Red and green just look right

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In the December/January 2011 issue of Quilters Newsletter, I enjoyed a three-page Reader’s Quilt Show of 19th century red-and-green appliqué quilts from the Rocky Mountain Quilt Museum.

The article gave a link to the magazine’s website to learn more about why so many red and green appliqué quilts were made in that era.

After reading this on-line sidebar, I thought the topic could also be phrased, “why so many of that era’s quilts were red and green.” Very interesting!!

Quilters Newsletter Magazine Web Extra

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

The winner of Fast, Flirty, and Fun is Linda Zobrist! Congratulations! Linda tells me that she’s new to applique and just finished her first class, and has so much that she wants to make. Very cool. Welcome to another appliqué enthusiast!

Now for some odds and ends of a varying and diverse nature, in no particular order.

In December, blogger Violette Severin published an interview with me as part of a series of articles about quilters who blog. If you’d like to read a little bit more about moi, click on over!

Adel Quilting & Dry Goods in Adel, Iowa, is running a teapots BOM with my Teapots 2 to Appliqué. Click over to their blog and scroll down the right-hand sidebar to see some very cute teapots. You’ll also see lots of other yummy projects and some recipes!

Two quilt shows are coming right up in northern California. I’ll be at both of these in my cozy little booth.

kays-inspired-by-traditionAnd (very exciting) if all goes well and the creek don’t rise, I’ll have copies of my brand new book Inspired by Tradition with me, just a tad before the official release date!

Sidebar: Now if you’re not in that thin green strip of the weather map that shows highs in the 50s, my sympathies go out to you. I feel your pain. I went to college in Boulder, Colorado, and also lived in central Ohio for a few years. Lots of snow, and I remember driving home from a meeting of my small quilt group and it was 30 below. My stick shift didn’t want to shift.

San Francisco Quilters’ Guild Show, February 26-27, 2011

“Symphony of Color” is this year’s theme. The featured artists are Marcia Stein and Janet Mednick. The show takes place at the Concourse Exhibition Center. Check out all the information at www.sfquiltersguild.org.

Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association Show, March 5-6, 2011

The SCVQA holds a beautiful show every other year. The Santa Clara Convention Center is the same venue as PIQF so it’s a great space for a quilt show! Check out all the details at www.scvqa.org.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

Our featured book this month is from author Sarah M. Bisel, courtesy of That Patchwork Place.

fff

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.

charming-garden

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.

bday-cake

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

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