Karen McTavish
McTavish Quilting Studio
Karen McTavish ~ Award Winning Longarm Quilter,
Author, Instructor, Speaker, Judge and APQS Dealer
Products
Scroll down for descriptions and ordering information on Karen's books, digitized patterns, stencils and pantographs.
Whitework Quilting
by Karen C. McTavish
Whitework Quilting by Karen McTavish combines the best of how-to, history and art. This book is a fusion of two concepts: an artful, coffee-table lexicon of award-winning quilts, and a resourceful, knowledge guide structured to lead readers to their own wholecloth quilting success.
This book features some of the country's best quilters, showcasing 60 award-winning Wholecloth, Trapunto, Appliqué and Pieced quilts. Never before has so complete a collection of wholecloth quilts been amassed. Karen's humor and quilting knowledge make the book a joy to read. In very little time you will understand the core concepts of creating your own heirloom wholecloth quilt.
This book breaks the "Quilt book" mold. It is a book of art and practicality. It will be comfortable on your coffee table or your work table. This is more than a quilt book; it is an expression of love for the beauty of art in cloth.
The photography has been done by one of the country's premier quilt photographers. Images of the quilts fill the pages and include incredible, detailed shots. Viewing the quilt in person with a magnifying glass would not render better views of the stitching.
This hardcover, square-backed book with a satin marker ribbon, features over 60 quilts, is 192 pages, full color and retails for $39.95.
Click here to read reviews.
Order Online Direct from my Publisher: On-Word Bound Books
P.S. - The Secrets of Elemental Quilting is a great companion workbook for Whitework Quilting. Scroll down to order.
Quilting for Show
by Karen C. McTavish
Price: $24.95 + shipping and handling
Quilting for Show showcases a collection of the nations’ best quilts and quiltmakers. Karen explains what it means to quilt for show, how to go about finding a show, what to expect from judges, what kind of behavior is ethical, what to do about photography, how to ship your quilt to a show and why appraisals are important. She also shares practical, quilt construction knowledge such as how to bury your threads, how to block a quilt, how to add a sleeve and how to quilt like a hand quilter.
This book is organized into 4 main sections to guide the reader towards successful competition quilting: Inspiration, Before the Show, Into the Minds of Judges and Quilting Concepts - the practical guide to quilting. Each section includes multiple examples of award winning quilts with comments and advice from the quiltmakers. Helen Squire, Caryl Bryer Fallert, Diane Gaudynski, Ricky Tims, Sharon Schamber, Hollis Chatelain, Linda Taylor, Linda McCuean, Carol Selepec, Myrna Ficken, Kim Brunner, Carie Shields, Anita Kris Mattson, Jean Carlton (quilt appraiser) and Pepper Cory (judge) add their collective wisdom to Karen's instruction on what it takes to quilt for show.
The book and DVD include lessons in blocking a quilt, applying a sleeve, quilting feathers, rope and cable and straight line quilting such as crosshatching, enabling the reader to enhance any kind of quilt with show quality quilting. Quilters who have been asking Karen to re-release Quilting for Show will be delighted with this new book and accompanying DVD*.
This book is softcover, 112 pages, features 25 award winning quilts in full color with close-up pictures of quilting details, and includes a DVD* with detailed lessons in blocking a quilt, applying a sleeve and learning to quilt like a hand quilter. It retails for $24.95.
Click here to read reviews.
Order Online Direct from my Publisher: On-Word Bound Books
The Secrets of Elemental Quilting
by Karen C. McTavish
Price: $24.95 + shipping and handling
See below for links to digitized patterns from this book.
Karen's book, The Secrets of Elemental Quilting ~ Innovative Quilting Designs plus Trapunto Tips & Tricks, showcases the author's creative design ideas through multiple element and pattern examples. These patterns will enhance Appliqué and Pieced quilts or can stand alone as a Wholecloth design. Longarmers, domestic machine quilters and hand quilters alike can use these elements (as many times as they like). The book includes a detailed 60 minute DVD* of Karen teaching the techniques, step-by-step, of Trapunto, Shadow Trapunto and Color Trapunto.
This book is organized in 3 main sections to guide the reader in using the elements in their quilting: How to Use Elements which includes Supplies and Getting Started, Patterns which includes Fundamental Feathers, Seashells, Victorian Feathers, Seussian, Primordial and Wholecloth Patterns and Trapunto How-To which includes instruction on Basic Trapunto, Shadow Trapunto and Color Trapunto. The accompanying DVD* offers a private lesson with Karen on these 3 Trapunto techniques.
The Secrets of Elemental Quilting offers a peek into the unlimited potential of quilting design. The author shares her secrets for creating complex motifs out of a single, simple design. The book and DVD include 3 trapunto lessons, enabling the reader to enhance any kind of quilt. Quilters who have been asking Karen to teach her trapunto techniques will be delighted with this new book and accompanying DVD*.
This book is softcover, 112 pages, 120 unlimited use compound elements, and a 60 minute DVD* which features 3 trapunto lessons. It retails for $24.95.
