Our featured book this month, courtesy of C&T Publishing, is Wendy Williams’ Wild Blooms & Colorful Creatures.

I’m wild about these colorful blooms and creatures!

This book is all about combining our traditional cotton prints with wool and linen, to add a new dimension. Wendy starts out with a section on appliqué basics that gives information on wool, wool felt, threads, templates, and her style of needle-turn that uses a running stitch close to the turned edge. There’s also a whole page of illustrated embroidery stitches for adding special touches.


Then on to the projects! There are wall quilts, runners, pillows, bags, and sewing notions galore. All of the appliqué templates are printed at full size, and there’s even a pull-out section for the larger designs. Always a bonus!


Aren’t the designs wonderful? Such a fearless sense of color and whimsy.

If you’d like to win this book in a random drawing, please leave a comment before 7:00 p.m. California time on Tuesday, August 5.

Notice how I said “leave a comment”…? This is not the same as replying to your email feed. You’ll need to get out of your email program by clicking on the title of the post, which will bring you to the blog itself on the internet, and leave your comment there.

Open to U.S. mailing addresses only. Good luck all!!

Until then,
Kay

Courtesy of AQS Publishing, we have an exquisite book this month by award-winning art-to-wear and quilter Rami Kim.


Elegant Cotton • Wool • Silk Quilts is an exciting departure from the books I usually have the privilege of featuring. Quoting from the preface, “The designs here put special emphasis on the ancient cultures of Korea. …This book will serve as an introduction to and a window into ‘The Land of Morning Calm.’ …Though many of the designs are actually more than a few thousand years old, this will be the first glimpse through the eyes of the Western viewer.”

It was exciting to turn the pages of this book and discover shapes and designs I’d never seen before.

How about these Asian interpretations of flowers, leaves, clouds, and mountains done up penny-rug style… gorgeous!

I was captivated by the section on Chopkey — a Korean folding technique. Rami give step-by-step instructions for making a traditional costume coat.

As the titles implies, there are projects done in cotton, wool, and silk, and you can certainly use any of these materials for the design of your choice.

The books jumps right into the projects, so basic skills in hand blanket-stitch embroidery will be needed. Also, the designs need to be enlarged 200%.

If you’d like a chance to win this book that translates Korean architectural elements into American quilts, please leave a comment here on the blog by 7:00 p.m. California time on Friday, May 9.

Open to U.S. mailing addresses only, and remember… don’t try to enter by email. If you’re reading this in an email, you’ll need to click over to the blog itself on the internet.

Best of luck!!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

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

Last weekend I was at the Santa Clara Valley Quilt Association’s biannual show. My booth was right up front and I was delighted to find out that I was directly across from the featured quilters, one of whom was Bobbi Finley!

I first met Bobbi, who’s friends with a number of friends of mine, in 2010 at Road to California. In the years since then she’s popped by my booth at various shows to say hello. It was great having a chance to be neighbors for the weekend.

Bobbi is co-author with Carol Gilham Jones of the wonderful book Tile Quilt Revival, previously featured here on the blog. She had beautiful samples of tile quilts hung up, as well as some quilts from her new book with Carol, Fresh Perspectives.


Subtitled “Reinventing 18 Classic Quilts from the International Quilt Study Center & Museum,” this very cool book shows fresh, new updated versions side by side with the classic quilts that inspired them.

The cover quilt.

New houses!

There were some incredible appliqué quilts in the show.

Baltimore & Bali by Charlotte Scholberg

Olive Roses by Ratnes Siva

Penny Tucker is good buddies with my buddy Pam and is a fabulous appliqué teacher. Whiffle Tree is since closed, and Penny now teaches at Prairie Queens in San Jose, California.

Summer by Kathy McComas

Brenda's Wooly Garden by Brenda Croak

Kaye Moore is a buddy of mine in quilt-show land, and does the most incredible work with wool appliqué. If you haven’t seen Kaye’s article here on the blog, you should check it out!

And then there were a couple of old-timey quilts… okay, when I read their descriptions I kind of choked up. You’ll see what I mean.

Prairie Sunflowers by Karen Friedrichs

Sunbonnet Sue by Renee Rankin

Gulp. Quilts are mighty powerful things, aren’t they?

In other news:

This weekend I’m off to San Luis Obispo for the Seven Sisters Quilt Show. If you’re in that neighborhood, I hope to see you there!

