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Oct
20
Don’t let this happen to you
Filed Under Quilt shows, Show & Tell | 1 Comment
I recently came across this sad but true tale of two teapot tops.
It has a happy ending, especially for Marble.
Travel note: I’ll be at the Delta Quilters Guild Annual Quilt Show this weekend in Antioch, California. Hope to see you there if you live in the area! Full information at the Delta Quilters Guild website.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Sep
9
And Paradise goes to…
Filed Under A story of another book, Prizes, Quilt shows | 2 Comments
SewLindaAnn of Roswell, Georgia! Congratulations!
Linda Ann told me, “When you put it up there at first and I read what you said about it I immediately put it on my Must Buy Book List.” How very cool that she won it instead!
It could happen to you. Keep those comments coming when there’s a giveaway going on.
In other news, I’ll be at the Quilt, Craft, and Sewing Festival in San Mateo next weekend, September 16-18. Those of you in the northern California area, mark your calendars! Go to the Rusty Barn website for a map and a discount admission coupon.
And, I finished the first pass of edits on the first pages for my new book. (Ooh, it’s going to be so gorgeous.) Now I enter the agonizing stage, where I look at every little thing over and over until my stomach is satisfied. I have until Monday, which is when I have to send it back to the publisher.
Until next time,
Kay
Aug
25
A celebrity quilt
Filed Under History, Patterns, Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
My pal Pam Crooks is a pal of Penny Tucker, who writes a delightful blog that you’ll be interested in, The Dedicated Appliquist.
At one of our Nite Needler meetings, Pam told me about a quilt that was making the rounds of the internet, having achieved celebrity status after its debut at the Spring International Quilt Festival earlier this year.
I was fascinated with this concept of celebrity quilts, so of course I had to check out the quilt known as 19th Century Folk Art by Maker Unknown or The English Medallion Quilt.
First glance and small photos do not do this piece justice. Once you see some of the closeups, you’ll be delighted with this forgotten appliqué artist’s sense of design.
Penny’s blog post from May pulls together lots of links about the quilt and about some reproductions of it. Pam sent me one more from Threadbare in Australia.
What are some other celebrity quilts that have “gone viral?”
Until next time,
Kay
Aug
10
Pets on Quilts
Filed Under Prizes, Quilt shows | 1 Comment
The winner of More Fabulous Flowers was Lynn D. in N.C. Congratulations!
The SewCalGal is holding a Pets on Quilts show!
Everything’s pet-related, from the quilts in the show to the prizes donated by the sponsors. Of course I’m a sponsor, being such a dog person as I am. I put up copies of my first book, Dog Cabin and Others: A Fast Fun Theme-Quilt Project, which has poodles on the cover.
(Okay I’m a cat person too. I haven’t told you this before, but this summer I’m a foster mom for kittens from the shelter. I have three cuddlebugs right now.)
But back to the topic at hand. The Pets on Quilts show runs through August 21 and you can enter now! Be sure to read the rules of the show… if you have a blog you can enter that way, if you don’t have a blog you can still enter your pet-on-quilt. Or, you can simply enjoy all the entries in the show!
Until next time,
Kay
Jun
29
Princess Feathers
Filed Under Designers, Hand appliqué, Quilt shows | 8 Comments
I was just in Reno, Nevada for the Quilting, Stitches and Crafts Expo at the Grand Sierra Resort. As I was touring the show floor, I was drawn with a strong magnetic attraction to this gorgeous Princess Feather quilt.
It’s the 2011 Opportunity Quilt for the Foothill Quilters Guild of Auburn, California. They call it “Prince’s Plume.”
Many hands went into the making of this beautiful quilt.
For more information about the guild or this amazing opportunity quilt, contact the Foothill Quilters through their website, www.foothillquilters.org.
I made a new friend at the show! Knitting designer Lorna Miser, author of Faith, Love, Hope, Knitting was just across the aisle from me.
Lorna Miser
She had luscious loops, skeins, and twists of hand-dyed yarns, as well as cute knitted items like bags and footie socks.
Lorna has a new book coming out in November, The Knitter’s Guide to Hand-Dyed and Variegated Yarn.
My neighbor to the left was an old friend, Dee Lampson of Dee’s Designs. From her I purchased The Most Cute Jumper in the World.
This one had me written all over it. Dee makes jumpers, overalls, separates, and two-piece outfits from her own original patterns, using beautiful high-quality fabrics like we see in our independent quilt shops. Look for Dee at fine art and gift shows, quilting and sewing expos. She specializes in custom sizing, no size is too small or too large. Contact her at “deesdesigns1 (at) sbcglocal.net” if you need one of her designs.
