Appliqué Books
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Jan
24
Butterflies and a spaniel
Filed Under Classes, Color, Designers, Machine appliqué, Patterns, Show & Tell | 2 Comments
A couple of years ago I blogged about Sheril Drummond’s quilt Remembering Barbaro.
Last October at PIQF she had the most amazing, huge butterfly quilt called “Flights of Fancy.”
Flights of Fancy by Sheril Drummond
I checked Sheril’s blog Serendipity and was delighted to learn that she is now offering patterns and on-line classes to help others achieve the stunning look of her quilts. While you’re there be sure to send virtual scritchies to the Cavalier King Charles spaniel 
.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Dec
14
Double the Artful Appliqué!
Filed Under Books, Color, Cutaway, Designers, Hand appliqué, Needleturn, Patterns, Prizes | 80 Comments
To celebrate my birthday on December 17 (not to mention the holiday season), I’m doing a super-duper, extra, extra-special, double-the-appliqué giveaway! Because you see, these things are as much fun for me as they are for you.
I happen to have copies of both Artful Appliqué: The Easy Way from the year 2000 and still in print, and the brand-new Artful Appliqué II: Introducing Scrappliqué and 12 New Floral Designs by Jane Townswick, provided by Martingale & Company / That Patchwork Place. I’m putting them together and giving you guys an opportunity to win them as a package deal. How festive is that for an appliqué enthusiast?
“Having been a die-hard patchwork fan for many years,” begins Jane in the introduction, “I thought there was very little reason for appliqué quilts to exist — until Nancy Pearson’s “Techny Chimes” stopped me dead in my tracks.”
I’m right there with you on that one, Jane. Here’s a page from my inspiration scrapbook. That’s Techny Chimes on the lower right.
“Beautiful hand appliqué is as individual as a fingerprint,” Jane continues.
I really appreciate this sentiment of encouraging individuality and de-emphasizing the need for exact copying and perfection, which IMO takes away from the pleasure of the work.
In the book Jane presents many unusual (to me) and innovative techniques for creating motifs — partial stitching, modified cutwork, and unit construction. (Just goes to show how different brains work differently.) These methods enable tiny, rich details that still have turned edges.
The appliqué information also shows how to achieve precision where precision is important, and individual, artful results where precision is less important.
Leaves don’t have to be green, did you know that? I know that, but I mostly forget it when I reach for my fabrics. You’ll see some stunning results in the book’s gallery of quilts where the quilters have reached past the green box.
The gallery includes many beautiful quilts made by Jane and her students. The author then includes 16 appliqué blocks, each one with complete skill-building instructions. It’s easy to see why this one is still in print after nine years, it’s a classic.
Artful Appliqué II: Introducing Scrapliqué and 12 New Floral Designs
I just received this one from Martingale so it’s hot off the presses! I can tell from the cover that the floral designs are even more free-form, natural, and detailed. Never fear, Jane takes you step-by-step through her way of mastering this realism. She does advises beginners to consult one of her previous books or another reference book for the basics of appliqué.
In this book Jane introduces Scrapliqué, a technique for creating mosaic-like fabric compositions for your motifs without having to stitch tiny pieces together. There’s also information on unit appliqué, where you can stitch an entire flower before stitching it to the background. Jane explains several advantages to this strategy.
The book has sections on color blending, free-form stems and branches, and a unique way of stitching sharp points. There’s a gorgeous gallery of quilts and 12 floral blocks with step-by-step instructions and photos. You’ll find anemone, camellia, iris, lady’s slipper, pansies, sweet peas, and more! All so detailed you wouldn’t believe it.
Martingale recently published an interview with Jane on their blog. Be sure to go and read that for more information on the artist.
Leave a comment before 7:00 p.m. California time on Thursday, December 17 (my bday ), for a chance to win this fantastic combo platter. U.S. and Canada only, unless you’d be willing to pay the shipping.
