Apr
30
Half Log Cabin Tulips!
Filed Under Blog hops, Magazines, Patterns, Prizes | 202 Comments
Welcome gentle quilters!! It’s Day 3 of the 100 Blocks Volume 9 blog tour! These tours are always a rollicking good time, and I’m happy to be part of things once again.
|  |
I’m Kay Mackenzie, a designer and author in Santa Cruz, California. My website is By Kay Mackenzie, which has all of my books and patterns on it, plus select notions for the appliqué enthusiast. If this is your first time visiting my blog All About Appliqué, I’m glad you’re here! You’ll find a wealth of information about all kinds of appliqué here on the blog. And, we have a featured appliqué book at the beginning of every month, given away in a drawing, which is way fun.
I’m delighted and proud to say that this is my eighth time having one of the 100 Blocks. I just love participating in these special issues!
My latest title from Martingale, Scrap-Appliqué Playground, is all about different ways to put scraps together and cut appliqués out of them. After the book came out, I started playing around with more ideas for cutting appliqués out of something other than just one fabric. I let my mind run wild, and realized that there are clever ways to use traditional pieced quilt blocks for this! It’s the best of both worlds!
Half-Log-Cabin Tulip by Kay Mackenzie.
Cutting a tulip “just so” from a traditional half-log-cabin block gives a fun, stylized look to a very traditional appliqué flower. Split leaves and a patched background complement the pieced nature of the tulip.
The magazine gives complete instructions for making the block, and includes the tulip template that fits just right on the half-log-cabin once it’s pieced. Very cool.
Of course you can change up the color of the background and the flowers. Here are just a couple of possibilities!
 |
 |
I hope you enjoy this block and all the other 99 fabulous and varied designs in Volume 9!
The editors of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks are sponsoring a giveaway of a copy of the magazine! If you’d like to enter to win, please leave a comment here on this post before 12:00 noon California time on Sunday, May 4.
Good luck in the drawing, and remember that if you are subscribed to the blog by email, clicking “Reply” will not enter you in the drawing. Come to the blog on the internet and leave your comment at the bottom of the post. :)
Many thanks for your visit!
Cheerio,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Apr
25
Volume 9 blog hop coming!
Filed Under Blog hops, Magazines, Prizes | 4 Comments
Volume 9 of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks is coming out soon!
To celebrate the release of their newest block collection, Quiltmaker is throwing a big party in the form of a blog tour with lots of prize-winning opportunities along the way.
The tour goes Monday, April 28, through Friday, May 2. Start each day at the Quiltmaker blog Quilty Pleasures and they’ll send you on your way to visit the blogs of many of the designers who have blocks in the issue.
My day is Wednesday, April 30. See you then!
My block is the one on the right :).
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Apr
8
Furry Sweetness
Filed Under Patterns, Prizes | 4 Comments
The winner of Sew Embellished is No. 9, Gail! Congratulations! Gail says that her guild is just starting a splinter group for art quilters this month and the timing is great. Very cool.
I have show and tell! At the recent Desert Guilds show in Palm Springs, the show committee asked the vendors to award ribbons for their favorites. I wandered the show looking here and looking there. I saw one that was entirely to my delight, walked up to it, and hung my ribbon. Then I read the description. No wonder I loved the pattern… it’s one of Holly’s!
Holly Mabutas is a gifted artist and quiltmaker who has THE most delightful patterns over at Eat Cake Graphics. Here’s the quilt from the show, Furry Sweetness by Judy Price, quilted by Lynette Harlan. Love it, gals!
my Vendor's Choice ribbon
Furry Sweetness at Eat Cake Graphics.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Apr
1
Sew Embellished!
Filed Under Books, Embellishment, Embroidery, Prizes | 17 Comments
Cathy Perlmutter is my special friend that I visit with whenever I’m in her area for a quilt show. She writes the fabulous blog Gefiltequilt about her wondrously creative projects. When I took a look at this month’s featured book, I knew that it was right up Cathy’s alley. Yay, she agreed to write a guest post!!