Mark your calendars for the 100 Blocks Volume 7 blog tour! It’s April 29-May 3. Start each day at the Quilmaker blog, Quilty Pleasures. From there you’ll be sent off each day to blogs written by the designers who have a block in the issue. There are lots of great creative ideas along the way, not to mention giveaways, so don’t miss the tour. My day is Tuesday, April 30.

See you then!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

Hello fellow appliqué enthusiasts! I return after a week on the east coast sporting “The Bug Bite That Ate Cleveland,” achieved during a hot spell that nearly did me in. We got from the parking lot to the gates of our beloved Duke Gardens and I could go no further. We came back the next day after breakfast and I had a much better time of it (but still had to retreat to the air-conditioned visitor center in some distress, to recuperate). And I understand it’s even worse right now!

Just one of many pleasing scenes throughout the gardens.

There are many fountains; behind this one there's a pond that's special to me.

My dad used to bring us kids here when we were growing up.

It's a koi pond. Of course, we just called them giant goldfish.

Dana and I used to visit Duke Gardens when we were in the courting stage, and during the early years of our marriage. This place has a lot of sentimental value for us both.

After visiting with my folks and our friends in North Carolina, we drove up to see Dana’s mother and her permanent BF Richard. They have a weekend river house on the Corrotoman, a tributary of the Rappahannock in the Northern Neck of Virginia. It was a beautiful locale and a charming little house with all the modern comforts.

They had recently acquired a boat. We set out on the maiden voyage of the season. Just after this photo, looking back on the river house, the motor… quit. And there we sat. It wouldn’t start up again for love or money. I was the first one to get an oar in the water and start talking about Spartacus, but the menfolk quickly took over the paddling chore and I retreated to the scant shade of the canopy.

Thankfully, a little fishing boat pulled up alongside, moored itself to us fore and aft, and puttered us the rest of the way back to the slip. And, it turned out that the woman was a second or third cousin of Richard’s! “That’s the Northern Neck,” they told us.

It was good to catch up with family and friends, but seriously I was never so glad to touch down in northern California once again.

With all this talk about hot muggy weather, you may wonder why the title of this post is about wool appliqué LOL! There’s a great photo tutorial over at Quilty Pleasures, the Quiltmaker blog. If you’re feeling cool enough, be sure to check it out, or, you can always bookmark it for wintry times!

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

Pursuant to our recent discussions about wool, I thought I’d give a link over to the Bunny Hill Blog. Anne just put up a post showing the most luscious wool. Go feast your eyes!

Another fascinating thing I saw was a video at The Quilt Show by the Bernina educators. Apparently, some new Berninas have what’s called “hover mode.” Oooh, when you’re doing machine appliqué and you need to stop and pivot, if you set the machine on this mode, it’ll automatically raise the presser foot for you! What a concept! I may be the only quilter in the world who has a Bernina with a knee lever, who doesn’t use it. I could really get the wants for the hover mode.

new-crazy-hearts-detailCould’ve used it on this project, that’s for sure!

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

The Quilt, Craft & Sewing Festival at the Arizona State Fairgrounds is next week. If you’re in that area, I hope to see you there!

And we have a great book as our featured selection to start things off right!

Pennies From Heaven: Celebrated Quilt and Companion Projects by Gretchen Gibbons.

pennies-heaven

The title of the book and cover quilt comes from the old term “penny rug,” so called because of the circles, usually wool, that are blanket-stitched onto a base in decorative patterns. As Gretchen says, this style is “primitive, colorful, and funky all at the same time.”

Gretchen enjoys working with wool, and calls it the easiest appliqué technique, for several reasons:

• There are no edges to turn.
• There’s no right or wrong side, so you don’t have to reverse patterns.
• You don’t have to use fusible web (though you can if you want to).
• Cutting on the straight of grain or on the bias works equally well.
• The blanket stitching can be done by hand or machine.
• Hand-dyed wools come in yummy colors.

The book starts out with instructions for felting wool, which is the process that shrinks it, mats the fibers together, and eliminates raveling. Then there are complete instructions for wool appliqué, a color guide for the motifs used in the book’s projects, and information on needles, threads, and beads, and embroidery. There’s good advice on batting, mixing cottons and wools within a project, quilting considerations, and attaching a hanging sleeve.

Besides the cover quilt with its 10 beautiful blocks, there are instructions for eight more smaller projects, each one cuter than the last.

Enchanted Pennies

Enchanted Pennies

Joyful Pillow

Joyful Pillow

Pennies Window Valance

Pennies Window Valance

Circle of Life Table Mat

Circle of Life Table Mat

I just love their primitive, folksy look. If you admire it too, and would like a chance to win this book, please leave a comment here on this post before 7:00 p.m. California time on Thursday, January 5. Contest open to U.S. and Canada mailing addresses only, and remember to click over to the blog itself instead of replying to your email feed.

