Leigh E. McDonald - fiber artist & quilting instructor

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About Leigh

I have been sewing since Junior High School, but did not discover quilting until 1990 when I took a hand piecing class at a local quilt shop. After moving to Ohio, I entered my first quilt in an area quilt show in 1994. How brave we are when we do not know any better! It received Judge's Choice and that started my quilting career. I began teaching beginning quilt classes in 1995 at the JoAnn,etc store in Hudson, Ohio. I have been teaching quilting ever since. My classes are based on traditional techniques, but emphasize color, inventiveness and imagination. I like to enable my students to try new techniques or ideas successfully. My classes are thorough, supportive and lighthearted. My latest adventure is authoring a book on quilting with circles. This book will come out in July of 2008. I am excited about seeing it in print. It has been a long process, beginning in November of 2004.

Photograph by Paul Tople As a fiber artist, quilting instructor and pattern designer, I seek inspiration for my designs from the world around me. My work is influenced by nature; birds, animals or landscapes often appear. I use a variety of techniques; such as hand painted and dyed fabric, hand and machine embroidery, beading, and collage. My work has been juried into numerous shows across the United States and graces public and private collections.

Photograph by Marilyn Kent

Here I am with my Grandmother, who died November 6, 2004 at 97 years old. We are wearing our necktie vests. I taught Grandma how to make these and she made about 45 of them in one year and then proceeded to make 4 quilt tops using the same technique! Grandma has always sewn, crocheted and quilted and has been a big influence in my life. For more information about Leigh and her grandmother's necktie vests, see Issue 81 of Traditional Quiltworks, the article titled A Visit to Grandma's. My goal for this time in my life is to help others while doing what I love and to continue to learn new techniques and processes.

Scroll down the page for a shortened version of my resume.

Copyright © 2003 Leigh E. McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

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Contact information:
Leigh E. McDonald, 9083 Gardenia Court, Covington, KY 41015
ph: 859-356-2434
email me at: leighemcdonald at insert website address here

This is a shortened version of my resume. For a detailed resume, please contact me at leighemcdonald at adventuresinquilting.com.

Teaching:

Author of Adventures in Circles: Quilt Designs from Start to Finish, Martingale & Co., 2008
8/08 - Miami Valley Quilters, Dayton, Ohio
7/08 - Keep it Simple Sewers, Copley, Ohio
6/08 - Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society Getaway, Feature Teacher, Georgetown, Kentucky
8/07 - Berea Arts Council, Berea, Kentucky
7/07 - Quilter's Guild of Indianapolis, Indianapolis, Indiana
3/07 - Ohio Valley Quilt Guild, Cincinnati, Ohio
5/07 - The Gathering of Quilters Guild, Toledo, Ohio
11/05 - A Quilters' Gathering, Nashua, New Hampshire
4/05 - The Wilderness Center, Wilmot, Ohio
9/05 - PBS 45/49's Make It Myself Expo, Akron, Ohio
7/04 - John C. Campbell Folk School, Brasstown, North Carolina
7/04 - Quiltfest, Jonesborough, Tennessee
3/04 - Indiana Heritage Quilt Show, Bloomington, Indiana
10/2003 - 5/04 Quilting classes for UAW Chrysler Employees, UAW Training Center, Twinsburg, Ohio
10/2001 to 11/03 - Viking Sewing Center, located in JoAnns, etc, 5381 Darrow Road, Hudson, Ohio, 330-342-1139.
1995 to 2006 - Northeastern Ohio regional Quilt council (NEORQC) registered teacher.
1997 to 2003 - Workshop instructor for NEORQC Annual Getaway Weekend, location varies.
1998, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2004- Workshop instructor for Quilter's Escape at Shawnee State Park, Shawnee, Ohio. http://www.quiltescape.com
6/2003 - Workshop instructor for Fiberfest, Lake Farmpark, Lake Metroparks, 8800 Chardon Road, Kirtland, Ohio 44094
3/2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004 - Workshop instructor during annual "Quilts" Show at Lake Farmpark, Lake Metroparks, 8800 Chardon Road, Kirtland, Ohio 44094
6/2002 - The Mansfield Art Center, Mansfield Fine Arts Guild, Inc., 700 Marion Avenue, Mansfield, Ohio 44906