Take it away, Cathy!
How lucky am I that Kay Mackenzie loaned me a copy of Cheryl Lynch’s new book, Sew Embellished! Artistic Little Quilts, Personalized with Easy Techniques, published by Martingale in 2012.
This book is a delight, and packed with useful information. For everyone who would like to start embellishing, or be inspired by new ideas, this book is a must-have.
The book starts out as an embellishment encyclopedia. Cheryl shows how to attach a wide variety of beads, buttons, and miscellaneous hardware – anything, as she says, that has a hole in it. She shows how she uses trims as whimsical border treatments. There’s an explanation of how to make custom buttons and beads from polymer clay. She takes us through a wide variety of threads and yarns, and graphs the main embroidery stitches that quilters need.
Cheryl also offers a variety of ways to add words–whether applique, computer printing, embroidery, polymer clay plates, and more. She has a lot of really interesting binding and edging techniques, including folded shapes.
All that alone would be worth the price of admission, but we’re not even halfway through the book yet! Cheryl’s projects, which involve both piecing and applique, celebrate family, pets, nature and love. She turns unfinished blocks into works of art. My favorite are her brooches with shrink-plastic photos stitched on; a stunning appliqued “tranquility tree”, and her accordion-fold heart & home standing book.
I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning embellishment techniques or acquiring more; and who would like a reference and inspiration for personalized and unique art quilt gifts. I am buying myself a copy. It is a keeper that I will refer to again and again!
Kay here… thank you Cathy! Cathy has to get her own copy because we’re giving this one away! If you’d like to enter the drawing, please leave a comment before 7:00 p.m. California time on Monday, April 7.
It is with a sorrowful sigh that I must say that these drawings are now open to U.S. mailing addresses only. I found out with a shock that one of the changes in our recent USPS postal rate increase is that the cost to Canada has more than tripled. Apologies to my quilting neighbors to the north. :(.
Many thanks for reading All About Appliqué,
Kay and Cathy
Mar
19
Door prize winners!
Filed Under Prizes, Quilt shows | 3 Comments
The three door prize winners in honor of National Quilting Day are… No. 34-Dorothy, No. 39-Cathy, and No. 47-Lynn. Congratulations to all three and thanks to everyone who entered the draw!
When I put together door prizes for the shows the contents may vary… this time they contained two of my books.
|  |
Growing Hearts has 16 flowering hearts blocks, and A Merry Little Christmas has a variety of holiday designs in sizes that play nicely together. Enjoy the designs ladies!
I’m off to SoCal once again (my car knows the way) for the Glendale Quilt Guild show at the Pasadena Convention Center. Hope to see you there, and who knows, maybe you’ll win a door prize :).
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Mar
15
National and Worldwide Quilting Day!
Filed Under Prizes | 47 Comments
Depending on who you ask, today is National Quilting Day (according to the NQA) or Worldwide Quilting Day (according to the Fabric Shop Network).
Whatever we call it, it’s a day to celebrate quilting and all that it means in the lives of anyone who has ever made a quilt, slept under a quilt, touched a quilt, or seen a quilt. That’s gotta be just about everybody, don’t you think?
Illuminations, design by Kay Mackenzie
There ought to be a party. And at a party, there are often door prizes. When there are door prizes, people win them. I have door prizes!
Yep, at almost every guild show I bring along door prizes, goody bags of my books that lucky ticket holders get to take home with them. Instead of tickets, we’ll do comments! If you’d like to win one of my door prizes, leave a comment here on this post before 7:00 p.m. California time on Tuesday, March 18. We’ll do three winners!
Open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. And, I can’t remind about this enough… if you click “Reply” to your email subscription, you will not be entered in the drawing. You have to come to the blog itself and leave a comment.
Happy National/Worldwide Quilting Day!
Kay
Mar
5
Winner, from the road!
