Appliqué Books
Shop our APPLIQUÉ BOOKSTORE, powered by Amazon. Lots and lots of gorgeous books, all about appliqué!
Aug
6
Quiltin’ Happy
Filed Under Books, Designers, Prizes | 62 Comments
At Spring Market, I stopped by the Lizzie B Cre8ive booth to visit with Beth Hawkins. Beth is half of the Lizzie B team. The other half, Liz, was manning a booth at another show the same weekend.
These gals are sisters-in-law who are both named Elizabeth Hawkins. Besides the name, I think they share a brain! They have the same design sensibility, the same upbeat humor, the same sense of whimsy and fun, and they even have identical handwriting!
This team seems to have a boundless supply of energy. They design and make quilts, they have a huge line of fun patterns, they have their own fabric with Henry Glass, they have books with the Kansas City Star, they publish an on-line magazine, and now I find out they’ve put out their own new book, Quiltin’ Happy!
The subtitle is “simple hip quilts to make ya smile.” There are seven fast, fun, fresh quilts included, with complete instructions, easy-to-follow diagrams, and full color photos of all the projects All the quilts in the book are made from the Hip Happy collection of fabrics designed by the Lizzie B girls. Hip Happy offers colorful brights combined with blacks and whites to make modern-looking quilts that pop.
Playful Posies and Happy Dancin'
Their links:
Lizzie B website
Lizzie B on-line store
Lizzie B blog
Lizzie B magazine
Beth gave me a copy of the new book for a giveaway. Thanks Beth! If you’d like to win a copy of Quiltin’ Happy, leave a comment on this post by 7:00 p.m. California time on Wednesday, August 10. Contest open to U.S. and Canada addresses only.
Remember that if you are subscribed by email, you’ll need to click over to the blog itself to leave a comment. Replying to your email feed won’t get it done 
.
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jul
7
Mary from NOLA is the lucky winner of Quilting Those Flirty ’30s. Mary reports that she is flabbergasted because she’s never won anything! Just goes to show…
Donna A. came up the winner for Treasures From the ’30s. She says that she is sooooo excited and can hardly wait for it to arrive so she can plan and scheme.
Congratulations, both you gals! The books are going out in the mail today. Enjoy.
Many thanks to everyone who entered the drawing. I appreciate your reading my blog.
Until next time,
Kay
Jul
1
'30s + '30s = Double the '30s fun!
Filed Under Books, History, Prizes | 57 Comments
I have two fabulous books to show you this month, both hearkening back to the cute, cute fabrics and quilts of the 1930s.
As promised, I got my hands on a copy of Quilting Those Flirty '30s by Cynthia Tomaszewski. Thank you, That Patchwork Place!
“Quilting is steeped in history,” says Cynthia. “I still remember the first time I saw a 1930s quilt…. the prints reminded me of a roll of Necco candy wafers. Each fabric was cute in its own right, but gathered together like a floral bouquet, the effect was charming and heartwarming.”
I know what she means! All those ’30s repro prints just always seem to work together. It’s like they all have the same amount of gray in them or something.
“The designs you’ll discover in this book will be tomorrow’s traditions. They’re firmly rooted in the past with the use of the reproduction prints, but the designs are distinctive, open, and carefree to fit comfortably with your sense of today.”
In case it’s not enough to give us designs and instructions for very cute projects, Cynthia give us recipes for delicious cookies too! Butterscotch Oatmeal, Gingersnaps, and Peanut Blossoms are just a few of the old-fashioned confections sprinkled throughout the book.
To being with, quiltmaking basics are covered, including information on fabric, tools and supplies, rotary cutting, machine piecing, adding borders, and all the way through layering and basting, quilting, and binding. Then there’s a fabulous Introduction to Appliqué that gives Cynthia’s three favorite methods: fusible, freezer-paper-underneath, and traditional needleturn with a marked line. The author says, “Try them all so you have the ability to use the technique that’s best for your project.” And, you can mix them together for more variety and texture.
The follows the section of projects. Sooo cute, every one! Here are just a couple.
Sweet Pea's Garden
Tea cozy and pot holders
If you’re a ’30s fan, you’ll love Cynthia’s family stories, cookie recipes, and fresh quilty take on the decade. And be sure to go and read her interview over on the Martingale blog. This is quite the adventuresome woman!
Continuing the blast from the past, we have Treasures from the ’30s: Cheerful Quilts with Vintage Appeal by Nancy Mahoney.
