I wanted to let you know that I just added a couple of items to my website. First off, if you haven’t had a chance to get Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 3, I have it available now on my Patterns page.

And, I’ve created special intro packs of SoftFuse paper-backed fusible web, so that you can try out the product. This is my favorite kind of fusible web for raw-edge fused machine appliqué. The intro packs are on the Kits & Notions page.

Which leads me back to the recent Call for Topics, in which Paulette C. asked:

“I would like to see a review of the different fusibles available for appliqué. On the blogs many quilters have given reasons why they have their favorites. But a real time review of the 3 major brands with pros and cons and photo examples would be interesting.”

In the November 2010 issue of American Quilter, fuser extraordinaire Frieda Anderson presented an article called Choosing and Using Fusible Web. If you can get your hands on this issue, you will find a comprehensive comparison of 11 different types of fusibles in varying weights.

Frieda does share on her blog, in this post called Fusing that her favorite is Wonder Under regular weight. Be sure to go read her post, and while you’re there on her blog, type “fusible” or some variant into the search box and you will come up a bunch of other good information. Note: I believe that Frieda, like other members of the Chicago School of Fusing, pre-fuses large pieces of fabric, whereas I use fusible web to make templates for individual shapes.

A few years ago I embarked on a whole determined expedition to try out every kind of paper-backed fusible I could get my hands on. I tried them all. Some of the reasons I was not satisfied included the following:

• Too thick, like gauze
• Didn’t work as advertised (supposed to stick without fusing, didn’t)
• Too many types within brand, some on a bolt, some in a package, similar names, way confusing
• Separated from the backing paper before I had a chance to use it

I finally zeroed in on Wonder Under #805, regular weight. It became my go-to fusible web. Back in 2009 I wrote a blog post giving my tips for fusible web management.

Continuing my fusible web saga, at some point after that I started having trouble with the Wonder Under. After I fused it onto the back of my appliqué fabrics, the backing paper would not come off. I had to wait until the following day to peel the paper off and continue with my project.

At a quilt show, I bought a pack of SoftFuse from the Shades Textiles booth. What a relief! It’s very very lightweight, it doesn’t separate from the paper, it fuses to the fabric like lightning, and the paper comes off immediately! So that’s why it’s my current favorite. It acts the way this type of product is supposed to act! What a concept.

Here are some other articles that you may find of interest:

Hand Vs. Machine Appliqué: A Timed Experiment

Ink Jet Printable Fusible Web

Trying a New Fusible Web

Hope this helps!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Regular readers… Have you heard about the new online pattern magazine created by a quilter for quilters? Introducing The Quilt Pattern Magazine, debuting in January!

Cindy McCoy, the quilting brain behind QuiltCampus.net, is the publisher of this exciting new venture. I’ve been watching this new publication develop since it was first announced, and when the sample pages went up on the website, I was thrilled to discover that the editor is a great chum of mine, Maria Hrabovsky of Maria Michaels Designs!

I immediately submitted a short piece for the first issue of the magazine. It’s a review of Baltimore’s Country Cousins from AQS Publishing.

The cool thing about The Quilt Pattern Magazine is that since it’s online, there are no printing or shipping costs like those associated with other magazines. Subscribers will receive monthly issues with no less than five new patterns included in each. A subscription gives instant access to magazine issues from the day of their release to two months afterward.

Save trees! Print only the pages you need.

Would you like to win a free one-year subscription to The Quilt Pattern Magazine? Here’s what you need to do: Go to the magazine website right now and take a look around. Then come back here and leave a comment about it on this post.

Here’s a link to the magazine that’ll open up in a separate window. Go! Then come back!

The Quilt Pattern Magazine

Hey, great to see you again! Now comment here to enter the drawing. My winner will be announced during the first week of January.

Cheerio!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Would you like to contribute an article to All About Appliqué? Come on down!

You can show us a special tip or trick, give us a photo tour of your method, demo a product, review your favorite book, etc. etc. Any method of appliqué is great! Use anybody’s pattern, or your own, just be sure to give the pattern source. Shoot me an email to kay at kaymackenzie.com (you know the drill, use the @ sign and no spaces) and let me know what you have in mind.

Don’t worry, you don’t have to know how to blog! If you can write an email and attach a photo, you can do this! I’ll turn your material into a fantastic post.

Many thanks!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Oriental Teapot by Verona Flint and Kay Mackenzie

Quilt Inspiration is written by Marina and Daryl, a team of quilt lovers and “idea collectors.” There are many other fascinating themed articles as well on their exceedingly nice blog, so fix a cup of tea and relax awhile.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Maribeth contacted me to let me know that The Collectors Weekly ran an interview with esteemed quilt historian Merikay Waldvogel.

Merikay is a friend of a friend of mine, as is Barbara Brackman, and Bets Ramsey is an old family friend of my husband’s stepmother! Barbara and Bets both figure in the article as well.