Filed Under Prizes, Quilt shows | 1 Comment
Right now I’m in Valencia, California, staying over on the way to Palm Springs for the Desert Guilds biennial quilt show! Setup is tomorrow, then the show is Friday and Saturday. I had a great time two years ago and am happy to be going back to the desert once again. My pal Debby has a beautiful shop The Quilter’s Faire in nearby Palm Desert and it’ll be great seeing her again over the weekend.
The winner of Fall Into Spring is No. 41, Ellen. Congratulations Ellen! I know you will love this expanded pattern from the AQS. Thanks so much to everyone who follows the blog and enters the drawings.
Back next week,
Cheers,
Kay
Mar
1
Fall Into Spring
Filed Under Patterns, Prizes | 49 Comments
As we ease our way into spring, it’s great to have this expanded pattern from the AQS Love to Quilt series!
Fall Into Spring is an award-winning quilt designed and made by Cheryl See in 2007. Cheryl used hand appliqué techniques, and you can use your favorite appliqué method to bring this 57½ x 57½ beauty to life.
The pattern includes humongo folded sheets inside that give you all the patterns full-size! Complete instructions, including optional trapunto and cording methods, are also on these big sheets. Cheryl notes that the fabrics in the original quilt are Marimekko® but that any gradated fabrics will work just as well, or you can piece to achieve the same effect.
If you’d like to win this pattern, please leave a comment here on the blog before 7:00 p.m. California time on Wednesday, March 5. Open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. (Remember, emails won’t enter the drawing.)
Good luck everyone!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
18
Winner, plus some other news!
Filed Under Books, Patterns, Prizes, Quilt shows | 1 Comment
Commenter No. 16, Karen Pastoor, came up the winner of The Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop. Congratulations Karen! I know you will enjoy this fabulous new book.
And don’t forget that Kevin Kosbab is holding a blog tour later this week to celebrate the book’s release! It’ll go February 20-28 over at Kevin’s blog, Feed Dog Designs.
In other news, I’m gearing up for my own guild’s quilt show this weekend! We’re the Pajaro Valley Quilt Association, with members from Santa Cruz County and beyond.
The show is held at the County Fairgrounds in Watsonville. It’s a great location, we have all three buildings and there are lots of fun features and activities during the show. I’ll be in the Harvest Building this year, the same building where lunch is served and the quilt auction and fashion show are held. Hope to see you there this weekend! Saturday, February 22, 10-5, and Sunday, February 23, 10-4.
I mentioned that I was working on a new pattern. Here it is, Sunday Dress.
Originally I called it “Easter Dress,” but after thinking about it some more, I changed it to Sunday Dress so that it wouldn’t seem so seasonal. Those of you who got it at the Folsom show (thank you), I guess you could say you have a collector’s item! :)
Back on the 1st with another great appliqué book! See you then!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
12
The Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop
Filed Under Blog hops, Books, Prizes | 35 Comments
I’m subscribed to the appliqué book feed on Amazon, and as soon as I saw the announcement of a new book that was coming out, I was intrigued and followed the link right away.
The Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop by Kevin Kosbab, from Interweave/F+W Media.
I pulled up the “Look Inside” on Amazon, started reading the section on “Give Appliqué a Chance,”, and honestly, I got chills. Kevin and I could have one brain on the subject of appliqué hesitation. As you know I had just been working on The Appliqué Self-Help Brochure!
I contacted Interweave to see if they would be willing to send a review copy. Not only were they quite gracious about doing so, they set up an interview with Kevin! I’m so happy to share our email conversation, a little later in the post.
The Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop combines traditional methods with a fresh design eye. Kevin gently introduces and thoroughly explains several methods of hand and machine appliqué, including raw-edge, prepared-edge, and needle-turn, all presented with striking projects that fall toward the modern aesthetic. The old and the new… what a great combo platter!
Cobblestones Quilt
Here’s what Kevin and I talked about.
• Kay: I love the front matter in your book… “Give Appliqué a Chance.” You and I both have heard what you aptly call “the old chestnuts,” such as “I don’t have the patience.” Me, in my booth at shows… how about you?