Recognitions and Awards

Author, Adventures in Circles: Quilt Designs from Start to Finish, Martingale & Co., 2008
Best of Printmaking Award, Northern Kentucky University Student Show, Highland Heights, Kentucky, March, 2008
Invitational Show, 25th Anniversary Quilt Show, Streetsboro Quilt Guild, Streetsboro, Ohio, October, 2007
Solo Invitation Show, Altiora Coffee, Taylor Mill, KY, September, 2006
Retrospective Invitational Show, Stow Public Library Gallery, Stow, Ohio, January, 2006 Work featured on cover of Art Calendar Magazine, Vol. 19, No. 8, September, 2005
Art Department Scholarship, Kent State University School of Art, Kent, Ohio
One Desert Evening received Peoples' Choice Award at small works show, annual juried show of The Artists Network of Kent, Gallery 138, Kent State University School of Art, Kent, Ohio
Interviewed by WCRF Radio Station, Cleveland, Ohio, February, 2004
Featured Artist of the Week on Fox 8 In the Morning Show, Cleveland, Ohio, February, 2004, work featured: "Feed Me"
Glass Bubbles chosen for postcard front for KSU Trumbull Gallery Show, Warren, Ohio
Invitational Show, Famous Ohio Quilt Designers - at Celebrate Ohio 8th Biannual Quilt Show by North Coast Needlers Quilt Guild, Westlake, Ohio
2002 - Quilt Judge, Portage County Fair, Randolph, Ohio
Awarded scholarship to Quilt Surface Design Symposium 2002 (QSDS), Columbus, Ohio
Best of Show, Viewer's Choice and 1st Place in Contemporary, Large Wallhanging category for "Feed Me" at Quilts 2002, Lake Farmpark, Kirtland, Ohio
Hummingbird with Indian Paintbrush photograph published in Picture Piecing Creating, Dramatic Pictorial Quilts, by Cynthia England, ©2002, page 87
Article, Traditional Qultworks, Issue 81, A Visit to Grandma's
Interview Channel 5 Good Morning Cleveland Show, March 13, 2002
Featured Artist of the Week on the Fox 8 In the Morning Show, January 28 - February 1. Work featured: Nelson Ledges
Interviewed by WCRF Radio Station, Cleveland, Ohio

Juried/Judged Shows:

Invitational One Woman Show, Grace Baptist Church, Kent, Ohio
Glass Bubbles, Slice of Heaven, Rectangles I, and It's All About Love, chosen for Fibre Works, Millworks Gallery, Akron, Ohio
One Desert Evening, chosen for the small works show, 3rd annual juried show of The Artists Network of Kent, Gallery 138, Kent State University School of Art, Kent, Ohio
"Feed Me" and Mendocino Mornings, International Quilt Show, Houston, Texas
Peek-a-boo, Glass Bubbles, and Breaking Out - The Teenage Years, Studio Art Quilt Association Regional Show, Flint Michigan
"Feed Me", Quilt Odyssey, Gettysburg, Pennsylvania
Mendocino Mornings, Road to California Show, Ontario, California
"Feed Me", Indiana Heritage Quilt Show, Bloomington, Indiana
Savanna Flight, Quilter's Heritage Show, Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Yucca, Gleaming Treasures Show, International Quilt Festival - Chicago, Illinois
Conquering the Blues, 1st place Contemporary Machine Quilted Small Wallhanging category for Quilts 2003, Lake Farmpark, Kirtland, Ohio
"Feed Me", "Flight" at Aullwood Audubon Center, Dayton, Ohio
Glass Bubbles, "Uptown Quilts" An Exhibition of Fine Art Quilts, David Myers Art Studio & Gallery, Westerville, Ohio
Marbelous Marbles and Ginko, Juried Summer Exhibition, The Artists Network of Kent, Gallery 138, Kent State University, School of Art, Kent, Ohio
Hocking Hills - A Tribute to our Ohio State Parks, received an Honorable Mention at the Ohio Quilts! exhibit at the Ohio State Fair, Columbus, Ohio