Being an internet publication lends the luxury of very comprehensive interviews, and this one (in two parts) is a fabulous in-depth journey into the history of American quiltmaking.

Part 1 (History)

Part 2 (Collecting)

The Collectors Weekly Quilt Page

Enjoy!

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Of course I wanted to do that! What a great name, and an admirable spirit! I’m not all that subversive actually, but I am totally armed with needles. I wrote a post about the three main sharp implements in my life, showing a few examples of what I’ve done with them.

Be sure to check out Subversive Stitchers, a blog about the abounding creativity of women who wield all sorts of needles.

Thank you, Dawn, one writer to another. What a treat for me.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Wow, it must be October already. That’s when I thought the December issue was due out. My copy of the magazine hasn’t arrived yet and now I’m dying to see it!

This was the assignment that I wrote about back in May, when Gregory Case introduced me to editor Beth Hayes in the aisle during Spring Market. Beth is a wonderfully gracious and warm person and I was very lucky to meet her in this fashion.

They put a sneak peak of the project on the McCalls Quilting website. In the magazine, the project is accompanied by a photo tutorial on back-basting.

Has anybody else seen the article??

Lookin’ for the mail carrier,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Check out her website, Hoopla Patterns. There are many great patterns, links to historical articles written by Froncie, and reproduction fabrics based on the old quilts that she has studied in the museums. A fantastic homage to our quilting heritage.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Cat Hair in the Studio
by Kay Mackenzie

They came as a package deal, 18 years ago when we lived in Ohio. Three little stray kittens, presumably littermates, who followed us home and never left.

Then they were California kitties, growing old in the sunlight, lumping along and enjoying the climate.

So I’ve a lot of experience living with a triple load of cat hair. Over the years I’ve tried different strategies for coping with the issue of cat hair vs. the quilt. Here are my best recommendations for a happy medium (or, as in Pixel’s case, large and round).

Pixel and the Furminator.

A. Keep the cats out of the sewing room. Yeah right. If you’re like me and have stuff stationed in front of the door so that it can’t ever close, go to Plans B, C, D, etc.

B. Vacuum regularly. I had to say that. Now directly to Plans C, D, E, etc.

C. Brush or comb the cats daily. This falls under the category of New Year’s Resolution. For the past eighteen years.

D. Don’t throw your scraps into a box. This becomes a prime destination for cats, and when you’re going to a strip poker party and start rummaging for strips, you’ll be too embarrassed to throw them into the pot. Also, it’s a good way to sew a lot of cat hair into your scrap quilts.

E. Do create the best place for a cat to be. Set up a special place for them under a sunny window, or the closest equivalent, so that when the cats do come into the studio, they head for their spot. This strategy keeps the cat hair concentrated in one place.

F. Keep a box of Swiffers on hand at all times. That way, when the mood strikes you (or the sun strikes a cat hair-covered surface in brilliant illumination), you can readily wipe down whatever small areas are accessible amongst the quilting supplies.

G. Buy industrial-sized lint roller refills by the dozen. Beware of non-refillable handles, and don’t fall for the rinseable lint rollers. What happens is, you get up a soupçon of cat hair, the roller is full, you rinse it, and… you’ve got a wet lint roller.

H. Roller your quilts each and every time you take them out of the house. Even if they have been covered by a sheet the whole time. Cat hair finds a way. Fold them in quarters and roller each quarter, front and back. Pay special attention to the bindings. If you’re sending them to a show, do this compulsively several times, with your glasses on, in good light.

I. If you’re taking a friend’s quilts to a show, make sure they are delivered to your house in a hermetically sealed plastic bag, and resist all temptation to take them out for a peek.

J. If selling a quilt, provide a warning for those allergic to cats. Refer to the above truth, “cat hair finds a way.” Let’s just say, we don’t want to hear the words “quilt” and “anaphylactic shock” in the same sentence.

K. Keep tweezers nearby. These are handy for removing individual cat hairs in mid-appliqué, either by hand or machine.

L. When looking for dropped items, take advantage of the opportunity whilst down on your hand and knees to remove the cat-hair bunnies from around the legs of the sewing table. You’ll also find several seam rippers and half of your supply of pins.

M. Hire a housekeeper! This heaven-sent person swoops in and removes a large percentage of the cat hair patina, as well as stray threads, fabric orts, and scraps of freezer paper.

Notice that nowhere does the advice appear to eighty-six the cats. My husband Dana once made up a little saying that goes something like this: “The next best thing to cats is quilts. The best thing next to quilts is cats.” Animals love comfort and texture. Make your cats (and dogs) their own quilt. Sew something together that’s quick and fun, and practice your machine quilting on it. I promise you they will consider it the most excellent of all quilts.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Kay: To me, the CSOF is more about a state of mind that an ivy-covered institution. It’s standing up tall and saying, “I fuse and I’m proud.”