Happiest holidays to you!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Dec
6
Victorian Baskets
Filed Under Books, Color, Hand appliqué, Needleturn, Patterns, Show & Tell | 3 Comments
I met Gloria Foley a couple years ago at my home guild’s quilt show when she came into my booth and spotted my Baskets to Appliqué designs. Gloria is the proprietress of The Victorian Quilter, a traveling quilt-show shop specializing in patterns and fabrics with that romantic, Victorian patina.
Gloria gave me an order on the spot for a batch of the books and told me of her plans to make a sample to hang in her booth. Since that time she has become a wonderful friend and a mentor to me, sharing her knowledge of area quilt shows and giving me great tips. Every time I would talk to her or see her at a show she would tell me that the baskets were coming along. Last spring I saw the blocks, completed but not set together yet. They were just gorgeous… soft and rich looking.
Well, at the recent River City Quilt Guild show in Sacramento, I checked in with her during setup and there was the quilt, finished and up on the wall.
Victorian Baskets by Gloria Foley
Wow!!! Look at that red setting. Talk about punch! It looks so different from mine, I love it! Gloria used needleturn appliqué and, instead of a dogtooth border, she used prairie points in the border.
Sixteen Baskets by Kay Mackenzie
At the Sacramento show, people had fun walking back and forth between our booths to look at the two versions.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Nov
1
Pat’s pics of antique quilts at Houston
Filed Under Borders, Circles, Color, Designers, Hand appliqué, History, Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
Daily blogger Pat Sloan put up a post showing some of the antique appliqué quilts that were displayed during Festival in Houston. They are so amazing.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Sep
15
The item that I ordered from Keepsake Quilting to use for the new designs arrived. There’s your second clue.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jun
5
A beautiful basket quilt
Filed Under Books, Broderie perse, Color, Hand appliqué | Leave a Comment
Just put up a post on my Show & Tell Center showing a Baskets to Appliqué quilt made by a shop for their BOM program. For a treat, go look at this gorgeous treatment of the basket blocks.
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Apr
17
My favorite quilt
Filed Under Borders, Color, Embellishment, Freezer paper on top, Hand appliqué, Needleturn, Quilt shows, Stems/vines | 29 Comments
Today I’m writing about my favorite quilt as part of the Bloggers Quilt Festival put on by Amy of
Park City Girl.
My favorite quilt is usually the one I just started but if I had to pick just one, I’d have to say that it’s my Sixteen Baskets.
Here are the reasons why:
In many ways I think this is my best work. It’s hand appliquéd, back during the time that I favored the freezer-paper-template-on-top method (before I learned back-basting). The tiniest motifs are machine appliquéd or hand embroidered.
Each of the blocks is my original design… they’re published in my book Baskets to Appliqué. It was an exciting, emotional, fulfilling process developing the concept for each basket, and I still remember that time…. the mischevious kitty, the fat quarters rolled up, the nod to Baltimore, the pastel eggs inspired by Janet’s chickens who gave us eggs exactly those colors.
This quilt is also hand quilted. I took a picture that’s unevenly lit on purpose to try to get the quilting to show up. I love hand quilting and don’t get the chance to do it as much as I used to.
I love the soldier blue and the dogtooth border. (Also that it’s called a dogtooth border, because I love dogs.)
So that’s my favorite quilt. Thanks for visiting to see my entry in the Bloggers’ Quilt Festival! Visit Park City Girl every day through April 24 and get a ringside seat for other bloggers’ favorite quilts! It’s quite a show!
Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Feb
23
The OP winner
Filed Under Books, Color, Prizes | Leave a Comment
Congratulations to Kim B., who won my prize from Pat Sloan’s Orange Pile Challenge blog hop!
In addition to Growing Hearts to Appliqué, I’m throwing in a half-yard of that fun Pat Sloan fabric.
Thank you so much to all who hopped over from the OP. You left comments that made me feel all warm and fuzzy. Many of you seemed to covet the book, so here’s what I’m doing…
For all you hoppers, through March 31, 2009, receive 25% off Growing Hearts over at quiltpuppy.com. Enter the coupon code ORANGE in the shopping cart.
