This is how it all began!

In 2003, I set foot into the professional side of quilting when I published my first book, Dog Cabin and Others: A Fast Fun Theme-Quilt Project.

It's such a fun little book. It shows how you can use those novelty fabrics that you love, but haven't known quite what to do with. :)  The project is great for beginners, and the book gives lots of basic quiltmaking information. It's also an enjoyable romp for experienced quilters, one where you can turn off your left brain and let your right brain loose! Not to mention it's a great scrap buster.

I called the book Dog Cabin because the cover quilt has poodles in it. But you can use any novelty fabric in the center. Here's one I call Cherry Smash, which look very picnic-y!

Dog Cabin started me on a journey, and I haven't looked back. Since then I've published many more books, and have had three with Martingale. I've got a bunch of patterns in print. I've had a career as a traveling quilt-show vendor.  After all these adventures, I still have a soft spot in my heart for Dog Cabin.

There are still copies available, and I've put them at a discount from the original price. Dog Cabin is available from my Etsy shop or from my website. The links to both are at the bottom of this post.

Happy stitching!

Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay's Etsy Shop

Button notecards

I love making these button notecards. It's so much fun to source the buttons, choose the combinations, and see the whole thing come together.

The stems and leaves are laser-printed, then I carefully select the buttons apply them by hand. They're great for thank-you, birthday, keep-in-touch, anything! You can keep a supply on hand for when you need a card on the fly.

Each one is packaged individually in a cello sleeve, embellished with a tied-on button just as you see in the photos, so they can also be passed along as small gifts for your dear friends.

If mailing, these cards require extra postage, which is currently 21¢. You can write "Hand Cancel" on the envelope, and they're good to go!

I carry these on my website, kaymackenzie.com. If you have favorite colors, you can let me know in the notes and I will do my best to select them for your assortment!

These notecards are made with quality cover-stock paper and are blank inside. They're 4¼ x 5 ½ and the envelope is included.

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay's Etsy Shop

Heffalumps

Sometimes, when I get an idea for a new pattern, the title and the layout jump into my head fully formed. So it was with the Heffalumps. I saw in my head what I wanted to do.

 

Once I got the heffalumps drawn, I thought about fabric choices. Aha! I had precious hand-dyes left over from a piecing project. I pulled them out, and it was full steam ahead.

 In choosing the colors, I did a primitive mockup on the design wall with chunks of fabric.

I think I changed one ear.

I'm mighty pleased with how the heffalumps came out, with a smile for A.A. Milne, and they've been a big hit so far. The pattern is available over on my website.

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay's Etsy Shop

Framed mini-quilts!

It's fun to make a little bitty quilt and put it in an upcycled frame!

 

There's an article over on my appliqué blog on how to make framed mini-quilts. But, if you're in the mood for apples right now, this one can come and live at your house! It's one-of-a-kind, and currently available in my Etsy shop.



 

Scrabble Tile Bracelet for Quilters!

I made these bracelets for quilters who also love to play Scrabble!

I got the idea when my husband told me he saw our neighbor friend wearing a Scrabble tile necklace with her initial. The possibilities are endless of course, but naturally I had to make something to do with quilting!

It was super fun figuring out how to make these.

Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay's Etsy Shop

A Cat Tale

My hubby Dana helped me make a little video to introduce one of my patterns.



Sitting Pretty is available from my website or over in my Etsy Shop!

Cheers,
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay's Etsy Shop

Buttons have been sneaking up on me

I've been a quilter for over 25 years, enjoying appliqué from the start. Like most quilters, I've always had a small collection of buttons stashed away here and there. Then I started making button magnets, and it was the beginning of the end of my small button collection and the beginning of the beginning of my great big button collection!

I started shopping on Etsy and eBay, scouting the shelves of thrift stores, stopping at garage sales, and offering to take them off the hands of anyone wanting to destash.


 

I call this magnet set "New and Old Mix" because I combined vintage plastic buttons with modern accent buttons to create this exceedingly cute multicolor group.

Working with buttons satisfies in a lot of the same ways as working with fabric... combining color and texture, fitting things together, and enjoying the unique creations that emerge.

Fortunately, my fabric and my buttons coexist happily in my little studio. I've never come in to find the aftermath of a turf war :).

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

I can piece too!

About 99% of my designs are appliqué. When I took my beginning quilting class over 25 years ago, appliqué was all part of the deal, and it turned out I was a happy appliquér from the get-go.

But I can piece when I want to! Witness my very latest pattern.

Buttonton Square is put out by Cut Loose Press, a division of Checker Distributors. CLP takes a new approach to pattern publishing... it puts out unique, affordable quilt and project patterns geared toward beginning and intermediate quilters. Each pattern, printed both sides on one 8½x11 page of heavy duty cardstock, also introduces quilters to new tools and notions that will help them with their project and with their quilting in general.

I had a blast making this classic design using the good old-fashioned square-in-square block. I used Civil War-type fabrics together with shirtings for this version, but it would look great in any number of other fabric choices. And since I've been mini-obsessed with buttons lately, I added light ones on the colored fabrics and colored ones on the light fabrics. It was a lot of fun.

What made this project even nicer to construct was that I used a specialty tool to make the blocks, the Creative Grids Square On Square Trim Tool. It was such a relief when all the blocks came out the same size and with no points chopped off.

The pattern and the ruler are both available in my Etsy shop, as well as the "antique white" buttons that I used, and some embroidery needles for sewing on the buttons with embroidery thread.

Thanks for your visit!
Until next time!
Kay
By Kay Mackenzie
Kay's Etsy Shop