Thank you, That Patchwork Place, for providing the book!

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

I am in awe. The ingenious Darcy Ashton has done it again! You have got to go and see her fabulous new design for making an appliquéd clock!!!

Sewing Room Clocks

Who knew?

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

In the recent call for topics, Susan wrote: “I would like more information on wool appliqué (fusing) and the decorative stitches (not limited to blanket stitch) that can be used to embellish the wool.”

The next Schoolhouse that I went to was presented by the Quilted Crow Girls, Leonie and Deirdre, who came all the way from Tasmania! That’s a small island off the coast of Australia! They were delightful to listen to.

The Girls specialize in felted-wool appliqué, and at the session they shared their techniques for achieving a neat and soft finished product. First of all, they do not fuse the wool, they simply stick the appliqué to the background with a bit of water-soluble glue stick and then staple it in place! That’s right, staple! “The wool is self healing,” they point out, “and will not leave a mark when staples are removed.”

Their preferred stitch is the blanket stitch. However, in response to Susan’s question, I’m sure there are many others ways to stitch the edges of the wool. A primitive running stitch comes to mind. At Market, there were tons of “woolies,” i.e. designers featuring wool appliqué. Here are the ones that I’ve just added to the blogroll, fresh from Market:

Quilted Crow Girls
Heart to Hand
Reets’ Rags to Stitches
Woolylady

In addition to these, there are many more woolies in the blogroll (right-hand sidebar, at the bottom). Did you know that if you hover your mouse over a link, a little tag will pop up? Look for “wool” in the pop-ups and you’ll find a bunch.

Also, click on the category “Wool” in the left-hand sidebar and you’ll get all of the articles pertaining to wool that have already been published on the blog. A really good one is Kaye Moore’s guest post, and there’s a fabulous photo tutorial on the Cottons ‘n Wool blog.

The Quilted Crow Girls laid a free pattern on their Schoolhouse attendees. Nice!

quilted-crow-pattern

I’m passing along this gorgeous wool appliqué runner pattern in a drawing. If you’d like to win, leave a comment by 7:00 p.m. California time on Saturday, May 28. In your comment, feel free to pass along any wool tips that you might have to share. Contest open to U.S. and Canada addresses only.

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

Seasons Greetings!

Admin note: the previous drawing for a year’s subscription to the new Quilt Pattern Magazine in still underway. The winner will be chosen the first week of January.

Now on to today’s post. Last year at this time I did a special double giveaway to celebrate my birthday on the 17th (not to mention the other holidays). It was so much fun and made me feel like my birthday lasted for a week! So we’re doing it again this year.

When the nephews were kids, Dana and I used to travel to Minneapolis for Christmas. Now that the boys are all tall and college-y, we stay home and enjoy the comforts of our own living room at Christmastime. Much as I loved seeing the boys dive through their presents, now I love our quiet celebration at home.

And so, in keeping with that theme, I’ve selected two titles that play on the theme of Comfort.

First we have ‘Tis the Season: Quilts and Other Comforts.

Tis-the-Season-B1030

As the authors Jeanne Large and Shelley Wicks say, “Adding just a few accents to a room can change the feel of that space from everyday to holiday.” In that spirit, the book offers simple and charming quilts and projects to “keep your home well dressed for winter!”

Screen shot 2010-12-14 at 9.21.40 AM

Jeanne and Shelley should be experts in the field, since they live in Saskatchewan, Canada.

Brrr!

The book starts out with basic information on fabric selection and preparation, then moves on the the authors’ favorite special techniques. Included here are fusible-web appliqué, fusible-interfacing appliqué, working with wool, hand-embroidering, making vines, and finishing basics.

Then, on to the projects! There are detailed instructions for very cute pillows and wall quilts to welcome Santa and the season (you can see one on the cover), cozy lap quilts, cheery welcoming table toppers, a whimsical primitive wool runner, and tons of inspirational decorating ideas.

joy-pillow

wool-runner

What I really like about these projects is all the words! Plus, the templates given in the book are full-size and already reversed for your ease of use in fusible-web appliqué.

Our second offering is Country Comforts: Quilts for Casual Living.

B1038-Country-Comforts

Country Comforts by Cheryl Wall is full of that comfy old-fashioned primitive style that I appreciate so well.

