May

29

Etsy Shop Grand Opening!

Filed Under Admin notes, Patterns | Leave a Comment

I’ve been working hard on my Etsy Shop!

I just added a new section, Appliqué Blocks. The section contains individual downloadable blocks from my out-of-print book Baskets to Appliqué.

Here’s the Apple Basket
for example.

All 16 basket blocks are available individually for instant download. You can pick your favorites to use in the project of your choice! Use the appliqué method of your choice.

Of course, if you’d rather have all 16 basket blocks in printed form, you can always get the Baskets to Appliqué Pattern Pack from the Appliqué Patterns section.

To celebrate all the work I’ve done in getting the Etsy Shop up and running, I’m holding a Grand Opening Celebration!

Coupon! Coupon!

Use the following coupon code during checkout to receive $5 off an order of $10 or more, before tax and shipping.

GRAND

Have fun shopping! You’ll find my books and patterns, tools and supplies, beautiful button magnets, and a few other fun things I’ve made.

The coupon expires Saturday, June 6, at midnight. Feel free to share with your friends!

Thank you so much!
Kay
Kay’s Etsy Shop

May

21

Show & Tell x 2

Filed Under Show & Tell | 5 Comments

At a recent quilt show, Maryann Maiorana stopped by and told me about a banner she had made using the Studio pattern from Scrap-Appliqué Playground. Maryann enlarged the size of the project to hang in a big communal sewing space that is actually known as “the studio.” :)

Maryann chose to keep this one simpler by using just one fabric for the letters in this bright and cheerful version. I told her, “I always say, you can make any little sewing room or nook into a studio, if you only hang up a sign. Your studio was always a studio, and now it is officially proclaimed!”

At another show, I met fellow appliqué enthusiast Louisa Postier, who showed me the sweetest little wall quilt that she made using one of my blocks.

louisa-berries
Louisa added heart-shaped buttons to the stems! Adorable! They look like hearts that are just about to bloom. And the border fabric is perfect.

Heartberries is one of the designs in my book Growing Hearts to Appliqué.

Thank you, Maryann and Louisa, for taking the trouble to stop by and show me your projects. I love seeing what other quilters do with my designs.

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie

P.S. Another personal Show & Tell: my little teddy bear dog.

May

15

Volume 11 winner, and let’s talk about reverse appliqué!

Filed Under Blog hops, Photo tutorials, Reverse appliqué | 2 Comments

The blog tourist who came up the winner of a copy of 100 Blocks Volume 11 is… Julie in WA! Congratulations to Julie, who reports that she enjoys every minute of the blog hop and is always sad when it ends. Julie will receive a copy of Volume 11 from Quiltmaker.

Thank you so much to everyone who stopped by, and for your lovely, wonderful words.

The magazine gave instructions for the block using fusible appliqué, applying the black scroll on top of the heart. QuiltMouse, who tested my block for the magazine, used fusible as well but cut the scroll out of the heart and laid it on top of the black, thus devising a form of raw-edge reverse appliqué. Genius!

Some readers referred to Celtic appliqué.

I like it, it has a celtic feel to it.

I’ve always wanted to try celtic applique. This would be a good way to get a feel for it.

I love it! I would do bias tape fusible, Celtic-style.

Celtic-style would be another way to go about it! I haven’t done a lot of Celtic appliqué, but I understand how it’s done. Bias strips with turned edges are interwoven and stitched down to create beautiful knots and border designs. This is regular appliqué. Here’s a current book on the subject.

When we submit our blocks to 100 Blocks, we don’t send any instructions. The editors of the magazine write the instructions. Though the magazine gives directions for fusible appliqué, I stitched mine by hand. I mentioned this in my blog hop post… the outer edges are regular appliqué, and the scroll is reverse appliqué. When reviewing the comments, I noticed a trend.

I love hearts I really like applique but your block looks very difficult

The only time I tried reverse appliqué it was a disaster; it’s definitely time I tried again with good instructions!

that sure is a lot of work, you must love applique.

Stunning – it looks like a load of work but I bet it’s not that bad!

I can’t imagine how you did that reverse applique on those tiny pieces.

I would have loved to look over your shoulder as you created this and learned how you did the turned edge/reverse appliqué.

I have never tried reverse applique before, but it needs to happen soon.

I have been wanting to try reverse applique.

Darling block, got to try reverse applique – I love needle turn applique – so this hopefully won’t be a big stretch to learn!

I’d love to learn reverse appliqué one day.

