all of the requisite samples and photos. Books generally cost $28.00. You do the math. Authors and designers have to buy back our own books and patterns at the whole sale price, just like any quilt shop. If you want to thank teachers for writing books or making patterns, - buy your books or patterns directly from them instead of the publishers. That way they will make a little more.

Great Gadgets.

Combining pieced skies with the more curvo-linear shapes found in nature is a easy way to add interest to your quilts. The contrast between techniques also adds a dynamic touch. It is a great way to change the color and brightness across the sky section. Use half triangles, or diamonds. 2.5 inch squares set on point look great. They need to be square! If you are a little off on one, you will be a lot of by the time you have sewn 75 together. I like this new ruler. Loc bloc. It has a groove in it. The seam allowance slides into that groove and then there is no rocking when cutting. The square can be firmly held down to your cutting mat. Sew them together in strips. Sew two strips together. Then another two. Sew the pairs together. If you just keep adding more strips to the side, the whole section becomes stretched and out of square.

Here's the link.

http://shop.blocloc.com/Bloc-Loc-HST-Square-up-Ruler-25-BL-HST-25.htm

Puffin pattern is available in my shop. Take me there. 63 x 50 sold.

Tips for trapunto -

My favorite batting for trapunto work is Quilters Dream cotton. It cuts so easily and cleanly. No little feather tufts ! I use blue water dissolvable markers to mark my designs. The first layer of basting thread is lite weight dissolvable thread by Superior. Get the Vanish light weight!

www.superiorthreads.com/shop/product/vanish-lite-300-yds/

Heres the tricky part. Use only cold water to remove the blue marking lines. Hot water removes the thread better but you do not want to "heat set' those marking lines. Make sure they are totally gone before washing the remaining thread away in hotter water. If you want a faux trapunto look - (without the work of cutting away the extra layer of batting) - Use 100% wool batting. It inherently puffs better than cotton.

Remember to nurture your personal creative self this Spring too.

hugs Kathy.

www.kathymcneilquilts.com

About

Kathy McNeil, award winning Quilt artist, teacher, and judge.

6813 Totem Beach Rd~Marysville, WA 98271-9714

Walrusdesigns@aol.com The easiest way to reach me is by e mail. I check it twice a day. Thank you.

www.kathymcneilquilts.com

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Click here for 2013 Contract information.

Biography

Kathy McNeil is an internationally award winning quilt artist, teacher and judge. Hand appliqueing thousands of little scraps of fabric together, she creates quilts that look like paintings.

These wall hangings are inherently and symbolically full of love and comfort. Often using over a hundred different fabrics in one composition, she revels in adding small details and surprises for the viewer to find. The quilting itself adds an additional element of texture to her work. Her quilts are frequently featured in museums, magazines, calendars, and international shows. Many of her quilts are in private collections.

Artist Statement

Every creative act begins as a connection between the artist and their world. Exploration of that moment of inspiration fuels the process of telling a story and making art. Results are never predictable, as the discovery is different each time. A mastery of techniques and design will be noted and appreciated by others, but will the magic that inspired the artist, reach out and touch someone else? When it does.... something big is shared.

Résumé:

Museum exhibitions

Latimer Textile Museum, solo show 2011

Mark Twain Boyhood Home and Museum permanent collection.

Cannon Beach Historical Museum solo 2008

Latimer Quilt Museum- solo, 2011 and 2007

Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum, Solo exhibition 2006

LaConner Quilt Museum, 2006 "Three Perspectives"

Museum of the American Quilter's Society, Paducah, KY, Solo exhibition 2006

Gifts of Love 2005, “Power for Change” 2004, "New Quilts from Old Favorites" 2004

LaConner Quilt Museum, Solo 2004

Shelburne Art Museum, 2004

Edmonds Art Museum Solo, 2005

San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles, 2001 Wide-angle exhibition

National Quilting Judge

Indiana Heritage 2008,

Road 2 California 2010, 2013

Northern California judging workshop and certification.

Kathy teaches in the US and Canada for Quilt Shows, seminars and guilds.

Publications

Quilt It 2013. Gathering Inspiration full page.

New Quilts from Old Favorites, National Quilting Museum book 2010 and 2011

The Quilter 2012. Featured artist.