• Kevin: There’s a healthy die-hard appliqué contingent at my local quilt guild, but other members are more hesitant to approach the “A-word”. Just attending quilt shows gives ample opportunity to overhear similar sentiments as people browse the vendors and displays. The most puzzling thing I’ve heard is, “I don’t appliqué, but I do fusible”–which, as you point out in your flier, IS appliqué!
• Kay: You and I think alike when it comes to appliqué method. There are so many ways to go about it, and there’s no one correct way! I really like how you present this concept, both in the section called “Choosing a Method” and as each is introduced. Most books just announce the method, and plow right into it! You start out by asking “Why?” and then delivering an explanation of why one might choose that particular method. Is that the way your mind works?
• Kevin: Definitely! High school calculus baffled me because nobody would (or could) explain the “why” of the processes, so I wanted to lay out actual reasons why one appliqué method might be beneficial in certain circumstances. Projects in the book like Eccentric Concentrics and the All Seasons Pillows take advantage of the freeform nature of needle-turn, while the crisp shapes of the Pineapple Rings and Counterbalance quilts make more sense as prepared-edge projects. And to define edges with decorative stitching or contrasting thread, you can’t beat raw-edge fusible appliqué. I really believe there’s no one-size-fits-all method, and each offers unique opportunities and challenges.
Counterbalance Quilt
• Kay: The subtitle of the book is “Timeless Techniques for Modern Designs.” Its seems to act as a bridge between what’s time-honored and what’s coming up new and fresh in quilting today. Was that your thinking going into the project?
• Kevin: It was definitely one of the thoughts floating around in my head–in a wider sense, that’s how I like to approach quilting and needlework in general, learning from the experience of people before me while applying those skills to a newer aesthetic. I love digging through old needlework books and figuring out how to extract the basic techniques from the often dated examples.
• Kay: The book gives information on very precise ways to achieve results, and also more freeform strategies. I appreciate the way you encourage imprecision and improvisation in appliqué.
• Kevin: I’m so glad to hear that. I think concentration on precision is one of the biggest barriers to enjoyment of appliqué, so I wanted to counter that with a different perspective. There’s been lots of interest in improvisational piecing over the last several years, and it felt to me that improvisation was an even more natural component of appliqué, even though it’s not an aspect I often see associated with appliqué (or encouraged). Historical quilts are rarely absolutely precise, but they have a vitality that’s lost when we try too hard to emulate computer-aided perfection. Improvisation shouldn’t be about shoddy craftsmanship, but about embracing the handmade nature of the things we are taking the time to make by hand.
• Kay: The sidebar on “Quilt Police, Appliqué Division” had me cracking up! I’ll just quote the first couple of sentences. “Every branch of quilting has its share of self-appointed authoritarians on a mission to ensure compliance with their version of The Right Way To Do Things. Appliqué seems to attract an especially large police force, but as in real law enforcement, their statutes vary by jurisdiction.” Well said!
• Kevin: Thanks, I had fun writing it! Writing pages and pages of detailed technical instructions can provoke occasional outbursts like that. ;-) And besides, who said quilting had to be all serious business?
• Kay: You talk about how when you first became interested in appliqué, there were calls to mom. Can you describe how those calls went?
• Kevin: Well, to start with, my mom was quite surprised that I was considering quilting, since I’d been insistent she not make me a quilt when I went away to college (“Mo-om, it’ll be embarrassing!”). But she offered to quilt my first (pieced) quilt top, and quite fortuitously left the binding for me to do. I told her I found hand-sewing the binding strangely enjoyable, to which she said, “You know, if you like sewing the binding, you’d probably like appliqué.”
She’s an expert appliquér, so since she was my main point of quilting contact then, she didn’t instill any of the fear many quilters feel about appliqué. She encouraged me to try a freezer paper and starch-turned method to start with and gave me a basic run-down of how it worked, and I set off to do a large-scale appliqué across the better part of a full-size bed quilt–not how I’d recommend starting, but it got me hooked. After I’d done a couple quilts that way, I lamented to my mom how the starching and ironing started to feel tedious, a feeling she shared (neither of us get our kicks from ironing laundry), so she promised to show me needle-turn applique the next time we got together in person.
