Speaking of Martingale, they’ve teamed up with Quiltmaker magazine to publish in book form the blocks from the first two issues of 100 Blocks. That makes 200 blocks! Aptly enough, that’s the title of the book, 200 Blocks from Quiltmaker Magazine. I’ve already got my advance copy and it looks fantastic. There’s even a bonus CD so you can print the full-size appliqué and foundation-pieced blocks from the comfort of your own home.

In addition to book form, the staff at Quiltmaker has been going to town with all sorts of options for the 100 Blocks franchise. Go to Quilty Pleasures and check out all the different ways you can get the blocks, even from the very earliest issues!

I had a fantastic time talking with Pat Sloan on APQ Radio yesterday. If you missed the chance to listen live, you can still catch the podcast. There are a couple of other great guests on the show following my segment.

Tomorrow I’m getting on a plane to fly to Kansas City for the spring version of International Quilt Market. This huge, bustling event is a trade show for quilting industry professionals only, where designers, publishers, and manufacturers show off all the latest and greatest for shop owners to see. I’ve tried to describe it to Dana, who can’t quite picture the ginormity of it. I tell him it’s the size of several football fields but I don’t think he believes me. I can’t wait to see all my old buddies and make new ones! If you’re going to be at Market, come and see my demo/book signing at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday in the Martingale booth.

Back soon,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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We’ll be gabbing about my new book and whatever else comes to mind. This a live broadcast (no pressure, ack) and you can listen in real time on your computer, subscribe by iTunes (search American Patchwork & Quilting), or download the show later to a player.

The show airs at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time, so translate for your own time zone. For me here on the west coast it’ll be 1:00 p.m. But no worries; if you miss the live action, you can always listen to it later.

I’m looking forward to chatting with Pat! Just click one of the images above to be whisked away to APQ Radio!

Until then,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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And boy was it right. Here’s what the game declared me:

Almonds and Honey! Really? Then I clicked on some of the accompanying palettes to see what they would look like in a room.

Yeah, that’s pretty much exactly what I painted my house in Ohio.

(Not to mention that load of fabric I just got in Reno.)

And ooh, I just love this:

I’m an Almonds & Honey!

Go see what you are!

In other news, this coming Monday afternoon I’m going to be a guest on American Patchwork & Quilting Radio, hosted by the wonderful Pat Sloan! I’ll remind you again before then, just wanted to give a quick heads-up. Pat is so much fun to talk to… she’s fascinated by everything and makes you feel so welcome.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Our PVQA guild member Mickey Beebe, designer of the world famous BB Bag, is coordinating our opportunity quilt for 2014.

At our last guild meeting she doled out dozens of a cute little cat block that she had designed to those members not afraid of hand appliqué. I took three.

Mickey had already traced the cats with a silver pencil and had provided a measurement-based placement system. I put on my thinking cap and came up with a method that slops into back-basting, except that it’s front-basting! That’s why I call them hybrid cats.

I positioned the cats on the background as directed, pinned in a couple places, then front-basted along the silver marked line. Take out the pins, and voilà! it’s ready to stitch, just as if I had used my favorite back-basting method.

Trimmed to shape, leaving the turning allowance, and a little reverse appliqué to delineate the legs.

Stitching away, removing the basting a little ahead.

Three cats all done and ready to go back to Mickey! I feel like there are more in my future, since there are a whole lotta cats in Mickey’s quilt!

Notes:

Cat block is © Mickey Beebe. Mickey is a natural-born quiltmaking soul. You can see two of her Road to California ribbon-winning quilts, #6711 and #6712, at the R2CA site.

When I looked at the webpage I was tickled to see one of my quilts on there too! We had a good year!

If you didn’t win a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 5 in last week’s blog hop, I now have it available on my website, on the Patterns page.

Also, if you can’t wait until the Book-A-Round June 7-16 to see if you win one, you can order your signed copy of Scrap-Appliqué Playground now! It’s on the Bookshop page.

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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I appreciate all the nice words about my cat-in-basket block, even from self-proclaimed non-cat people. Guess what? I’m really a dog person myself! However, we have the most incredible young cat right now that we are over the moon about.

Our cat Max, eight months old, giving a bath to foster kitten Priscilla, two months old.

The winner of a copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 5, is #106, Jocelyn. The reader who won a copy of my book Growing Hearts to Appliqué is #52, Cecilia. Congratulations to the both of you!

The contests are still going on, through the end of the week. Hurry on over to Quiltmaker for all the details.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Greetings! It’s Day 1 of the 100 Blocks Volume 5 blog hop!

I’m Kay Mackenzie, a designer and author in Santa Cruz, California. My website is By Kay Mackenzie, which has all of my stuff on it. If this is your first time visiting my blog All About Appliqué, you are very welcome! If you’re a regular reader or you’ve been here before, I’m glad you’re back!