I can’t tell you what a delight it is to see Dee’s creations after all the dreadful things that are offered to us at the mall.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jun
7
Flowers for Betsy
Filed Under Books, Prizes, Quilt shows | 2 Comments
The winner of Melinda Bula’s Cutting-Garden Quilts is… drum roll… Betsy! Congratulations!
Thank you so much to everyone who left comments and said nice things about this blog and the information it provides. Makes me feel like all my efforts are worth it so I appreciate that.
Miscellaneous other notes:
I’ll be at the Monterey Peninsula Quilt Guild show this weekend, June 12-13. Check out all the info about the show at mpqg.org.
I just posted a gorgeous teapot quilt over at the Show & Tell Center. Go see this South African beauty.
I still have a few Scratch & Dent copies of Teapots 2 to Appliqué. If you’re interested, please read my earlier post about how to get one.
Detail from Teapots 2 sampler quilt
The blog recently reached 500 subscribers… Yippee!
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Mar
29
Animal company
Filed Under Patterns, Quilt shops, Quilt shows | 2 Comments
I was in Sacramento for three days for the Quilt, Craft, & Sewing Festival. I had so much animal company!
The show was at Cal Expo, a great big huge events and State Fair grounds. As soon as I got there I knew there had to be some horses around and I was craning my neck for stables or any other sign of equine presence. The next morning I saw the harness racers breezing around the track!
This one had his stablemate along for the jog. Either that or they were both warming up, I don’t know, but when I was a kid I read every Black Stallion book there was and sometimes the horses had friends.
I kept thinking about The Black Stallion’s Sulky Colt and it really took me back to childhood.
Now bear with me, I’m gonna get this to tie into quilting.
My first quilt teacher used to say, “A man on a fast horse would think it looked pretty good.” Now these men weren’t exactly on the horse, but they would still think that all of our quilts looked great!
As soon as you came in the door to the show you were treated to this sight.
That’s Rochelle herself from Rochelle’s Fine Fabric and Quilting, who came all the way from Port Orchard, Washington, with scissors in her head. And she didn’t even have a headache. What a gal.
My booth was directly across from The Rabbit Hole Quilt Shop from Chico, California. They had a trunk show from the Big Fork Bay Cotton Company. Look at all these splendid animals that kept me company during the show!
Little Sacramento dogs get to go with their humans lots of places. During the show, I saw a cockapoo in a European shoulder bag, a Yorkie in a sling, a poodle in a purse, but the only one I got a picture of was the pom in a pram.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
28
And it’s over
Filed Under Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
With no closing ceremony, the quilt show melts away for another year.
The Bargain Garden
They came, they bagged their bargains, they left almost nothing behind.
The Harvest Building
Tear-down time in merchant-land.
The Crosseti Building
Take-down underway.
Clean tarps to lay the quilts on.
Hard work going on by dedicated guild members, their kith, and their kin.
The line for quilt pickup.
Within an hour the building is clear.
…and the work on next year’s show starts… tomorrow.
But tonight, rest.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
27
Up and running
Filed Under Quilt shows | 3 Comments
The Bargain Garden
That's a lot of bargains.
The Harvest Building
Auction quilts and vendors at the ready.
The Crosetti Building
The show, beautifully hung and decorated.
Tin Can Alley. (This year's theme is Recycle, Reuse, Renew.)
Of course I had to zoom in on the tin can dog.
My bright little spot.
Such a fun day.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Feb
27
The miracle of a guild show
Filed Under Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
This weekend is my home guild’s 32nd annual quilt show. I look forward to it so much every year. I have a big smile on my face every minute of the weekend… can’t help it. This year I did my best to capture a photo essay of the stages, from nothing to everything to nothing again. It’s quite a miracle what happens. Well, if a miracle can be due to the hard work and step-uppitty-ness of a whole lot of quilters, their spouses, their kids, and their grandkids. What a community.
The PVQA Bargain Garden.
Laura, our BG coordinator, collects donations all year. She sells at every meeting but despite that, our storage locker was jam packed and so was Iris’s garage!
Before the first load arrived.
After we got things kinda sorta sorted from the garage delivery, then the truck from the storage locker arrived. Holy cow.
The Harvest Building
Another building at the fair grounds, where lunch, quilts, vendors, and the stage for the fashion show and live auction will be.
The Crosetti Building
The main exhibit hall, getting ready for intake and setup. My booth location is to the right side, near the front.
The racks are up and the layout is mapped. The menfolk like to come and help because they get to climb on ladders and use power tools. Yes, that's right, these racks are assembled and disassembled every year.
This year the show chairs charged a special assessment to purchase backdrops for the show. Not sure yet how they're looking.