Full disclosure statement: Nancy is a longtime Martingale author with about nine books to her credit, and she also does editing for the company. At Spring Market, I found out that Nancy is going to be the technical editor for my next book! I’m very thrilled to have such a veteran author on my team.
Treasures from the ’30s is fun for every quilter. Nancy says, “The projects on these pages are scrappy in style, constructed with 1930s reproduction fabrics, but they make use of updated appliqué and piecing techniques. Some are a bit more challenging, but you’ll also find projects for the confident beginner. If you’re a less-experienced quilter, dive in and try something new! The designs may look complicated, but they really aren’t.”
Never fear, Nancy starts with a whole section on quiltmaking basics, taking you through rotary cutting and on into several different methods of preparing and stitching your appliqué. You’ll find information on starch appliqué, hand appliqué, invisible machine appliqué, fusible appliqué, even embellishment!
Then Nancy presents eight of her favorite 1930s quilt designs.
Bride's Quilt
Bell Flowers
All of the quilts are darling, and so reminiscent of an earlier time. While working on this book, the author became fascinated with the rich history of the decade, which included not only hard and depressing times but some wonderful, amazing things that she shares throughout the pages.
I have one copy of each book to give away, thanks to the publisher. If you’d like to enter the drawing, just leave a comment by 7:00 p.m. California time on Wednesday, July 6. Open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. Also, be sure to leave your comment on THIS post. Sometimes readers poke around a little bit and end up leaving their entry comment somewhere else.
The first winner will receive Quilting Those Flirty '30s, the second winner will receive Treasures From the '30s. Good luck, and have a fabulous holiday weekend!!
Until then,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jun
23
Quilt as desired
Filed Under Books, Quilting | 4 Comments
In the recent Call for Topics, Bertha asked, “I would like to know more about how to quilt lovely appliquéd tops. Any suggestions would be helpful.”
Great question! Oh boy, this is gonna be a long one. Bertha, there’s no one right answer. I’ll present a variety of information for you to consider.
HAND QUILTING
In my own hand appliqué life, I’m heavily influenced by Jeana Kimball. One of my favorite all-time designs is her Fairmeadow. Here’s my Fairmeadow book from like 18 years ago, long out of print, battered, scuffed, and much loved.
As you can see, Jeana quilts on top of her appliqué motifs. In her later book she makes the point that hand quilters from bygone eras quilted on top of their motifs to make them more secure and better supported against wear. I love it. There’s an old-timey charm about the way this looks, and when I quilt by hand I do it some too.
Not only is Jeana a very special talent in appliqué design and execution, she’s a hand quilter extraordinaire. Her book Loving Stitches: A Guide to Fine Hand Quilting is one of my go-to resources.
Jeana says, “The focus of this book is to help you recognize your own criteria, to point out considerations, traditions, and options, and to help you with your decision of how to quilt your top.” I studied this book when I was trying to decide what to do for background fill quilting on my Growing Hearts.
I chose the “uncrossed lines” pattern.
MACHINE QUILTING
Not everyone enjoys quilting on top of their appliqué motifs. My pal Pam always tells her machine quilters, “Do whatever you like, but stay off the appliqué.”
Anne Sutton of Bunny Hill recently wrote a blog post about the very subject of quilting appliqué tops. Go see her post entitled One Week and Counting. She’s of the same opinion… viewers should see the appliqué, and “the quilting should add to the charm and finish off the quilt.”
A few years ago, I made a series of 8 x 10 quilts to give as gifts. They were simple daisies, machine appliquéd, and when I went to machine quilt them, I wanted to try something new for myself. I quilted everything! I changed threads to match or complement the colors of the motifs, and I had a blast with it!
Cute, no?
I think we all develop our own quilting ways. This experiment helped me progress as a machine quilter and define my own quirky quilting style. When I needed to finish a magazine project in a huge hurry, I fell back on this experience.
Detail of Mini Mixed Bouquet, McCall's Quilting Nov/Dec 2009
Yes, this project is hand appliquéd. Yes, I machine quilted it. No, I didn’t go to jail.
EITHER WAY
You’ve put a lot of time and love into your appliqué. Let it be the star. I’ll tell you a little anecdote. In my book Inspired by Tradition, the author’s page is adorned with a huge photo of a four-block sampler quilt. Now when you look at a flat shot of this quilt, you don’t see the quilting much at all. But the way that they lit the project for this photo makes the quilting show up in high relief.
