Here they are, the teapots all joined together! I used scraps of the fabrics as small snowball corners on each block, and yardage of my favorite blue print for the borders. It’s already been delivered to the AllStar Quilters for Kids, who will use it as a fundraiser for supplies in support of their worthy efforts. They have amazing volunteer longarmers who do their quilting, and then I’ll put the binding on.

The designs are all from my Teapots to Appliqué Pattern Pack, available from my website or Etsy shop, links are below. I did these by hand but of course you can use whatever method is your favorite!

Cheers,
Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

Teapots 13, 14, 15, 16!

Filed Under Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapots 13, 14, 15, 16!

And that’s all of them!! Next time, the finished quilt top!

Cheers,
Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

Getting there!!

Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

Speeding up now, more on the way!

The designs are in the Teapots to Appliqué Pattern Pack, which can be found on my website or Etsy shop, links below.

Cheers,
Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

Enjoying the lovely paisleys in the Ann’s Arbor line.

Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

Teapot No. 4!

Filed Under Hand appliqué, Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapot No. 4!

Happy Easter and AFD!!

Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

This fabric is a pillar print. I fussy-placed the large bouquet in the center of the teapot so you can’t even tell!

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram • kaymacquilts

Teapot No. 2!

Filed Under Back-basting (no-template), Hand appliqué, Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapot No. 2!

I’m using a layer cake of the gorgeous Ann’s Arbor line by Minick and Simpson for Moda. It has lots of scrumptious prints for the teapots!

Instagram • kaymacquilts
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

Teapot No. 1!

Filed Under Back-basting (no-template), Hand appliqué, Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapot No. 1!

I’m posting a teapot a week for 16 weeks over on Instagram. Here’s the first one!


Made with Ann’s Arbor fabrics by Minick and Simpson for Moda. I hand appliquéd it using the back-basting method of preparation. It feels great to be going back to hand work for awhile. You can click Back-Basting in the Categories for a visual tutorial of this fabulous method.

Until next time,
Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram: kaymacquilts

Teapot Appliqué-Along

Filed Under Hand appliqué, Instagram, Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapot Appliqué-Along

Greetings fellow appliqué enthusiasts! I’m planning a project this year appliquéing new blocks from my first collection of teapot designs. I’m kind of excited about it!


When the top is done, it’ll be donated to a charitable kids’ quilt group in my guild, to use as a fundraiser for supplies.

A few months ago I joined Instagram and have been having a wonderful time over there. I’ll be “insta-gating” a Teapot Appliqué-Along and posting photos of the new blocks once a week starting Sunday, February 4.


If you’re on Instagram and want to follow along, the account is kaymacquilts. I posted all the info about the #teapotaal on December 29. Would love it if you joined in the fun, and spread the word!

I’ll show the blocks here on the blog as well, so if you’re not on IG you’ll still see them.

Here are the fabrics for my first teapot, from the Ann’s Arbor collection by Minick & Simpson for Moda.

Cheers,
Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram = kaymacquilts

I recently received an order for my book Teapots 2 to Appliqué from a quilter living in New Zealand. She told me she had see a quilt made from the designs in a show in Orewa.

I was intrigued!! I asked her for a little more information, and she sent me a photo of the gorgeous quilt. It’s made with all Liberty fabrics!!

liberty-tpots-450

liberty-label

The Hibiscus Coast Quilters of Whangaparaoa, New Zealand, put me in touch with the maker, Julie Davis. Julie shared the following about her project.

“I would be very happy for you to use my quilt on your blog. It is such a lovely pattern and I thoroughly enjoyed hand appliquéing the teapots. The Liberty fabrics I purchased from a Liberty club at my regular quilting shop. There were six different Liberty fabrics in a pack for six months. I couldn’t wait out the six months so I purchased them altogether. I am going to use this as a tablecloth when I have a High Tea for my quilting friends.”

Those are some lucky friends! Thank you Julie, for allowing me to share, and I’m so glad you had a good time with the designs. And thank you Tish for letting me know about the beautiful quilt. Will look forward to seeing your teapot creations as well!

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

When my first teapots book Teapots to Appliqué went out of print, I created a whole new set of designs and published Teapots 2 to Appliqué. T2 is now in its fifth printing! Yay!

I didn’t want those first 16 teapots to go away, so I put out a pattern pack that includes all the designs plus the sampler quilt pattern, but no additives, preservatives, or appliqué instructions… use your favorite method.


Going a step further, over the summer I produced individual downloadable versions of the first collection. They’re available over on Etsy!


Here’s an example of what they look like!

To see all the single-block downloadables, head on over to the Appliqué Block section of my Etsy shop. (You’ll also see the individual blocks from Baskets to Appliqué.)

To see the 16-block pattern packs that are printed on good ol’ paper, click over to the Quilting Patterns section at Etsy.