Fruit Market Quilt
The rest of my family couldn’t believe the sight of the two of us messing about with fabric and needles, but since then my younger brother’s also become a costume designer, so my father and other brother (both engineers) really wonder what happened.
My mom also gave lots of advice on tools and supplies, though what I had available at the time was pretty much limited to what was available on foot in downtown Philadelphia (which meant hand-quilting thread for appliqué–again, not what I’d recommend for a beginner!). We still compare notes on new supplies, techniques, and ideas. Though our quilts look totally different, our attitudes about quilting are pretty close, so she’s been very generous in helping me out with pattern samples. Call me a mamma’s boy if you must, but we do live thousands miles apart!
• Kay: The book has full-size patterns in a plastic bag attached to the inside back cover! Excellent! Was that your concept?
• Kevin: The publisher decided the ultimate format, but I felt strongly that the patterns should be printed full size. It’s so frustrating when a book requires patterns to be enlarged–it always seems to take a huge amount of trial and error to get the photocopies to come out right. If people have bought the book, they shouldn’t have to pay a copy shop too.
That said, I did have to work out an enlargement percentage for the Eccentric Concentrics Quilt in the book because the pattern is the size of the entire quilt, but I hope people will prefer to sketch out their own interpretation.
• Kay: How did you and Interweave get together?
• Kevin: I’ve been designing sewing projects for Stitch, one of Interweave’s magazines, since their second issue, so that’s how their books division found me. The acquisitions editor asked if I’d thought about writing a book, to which I replied, “As a matter of fact, yes!” I’d worked as a book editor myself, so a quilting book had been knocking around in my head for a while.
• Kay: When, why, and how did you become interested in quilting and appliqué? Do you teach classes? How do we pronounce your last name?
• Kevin: Still with neither of us thinking I’d get into quilting, my mom bought me my first sewing machine when I started talking about making curtains for my first apartment. That apartment never had its curtains finished, though, because I soon got distracted with quilting: I made a really simple quilt for my bed from Denyse Schmidt‘s first book, then another bed quilt from Weeks Ringle and Bill Kerr‘s book shortly after, and then I started designing my own patterns. I actually picked up appliqué shortly after those first two quilts, encouraged by my enjoyment of binding. I’d never planned to get into quilting, but it gave a medium to my lifelong interest in graphic design–appliqué was the last piece of the puzzle, opening up infinite possibilities in designing quilts.
I do teach classes, including some new ones based on the improvisational approaches in my book. Confirmed teaching engagements are posted on my website on the Class Schedule page.
My last name has been mispronounced in lots of ways over the years, but per the U.S. Air Force it’s KOZ-bab, just like it’s spelled but with a Z sound instead of an S. It previously had a more Germanic pronunciation, but my grandfather decided his name was whatever his superiors called him, so that’s what we’ve been running with since.
Thanks for your kind words and thoughtful questions. It’s hugely rewarding to hear that someone “gets it” after all the work of putting the book together.
• Kay: I get it! Been going there and doing that! You did a great job.
Kevin Kosbab, photo by John Lessard
Kevin on Facebook.
Kevin’s putting together a blog tour to celebrate the upcoming release of his book! It’ll be going on February 20-28 over on Kevin’s blog, Feed Dog Designs. Be sure to mark your calendars!
In the meantime, I have a copy of The Quilter’s Appliqué Workshop to give away here! If you’d like to enter my drawing, leave a comment here on the blog before 7:00 p.m. on Monday, February 17.
Open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. And remember, step away from the “reply” button if you’re getting this by email. Come to the blog itself to leave your comment.