The author’s introduction is an inspiration unto itself. “I’m drawn to the primitive style of quilting and crafting because of the freedom it allows me to make projects that are less than perfect but still beautiful,” says Cheryl. “I believe that the creative process should be fun and soul satisfying.” Right on sister! Worrying about stuff only robs us of the enjoyment of quiltmaking.

The books starts out with the basics of quiltmaking, including supplies you’ll need and some info on the types of fabrics that work well for this style, also rotary cutting, chain piecing, pressing, freezer-paper-on-top hand appliqué, wool appliqué, and hand-embroidery stitches. Finishing your quilt is covered too.

Most of the warm and inviting projects in the book are a combination of patchwork and appliqué, a combo platter that just always works. You’ll find quilts for laps, beds, tables, walls, or just plain draping over something. All of them will lend your home that air of casual comfort and relaxation.

mountains-meadows

baskets-blooms

If you’d like to enter the drawing to win these two titles courtesy of That Patchwork Place, leave a comment by 7:00 p.m. California time on Saturday, December 18.

Those subscribed by email or feed reader, remember that you’re not actually on the blog when you read the posts. You’ll need to click the title of the post to be taken to All About Appliqué on the internet, where you’ll be able to leave a comment at the bottom of the post and enter the drawing. U.S. and Canada only due to the cost of shipping.

Good luck everyone and I hope you are having a happy holiday season!

Until next time,
Kay, Dana, and Willie!
By Kay Mackenzie

willie-mys-val2

I had a question from a reader.

Hello,
Help.
I just started my first wool applique with wonder under and I had to move some of the pieces around after I had adhered them….do I cut a new wonder under and re-iron them or is there some thing else that would work better? Thank you for your help in this project!
Bonnie

I don’t work in wool myself, but my first impression is that pulling up a fused wool motif might stretch it. Kay Moore, who gave us a wonderful and comprehensive article about wool appliqué. reminds me that this very issue is why she doesn’t work with fusibles (along with wanting to keep her wool projects soft and pliable).

Kaye thinks that if the wool applique piece has not been distorted by pulling it off the background, then Bonnie can use it again, not trying to re-fuse it but simply pinning it to the background and stitching. If there is distortion, then Bonnie should start again with a new piece of wool. Bonnie, hope this helps!

Along about the same time I was looking into this question, I noticed a new book about wool appliqué: Penny Rugs: Sewing Wool Applique by Janice Sonnen.

penny-rugs

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

I have always loved folk-art-looking applique. When I try to draw it myself I never quite get there LOL! This classic book satisfies the attraction to the primitive look, with designs that are homespun, country, and antique in feeling.

The many projects were inspired by the authors’ love of primitive folk art and antique quilts. Rozan loves wool, Terry is passionate about quilting. Together they create wonderful projects in the primitive style. Basic steps are given for wool applique, which of course means no edges to turn under, and several stitching options are illustrated. Rozan’s favorite stitch is the whipstitch. Closeup photos of appliques show how nice it looks.

The book’s plentiful projects also include a hooked rug, a rustic embroidered ‘rule sheet,’ a country plaid house quilt with an applique border, a wall quilt with a curvy border that celebrates late summer, wonderful round coasters and a pincushion with needle-felted wool motifs, a nine-patch quilt inspired by the Civil War era, a classic country Hole in the Barn door quilt, and an appliquéd autumn table mat that’s too beautiful to set anything on.

Primitive Gatherings also presents the basics of quilt making, needle-turn hand applique, wool applique, antiquing your stitchery, primitive rug hooking, and needle felting. Quite a comprehensive resource for the vintage style!

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

Wool appliqué tutorial

Filed Under Blanket stitch, Freezer paper on top, Photo tutorials, Threads, Wool | Comments Off on Wool appliqué tutorial

There’s a new photo tutorial on the Cottons n’ Wool blog about how the author, Anne, works with wool for appliqué. She takes you through it step-by-step, with lots of great photos. Thanks Anne!

Until next time,
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs

You won’t believe what a fantastic post I’ve got for you to start out the new year, courtesy of appliqué designer Kaye Moore!

I’ve met Kaye a couple of times at her booth at Pacific International Quilt Festival. (I joked with her that she’s one of the reasons quilters want to put an “e” on my name.) This last October, I was drawn into her booth once more by the beautiful appliqué samples hung everywhere.

Kaye works exclusively with wool now, and I asked her if she would be willing to talk about some of the wonders of wool for appliqué. Wow! Kaye, who admits to being “a little bit passionate about wool,” sent me a fabulous, info-packed article! Here it is, in her words. Take it away, Kaye!

