Welcome to my website!
My name is Julia McLeod. I am a quilt maker, presenter, teacher, quilt judge, and author based in the San Francisco Bay Area.
I specialize in making quilts from reclaimed silks and other rescued textiles. Please browse my website for information about my events, quilts, lectures, workshops and more.
Born and raised in England, I worked as a textile designer in the woolen and worsted mills of Yorkshire and Scotland before taking a job with a luxury tailoring company on London’s Savile Row. A design position at a menswear company in New York City brought me to the US, and I’ve been here ever since. I discovered quilt making on travels through the small Amish towns of Pennsylvania. Some of the first quilts I made were for my young children.
Since 2016 I have specialized in making silk quilts, sourcing my fabrics from neckties, clothing and furnishing fabrics. I have a passion for reuse and recycling, which leads me to rescue vintage blocks and textiles. These reclaimed fabrics become the starting point for my quilt designs.
My book, Patchwork Luxe: Quilts from Neckties, Kimonos and Sari Silks is published by C&T Publishing
My on-demand class ‘How to Use Silks in Your Quilt Making’ is available at Creative Spark.
More ways to find me and my work:
- TheQuiltShow.com episodes 2902 and 3709
- Brandy Maslowski interviewed me on episode 198 of her podcast Quilter on Fire.
- Guest artist of Joe Cunningham at his Quilt Freedom Workshop #55
- Instructor for Mancuso Show Management’s Quilt Fest
- Teacher at Quilt Festival Houston 2022
- Faculty member at Empty Spools Seminars 2025, 2027
- Keynote Speaker Minnesota Quilt Show 2026
My work has appeared in galleries, museums and publications:
- Viva La Vida showed in 10 venues across the USA as part of Beford Gallery’s traveling show, The World of Frida
- Dreaming of Margilan – Issue 152 of Quiltmania magazine
- Stars Aligned – Quilters Companion, Feb 2025, and the Quilt Guild of the British Isles 2025 calendar
- Details of my book, Patchwork Luxe appeared in Quilting Arts, Threads Magazine, and Quilt Maker
I trained as a quilt judge, under the mentorship of Kitty Oliver, Julie Curry and Diana Muenzler. I have judged quilts in California (PIQF, Folsom Quilt and fiber Guild, Peninsula Quilt Guild, San Mateo County Fair) and Texas (Ogalla Quilt Festival).
I am an active member of San Francisco Quilters Guild and East Bay Heritage Quilters.