Coming Up Roses by Kay Mackenzie
I tell you what, I’ve answered more questions about that quilting than about the appliqué LOL! I’m like, wait a minute, I’m an appliqué person, not a quilting person! Goes to show you that the quilting really should be the supporting character.
Hope this gives you some good food for thought,
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jun
1
The Ultimate Appliqué Guidebook
Filed Under Books, Freezer paper on top, Glue stick, Hand appliqué, Machine appliqué, Prepared edge, Prizes, Raw edge | 44 Comments
Remember this photo, of me and Annie Smith holding each other’s books?
The Ultimate Appliqué Guidebook from C&T Publishing is our featured book this month.
Full disclosure: Annie is a buddy of mine. For years we’ve followed one another’s progression as we strove for and attained career goals. A goal that we each held dear was the publication of an appliqué book. I’m so thrilled for Annie that her wish came true last fall when this gorgeous book came to life.
I’ll start by telling you that this is not the ultimate guide to every method of appliqué that’s out there. It’ something very important, a sourcebook of appliqué design elements and a gentle guide through the process of finding inspiration, encouraging it, recording it when it strikes, and translating it into your own unique appliqué quilts.
Starting with the basics, Annie goes through choosing fabrics, playing with fabrics, employing a focus fabric, and determining value. There’s a comprehensive section on tools and supplies for appliqué.
Wow.
Then she moves on to detailed instructions for her own favored appliqué methods: raw-edge fusible machine appliqué and Holly Mabutas‘s prepared-edge method for hand appliqué, where freezer-paper templates are ironed to the front and the turning allowance is glued to the back. All through the book there are specific, detailed photographs to help you see exactly what Annie’s talking about.
Then comes a section on the basics of design for blocks and quilts. These are important concepts that in my experience are not covered all the time. A beautiful gallery of quilts follows, to give you even more inspiration. Check out an earlier blog post of mine that shows Annie’s gorgeous coat and accompanying quilt, both of which are pictured in the book.
Following that are several lovely quilt projects to get you started, with pull-out patterns in the back Then comes a whole long catalog of appliqué design elements! A 50 page appliqué shape-a-palooza! Mix and match these as you like!
Many of the elements are given in a variety of sizes, and you can always enlarge or reduce on a photocopy machine. And, you can use any method of appliqué that you like. Another great thing about this book is that it has a lay-flat binding, so you can smooth it out flat for tracing without worrying about breaking the spine. Very cool!
Annie gave me an autographed copy of her book to give away to one of my readers in a drawing. Thank you Annie! If you’d like a chance to win, leave a comment by 7:00 p.m. California time on Saturday, June 4. Contest open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. Good luck!
Until then,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
P.S. In case you might not know, Annie does a podcast for quilters. Check it out at Simple Arts.
May
28
More from Schoolhouse
Filed Under Books, Designers, Glue stick, Magazines, Prepared edge, Prizes | 3 Comments
The winner of the Quilted Crow Girls pattern is… ! Congratulations
One of the Schoolhouse sessions that I attended during Spring Market was a presentation by Tri-State Printing. Tri-State is a well know name in the quilting industry. I’ve never used them, but I’ve been aware of them for a long time. They are extremely knowledgeable about our industry and its printing needs, and they print for a ton of quilt designers. If you need a little or a lot of help with your printed materials, from pattern covers to brochures to self-published books, they would be a good company to contact.
I went to a fun presentation from the Quilted Frog! Aka Carla Scott and Leanne Smith, who just came out with a new book from AQS Publishing called Lady Bug & Friends Quilts.
The Quilted Frog gals have developed a distinctive, cartoony, and very fun style they call Easy Outline Appliqué™. You have to go to their website and see the quilts from the new book! They are so different looking, really fresh and appealing!
Over on their website they also have tutorials and videos, so be sure to poke around all the great resources they offer.
There’s more from Schoolhouse and Market. I’m trying to wrangle some guest posts, so stay tuned!
Whilst I was tramping around the aisles of Market, I stopped by the Creative Crafts Group booth. They’re the ones who publish Quiltmaker and the special 100 Blocks issues, among many other publications. I was tickled to see the cover of the recent 100 Blocks Volume 3 blown up to poster size. A staffer insisted on taking my picture, and she told me to point to my block. This cheesy maneuver caused me to slump down, which made me look like I gained back that 10 pounds I just lost, but oh well.