“The discovery of wool is simply one of the most wonderful stitching discoveries I’ve ever made. Without a clue to the new path I was about to travel, I purchased a wool kit for a pennyrug at a quilt show several years ago. I completed it quickly and purchased another and another and so on.

I had been in the quilt business, vending at quilt shows around the country, but had not found my “niche”. Thankfully my niche found me. Very quickly my booth became an all-wool booth.

What’s so wonderful about wool, you ask? For starters, you can appliqué without turning the edges under as you must do in traditional appliqué using cottons. Since the wool has been felted during the dyeing process, the edges will not ravel.

What is felting? Felting is the process of washing the wool in hot water, shocking it in cold and drying it in a hot dryer. Wool from old garments or cut from a bolt at a fabric store can be felted using this method. Felting compresses the fibers, making them very tight, thus no raveling.

While many designers recommend fusing the appliqué pieces to the background, I do not recommend that. To me, that defeats the purpose of wool, which is supposed to be soft and easy to sew through. I simply cut out the images to be appliquéd, pin them to the background, and buttonhole stitch them in place. Details such as veins in leaves and flowers, French knots, etc., can be added using simple embroidery stitches.

There may be an occasion when you get a wool that is very loosely woven and no matter how many times you felt it, because of the way it has been woven, it will never felt to the point where it will not ravel. In that instance, I do apply a bonding agent to the back of the piece to be appliquéd, but then I do not bond it to the background fabric, but simply stitch it to the background.

I do tell my customers, however, that if they have used a bonding agent in the past and are pleased with the results, then by all means do so again. Purchase the bonding agent of your choice and follow the manufacturer’s directions.

The traditional stitch for working with wool is the buttonhole stitch, but a primitive overcast stitch can also be used. Wool appliqué can be done by hand or machine.There are a lot of threads available and it’s best to try several to see which one works best for you. I like to use a variety of threads, often mixing them on the same project. Perle Cotton No. 12 and DMC floss are my two favorite threads. Perle Cotton No. 8 works well if the piece you are making has a primitive theme. I think No. 8 is too thick for most projects that are a little more sophisticated. There are also some wonderful hand-dyed wool threads available, many that have been dyed to match the wool. You can also add beading and ribbon embroidery to your wool projects.

Using hand-dyed wools for the appliqués is a delight for those of us to are enchanted with wonderful colors, which vary in depth and hue on a single piece of wool fabric.

All the quilts I have designed using wool appliqué have backgrounds from flannel. My favorite two flannels are Marcus Brothers flannel and Moda’s Marbled flannel. I do not pre-wash the flannel as it often has a sizing agent in it which gives it good body and makes it wonderful to stitch on.

I use flannel for the background of my quilts for three reasons:

1. It is much easier on my customer’s pocketbooks than wool.

2. When you sew the blocks together, you have a traditional seam. With an all-wool quilt, you either have lumpy seams or you must butt the edges of the blocks together and zigzag them. Then you must find a way to cover up where they have been joined.

3. If this is a quilt you are going to hang, you do not have to worry about it sagging. An all-wool quilt can be very heavy and possibly sag with time if it is a wallhanging.

While it would seem logical that quilts made from hand-dyed wool can be washed, I do not recommend washing your wool quilts. Depending on how the wool was woven and how it was felted, there is a possibility it can continue to shrink. I simply don’t think it’s worth taking the chance of ruining your quilt by washing it.

So, how to you care for a wool quilt? About once a year or so I put my quilts in the dryer on “Air” to remove the dust and refresh them. Should your quilt become soiled, you can have it professionally dry-cleaned or use a dry-cleaner packet you purchase at the grocery store. Pennyrugs and table toppers can be spot cleaned. Wool naturally repels water, so a spill can often be blotted up before any harm is done.

Wool projects are great “take along” projects. If you are waiting at the dentist’s office or for a child at an after-school activity, working on a wool project is a great way to pass the time and when completed you have a beautiful gift or treasure for yourself.

If you have not tried working with wool, I suggest you purchase a small project that can be completed quickly – one that has simple details. Once finished, I think you will be anxious to get that second project. I often tell my customers wool projects should carry a warning label because working with wool is addictive. It has certainly proven to be true for me!”

Thank you so much, Kaye! This is great information and all of us appliqué fans appreciate it. Please visit Kaye’s website to see her wonderful wool designs plus some fabulous patterns by other designers.

Here on the blog, hover your mouse over the designers and pattern companies in the sidebars to see others who specialize in wool.

Until next time,
Happy New Year,
Kay