Enjoy!
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Feb
22
What rhymes with orange?
Filed Under Books, Color, Designers, Fabrics | 62 Comments
Nuttin! Orange and silver are two words for which there is no exact rhyme in the English language. A fabric company should put out an orange fabric with metallic silver highlights and call it “Nothing Rhymes.”
Today I’m ruminating about the color orange as part of Pat Sloan’s Virtual Weekend Retreat and OP Challenge. What’s an OP you might ask? Orange Pile! Your pile of orange fabrics from your stash! There’s a blog hop going on with prize giveaways, a free block pattern, photos of work in progress, and a tutorial. Click the OP logo in the left-hand sidebar and you’ll find out all about it.
What’s orange in nature? Lots of things. Oranges. Tangerines. Papayas. Pumpkins. Carrots. All of these grow with green leaves, so it seems that green goes with orange. However, to me, an orange and green combo just always has a “food” connotation, like food-service industry.
California poppies. Chrysanthemums. Nasturtiums. Still with the green leaves, but commonly pictured against a blue sky. Orange and blue… a nice combination.
Ginger tabby cats. Parts of calico cats. Pomeranians. Monarch Butterflies.
My calico cat Maikai.
Orange and black, besides being two colors in the classic calico triad, just means Halloween. Orange and brown occur often together in the coats of animals. A touch of orange is fantastic for depicting critters. Go see the giraffes on the home page of appliqué artist Nancy Brown’s website.
I happen to like orange, and when I say that I mean in my stash and in my quilts. Supposedly I can’t wear true orange, me being a ‘classic winter’ and all. But when I really think about it, orangey-red is really one of my favorite colors! Witness the color scheme for this blog (which I designed myself). My car is ‘red-orange metallic.’ I’m far more drawn to the orange side of red than the purple side.
I try to pull a splash of orange into my appliqué whenever I can. Here’s my improvisational, scissor-cut wall quilt Free Flowers. It just wouldn’t be the same without the orange and the pink.
When I pulled fabrics for the blocks in my book Growing Hearts to Appliqué, I mixed orange into the reds.
One of my very favorite color combinations is orangey-red and tealy blue. Can you see it in this quilt block? They’re opposite each other on the color wheel, so they’re complimentary, and they look fabulous together.
Last year I stopped by In Stitches, an exceedingly cute quilt shop in Red Buff, California. The owner, Erda Fleming, told me that they had a program whereby the first fabric purchased by a customer would become the Bolt of the Day. I was the first one in the door so I got to proclaim the Bolt of the Day. Here’s what I chose.
Pat Sloan fabric!
Note the orangey-red and tealy blue. No wonder it was my favorite!
When I designed the cover for Growing Hearts I used this color combo too.
Have you guessed it? This book is my giveaway for the OP Challenge! Leave a comment on this post to enter the drawing for Growing Hearts to Appliqué. The winner will be drawn this evening, California time.
Don’t forget to visit Pat Sloan’s blog for the rest of her virtual weekend retreat on all quilty things orange!
Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Feb
17
Fabulous quilt designer Pat Sloan has put forth an OP Challenge.
What’s an OP? Orange Pile! Your pile of orange fabric from your stash! How fun.
Pat has already started putting up some notes for quilters who are participating in the challenge. If you’d like to join in the fun and “orange along,” just click the OP logo in the sidebar for all the information.
As part of the OP Challenge, Pat is hosting a virtual weekend retreat from Friday, February 20, through Sunday, February 22. There’ll be a blog hop with prize giveaways, a free block pattern, photos of work in progress, and a tutorial. It should be great fun, as it seems Pat really knows how to throw a party! I’ll be one of the bloggers on the hop and I’m already planning my prize giveaway.
Here’s my Orange Pile. I like orange. This doesn’t even show the orangey-reds.
Cheers,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
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