Laura: The mission of the Chicago School of Fusing is to encourage the technique of fusing to create art work. We know that it is the quickest way to get from that idea in your head to the implementation of that idea in fabric. Fusing gives you endless possibilities for making art.

Kay: Were you always a confirmed fuser?

Laura: No, I started out as a piecer as a teenager but as an adult I wanted to make pictorial art. Fusing allowed me to make those organic shapes so important in picture making.

Kay: The readers are going to want to know what’s your favorite kind of fusible web.

Laura: I use paper-backed Wonder Under #805 (regular weight). The release paper that comes with it is so important in creating fused art quilts. You can use the paper for collage building, pattern transfer, protecting the quilt top, and storing fused elements or large fused shapes. It always releases a fused fabric.

Kay: You prefer to use hand-dyed fabric, yes? You dye your own and also offer it in your Artfabrik store. Tell us why these types of fabrics are better for the fused quilts.

Laura: A hand-dyed or batik fabric works best for these raw-edged fused applique quilts. First, there is no finish on these fabrics so they will adhere better (but wash out the starch in a batik fabric). Most importantly, the color penetrates all the way through hand-dyed and batik fabrics so the edges of fabric elements show the color. A printed fabric will have a white background and you will see that white edge around each cut element.

Kay: You also offer beautiful hand-dyed thread. How can it be used?

Laura: I love hand embroidery with my hand-dyed threads. It adds that extra hit of color, texture, detail, or pattern to the surface that cannot be done with fabric. It draws the viewer closer and brings the quilt to life. These threads can be used for any of the needle arts — crochet, knitting, weaving, needle punch, needle point, couching, machine quilting, and bobbin work.

Kay: How do you finish the edges of the motifs in your quilts?

Laura: They are not finished. Steam-setting the glue keeps the fabric permanently adhered to the other fabrics and batting.

Kay: How do you quilt them?

Laura: I first stitch by hand through just the batting and top layer. Then I free-motion machine quilt through all the layers. My Janome 6500 is a work horse and does beautiful free-motion work.

Kay: You’ve authored two books and a DVD. Tell us a little bit about each one.

Laura: My first book, Fusing Fun: Fast Fearless Art Quilts, is a great book for new fusing enthusiasts who want to learn as much as they can about the fine art of fusing. There are six projects with variations, basic fusing terms and instruction, a section of binding and display, and a gallery of fused art work by other artists.

Fuse and Tell Journal Quilts shows readers how to translate their stories or ideas into fabric. From sketches, to photos, to design triggers, each of the six projects helps you make the quilt in the book and tells you how to make your art work using those techniques. The wrapped binding is introduced along with tips on bias fusing, working with cheesecloth, and improvisational design.

The DVD, Laura Wasilowski Teaches You to Create Fused Art Quilts, has a project from start to finish, a tour of my sewing and dye studios, and a gallery of quilts with commentary. And as the Dean of Corrections I go over the rules of fusing from the Chicago School of Fusing. I also sing the fight song sung by the Iron Maidens as they go into battle.

Kay: You’ve been on Simply Quilts and on The Quilt Show. Were those fun?

Laura: Yes, the hosts and crew made it really easy and inviting. As a ham, it was right up my alley! It was also an opportunity for me to hone my teaching skills and to be able to articulate what I do in a short amount of time.

Kay: I hear you’ve become a Serial Quilter. Tell us about this process.

Laura: I have a tendency to work in a series. I’ll take a theme and make quilt after quilt based upon that idea. For instance, in the blue chair series I have my blue chair reading a book, putting its feet up, down at the beach, and plugged in (the Blue Electric Chair). This way I only have to come up with one idea and can make many versions of it before moving on to the next idea.

Kay: You travel a lot for workshops and lectures. How do you enjoy this lifestyle?

Laura: I enjoy meeting new people and seeing new parts of the world. The airports I could live without, but it’s part of my job.

Kay: What are you working on now?

Laura: Hand-stitched small quilts (see Betty’s Bloomers #13, above), new patterns, dyeing fabric and thread, preparing for workshops and vending, and keeping my head above water until December when my teaching season ends and I collapse into a puddle of colorful water on the floor.

Kay: You’re a bit of a songbird. Would you care to leave us with the lyrics of one of your compositions?

Laura: Sure, here are the lyrics to one of my favorites:

*A Sewer from North Illinois*
(sung to Sweet Betsy from Pike)

There once was a quilter from North Illinois,

She exercised often and ate lots of soy.

But a hot flash it killed her as she sewed her last seam,

They found her there clutching her sewing machine.

So take all her fabrics and pile them high,

Take all her quilt tops that reach to the sky,

Take all her needles and bright colored thread,

I hope that I get them,

Now that she’s dead.

Thank you, Laura, for that inspirational ditty, and for visiting All About Appliqué.

Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs

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