Center fold Quilt Life/ December AQS 2012

Fon’s and Porter Magazine. 2009, 2011 Machine Quilting- January 2010 Quilting the Pictorial Quilt

Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine:March 2012 Photo Finish, April 2010 Front to Back Pictorial Quilting, December 2007 Featured artist 2002 December cover Photo, April 2007, May 2004, January 2004, December 2003, Photo Finish 2008

500 Art Quilts by Lark Books. 2010

American Quilter’s Society Engagement Calendar 2013, 2005, 2007

Quilter Magazine Photo finish 2008

American Quilter: 2007 Spring, 2003 Winter

Adoption Today, August 2006

Storm at Sea New Quilts from Old Favorites: Book AQS 2000

National and International Awards

More than a Memory - Honorable Mention AQS Paducah. 2013

My Venetian - 2nd place wall Mid Atlantic 2013

Audubons' Christmas- 1st place Place Paducah AQS 2012, Viewers Choice Award!, 3rd place applique Road to Ca 2012

More than a Memory- 2nd place Innovative Pacific International 2012

Jelly Snacks - Honorable mention Paducah AQS 2012

Christmas Piper- Grand prize- Quilt Ireland.

Natural Wonders. IQA Houston 2012 1st place Naturescapes, BEST OF SHOW RD 2 CA 2011, IQA Houston 2012, 1st runner up to Best of show. PIQF 2010, Judges choice Indiana Heritage 2011

Heron Happiness-3rd place AQS Paducah, Best Innovation in Design 2011 Indiana Heritage, 1st place Road to California wall applique, 1st pace applique Quilt Odyssey 2010

Milkweed for Monarchs. 2nd place wall quilt PIQF 2010

Panda Perfect. 2nd place Pictorial Road to CA 2011

SunFlower Duet- 2nd place New quilts from Old favorites National Quilting Museum

Feathered Friends-1st place Large Lancaster 2010 AQS

Pass it on- Best Machine Workmanship Denver National 2010, 1st place applique Indiana Heritage 2010. Best Pictorial Quilt Odyssey 2010, Viewers Choice, Quilt Odyssey 2010

Spring Rituals-Best Machine workmanship Denver National 2008

Crossing Calamity Creek- Best Pictorial Quilt Odyssey 2009, Best Pictorial Mid Atlantic 2010

Monkey Business at Grandma’s 1st Place Group. AQS Des Moines 2008

Take Me There 1st Place Nature-scapes Road to California 2009

Much Ado About Nothing -First Place "Mixed Techniques" Road to California, 2008

Finders Keepers- Best Pictorial, Road to California, 2008, People’s Choice LaConner Quilt Museum Festival 2008

Gone Fishin’- Best of Show Pacific International 2007, 2nd place Pictorial Quilters Heritage 2007

Courage- First Place Professional. The Applique Society show 2007, Best Wall Quilt: Quilt Odyssey 2006 Mixed Techniques,

Mayor's Choice Quilting on the Waterfront 2006

Sagacious Sisters-2nd Place ~ Group Category, American Quilter's Society Paducah Show 2006

Sometimes I Wish- Pacific International Quilt Festival, 2005 Best Wall Quilt

Night Before Christmas-Road to California National Show 2005 - 2nd place, The Appliqué Society Quilt Show 2005 - 2nd Place Place Vermont Quilt Festival 2005 -

2nd Place, Quilt Odyssey 2005 - 3rd Place Wall

Catrina’s Firebird-Pennsylvania National 2004 – Best Machine Quilting

Mother India- Pennsylvania National 2004 – Wall Quilts 3rd place

Ode to the Wind and Waves--AQS 2000 Storm at Sea, New Quilts from Old Favorites – 4th place

Memories of You and Me- Indiana Heritage Wall Quilt 2002 – 2nd place

Christmas in the Forest-- Mid Atlantic Quilt Show 2002 - Viewers choice Road to California Show 2002 - Outstanding full size quilt, 1st place

Tudor Romance, Innovations 2005 - First Place, Teachers Category, The Appliqué Society 2005 - 1st Place, TAS Viewers Choice 2005, Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine Heritage Contest. 2001

Quilts in Corporate Collections

Providence clinic - Everett WA

Mark Twain Museum and boyhood home - Hannibal, MO

Marine Mammal Center - Sausalito, CA

Falls Mill Museum - Bellvidere, TN