In case you ‘re interested in getting that special issue and haven’t found it yet, I have it available on my website now, on the Patterns page.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
May
18
Schoolhouse cont’
Filed Under Books, Show & Tell | 1 Comment
Next I went to see Cynthia Tomaszewski present her new book Quilting Those Flirty ’30s.
All the projects in this book are super cute, ’30s style, and all incorporate a touch of appliqué. I’ll try to get my hands on a copy of this book in the future.
By then it was time for a little lunch. At Market you sit down wherever, and usually end up striking up a conversation with your neighbors. I started chatting with a couple gals and found out that they were sisters and co-authors of the new book Circle of Nine.
The subtitle is “24 Stunning and Creative Quilts: One Unique Quilt Setting.” A beautiful way to set a collection of nine blocks!
Holy cow, these gals are Janet Houts and Jean Ann Wright, who was editor-in-chief of Quilt Magazine for 20 years! What a great lunch!
The Checker Distributors Newsletter has a lot of great photos from Market. Pat Sloan also has fun Market recaps up on her blog, and recorded some radio interviews while she was there. More to come from me, including a lot of great information addressing some of the questions in the recent call for topics.
For those of you in the greater Los Angeles area, I’ll be in Northridge this weekend for Quilting in the Valley 2011, an annual show put on jointly by two area quilt guilds. Full information at quiltinginthevalley.com. Hope to see you there!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
May
16
I survived Market!
Filed Under Books, Quilt shops, Show & Tell | 1 Comment
The trip to Salt Lake City for Spring Quilt Market went “like butter.” I had a blast and a half. The good times started just as soon as the plane out of San Jose finished loading. My seat neighbor turned out to be going where I was going, so naturally we chattered like magpies the whole flight.
Julie operates an on-line boutique fabric shop, The Intrepid Thread, stocked with fresh modern fabrics. (And a whole lot of new ones coming after she saw the fabulous lines debuting at Market.)
And get this… Julie said her friend Sally, who was picking her up at the airport, would give me a ride to my hotel too! How’s that for nice? No Supershuttling! They even picked me up and took me back to the airport for the flight home!
These are the sweet gals who adopted me. Julie, left, and Sally, right.
Sally Keller’s shop is Sally’s Angelworks, offering darling mini art quilts, unique fabric camera-strap covers, and other handmade items.
Julie and Sally were there to shop, of course, and also to help out Amanda Herring at the Quilted Fish booth. All of them are part of the Riley Blake design team. Whew, these young quilter gals! Enough energy to power Salt Lake City for a week! Both of them have nice Market photos and stories on their blogs.
Thursday was Schoolhouse, which is a series of short break-out sessions geared toward the shop owner, to introduce what’s new and exciting. This is how it works. Two hours before the whole deal starts, you can get the schedule. There was a huge room full of chairs where you could sit and study the offerings, plotting and scheming on which ones you wanted to go to. There were about 20 sessions in each time slot, so if there were two at once you liked, you had to pick the one you wanted most!
When each session ended, it was that silly thing that happens when elevator doors open… people wanting to get out and people wanting to get in at the same time. There were thousands of bodies, everybody had wheelie bags, and it was one great big milling churn dash. I’ll share the first couple sessions that I went to, and I’ll put up more information later, in bites.
First on the docket I chose to go hear Dan Purcell. Dan is the boy genius son of Bob and Heather Purcell of Superior Threads. Dan, a smartywhistle techie extraordinaire, grew up in the quilting industry and is the nicest, friendliest young guy you would ever want to meet. Dan operates Websites for Quilters, a company offering a whole bunch of services for quilters who want to be on the web and need a little or a lot of help.
One of the great things that Dan told us about is his FindMyFabric.com, a fabric, quilting, and sewing supply search engine. You can search for products offered by hundreds of online stores to find exactly what you are looking for. You can also search by uploading a photo of the fabric you need more of! How cool is that?? And totally free, this one.
Dan also operates QuilterBlogs.com, a directory of quilting blogs that you can check out to see what’s out there in the blogosphere.
I bought Dan’s book so I can learn more valuable nuggets about having a quilting website.
Next I went to the presentation by Stacey Michell of Shades Textiles. Stacey’s main product is SoftFuse, a paper-backed fusible web that has become my favorite. It’s the lightest weight, and it actually works the way this type of product is supposed to work! What a concept! It fuses quickly, the paper comes off right away, and like I said it is extremely lightweight and flexible.