Thanks Kevin for taking the time to share some inside info with us!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
5
Goin’ to Folsom
Filed Under Prizes, Quilt shows | Comments Off on Goin’ to Folsom
Just a couple quick notes today. You may be wondering what happened to our book feature for February. It’s coming! Stay tuned for something really cool, a little later in the month.
I’m headed to the Folsom Quilt and Fiber Guild show this weekend. It’ll be my first time, and from what I understand it’s a pretty big and wonderful show. I’m looking forward to it! I saw my buddy Cathy of Cathy’s Crafts at Road, and it turns out we’ll be next-door neighbors, yay!
I made a new pattern! It has this in it. I’ll show you the whole thing later.
There’s a giveaway going on right now at Quiltmaker. It ends February 8, so hurry on over!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jan
1
Nature’s Beauty in Appliqué
Filed Under Books, Prizes | 70 Comments
A very happy New Year to you all!
Susan Taylor Propst is the author of a series of wonderful books on floral appliqué. Here on the blog, we previously featured her titles Beautiful Blooms and Another Season of Beautiful Blooms.
For this month, courtesy of Martingale, we have Susan’s third book, Nature’s Beauty in Appliqué.
Subtitled “Pretty and Practical Projects,” this book gives instructions for a variety of different things you can appliqué and sew, from table runners to place mats to tote bags to zippered cases.
Campanula Neck Roll
Tulip Place Mats
Petunia Case
Also blooming in the designs are irises, daffodils, dahlias, and ivy. Add in Susan’s instructions for her methods of needleturn hand appliqué, prepared-edge hand appliqué, and fusible appliqué, and this is one fantastic resource!
If you’d like to enter the drawing for Nature’s Beauty in Appliqué, please leave a comment below by 7:00 p.m. California time on Saturday, January 5.
Open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. Heads up! If you get this in an email, do not reply… it will not enter you in the drawing. Leave your comment on the blog, on the internet. To get there, click on the title of the post in your email feed.
See you Saturday!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Dec
22
Teapot winners, and Show & Tell!
Filed Under Patterns, Prizes, Show & Tell | 4 Comments
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
Dec
17
Teapots 2 to Appliqué
Filed Under Back-basting (no-template), Books, Prizes | 76 Comments
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
Dec
6
Winner, and, great eBook sale
at Martingale
Filed Under Books, Prizes | Comments Off on Winner, and, great eBook sale
at Martingale
The reader who won the set of three AQS Love to Quilt booklets is…
No. 42, Beverly S. Have fun with the blooms and veggies, Beverly!
In other news, Martingale is having a fabulous sale on eBooks, only $6 each until midnight on December 8. The selection includes my Easy Appliqué Blocks!
Hope you are enjoying yourself as the season gets into full swing.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Dec
1
Flowers and veggies!
Filed Under Books, Prizes | 45 Comments
It’s December! For our feature this month, I have three darling booklets from the American Quilter’s Society “Love to Quilt” series. Thank you, AQS!
Wildflower Appliqué & Embroidery
by Bea Oglesby
The Quilter’s Veggie Garden
by Bea Oglesby
Appliqué Garden
by Eula Mae Long
These 30-page booklets each feature a variety of mix-and-match designs that can be stitched using your favorite method, or, follow the author’s tips. Very cool!
From Birdfoot Violets to Baskets of Clematis to Kohlrabi and Peppers, if it grows from the earth you just might find it here!
If you’d like to enter the drawing to win these three booklets, please leave a comment here on the post before 7:00 p.m. California time on Thursday, December 5.
Open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only (and remember that replies to an email feed do not enter the drawing).
Best of luck to you!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Nov
21
Thank you so much to everyone who entered the drawing to win a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 8!
The lucky winner is #130, Nancy A. Congratulations!! The staff at Quiltmaker will be sending you your magazine. Enjoy!
Many of you suggested putting apples or flowers in the basket. Absolutely! Go wherever your creativity leads you!
If you didn’t win a copy of the magazine and you’re craving one, I have Volume 8 up on my website now, on the patterns page.