It’s so much fun to have a block in these very special magazines. Here’s a little backstory for my design.

When I was a newlywed living in Ohio, three little kittens followed us home one day. They stayed for 18 years.

Maikai was the beauty of the family, a striking calico with big round eyes.

During those long years my husband and I learned a lot about cats and what they know to be true. We compiled a list of Cat Caveats, such as:

• If there is a piece of paper anywhere in a room, it must be sat upon.

• Loose objects need moving around.

• What’s on the other side of a door is not interesting until the door is closed.

There are many more, including the fact that bags, boxes, baskets, and any other type of open containers are there for the sole purpose of being climbed into by a cat.

When it came time to design a block for Volume 5 of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, I started with this silhouette of Maikai…

… and sat her in a basket.

And here it is, Block #410!

I used hand appliqué for this one, but of course you can use your own favorite method.

Below is another example I stitched up using fusible web and a small machine blanket stitch. I thought it would be fun to play with feedsack-y and 30s type fabrics.

Came out pretty cute!

In the following alternate version I was going for sort of a porcelain figurine look. One of the most fun things about quilting is that you can make your block look so many different ways with just the choice of fabrics!

Be sure to follow the blog tour all week, through May 4. There are multiple bloggers participating each day, with lots of prize-winning goodness at every turn. Start out at Quiltmaker and they’ll send you on your way.

I have a copy of Volume 5 to give away! To enter my drawing, leave a comment at the bottom of this post before 7:00 p.m. on Wednesday, May 2. You don’t have to be a cat person . There are 99 other varied and wonderful blocks to choose from!

I’ll also draw a second winner, who will receive my book Growing Hearts to Appliqué.

Best of luck to everyone!

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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On my last post, a reader asked for some help: “I saw a lady who gave a Quilting with Crayons demo, and I have lost the demo, but she really did a great job showing how to do it well, at least for me. I would love to find her again. No, I did not remember her name.”

Jeanne, could you be thinking of Creative Quilts from Your Crayon Box by Terrie Kygar?

Neat things coming up:

Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 5 Blog Tour is next week, April 30 through May 4. My day is April 30! The tour will continue all week with visits to lots of other designers who have a block in the magazine. Be sure to tune in for prize-winning opportunities all week long.

On Friday I’m driving down the coast to beautiful San Luis Obispo to set up for the annual Seven Sisters Quilt Show at the historic Madonna Inn. I was at this show the last two years and it has become one of my favorites.

Back soon,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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After my recent post about broderie perse, Angie SoCal asked, “Curious – did you find that bouquet in home decorating fabric? I don’t see much fabric like that in the stores.”

Nope! It’s a regular quilter’s cotton. I rummaged through my tub of florals and found the rest of the hunk I had.

“Rose Garden from Marti Michell and Maywood Studio.” Like most of the fabric in my stash, it goes back a few years.

While I was rummaging I pulled out a few other examples of fabrics that would make good candidates for broderie perse. Like I said, these particular fabrics are “aged to perfection” so you probably won’t find the exact same ones today. But if you’re at all interested in broderie perse and you see some beautiful bouquet fabrics like these, grab ‘em!

“Nancy Kirk Civil War II for Benartex.”

“Vintage Cottons by Hoffman International Fabrics.”

I don’t have the selvedge of this one but I know it’s a Lakehouse fabric by Holly Holderman.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Tuesday was the Official Publication Day for Scrap-Appliqué Playground. Happy dancing, happy dancing! It doesn’t get much more exciting for an author than that!

The publisher, Martingale, recently launched a wonderful new blog called Stitch This! (You’ll want to subscribe.)

I’m so excited that today there’s a post by Karen Johnson of the marketing team, in which she recounts her eagerness to visit the Playground, and the fun she had on her first trip! I couldn’t love it more. It’s so cool, you have to go and see. Not only that, they’re giving away a copy of the eBook hot off the digital presses!
Stitch This!

My copies are en route, in fact Brown should be paying me a visit later today. Just as soon as I have them in hand I’ll be updating my website, hopefully as early as tonight.

They’re here! The new book is now available on my website, kaymackenzie.com!

Martingale sent me this button. Notice the new birdy logo. Very cute.

Back soon,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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Debby told me about the shop’s latest challenge. It’s called America the Beautiful and is inspired by election year and the anthem of the same name.

Our west-coast shining sea.

Go check out The Quilter’s Faire blog for more information. Anybody anywhere can participate in the challenge.

In other news, Volume 5 of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks is just about to come out! Mark your calendars for another “fun, rowdy, inspiring and prize-packed 100 Blocks Blog Tour” from April 30 through May 4.

My day is kickoff day: Monday, April 30. I’ll share some information about the inspiration behind my block.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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