Stacey’s mom is Marti Michell. They were both there at the session to show us how you can use the product to do a prepared-edge type of appliqué for either hand or machine stitching. It’s fused, and the edges are turned! Very interesting! I’ll be giving this a try myself and will report the results here on the blog. I ordered some SoftFuse so I’ll be able to offer it on my website soon.
This was my favorite entry in the quilt display.
I’m Watching You by Barbara McKie of Old Lyme, Connecticut.
Much more to come,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Apr
27
A visit with Annie
Filed Under Books, Prizes, Spotlights | 3 Comments
This just in! Yesterday I had lunch with my pal Annie Smith. Of course you can’t get together with Annie without being recorded for a podcast, so she cranked up her iPad and we started talking!
Go visit Annie’s Quilting Stash to listen to an interview with moi and have a chance to win prizes!
Here we are, in the lobby of the Green Valley Grill. The hostess was kind enough to snap the shot of us holding each others’ books. See that one in my paws? You’ll learn more about it soon!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Apr
12
Exploring Embellishments
Filed Under Books, Color, Embellishment, Machine appliqué, Prizes | 15 Comments
The speaker at my guild’s meeting last night was Rose Hughes!
Rose is the author of Dream Landscapes, which was previously featured here on the blog.
Now Rose has published a beautiful followup book, Exploring Embellishments: More Artful Quilts with Fast-Piece Appliqué.
I just so happened to have a copy with me last night, which Rose graciously signed for us! That’s right, courtesy of That Patchwork Place we have a fantastic giveaway to a lucky winner of the book personally signed by the author.
Rose’s lecture was all about color, and about each quilter’s personal color journey. We had the treat of seeing her color-drenched, fast-piece appliquéd and embellished quilts in person as she displayed a trunk show of her work. On her website, Rose has a free Color Discovery Lesson. Check it out!
Exploring Embellishments focuses on the embellishment side of Rose’s work, taking us through all different types of fascinating doodads. Some were a surprise to me! I was familiar of course with buttons and with seed beads and bugle beads, but I never knew about coin beads or pressed glass/lampworked beads. They’re beautiful! Rose also urges us to consider a range of natural materials and found objects. Basically, anything that has a hole in it or that you can get a hole through, you can use to embellish your quilt!
I had never heard of air-dry clay. How very interesting! Rose also has good times with Angelina fibers, chenille sticks, wool roving, and the Mysterious Substance called Lutradur. You’ll see how to use these materials and more to fabricate your own unique embellishments.
Each project in the book is an embellishment learning experience, starting with Fast-Pieced Appliqué to create a colorful, interesting background.
Collectively these darling little quilts are called “The Truth About Cats and Dogs.”
The embellishments create the sparkle and glow of a moonlit “Starry Night.”
Wool-felt and wool-roving flowers.
To enter the drawing to win the book, leave a comment here on the blog before 7:00 p.m. California time on Friday, April 15. The contest is open to U.S. and Canada addresses only. If you’re subscribed by email or feed reader, remember to click over to the blog itself to leave your comment.
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Mar
14
Overheard at the quilt show
Filed Under A story of another book, Admin notes, Books | 14 Comments
Last fall I was hanging out in my cozy little booth at a quilt show. An attendee came in, looked around, and said, “Oh, it’s more of that crappliqué.”
Well, she had a nice spirit about her and the way she said it was funny, so that actually made me laugh.
We started chatting and I asked her why she felt that way about appliqué. She told me that she had taken a class and had hated the process and the result. During our conversation I told her that there’s not just one way to appliqué and she just hadn’t found the way that suited her best. She agreed with that philosophy, and promised to give it another go.
I hope I helped this nice gal be more receptive to our polarizing pastime. What do you say to fellow quilters who have experienced frustration with appliqué?
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
• My talk with Pat Sloan on March 21 at 4:00 p.m. Eastern time
•10-day blog hop, Book-A-Round 2, March 22-31.
Mar
7
It’s publication day!!
Filed Under A story of another book, Book-A-Round 2, Books, Prizes | 18 Comments
This morning I got up and did the happy dance.
For me this looks like jumping up and down while doing the twist. I am not normally much of a morning person, especially before coffee, but I was celebrating the fact that today is the official publication day for Inspired by Tradition: 50 Appliqué Blocks in 5 Sizes!
Here’s the Table of Contents, beautifully presented by That Patchwork Place‘s book designer.