It’s 6:00 in the morning and here I am blogging. (I often don’t sleep well due to the excitement.) I got my booth all set up yesterday so today it’ll be all bright and shiny when the doors open for the show at 10:00. Oops, except that it’s going to be rainy today. Oh well, what can you do. My spirits won’t be dampened. 
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
Oct
20
PIQF favorite
Filed Under Designers, Embellishment, Quilt shows, Show & Tell | 8 Comments
Pacific International Quilt Festival was last weekend and as usual it was a colorful, energetic, heavenly concentration of quilts, quilters, and wares under one roof.
The quilt that reached out and grabbed me this year was Fragrant Memories by Rachel Wetzler of St. Charles, Illinois.
Fragrant Memories by Rachel Wetzler
Rachel graciously consented to my posting her quilt on my blog. She reports, “It’s one of my favorites as it brings back ‘the good old days’ when mom’s warm bread or rolls awaited me after school. Yum!”
The description read, “One of my favorite childhood memories is coming home from school to the aroma of mom’s homemade bread. This quilt is one of five in my Simply Sensational series using architectural settings to highlight each of the five senses.”
I think Rachel succeeded in the smellorama department, don’t you? I wanted to step right into that kitchen and dive into a cinnamon bun.
This quilt won the Best of Country ~ United States award in the World Quilt Competition.
Rachel is an amazing quiltmaker. I found this interview with her on the Alliance for American Quilts website that was done in connection with the Q.S.O.S. project. She talks about the series and about how it wasn’t all that easy to make LOL! (I imagine not!)
Thanks, Rachel, for sharing your fragrant memories with us.
Until next time,
Much more from PIQF,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Oct
4
Blogger’s Quilt Festival coming up
Filed Under Prizes, Quilt shows, Show & Tell | 2 Comments
Amy at Park City Girl is sponsoring another internet Quilt Festival for those who have Market envy. (Just kidding! If you’re making the pilgrimage to Houston you’re welcome too .
Click the logo to learn all about the Festival, And, if you have a blog, consider participating! You’ll get to showcase one of your quilts for whole bunches of appreciative quilters. I’m a prize sponsor and there are lots of others too.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Jul
29
A funny thing happened in Long Beach
Filed Under Designers, Quilt shows | 2 Comments
Got home on Monday from the International Quilt Festival in Long Beach. All went well and it was a blast and a half! The convention center was much better prepared for the onslaught of quilters… everybody got in the door and got fed!
This year there was a Preview Party on Thursday night that started at 5:00. Here was my aisle at 2:00.
Hmm… well, it was all good by opening time. The shot also shows this year’s lovely grape carpet.
My little space in Vendorland.
I stayed once again at the Turret House, a lovely, comfortable Victorian B&B not far from the convention center.
Resident English bulldogs Winston and Waldo show their power-nap skills to visitors.
Winston, the white one and the younger of the two, would come trotting up to me, head-bump my legs, and swish in and out of my long skirt. That was jolly good fun.
My place setting one morning… dragonfly napkin ring and fresh-picked bleeding hearts.
On Friday and Saturday the show closed at 7:00, at which time I would stagger across the street to find something to eat. On Saturday I had just gotten my food at the tacqueria when Beth and Liz swept in and folded me into their party. They introduced me to another gal but I didn’t quite catch her name in all of the plate-moving and napkin-getting. All of a sudden this gal says to me, “Aren’t you the one who did my blog hop?” It was PAT SLOAN. I totally didn’t recognize her from her picture.
After we had all established who we were and how we knew each other, we ate our food and talked and talked and talked. It was wonderful. Let’s just say that the Lizzie B gals are an entertainment unto themselves. After at least an hour, all of a sudden Pat pointed to my apron and said, “Hey, that’s my fabric!” We laughed and laughed.
Wish I looked as perky as Pat after nine hours on the show floor.
Notice the sign above Pat’s head that looks like it says to Get Naked. Don’t worry, she kept her clothes on. It really says to Get It Naked… in other words, to order the lower fat and calorie version of their foodstuffs LOL!
Here is said apron.
The pattern is one of Gina’s at Threaded Pear. I added a monogram à la Laverne. The cute pin was gifted to me by the designer, David McNutt. Thanks David! I love it. And, obviously, I love the fabric!
Until next time… some really cool things coming up…
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Jul
21
Road trip
Filed Under Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
I’m off to Long Beach today a mite early for International Quilt Festival. It’s only a six-hour drive but I’m splitting it up because this year I’ll be all by my lonesome and there’s a Preview Night that wasn’t there last year. So today I’ll drive a little, tomorrow I’ll drive a little, unload, and set up a little, then finishing setting up and be all bright and shiny for Preview Night on Thursday, which starts at 5:00 p.m. Wow!
