Latest News

March 17, 2007

I have loved animals my entire life. I am the one who took home all the baby mice from school when their mother died. Feeding them every three hours through the night and only one survived. My dad even bought me an old sway back horse for my very own.

Lately I have been reading everything I can find on the plight of the Polar Bears. A beautiful and amazing animal. White fur and black skin to absorb the sun. They often look yellow in the photographs as their fur reflects the color of the sun. They can swim up to 90 miles and some scientist think they should be classified as marine mammals, as at home in the water as on the ice.

This new quilt has my heart and soul in it. The center for bio-diversity recently asked to put me and the quilt on their web site as a "quilting activist". Quilter's have always been activist. We pour our hearts into community quilts, quilts for cancer and quilts to support the troops.

I challenge you all to make quilts that reach out to comfort and protect Mother Earth. Let's find places to hang them in our communities.

Collectively we have a powerful voice! Let's ROAR, Ladies.

Hugs Kathy

Happy New Year.  My family will be greeting the New Year from Peru this year.

Our oldest daughter and son in law have been volunteering building an orphanage in Peru and we decided to join them for Christmas and then go to the World Heritage site of Manchu Picchu. The local textiles have intricate patterns and bright colors. What fun!

Then it’s off to Scotland in June. Our youngest daughter has been studying at the University of Edinburgh all year. The Edinburgh and Thistle Quilter’s Guilds have asked me to do a lecture for them on June 9^th.  They meet right by the Castle. How is that for a setting?

The love of fabric, its wonderful assortment of color, print, pattern and texture bond us together around the world.

Along with many guilds, I am also teaching at two different art schools this year.

 Please consider joining me in one of these beautiful settings. Madeline School of the Arts is located on a scenic island in Lake Superior. The class room setting alone will be inspirational. (Bruce has plans to do a week of kayaking while I play with new friends and fabric).  John C Campbell Folk School is one of my favorite places to teach. The fiber arts studio is to die for. There is so much creative energy here, blacksmithing, enamel, wood working, painting and cooking classes. Bruce is going to take the Nature Studies and photography class this year. 

If you happen to be any where near Cannon Beach Oregon, the Historical Museum will host a solo exhibition of 10 of my quilts from April 19^th to July 19^th.

Hope to see you and best wishes to all for a fun quilting year.

Kathy

Gone Fishin'

BEST OF SHOW
2007 Pacific International Quilt Festival

To be displayed at the Mark Twain Boyhood Home & Museum    Spring/Summer 2008

" Gone Fishin’” is a tribute to America’s great rivers
and the young men whose dreams created a nation."

Visit the Pacific International Quilt Festival Site

October 2007 News

Read Article Here in Document Format
*Permission for reprint of article thanks to Beckye Randall

Latest News - August
What a wonderful summer.  The kids are great. My youngest daughter leaves to study in Scotland for a whole year in ten days. She had urgent surgery just last week.. We have said many thankful prayers that it happened here and not over there.

My exhibition at the Oregon Quilt Museum in Tillamook is going great. I have had lots of feedback and am so grateful for all the kind letters of support and enthusiasm. Ten years ago when I discovered quilting I had no idea that so much excitement would come with it. I have sold 4 quilts so far this year. I am making a commission piece right now for my surgery director of 30 years.  A new local paper just interviewed me for an article coming out Sept 7th. Quilt Magazine is using Gone Fishin' for their spring edition and Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine is doing a feature article on me in the December Meeting Place. I love sharing my passion with so many others.

Thank you all, Kathy

 May 2007

“Guess who found HOPE?”

Look for National Geographic Traveler Magazine this summer. They are doing an article on Skagit County, and wanted me to confirm that I was the artist who had made “Hope” a quilt featuring the plight of Mountain Gorilla’s. They also asked me if I was a textile artist and a recovery room nurse!

March 20, 2007 

 For all those nurses who wonder how I could trade in my scrubs for the life of an itinerant teacher...... take a look at this shot.

A great time was had by the staff, teachers and students. (I got to hang out with some pretty famous teachers)

IHQS is a remarkable Nationally acclaimed show put on by 14 passionate quilters!! They are a non-profit group who organize this show as a labor of love for the quilting world. As you can see they take care of their teachers like no one else in the industry. If you ever get a chance, head to Bloomington in the spring for this gem of a show. Great facilities, great teachers and hundreds of quilts.

 February 1, 2007 

New!  The Applique Society article: 

"Kathy McNeil Creates Magical Quilts" by Patti Ives

 Read this article

Are you a member of TAS? 

January 3, 2007 

Happy New Year everyone. 
Traveling around the country, teaching and exhibiting brought me so many new quilt buddies last year. It cannot be said often enough that quilter’s are wonderful generous people.  At John C Campbell Folk School my students introduced me to grits and possum water.  Irene Berry from Quilter’s Newsletter Magazine took me to a Biker bar for lunch during my exhibition at the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.  Sandra Leichner and Cassandra Williams honored me by accepting the offer to do a joint show at the LaConner Quilt Museum.  Geri, Jennifer and I all cried when we saw our quilt” Sagacious Sister’s” with a big old ribbon on it at AQS in Paducah.

 Family still is the core of my life, but I am actually starting to shift my identity from a Nurse to an Artist and Teacher.

(Thanks to my fellow nurses who allow me to work just one shift a week now.)

 For all of you who have asked repeatedly when I am putting out a book- The dream is still to work on a children’s book with pictures of my quilts someday. 

However for those who have asked me for Patterns,--They are here! 

I will continue to make new ones in between all the new quilt ideas that keep me up night. If you have a specific pattern request e-mail me. That way I will be able to make new ones that you all want.

 For all my new friends and students. Stay in touch. I love getting pictures of the quilts you started in workshops. I try to answer e-mail questions religiously.  

2007 Health Focus.  Stroke Symptoms.

 From the onset of stroke symptoms--Remember you have 3 hours to intervene. You can make a huge difference in long-term outcome with early treatment. Don’t wait around and wonder. GO GET CHECKED!