Gallery and Group Shows:

Invitational Show, Inspired Perspectives: Contemporary Works in Fiber, Contemporary Fiber Artists, Canton Museum of Art, Canton, Ohio, May, 2008
Nature, Contemporary Fiber Artists, Naturealm, Summit County Metropark, Akron, Ohio
Invitational show, Tactile Textiles: Contemporary Quilts and Fibers, at The Art Works Gallery, Newark, Ohio
Art on Wheels show at Dominion Gas offices, Cleveland, Ohio
Exhibition by Contemporary Fiber Artists, Akron Public Library, Akron, Ohio
Fiber Reactions: Not your Grandmother's Quilts, an exhibition by Contemporary Fiber Artists, KSU Trumbull Art Gallery, Warren, Ohio
Collage of Fiber - Winter 2004, by Contemporary Cloth Artists, Beachwood, Ohio
Hocking Hills - A Tribute to our Ohio State Parks, on tour with the Original Sewing and Quilt Expo by invitation, as part of the Ohio Challenge Exhibit
Sunflower Spin and Ginko, Collage of Cloth, Contemporary Cloth Artists, Orange Art Center, Pepper Pike, Ohio
Glass Bubbles and Yucca, Invitational Show, gallery at McGraw-Hill Company, Polaris site, Columbus, Ohio
Ginko Gallery & Studio - 19 South Main Street, Oberlin, Ohio 44074, 440-774-3117
Contemporary Fiber Artists - Kindred Spirits, group show at Stow Public Library, Stow, Ohio
ICONS, a traveling group show of the Contemporary Fiber Artists at Mansfield/Richland Public Library, Mansfield, Ohio
Fifth Solo Invitational Show, Stow Public Library Gallery, Stow, Ohio
Gallery 138, Kent State University, 138 E. Main Street, Kent, Ohio, Founders Exhibition of The Artists Network of Kent
Mather Gallery, Case Western Reserve University, Thwing Center, 11111 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio. Group show of Kindred Spirits

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Quilts in Private/Public Collections:

2008 - One Desert Evening, private collection
2007 -Blazing Nasturtiums, private collection
2006 - Yucca, private collection
2006 - Rectangles I, private collection
2006 - It's All About Love, private collection
2004 - Floss Every Day!, public collection, Lee A. Morrow Dental Office,Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio
2004 - Color Wheel Circles, private collection
2003 - Morning Visitor II, private collection
2003 - Conquering the Blues, private collection
2003 - My Domain, private collection
2002 - Hummingbird with Indian Paintbrush, private collection
2002 - Morning Visitor, private collection
2002 - Mendocino Mornings, private collection
2002 - Sand Painting, private collection
2000 - Underwater Moonlight, private collection
2000 - Sandpipers, private collection

Education and Professional Affiliations:

In progress, Bachelor of Fine Arts/Printmaking, Northern Kentucky University, Highland Heights, Kentucky
2 year degree in Liberal Arts, Butte Community College, Oroville, California
Member:
Kentucky Heritage Quilt Society
Art Quilters of Kentucky
Ohio Designer Craftsmen
Studio Art Quilt Associates
Surface Design Associates
American Quilt Society
International Quilt Association
Contemporary Fiber Artists
Founding Member of The Artists Network of Kent (TANK)
Member Teacher of Northeastern Ohio Regional Quilt Council (NEORQC)
Member Teacher of International Quilt Association
Listed In Education Directory of the Quilting Professional, published by VDTA/SDTA - 2002, 2003

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Site last updated August, 2008

Copyright ©2003 Leigh E. McDonald. All Rights Reserved.

home | about Leigh | workshops | gallery | patterns | studio | links