Maybe this is my chance to take a stab at trying reverse applique.

I have never tried reverse applique before…this looks like the perfect block to try it on!

I think I might try the reverse applique method. It might even be easier than hand applique.

Reverse applique on a curve – wow. I need to try that!

Reverse applique is something for me to learn as it looks amazing in your scrolls on that lovely heart.

I’ve tried a bit of hand applique and really enjoy it, but I’ve not tried reverse applique yet.

Gorgeous heart block! I haven’t tried reverse appliqué, but it is on my list of techniques to try.

This could be a good way to ease into reverse applique–only a few corners.

I have never tried reverse applique, I may have to come back if I decide to attempt with this block.

I have never done reverse applique but think your block would be a good one to try it on.

I find reverse applique to be very interesting but I have never tried it.

I haven’t tried reverse applique in years, but your block tempts me.

Lovely block, I’ve never tried reverse appliqué.

Will you be offering a tutorial?

What’s all this mystery surrounding reverse appliqué? To those who say they have never done it… guess what! It’s the same as regular appliqué!

That’s right, let me say it again. Reverse appliqué is no different than regular appliqué. You’re just revealing the background instead of covering it up.

Under the terms of my agreement with Quiltmaker, I cannot give instructions for the block at this time. However, when the rights revert to me (three months after publication, in mid-August), I will be more than happy to put up a photo tutorial of how I made this block. I’ll take Julie’s suggestion: “I would love to see it tone on tone, with the scroll being a bit darker shade than the heart.” You got it!

In the meantime, check out my earlier post about reverse appliqué for a gentle demystification. :)

Until next time,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

May

8

My 10th block!

Filed Under Blog hops, Magazines | 163 Comments

Greetings gentle quilters!! It’s Wrap-up Day for the 100 Blocks Volume 11 blog tour! I hope you’ve been having a rollicking week visiting all of the designers. I’m so proud to have one of the 100 once again. This marks the 10th time for me, how very cool!!!


I’m Kay Mackenzie, a designer and author in Santa Cruz, California. My website is By Kay Mackenzie, which has all of my books and patterns on it, plus select notions for the appliqué enthusiast.

If this is your first time visiting my blog All About Appliqué, I’m so glad you’re here! You’ll find a wealth of information about all kinds of appliqué here on the blog, so take your time clicking around the categories, and use the keyword search as well.

Like many quilters, I love hearts, and hearts find their way into many of my designs. I also happen to love spirals, so for my latest block I combined the two.

Scroll Heart by Kay Mackenzie

The magazine gives instructions and templates for making the block using fusible appliqué. But I actually stitched this block by hand, using a combination of regular and reverse appliqué. It gives the scroll an inlaid look.

I used regular hand appliqué around the edge of the heart. For the scroll, I used reverse appliqué to open and stitch the red fabric, exposing an inserted piece of black underneath.

However which-a-way you like to appliqué, I hope you enjoy the block and all the other 99 fabulous and varied designs in Volume 11!

The editors of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks are sponsoring a giveaway of a copy of the magazine! If you’d like to enter to win, please leave a comment here on this post before 12:00 noon California time on Wednesday, May 13.

Good luck in the drawing, and remember that if you are subscribed to the blog by email, clicking “Reply” will not enter you in the drawing. Come to the blog on the internet and leave your comment at the bottom of the post. :)

Many thanks for your visit!
Cheerio,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

May

2

Off Topic! Puppy!

Filed Under Blog hops | 11 Comments

The Mackenzies have a new family member! We couldn’t be happier to welcome our new puppy, Daisy.

Those of you who have been reading this blog for awhile will remember Wilie, our darling dog who lived to almost 17. It’s been over 3 years since he left us, and for those 3 years we’ve been thinking about getting another dog, talking about it, not doing much about it, and then, all of a sudden we were ready!

Daisy and her sister came into our shelter as strays, about 3 months old. Her sister looks more like a chihuahua, and Daisy looks more like a terrier. As far as we can tell she’s some sort of Yorkie-or-other-terrier/chihuahua mix. Whatever she is, she’s 100% cute!


Daisy and Max, our great big cat, are working it out in mostly civilized fashion :). It’s great to have a dog in the house again, especially a champion snuggler sweetie pie.

Thanks for letting me show off my new pup,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

P.S. Don’t forget the 100 Blocks Volume 11 Blog tour, starting Monday! My day is Friday, but you’ll want to start the tour on Monday at Quilty Pleasures.