About Katharina

Growing up in Switzerland, one of my earliest memories was of my grandmother patiently teaching me how to sew. This early passion for all things handmade later led me to practice pottery and attend design classes at Parson's School of Design in New York City. I love nature and studied Japanese flower arrangement for many years and earned Certificate IV of the Sogetsu School of Ikebana of Tokyo, Japan.

Yet, for over two decades, I earned my living as a New York banker until, due to a corporate merger, I left the "monochrome" world of finance and entered the world of color when I began dedicating more time to my emerging love of quilting. Initially starting out with traditional designs, I made my first art quilt in 2003 after reading Wassily Kandinsky's book "Point and Line and Plane". Having found my own unique style, I prefer geometric forms and straight forward shapes which are apparent in examples of my work, such as "Point and Line to Plane" and "Sandstorm." I am currently working part-time in New York City.

In 2002, I was fortunate to be one of only five artists selected from New York State to create an ornament for the White House National Christmas Tree. Under the White House’s theme “Birds Indigenous to Your State,” I submitted a three-dimensional textile creation of the Eastern Blue Bird, New York State’s official bird.

I sign my quilts “Mietzi (for InterPet), after the real “Mietzi,” my first cat at Firmament Farm in the New York Catskills my base of creativity. “InterPet” is our family supported activity which promotes spaying/neutering and adoptions of cats and dogs. A portion of the proceeds of quilt sales are donated to InterPet.

My work has been featured in "Quilting Arts" and "Love of Quilting," in the Newsday blog, and as an Artist Feature in the January issue of "The Catskill Mountain Region Guide magazine." Teaching engagements include the Sullivan County Community College, the Calico Geese Quilting Guild, Sugar Maples in Maplecrest, NY, and The Frost Valley YMCA in Claryville, NY.  I am a member of Studio Art Quilt Associates, an international organization promoting art quilting, and the Fiber Revolution, a group of 30 fiber artists. My work is sold in galleries, by commission and by referrals.

Juried and Selected Shows:

• Tactile Architecture, International Quilt Market, Houston, TX, October 2008.
• Windsor Art Center, Windsor, CT, March 2008.
• Textures Gallery, Scottsdale, Az, juried, March 2008.
• Red Eft Gallery, Wurtsboro, NY, October 2007.
• Sagatuck Art Center, Michigan, juried, September 2007.
• Museum of American Quilter's Society, Paducah, KY, juried, November 2007.
• Emroiderer’s Guild of America, Louisville, KY, juried, June-July 2007.
• Sugar Maples Facltly Show, May-June, 2007.
• Delaware Valley Arts Alliance, juried two person show, December 2006.
• Georgian Court University, Lakewood, NJ, October 2006.
• Riverfront Renaissance Center for the Arts, Melville, NJ, August 2006.
• Tactile Architecture, International Quilt Market, Houston, Texas, Fall 2006.
• Slater Memorial Museum, June-August 2006.
• Quilter's Heritage Celebration, Lancaster PA, March 2006.
• J&J World Headquarters, "A Renewal”, March-May 2006.
• Catskill Art Society, March 2006, Catskill Art Expo 2006
• Swizz Manhattan, New York City, November 2005 - March 2006.
• Roxbury Art Group, Roxbury, NY, September 2005.
• Art Quilters Alliance of NY, traveling group trunk show, 2005/2006.
• Quilting by the Lake, group show, July 2005.
• Quilts=Art=Quilts, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY, juried show, December 2004.
• Catskill Art Society, October 2004.
• Wildwood Gallery, group show, August 2004.
• Blue Victorian Gallery, Jeffersonville, NY, June/July 2004.
• Sullivan County Community College, February 2004.
• Fine Craft Exhibition, Pen & Brush Gallery, New York City, juried, November 2003.
• Quilts=Art=Quilts, Schweinfurth Memorial Art Center, Auburn, NY, juried show, December 2003.
• Roscoe Arts Festival, August 2003, group show by invitation.
• Great Catskill Mountain Quilt Show, Hunter, NY, July 2003.
• Catskill Art Society: Women Artists of the Catskills Juried group show, July 2003
• Mountaintop Gallery Windham, N.Y., Juried, Green County Council on the Arts, March 2003.
• Artist for National Christmas Tree: Washington DC, White House Christmas Tree, December 2002.

Affiliations:

Fiber Revolution
Studio Art Quilt Associates
Calico Geese Quilting Guild, Sullivan County, NY