Feb
7
Teapot No. 1!
Filed Under Back-basting (no-template), Hand appliqué, Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapot No. 1!
I’m posting a teapot a week for 16 weeks over on Instagram. Here’s the first one!
Made with Ann’s Arbor fabrics by Minick and Simpson for Moda. I hand appliquéd it using the back-basting method of preparation. It feels great to be going back to hand work for awhile. You can click Back-Basting in the Categories for a visual tutorial of this fabulous method.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram: kaymacquilts
Jan
6
Teapot Appliqué-Along
Filed Under Hand appliqué, Instagram, Show & Tell | Comments Off on Teapot Appliqué-Along
Greetings fellow appliqué enthusiasts! I’m planning a project this year appliquéing new blocks from my first collection of teapot designs. I’m kind of excited about it!
When the top is done, it’ll be donated to a charitable kids’ quilt group in my guild, to use as a fundraiser for supplies.
A few months ago I joined Instagram and have been having a wonderful time over there. I’ll be “insta-gating” a Teapot Appliqué-Along and posting photos of the new blocks once a week starting Sunday, February 4.
If you’re on Instagram and want to follow along, the account is kaymacquilts. I posted all the info about the #teapotaal on December 29. Would love it if you joined in the fun, and spread the word!
I’ll show the blocks here on the blog as well, so if you’re not on IG you’ll still see them.
Here are the fabrics for my first teapot, from the Ann’s Arbor collection by Minick & Simpson for Moda.
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Instagram = kaymacquilts
Sep
3
Liberty Teapots
Filed Under Hand appliqué, Quilt shows, Show & Tell | 3 Comments
I recently received an order for my book Teapots 2 to Appliqué from a quilter living in New Zealand. She told me she had see a quilt made from the designs in a show in Orewa.
I was intrigued!! I asked her for a little more information, and she sent me a photo of the gorgeous quilt. It’s made with all Liberty fabrics!!
The Hibiscus Coast Quilters of Whangaparaoa, New Zealand, put me in touch with the maker, Julie Davis. Julie shared the following about her project.
“I would be very happy for you to use my quilt on your blog. It is such a lovely pattern and I thoroughly enjoyed hand appliquéing the teapots. The Liberty fabrics I purchased from a Liberty club at my regular quilting shop. There were six different Liberty fabrics in a pack for six months. I couldn’t wait out the six months so I purchased them altogether. I am going to use this as a tablecloth when I have a High Tea for my quilting friends.”
Those are some lucky friends! Thank you Julie, for allowing me to share, and I’m so glad you had a good time with the designs. And thank you Tish for letting me know about the beautiful quilt. Will look forward to seeing your teapot creations as well!
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop
Feb
24
The ‘lucky” reader who won the Ugly Christmas Sweater block is… Beverly! Beverly claims that she is planning a Christmas quilt that will welcome and enfold this block. Nice. I love a happy ending.
Speaking of winning, a teapot quilt that I put in my guild’s show over the weekend received a Judge’s Choice ribbon!

A Spot of Tea by Kay Mackenzie
The theme of this year’s show was “The Way We Were.”
Our show is not juried or judged, but we do have visiting dignitaries come and put ribbons on their favorites. I never found out who the judge was… whoever you are, thank you so much!
The quilt features nine of the teapots in my Teapots 2 to Appliqué, on the book page at kaymackenzie.com.
Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Nov
4
Home, sweet home
Filed Under Blog hops, Magazines, Show & Tell | 7 Comments
Just finished one of the most hectic times ever. Palm Springs, followed by PIQF, followed by a visit from the in-laws, followed by a guild show. All I can say is, I lived through it, and am mighty glad to be home amid peace and quiet and down time. Happy rabbit. :)
Over this last weekend I was in Roseville, California, for the Pioneer Quilt Guild show. A quilter stopped by to let me know that she had a quilt in the show made using my Teapots 2 to Appliqué patterns. What a treat for me!

Asian Teapots by Karen Price

Thank you for the shout-out, Karen!

Beautifully hand appliquéd.

And hand quilted!
On another note, Volume 10 of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks comes out later this month.
I have a block in there once again, I’m happy to say. The kickoff blog tour is November 17-21.
These blog tours are lots of fun, with many prize-winning opportunities along the way. My day is Monday, November 17. See you then!
Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Mar
1
New teapots arrive!
Filed Under Back-basting (no-template), Books, Hand appliqué | 2 Comments
It’s finally here, March 1st… the official publication date of my new book, Teapots 2 to Appliqué!
It’s an exciting time. After months and months of work designing the motifs, stitching them up, handing out the patterns to willing appliqué friends, waiting to see what they come up with, writing the text, creating the illustrations, laying out the pages, shepherding the projects through photography, and at last taking the finished file to the printers, then comes the nail-biting period waiting for “the call” that the books are finished and ready to be picked up. Once I finally have a book in my hands and it’s just what I wanted, that’s the happy dance time, as in now. Yay!
Teapots 2 has 16 new teapot designs for you to appliqué using your own favorite method. Since my last book came out, I learned the back-basting, aka no-template preparation method for hand appliqué and have become a big fan. This new book has step-by-step instructions for back-basting prep in case you’re a hand appliquér as well and would like to learn what that’s all about.
My first teapot book, Teapots to Appliqué, is now out of print. That’s a bittersweet thought. I sent off the very last copies the same week I got the new one. Couldn’t have timed it better if I’d planned it that way!
Teapots 2 is available on my website, Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs.
Until next time (happy dance, happy dance),
Kay
Quilt Puppy Publications & Designs