My name is Julia McLeod. Welcome to my website!
I’m an award-winning quilt maker living and working in Northern California, just east of San Francisco. I am available (in person and via Zoom) to present lectures, teach workshops and judge quilt shows.
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 episode #2902
- Guest artist of Joe Cunningham at his Quilt Freedom Workshop #55
- Brandy Maslowski interviewed me on episode 198 of her podcast Quilter on Fire.
- Instructor for Mancuso Show Management’s Quilt Fest
- Faculty member at Empty Spools Seminars 2025 & 2027
- Teacher at Quilt Festival Houston 2022.
- Sporadical blogger at See How We Sew.
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 am an active member of San Francisco Quilters Guild and East Bay Heritage Quilters.
Look around my website and you’ll find out about the lectures and workshops I offer. The Gallery page shows examples of my work, and if you’d like a quilt made just for you, read about how to commission a quilt.
Looking for a blog full of ideas, inspiration and information? I’m part of the ‘See How We Sew’ team, alongside Laura Nownes, Pati Fried and Kirsten Hoseman.
Find our colorful, quilt-related content here: https://www.seehowwesew.com