Here are a few more blocks.
Six blocks from Inspired by Tradition
Some more very cool news: Pat Sloan has invited me to be a guest on her Creative Talk Radio show on March 21! That should be so fun, as Pat is a relaxed, outgoing person and totally easy to talk to. There will be giveaway goodness associated with this event, so be sure to mark your calendars.
The next day, I’m kicking off Book-A-Round 2, a 10-day tour visiting other quilting bloggers. Each one will feature something a little different about Inspired by Tradition. More giveaway goodness, as a copy of the book will be offered in a drawing at each stop of the tour. Mark your calendars for March 22-31, and stay tuned for more information.
I’ve got the new book up on my website now. Many of you have been following this story of another book for over a year now. In celebration of this long-awaited day, and to say thanks, I’d like to offer blog readers a coupon for $2.00 off orders from my website. Use coupon code BLOG2 during checkout. Coupon expires March 31, 2011.
Still got happy feet,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Mar
6
The winner of Flower Show Quilts is Janis Rink! Congratulations! Janis reports that she is especially thrilled because like many quilters she is also a gardener. This will be a great book for her.
Coming tomorrow… some exciting news! Stay tuned!
Until then,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Mar
1
Flower Show Quilts
Filed Under Books, Prizes | 52 Comments
Greetings fellow appliqué enthusiasts, top of the month to you! In the spirit of encouraging spring, our featured book this month is
Flower Show Quilts by Lynn Ann Majidimehr.
The subtitle of this book is “Stunning Appliqué on a Patchwork Canvas.” What a great idea! I always think that a combination of patchwork and appliqué makes the most appealing quilts.
The front matter of Flower Show Quilts is a treasure trove of information. The author starts with quiltmaking basics, ranging from sewing supplies to presser feet to needles to fabric choice and preparation.
Then, there’s a fantastic photo tutorial on a method of foundation piecing where you don’t sew through the foundation. No tearing paper away!
Then we move to the appliqué information. Lynn takes us through two methods. First, there’s a tutorial on using fusible web that has no paper backing, such as Mistyfuse. This method always confounds me, so it was great to have it laid out before me step by step. Second, there’s freezer-paper, glue-basted appliqué. The freezer paper is ironed to the right side of the fabrics, and the edges are glued to the back.
Quiltmaking basics continue with assembling the quilt top, borders with mitered corners, layering and basting, and a fantastic section on machine quilting. This is not your “quilt as desired” type of thing; Lynn includes tons of great information and photo examples of quilting by machine.
There’s even specific, illustrated information on binding and adding a sleeve! Very comprehensive!
Now we get to the beautiful floral appliqué designs, all on patchwork backgrounds. Here are just a couple of the 10 colorful projects included.
Summer Floral Table Runner
Watercolor Lilies
If you’d like to enter the drawing to win Flower Show Quilts, leave a comment on this post by 7:00 p.m. California time on Friday, March 4. U.S. and Canada only.
Remember that if you are subscribed by email or feed reader, you’ll need to click over the the blog itself to leave a comment. Good luck!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
7
Giveaway nears conclusion
Filed Under Admin notes, Books, Fusible interfacing, Machine appliqué, Prepared edge | 1 Comment
Admin note: The Giveaway for Kids has drawn to a close.
Awhile ago I instituted a Giveaway for Kids. I’ll repeat the post here.
Due to a printing glitch and subsequent reprinting, I ended up with way more copies of In a Twinkle: Youthful Quilt Designs than I needed. It’s time for them to move away from home!
If you’re a member of a group that makes and donates quilts for kids in need, email me at “kay at kaymackenzie dot com” and tell me about your group. I’ll send you 6 copies (as many as I can stuff in a bubble mailer) by the “slow boat to China,” Media Mail. If you feel like paying me back for the postage, you can PayPal a couple bucks to the same address.
If you’re not a member of such a group but you know somebody who is, feel free to spread the word.
This book includes step-by-step, illustrated instructions for five easy quilts and a comfy cozy flannel blankie, plus detailed instructions on the fusible-interfacing method for machine-appliquéing big, simple shapes.
There are only a few more packets of In a Twinkle waiting to go to a good home. So if your group has not yet received any, now’s the time to let me know that you’d like one for the use of your group’s worthy efforts. U.S. and Canada only.