If you’re going to be at Festival this year, please come by and see me in Booth #817, right next to the Embellishment Village. Nice neighborhood!
Back on Monday,
Cheers,
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
Apr
3
Santa Clara show this weekend
Filed Under Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
Just a note for those of you in the northern California area. The Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association presents its 2009 quilt show, Garden Party, this weekend. The show is held at the Santa Clara Convention Center near Great America, same location as PIQF in the fall. This is a fun weekend. Hundreds of quilts will be on display, demonstrations will be held all weekend on various quilting techniques, and the guild puts on a fabulous boutique with many unique items. I’ll be there in my cozy little booth so be sure to come by and say hi! I’ll have my laptop set up so you can play with the CD from Easy Appliqué Blocks.
For more information, check the SCVQA website.
Hope to see you there,
(in the meantime the virtual tour continues)
Kay
Jan
16
Appliqué and juried shows
Filed Under Articles, Baltimore Album, Broderie perse, Designers, Embellishment, Fabrics, Hand appliqué, History, Quilt shows | Leave a Comment
One of my appliqué idols, Jeana Kimball, has written a very thoughtful piece on traditional hand appliqué in today’s quilt-show climate. Jeana’s website is Jeana Kimball’s Foxglove Cottage (be sure to check out her books and patterns) and here’s the link to the article on her Sewing Room blog.
Nov
21
The most intriguing part of quilting
Filed Under Baltimore Album, Designers, Hand appliqué, Quilt shows | 4 Comments
My booth at the Tokay Stitch ‘n Quilt Guild’s show the first weekend in November was situated so that I had a lovely view of a Baltimore Album quilt, just down the aisle a bit. Of course I was drawn to it with strong magnetic force. I was so tickled and touched when I read Thelma Welch’s description:
“To me appliqué has always been the most intriguing part of the quilting craft. When a Baltimore Album class was offered in 1992 I signed on. All 20 blocks were completed years ago and put together with sashing from Smithsonian Baltimore Album 1850 reproduction fabric. Due to indecision about what border to use, as well as some burnout and a desire to do other projects, it was put away for many years. Finally, at the urging of my daughter, I designed a border and began hand quilting in January, finishing in July 2008.”
I’ll let you look at the quilt now and then tell you the final sentence.
“Since reaching the age of 83 I like to say it was on my Bucket List.”
OMG! The woman was 67 when she signed up for a BA class and 83 when she designed the beautiful border and hand quilted the whole thing! You go girl!
I flagged down the president of the Tokay guild and asked her to send Thelma my way if she was at the show that day. A little while later, Thelma showed up, dressed in a fetching black and white outfit with pearls (as all the guild members in honor of their 25th anniversary) and some really cool tennies, proud as punch of her quilt, and when I made my request she seemed very pleased at the prospect of having her quilt up on a blog, especially since now her friends and relatives back east would be able to see it.
The blocks are “mostly Elly” with a few Thelma touches thrown in. For instance, a cow in one of the blocks was swapped out for a cat. She changed flowers here and added a bird there. The cutest thing Thelma pointed out was the variation in the peacock’s tail… “It was before we had the shaded fabric,” she told me with a chuckle, “so that’s the Clorox.”
Here are a couple of the gorgeous blocks. Whew, I sure hope I’m as spry, gracious, and productive as Thelma when I’m 83!
Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
Nov
3
My 6th Grade Shoes
Filed Under Books, Color, Designers, Hand appliqué, Patterns, Quilt shows | 1 Comment
My 6th Grade Shoes by Penelope Tucker and Ronda K. Beyer was another one of my favorite quilts at PIQF. That’s putting it mildly. Actually I had a little “moment” when I saw it.
See, what you don’t know is that this design is one of my all-time most worshipped. The blocks are from Fairmeadow by Jeana Kimball, a quilt that completely captivated me as an early quilter. Here’s my Fairmeadow book from like 15 years ago, long out of print, battered, scuffed, and much loved.
I made my own Fairmeadow back then, slavishly collecting fabrics that replicated Jeana’s as closely as possible, and enjoyed every minute of the appliqué.
I heard a couple of years ago that my friend Pam Crooks was working on Fairmeadow in a hand appliqué class taught by her bud Penny, and now I finally got to see Penny’s version. According to the show description, “Penny was inspired by her beloved 6th grade shoes — lime green and turquoise — while selecting fabrics for this quilt. It reminded her of hot summer days in California in the 1960s. Excited to begin quilting, Ronda added her own design elements with her longarm machine.”
And guess what… this quilt won the PIQF 2008 award for Best Machine Workmanship! Congratulations Ronda! And thank you, Penny, for making this delightful rendition of the the blocks. Here are just a couple, and you can see the incredible quilting.
Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs
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