Happy teatime!
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

At the recent Seven Sisters Quilt Show in San Luis Obispo, California, I was met with a delightful surprise!

The board members of the Central Coast Quilters have been busy!! Close to a year ago, they contacted me to ask permission to use the designs from Teapots to Appliqué for a fundraiser opportunity quilt for their guild. I told them I would be delighted.

As it happened, the quilt was hung directly next to my booth! All weekend long I was treated to the admiring comments of passersby and those who bought tickets for a chance to win. I almost got a swelled head, but really, it was the fabulous creative work and design of the board members who pulled off this wonderful quilt.

Teacups danced around the borders. And notice how teabag labels were scanned and used for the sashing posts! What a great idea!

Thank you, Central Coast Quilters, for choosing my designs for your opportunity quilt. I hope it raises lots of funds for your good works.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

First of all, thank you so much for all of the nice words about the brochure. The encouragement is highly appreciated, and I’ll let you know how it goes over!

Those of you who have visited my booth have seen the nine-block teapot sampler that I hang to show some of the designs in Teapots 2 to Appliqué.

That quilt has been universally loved. People exclaim over it, and those who get the book want to take photos of it, so they can “remember the colors.” (I point out that it’s red, white, and blue LOL.)

In the last little while, those teapots have started to whisper to me. “Mackenzie,” they say, “We’re tired. We want to stay home.” It’s true they have done a yeoman’s service. So over the holiday hiatus I made a new nine-block sampler. Here are a couple of the new teapots.

As you can see, they’re still red, white, and blue, but in a richer scheme. The white is now ivory, the 30s and toile prints now French and Civil War. I hope this new collection will hit the spot for viewers.

The quilt will make its debut at the upcoming Road to California show. If you’re planning on attending this quilting extravaganza, come on by and see it! I’ll be in the ballroom.

I’m on the road to Road on Tuesday, for a week. See you when I get back, if not before!

Cheers,
Kay

Thank you so much for all of the birthday wishes!!! That was fun, and it was really fun to pull three winners this time. The readers who will receive a copy of my Teapots 2 to Appliqué are #56, Lee; #2, JuliaP; and #15, Debra. I appreciate you all so much for joining me on this blog, throughout the year.

Regular reader Beverly Schueneman made my Plum Pudding pattern to hang on her kitchen door!

So cute! I love the fabrics that she chose for the patched backgrounds, and the hard-to-find mottled browns for the puddings.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

Greetings fellow appliqué enthusiasts! I have one of those birthdays that’s close to Christmas. When I was a kid it meant “combination” presents, which to someone of a tender age can be very thick. (I’ve gotten over that now.) (Pretty much.)

To help celebrate the day, I’m putting up a copy of one of my most popular books, Teapots 2 to Appliqué.

It’s in its fourth printing and still going strong. Quilters love teapots!

The book has designs for 16 different teapots, plus cups and saucers and milk and sugar, and instructions for back-basting hand appliqué. (Of course you can use whatever method you like.)

To enter the drawing, please leave a comment here on the blog by 7:00 p.m. California time on Sunday Saturday, December 21. Hey, one copy doesn’t seem enough. How about three winners! Open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. Good luck in the draw!

Happy holidays,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

The winner of the Rose of Sharon Block Book and note cards is… Jen! Congratulations! Enjoy these beautiful items, courtesy of That Patchwork Place.

I’d now like to go back two weeks in time to the Delta Quilters Guild show in Antioch, California. I was there as a merchant, and after I finished setting up my booth I took a tour of the show buildings. I came around a corner and was flabbergasted to see a beautiful quilt made from my first collection of teapot designs on special display against the wall.

As I drew closer, I saw that this was a memorial area for two of the guild’s members who had passed away during the year. My heart filled up and I felt so honored that the daughter of the lovely lady who had made this teapot quilt had chosen it to represent her mother in the display.

antioch-teapots

helen-holloch

Helen Holoch, quiltmaker.

Her are some closeup shots of individual pots. This lady had a very special collection of fabrics, I’d say!

helen-teapot-1

helen-teapot-2

helen-teapot-3

Thank you, Helen, and thanks to your daughter Nancy, and also to guild member Terry Matejcek, who helped me round up the information about the quilt and gave me permission to post the photos and the story.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

Look what I found this time! It’s a teapot extravaganza!

Tualatin Valley Quilt Guild opportunity quilt

Lura Gordy of Sherwood, Oregon, was the driving force behind this beautiful masterpiece. Here’s her story:

Kay,

I enjoy the process of appliqué. In fact, I learned needle-turn appliqué using the patterns in your Teapots 2 book. I wanted to make my sister a table runner and six placemats as a gift. I started out using a faux appliqué method but was unable to get the fine details. I went to your blog and tried several of your methods. I also attended the monthly appliqué club meetings that are connected to the quilt guild of which I am a member. The more I learned, the more I liked what I was doing.