Click here to read reviews.
Order Online Direct from my Publisher: On-Word Bound Books
Mastering the Art of McTavishing
by Karen C. McTavish
Price: $24.95 + shipping and handling
Mastering the Art of McTavishing ~ The Official Guide to Adding this Stitch to Your Quilts, showcases the author's signature stitch on Apparel and Art, Appliqué, Wholecloth, and Pieced quilts and garments. Contributing quilters are longarmers, domestic machine quilters and hand quilters. The book includes a detailed 90 minute DVD* of Karen teaching the process, step-by-step, of McTavishing.
McTavishing is the most popular new design concept in quilting. This innovative stitching technique is inspiring quilters from New York to Australia. The author’s namesake stitch makes a quilt look and feel as if it has motion and texture.
The inspiration for this style of quilting comes from Art Nouveau artist, Alfonse Mucha. Author, Karen McTavish, adapted Mucha’s curvy, stylized art form into a free-hand background filler quilting design. The effect was electric on the quilting community and in judged competition. Quilters started to emulate her form and dubbed it “McTavishing.”
Her newest book is a compellation of masterpiece quilts that highlight McTavishing in all its complex forms. Mastering the Art of McTavishing instructs the quilter on adding this technique to any quilt or garment, from traditional wholecloth to contemporary art quilts, for use by hand, domestic machine, or longarm quilters.
Seven how-to chapters, twenty-two quilts, and four garments from thirty-two contributing quilt artists help illustrate the many ways to use McTavishing: add the stitch to an open quilt block, use it in a border, highlight complex appliqué, custom tailor your favorite garment, make a large over-all design or quilt it tightly packed to emphasize trapunto - every aspect of how to use McTavishing is compiled in the book and in the accompanying DVD*. The book is softcover, full color, 96 pages, includes a DVD*, and retails for $24.95.
Lessons from the author combined with interviews of accomplished hand and domestic machine quilters on the DVD* give the reader an unparalleled view of the quilting process. Quilters who have been asking Karen to teach her technique will be delighted with this new book and accompanying DVD*.
Click here to read reviews.
Order Online Direct from my Publisher: On-Word Bound Books
Exclusively Designed Digitized Patterns available
I have two companies who are digitizing the patterns from The Secrets of Elemental Quilting. If you are interested in buying these designs formatted for your Computerized Quilting Machine try either Legacy Quilting or Digi-Tech Patterns.
Buy directly from:
Currently Legacy has digitized patterns which are customized for Statler Stitchers. Formats for other computerized quilting machines coming soon.
Buy directly from:
Digi-Tech has digitized patterns for Compuquilter, as well as other computerized quilting & embroidery machines.
Exclusively Designed Custom Stencils and Pantographs available through Golden Threads
McTavishing Stencil Designed By Karen McTavish
Now achieve McTavishing the easy way
This large stencil is a tesselation - which means you can continually match up any end and mark as you go. There is no wrong way to fit the stencil together. You can quilt the stencil design as marked or add more freehand filler as you quilt between the lines for a more dense McTavishing look. This stencil is great for applique blocks or to be used in background fillers.
This large stencil is 20" X 17"
Purchase this stencil directly from Golden Threads or call 1-888-477-7718. If the web link does not work click the refresh button.
McScrollwork Stencil Designed By Karen McTavish
Two design sizes in one stencil.
Price: $12.50 + shipping and handling (shipped flat with instructions)
This large stencil is perfect for any on-point blocks. No background filler needed as this stencil is already elaborate and tightly packed. Stencil design has two sizes on one stencil. To see examples of what this stencil looks like on a quilt, check out Whitework Quilting, pages 24-25 and 180-181.
This large stencil is 20" X 17"
Purchase this stencil directly from Golden Threads or call 1-888-477-7718. If the web link does not work click the refresh button.
McTavishing Pantograph - Medium Scale - Designed By Karen McTavish
Now achieve McTavishing the easy way
Price: $15.45 + shipping and handling
This medium scale McTavishing pantograph is a continuous running design, however the size of the design is on the smaller side for more dense looking quilting.
Medium scale pantograph size is 10" wide by 12 feet long.
Purchase this pantograph directly from Golden Threads or call 1-888-477-7718. If the web link does not work click the refresh button.
McTavishing Pantograph - Large Scale - Designed By Karen McTavish
Now achieve McTavishing the easy way
Price: $15.45 + shipping and handling
This large scale McTavishing pantograph is wider and larger than the Medium scale panto. This panto is made for faster and less dense quilting. This design is also continuous.
Large scale pantograph size is 11" wide by 12 feet long.
Purchase this pantograph directly from Golden Threads or call 1-888-477-7718. If the web link does not work click the refresh button.
Other products
Quantity purchases / Wholesale prices on Whitework Quilting, Quilting for Show, Mastering the Art of McTavishing and The Secrets of Elemental Quilting through On-Word Bound Books or call 218-525-5282.
Click here to see where to get other products and to check out my links.
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