Thank you for what you do for kids,
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
1
Fast, Flirty, and Fun
Filed Under Books, Fusible interfacing, Prizes, Raw edge, Wool | 32 Comments
Our featured book this month is from author Sarah M. Bisel, courtesy of That Patchwork Place.
So cute!!!
See the feedsack-repro look of the fabrics on the cover quilt? Yet a fresh, modern sensibility? The whole book breathes fresh air into quiltmaking, combining striking fabrics, simple patchwork, and a touch of whimsical appliqué. These are projects that anyone would love to have around their house.
This is Charming Garden, which can be made using precut 5″ charm squares for even speedier results. How simple, and how charming! I love the rickrack piping and the bias striped binding. Sarah provides coaching on how to use the values within the charm pack.
How about this cute Birthday Bash? You can hang it whenever there’s a birthday at your house.
Fast, Flirty, and Fun starts out with sections on “Color and Value” and “All About Fabric.” As the author says, ‘Nothing will do more to make or break a quilt than these artistic qualities.” Her quilts certainly demonstrate her savvy with both! Then we move on to cutting and piecing principles. My favorite one is, “Don’t use your rotary cutter when you’re tired.”
The section on Appliqué Basics includes information on fusible-interfacing, raw-edge, and wool appliqué. All on the easier side and very good methods to have in your appliqué bag of tricks.
There’s a section on quilting and finishing, and 11 darling projects ranging from wall quilts to table toppers to nap quilts. They all have that fresh, modern sensibility that is so in tune with today.
Sarah Bisel
A fresh young face as well! Sarah blogs at Milk and Honey Designs.
If you’d like to win a copy of the book, leave a comment here on this post before 7:00 p.m. on Friday, February 4. Drawing open to U.S. and Canada only please.
Good luck!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jan
13
Inspired by Tradition
Filed Under A story of another book, Back-basting (no-template), Books, Hand appliqué, History, Machine appliqué, Patterns, Raw edge | 16 Comments
Last night Brown came and delivered the most beautiful book. I’m holding it in my hands, I see my name on the cover, and I can hardly believe it’s mine!
It’s been just over a year since I was given the green light from That Patchwork Place for this new book. I’ve blogged about the process a little bit from time to time. (If you look at the Categories in the left-hand sidebar you can click on ‘A story of another book’ to read those posts if you like.)
Inspired by Tradition: 50 Appliqué Blocks in 5 Sizes is presented in the same format as Easy Appliqué Blocks, my first book from TPP… 50 blocks shown in a thumbnail library so you can choose your block, and a CD that you stick into your computer, choose any one of 5 sizes, and print right at home! No figuring of percentages or folding, copying, and matching back up crooked sections! We even give reversed versions of each pattern, since you need that for some forms of appliqué.
The designs in this new book are all vintage and old-timey in look and feel, hence the name Inspired by Tradition. The publishers did an amazing job on the pages within… graceful, colorful, and pretty, and so well suited for showing off these blocks with traditional appeal. I couldn’t be happier with how it looks.
In addition to the blocks, there’s a Little Gallery of Ideas to get you thinking. We’ve included the dimensions of all the blocks, sashing, borders, etc. in case you’d like to make something similar. There are also extensive illustrated instructions for back-basting hand appliqué and raw-edge fusible machine appliqué, and a section of appliqué questions and answers compiled from what quilters talk about when they come into my booth at shows.
What I have right now is my advance copy. The book ships to quilt shops March 7. It’s available for pre-order on Amazon now, and at a great price too. And, if you go look at it on Amazon and click on ‘see all product images,’ you can see all 50 of the blocks! That’s right, the publisher uploaded beautiful images of all 50 blocks, stitched by moi!
If you’d like to wait for a copy signed by me, I’ll have it on my website March 7 as well.
Thank you for taking a look at my new baby. I’m just a little bit excited.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jan
3
Flowers All Around
Filed Under Books, Prizes | 35 Comments
I have a beautiful book to show you this month.
Flowers All Around: Garden-Inspired Quilts by Cindy Lammon comes to us courtesy of That Patchwork Place.
In the introduction, Cindy tells us how she first became attracted to historical botanical prints, with their “marriage of beauty and scientific accuracy.” She continues, “I continue to be inspired by botanical art and my own garden. Creating simple appliqué and pieced designs of flowers and plants has become one of my favorite pastimes.”
A combination of appliqué and piecing creates the most beautiful quilts IMO. This book presents five such quilts with detailed instructions on how to make them.