I suffer from restless leg syndrome and by doing appliqué work in the evenings, I keep the restlessness away. Once the table runner and placemats were finished, I appliquéd enough blocks to make another set.

The first of the year, I volunteered to be a member of a committee to design and make a raffle quilt for the Tualatin Valley Quilt Guild in Sherwood, Oregon. I suggested a quilt with appliquéd teapots and I volunteered to appliqué the blocks. I used the patterns from both of your teapot pattern books to make 24 blocks. We used 22 of the blocks (10″) which made a very large king size quilt. The center block was appliquéd by Ann Hartman who is in charge of the appliqué club and a member of the guild.

Now I am working on patterns from your book of baskets. I am trying new techniques and new ways of embellishing the blocks. I enjoy your patterns and books.

Thank you,
Lura Gordy

tualatin-closeupHere’s a closeup of the center block. The basket (not one of mine but it sure is beautiful) is surrounded by cups and saucers, cream and sugar, and a plate of cookies from my Teapots books.

Erin Davis of In Stitches Quilting in Newberg, Oregon, was the one who took the quilt to a retreat for Show & Tell, which led me to find it on the Anyone Can Quilt blog. Erin was kind enough to send me a great picture, and she reports, “On behalf of the Tualatin Valley Quilt Guild, it was a fun project to work on and we are proud of the outcome.”

Me too! Big time! What a huge treat! Thank you, Lura and all the members of the Tualatin quilters, for such a spectacular job. I hope the quilt raises lots of funds for the guild.

Until next time,
Kay

I came across this entry on longarm quilter Nancy Gambrel’s blog, where she shows off her customers’ quilts and the beautiful quilting she’s done on them.

Lo and behold, there’s an absolutely beautiful teapot quilt made by Pat Besenhofer, and I recognize it as being from my Teapots 2 to Appliqué.

Teapots 2 to applique by Kay Mackenzie

What an internet find! Pat and Nancy both graciously agreed to let me use the photos and put up a Show & Tell of my own.

Asian Teapot quilt made by Pat Besenhofer, quilted by Nancy Gambrel.

Asian Teapot quilt made by Pat Besenhofer, quilted by Nancy Gambrel.

Pat writes,

This is so cool. My quilt is indeed based on your book Teapots to Applique 2. I would be thrilled to have my quilt shown on your website. And to think it isn’t even bound yet! I’m glad that Nancy and I spent so much time exchanging ideas about the quilting, I think the frame she did works beautifully with the teapots and the corner diamonds.

I’ve been a tea person all of my life, and I get so tired of patterns featuring coffee, espresso’s and latte’s, etc., so I snatched up this book (as well as the first one) when I saw it at the all-the-quilt-books-in-the-world vendor at the Rosemont, Illinois, Quilt Festival a a year or two ago.

This is the first quilt I’ve made with a definite location in mind; it’s going to go in my kitchen. I’ve been second-guessing myself on the pattern, wondering if I should have placed one or more teapots going the other way, or adding a teacup in one spot for a bit of whimsy. I’m happy that you like it as is.

Pat told me that the quilt was done with fusible raw-edge applique. In order to get the teapots facing the ‘correct’ way, she copied the positive images, then flipped the paper to create a reverse image to draw on the fusible web. Pat, that’s just the way I do it. Nancy stitched down the edges of the fusible applique with clear thread.

A beautiful job, both Pat and Nancy!

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

It’s finally here, March 1st… the official publication date of my new book, Teapots 2 to Appliqué!

Teapots 2 to Appliqué

It’s an exciting time. After months and months of work designing the motifs, stitching them up, handing out the patterns to willing appliqué friends, waiting to see what they come up with, writing the text, creating the illustrations, laying out the pages, shepherding the projects through photography, and at last taking the finished file to the printers, then comes the nail-biting period waiting for “the call” that the books are finished and ready to be picked up. Once I finally have a book in my hands and it’s just what I wanted, that’s the happy dance time, as in now. Yay!

Teapots 2 has 16 new teapot designs for you to appliqué using your own favorite method. Since my last book came out, I learned the back-basting, aka no-template preparation method for hand appliqué and have become a big fan. This new book has step-by-step instructions for back-basting prep in case you’re a hand appliquér as well and would like to learn what that’s all about.

My first teapot book, Teapots to Appliqué, is now out of print. That’s a bittersweet thought. I sent off the very last copies the same week I got the new one. Couldn’t have timed it better if I’d planned it that way!

Teapots 2 is available on my website, Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs.

Until next time (happy dance, happy dance),
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs

Next Page →