I’d like to welcome new subscribers and those who’ve said they’ve bookmarked the site. Excellent! Be sure to take some time to poke around the blog. We celebrate all forms of appliqué here, and there’s tons of great information. Check out the appliqué bookstore, the categories, and the keyword search in the left sidebar. On the righthand side, you’ll find links to tons of designers and pattern companies.
I just got back from a trip to England and Scotland, and I’ll be posting some photos soon. Let’s just say… I went to Liberty. And Cath Kidston. :)
Whilst I was abroad, the staff at Quiltmaker put up a post on their blog Quilty Pleasures featuring my Basket of Oranges block, and my book Scrap-Appliqué Playground! Very cool! Go check it out on the November 18 post.
And there’s an earlier post over there at Quilty Pleasures that I wanted to make sure you saw if you use Electric Quilt: Getting to Know My EQ Boutique.
Back soon!
Cheerio,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Nov
15
Basket of Oranges
Filed Under Blog hops, Magazines, Prizes | 281 Comments
A great big welcome to you!! It’s Day 5 of the 100 Blocks Volume 8 blog tour! I know you’ve been having a blast and a half on the tour so far!
| |
I’m Kay Mackenzie, a designer and author in Santa Cruz, California. My website is By Kay Mackenzie, which has all of my books and patterns on it, plus select notions for the appliqué enthusiast. If this is your first time visiting my blog All About Appliqué, I’m glad you’re here! You’ll find a wealth of information about appliqué — all kinds — here on the blog. If you’re a regular reader or you’ve been here before for one of these hops, welcome back!
I’m delighted and proud to say that this is my seventh time having one of the 100 Blocks. I just love participating in these special issues!
My block this time is traditional in nature. Baskets of fruit and flowers abound in our appliqué heritage. Here’s my Basket of Oranges.
One of my very favorite color schemes is the complementary combination of orange and teal. Putting oranges in the basket led me very naturally to choose a tealy blue for the basket!
There are many other possibilities of course.
Brown is a natural choice for baskets.
Making a bright quilt? How about a purple basket?
I hope you enjoy this block and all the other ninety-nine scrumptious and varied designs in Volume 8.
The editors of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks are sponsoring a giveaway of a copy of the magazine! If you’d like to enter to win, please leave a comment here on this post before 12:00 noon California time on Wednesday, November 20.
Good luck in the drawing, and remember that if you are subscribed to the blog by email, clicking “Reply” will not enter you in the drawing. Come to the blog on the internet and leave your comment there. :)
Nov
1
Quilt Art 2014
Filed Under Prizes | 33 Comments
Courtesy of the American Quilters Society, I have a copy of the Quilt Art Engagement Calendar for 2014!
Klaudeen Hansen has been curating these calendar quilts for many years. Once again there is a spectacular quilt for every week of the year, beautifully photographed and documented, facing a calendar page where you can jot down all of your stuff that’s happening that week.
What a great way to keep on track! The spiral binding allows the calendar to lie flat for easy access to your notes and the gorgeous quilt of the week.
2014 will be here before we know it. If you’d like to win this beautiful and very quilty engagement calendar, leave a comment here on this post before 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, November 6.
Drawing open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only. And, as always, replies to email feed do not enter the drawing.
Good luck to you!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Oct
1
Li’L Woolies
Filed Under Patterns, Prizes, Wool | 38 Comments
The gals at The Wooden Bear dropped me a line to let me know about their very adorable new BOM series that starts in January.
Extreme cuteness for every month of the year!
Not only that, they’re offering a free U.S. shipping special if you sign up by October 10!
As a special treat for readers of the blog, The Wooden Bear is giving away a complete kit for January, pattern plus wool plus thread included. How nice is that?
If you’d like to win the kit for this happy snowman, please leave a comment on this post here at All About Appliqué by 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 5.
Contest open to U.S. and Canada mailing address only. And remember, replies to email subscriptions do not enter the drawing.
Many thanks to The Wooden Bear!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Subscribe
