Discover the Art of Celtic Quilting

If your guild is looking for a lecture or workshop that blends history, creativity, and practical inspiration, you’re in the right place. On this page, you’ll find details about my Celtic design lectures and workshops, including descriptions, learning outcomes, and what your members can expect from each experience. Whether you’re planning a monthly meeting, special event, or full-day class, my goal is to offer something that is both inspiring and accessible to quilters of all levels.

Echoes of My Ancestors: My Journey with Celtic Quilt Design

Guild Lecture

Celtic design is known for its rich patterns and symbolism, from interlacing knots and spirals to the intricate artwork found in illuminated manuscripts and ancient carvings.

In this engaging lecture, Leona McCann shares her journey into Celtic quilt design, showing how these traditional patterns can inspire and inform modern quilting.

Through clear explanations and visual examples, she demystifies the structure behind Celtic designs and demonstrates how they can be translated into quilt blocks and layouts.

Quilters will come away with a deeper understanding of Celtic design and fresh inspiration for their own creative work.

In this lecture, guild members will:

• Learn the history and symbolism behind Celtic design

• Recognize key elements used in traditional Celtic art

• Understand how Celtic patterns translate into quilt blocks

• Gain ideas for incorporating Celtic design into their own quilts

• Enjoy a trunk show of Celtic-inspired quilts

Lecture Length: 60 minutes + Q&A

Format: Available in person or via Zoom

Celtic Love Knot Quilt Workshop

Create a striking Celtic-inspired quilt while discovering how traditional design can be translated into fabric and thread.

In this workshop, Leona guides participants step-by-step through the construction of her Celtic Love Knot quilt, sharing techniques that make this intricate-looking design surprisingly achievable. Drawing on her Celtic heritage and design process, she shows how the illusion of interlacing can be created with thoughtful piecing and layout.

Often, the first question quilters ask is: “Isn’t this complicated?”

The answer is it’s much simpler than it looks.

With a few partial seams and clear instruction, the quilt comes together smoothly. If you can sew a log cabin block, you can make this quilt. Even better, there are very few seams to match, making the process both enjoyable and accessible.

In this workshop, participants will:

• Learn how to construct a Celtic knot design using simple piecing techniques

• Gain confidence working with partial seams

• Explore color placement to enhance the knot design

• Leave with the skills to create their own Celtic-inspired quilts

Project Sizes:

• 60” x 60” (lap or wall quilt)

• 103” x 103” (bed quilt)

Workshop Details

Skill Level: Beginner and up

Format: Available in person or via Zoom

Princess Knot Workshop Coming May 2026

Discover the meaning behind one of the most beautiful designs in the Celtic design tradition and bring it to life in fabric.

In this workshop, Leona guides participants step-by-step through the construction of her Princess Knot quilt, a design rooted in the intricate interlacing patterns found in Celtic manuscripts and ancient stonework. Drawing on her Celtic heritage and her signature approach to breaking complex designs into clear, logical steps, she shows how this stunning pattern is far more achievable than it first appears.

The Princess Knot uses partial seam construction the same technique introduced in the Celtic Love Knot workshop, taken a step further. The instructions are clear, the process is methodical, and the result is a quilt that looks like it belongs in an illuminated manuscript.