Hi from the hot sizzling summer in the N.W.

I admit to being a complete wimp with temperatures over 80. Today they are over 100 degrees. Yikes!! I's June.
We have moved our bunnies back to their winter hutch inside and are giving the chickens frozen watermelon rinds to eat. I am so grateful that my new house has built in AC - unheard of in the N.W of my childhood. 

There is so much good news to celebrate too. Covid cases are down, vaccinations are up. Restaurants and other business are open, people are flying again. AQS is hosting 4 shows next year. IQA has a new show this fall and Road to California is on. I will be teaching at Road and the AQS Grand Rapids show. I even went on the Camano Island artist studio tour with 2 friends last weekend. People are so brilliantly creative. One of my favorites was a gal who creates miniature landscapes with embroidery floss. She painstakingly glues down the strands. Truly remarkable. 

Thank you all, who sent me messages on Facebook... with support for my new Landscape. It is finished and hanging on my youngest daughter's wall.
I am revealing the completion to you guys, with a request to please, please not post it on Social media. It is not even on my website and won't be till I have an opportunity to get it in a show.  There are 11 hidden animals in the scene. See close up of the bobcat. Have fun finding them.

  
70 x 41"
All 84 of my other quilts got their names before, or while, I was working on them. This one told me to have my daughter Mei li name the quilt. I made this quilt with her new house in mind. She is 32, and many of you know that her husband died suddenly on our 50th wedding anniversary family celebration cruise 18 months ago. 
She thought for several days and told me she wanted to name it... 

" Mother "
Named by Mei Li my beloved daughter.  Her powerful naming of this quilt encompass so much of what sustains and inspires me as an artist - Mother Earth/our Forest Mother, providing a home for so many. My mothering gift to her, who in a harsh, cold, winter season of her life, still always found beauty and is creating her own new home. She inspires me everyday.

Tips and Tricks
Small sections of multiple fabric panel winter scenes were cut up to create the forest in the background. Snow was made with a variety of: white cottons, white satin scraps from my wedding dress, white lace, tulle embellished with sparkling sequins, metallic silver thread, and touches of white fabric paint.  The shadows in the snow were created with my colored fabric paint crayons, allowing the pastel color to bleed softly into the white.

See my web store for these incredibly helpful transparent water color paints with directions and my favorite brushes and mixing pallet.
https://www.kathymcneilquilts.com/shop/Fabric-Paint-Crayons-Art-Media-Supplies/p/Fabric-paint-crayons-x10702210.htm

Other good news -
I just wrote an article for American Quilters magazine - Nov 2021 issue - about Christmas quilts. I also made a wonderful little Nutcracker wallhanging pattern they will publish for you.  I have made 5 or 6 Christmas/winter themed quilts.

Nutcrackers originated in Germany and the pattern was inspired by an exciting opportunity I was given to take a group of Quilters to the famous Christmas Markets in Germany next year. Nov 27th - December 7th 2022. We will be met by a German guide and whisked to wonderful hotels, a grand castle and several of the most famous markets. The tour ends with 3 days in Iceland to see the famous Northern lights and swim in the natural hot pools. For more information - click below. My next year's itinerary will be similar to the one you see for this year. Family and friends welcome on the tour. Bruce is going of course, so bring your huggable guy to enjoy a pint with him at the market.
https://usquilttours.com

December 2021 is the quilt cruise to the Hawaiian islands. So, if you want to stay warm in December.... come with me to Hawaii. There are 4 national teachers to take workshops from. Of course when we get to the islands, we will be hopping off ship to see the sites. Workshops are on the way over and back. For more information - https://www.quiltcruises.com/cruises/2021/Hawaii/ar

Zoom workshops and lectures are so popular that I already have 5 Zoom contracts for 2022.
I think Zoom is here to stay. Several guilds have told me that Zoom allows them to afford to bring in National teachers without all the travel expenses. Many guilds are going to a hybrid model of some in person workshops and some Zoom workshops, especially in the winter when many don't want to travel at night. Quilters are hip with the new technology and listening to a lecture in your jammies is really relaxing. 

Sale !
If this summer proves to be as hot as many expect - we need to line up our next projects. Bruce says he is putting the Apliquick interfacing on a 4 day sale. So grab up some summer supplies.
 
Apliquick interfacing is normaly
$8.00/unit (21" X 35 1/2"), or  $24.00/3 unit pc.
Sale price $6.75/unit,  $20.00/3 unit pc.

Click here to buy

Hugs Kathy.