Flower Garden
The author also provides fantastic illustrated appliqué instruction for both needle-turn hand appliqué and fusible machine appliqué… take your pick! There is also very good basic information on selecting fabric, rotary cutting, machine piecing, pressing, adding borders, and binding your quilt.
Christmas Flora
Aren’t they gorgeous?
If you’d like a chance to win this book, please leave a comment by Friday, January 7, 2011. U.S. and Canada only. Those subscribed by email or feed reader, click the title of the post to be taken to the blog itself, then scroll to the bottom of the post to leave your comment and enter the drawing. Good luck!!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Dec
14
Double comfort
Filed Under Books, Embroidery, Freezer paper on top, Fusible interfacing, Fusible web, Holiday, Prizes, Wool, Words | 38 Comments
Seasons Greetings!
Admin note: the previous drawing for a year’s subscription to the new Quilt Pattern Magazine in still underway. The winner will be chosen the first week of January.
Now on to today’s post. Last year at this time I did a special double giveaway to celebrate my birthday on the 17th (not to mention the other holidays). It was so much fun and made me feel like my birthday lasted for a week! So we’re doing it again this year.
When the nephews were kids, Dana and I used to travel to Minneapolis for Christmas. Now that the boys are all tall and college-y, we stay home and enjoy the comforts of our own living room at Christmastime. Much as I loved seeing the boys dive through their presents, now I love our quiet celebration at home.
And so, in keeping with that theme, I’ve selected two titles that play on the theme of Comfort.
First we have ‘Tis the Season: Quilts and Other Comforts.
As the authors Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks say, “Adding just a few accents to a room can change the feel of that space from everyday to holiday.” In that spirit, the book offers simple and charming quilts and projects to “keep your home well dressed for winter!”
Jeanne and Shelley should be experts in the field, since they live in Saskatchewan, Canada.
Brrr!
The book starts out with basic information on fabric selection and preparation, then moves on the the authors’ favorite special techniques. Included here are fusible-web appliqué, fusible-interfacing appliqué, working with wool, hand-embroidering, making vines, and finishing basics.
Then, on to the projects! There are detailed instructions for very cute pillows and wall quilts to welcome Santa and the season (you can see one on the cover), cozy lap quilts, cheery welcoming table toppers, a whimsical primitive wool runner, and tons of inspirational decorating ideas.
What I really like about these projects is all the words! Plus, the templates given in the book are full-size and already reversed for your ease of use in fusible-web appliqué.
Our second offering is Country Comforts: Quilts for Casual Living.
Country Comforts by Cheryl Wall is full of that comfy old-fashioned primitive style that I appreciate so well.
The author’s introduction is an inspiration unto itself. “I’m drawn to the primitive style of quilting and crafting because of the freedom it allows me to make projects that are less than perfect but still beautiful,” says Cheryl. “I believe that the creative process should be fun and soul satisfying.” Right on sister! Worrying about stuff only robs us of the enjoyment of quiltmaking.
The books starts out with the basics of quiltmaking, including supplies you’ll need and some info on the types of fabrics that work well for this style, also rotary cutting, chain piecing, pressing, freezer-paper-on-top hand appliqué, wool appliqué, and hand-embroidery stitches. Finishing your quilt is covered too.
Most of the warm and inviting projects in the book are a combination of patchwork and appliqué, a combo platter that just always works. You’ll find quilts for laps, beds, tables, walls, or just plain draping over something. All of them will lend your home that air of casual comfort and relaxation.
If you’d like to enter the drawing to win these two titles courtesy of That Patchwork Place, leave a comment by 7:00 p.m. California time on Saturday, December 18.
Those subscribed by email or feed reader, remember that you’re not actually on the blog when you read the posts. You’ll need to click the title of the post to be taken to All About Appliqué on the internet, where you’ll be able to leave a comment at the bottom of the post and enter the drawing. U.S. and Canada only due to the cost of shipping.
Good luck everyone and I hope you are having a happy holiday season!
Until next time,
Kay, Dana, and Willie!
By Kay Mackenzie
Dec
11
New! Quilt Pattern Magazine
Filed Under Articles, Blog hops, Books, Magazines, Prizes | 80 Comments
Welcome new visitors to All About Appliqué! You may be here as a stop on the QPM blog hop… if so, stay awhile and poke around! This is a great resource for any quilter interested in appliqué of any kind.
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!
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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I'm a cover girl!
A blog tour for Inspired by Tradition!
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