Well quilting friends, the blog was down for awhile there, and beyond my capacity to fix it. But then, our ISP moved our websites to a brand-new server, the blog updated itself when I wasn’t looking, and presto! It works again!

I’d like to celebrate by presenting a fabulous Show and Tell. I received the following message from Leslie Duran of Rocklin, California.

“Hi Kay! I met you at the Road to CA quilt show, and showed you my finished project using your Studio pattern from Scrap-Appliqué Playground. Here are my photos. Feel free to share and post if you would like! It was a fun pattern, and I really enjoy how it turned out. I see it everyday in my office/sewing room.”

duran1

duran2

duran3

How fun! I really enjoy this fresh, modern version, with the linen-y background. It’s perfect in its space. Leslie, thank you so much for taking the time to share. It’s moments like this that lend me the support that all designers need in order to carry on.

Cheers,
Kay

By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

No, I do not have a new quilting studio. Just the same cozy little one where I probably feel the most at home of anywhere in the world.

But, I did finish my new Studio banner. I’ve made several versions of this project and it’s always a fun and engaging process putting the scraps and strips together into patchwork compositions. I’ve now updated the pattern cover.

newstudio-cover-1000

It’s available from my new Square shop, or Etsy if you prefer. The links to both are at the bottom of the post. Here’s a 10% off coupon if you’re interested: Use the code THANKS at checkout. (It’ll be good on your whole order.)

Oh, and if you already ordered this pattern recently I’ll be sending you a copy of the new cover.

Now that that’s done, I’ll be gearing up for the Pacific International Quilt Festival in about two weeks time. Monster show, love it!! There’s no football game at the nearby stadium this year so everything should be smooooth sailing.

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay’s Etsy Shop

Waitin’ on polka dots

Filed Under Patched appliqué, Patterns | Comments Off on Waitin’ on polka dots

I’m working on a new version of my Studio banner.

studio-image

I absolutely love the black, white, and red version that was in Scrap-Appliqué Playground, but to be honest it looks better in person than it does reduced and printed on a pattern cover. The scraps with the white background seem to fall away and blend into the background too much at a small size.

This time I gravitated toward my beloved palette of red and blue with a touch of green. It’s gonna pop a lot more on the pattern cover!

new-studio

I’ve got my scraps sewn together and the letters cut out. The rectangles will compose the border. Right now I’m just waiting on some fabric that I ordered for the background. You see, I’m slightly obsessed with polka dotted backgrounds, but when I dug through my stash I found out that I had used all the pieces until there wasn’t a hunk big enough! As soon as the fabric arrives, I’ll be ready to go.

In the meantime, my summer hiatus is over and I’m headed to Sonora, California, this weekend for the Sierra Quilt Guild’s show. I really enjoy this annual trip up to gold country.

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

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.