Wednesday, May 5, 2010

Applique, McKenna, and Me!

Well, my very first applique project was a whole McKenna Ryan quilt....Storybook Farm. I made the whole thing without an applique pressing sheet - what a nightmare!!! ALWAYS have an applique pressing sheet! Since then I have a small, medium, and an extra extra large! :) This quilt is a wedding present for a friend of mine....I hope she likes it. If she doesn't, I'll keep it!!!

I've completely fallen head over heels for McKenna Ryan designs! This block (Bear up there) belongs to the quilt Calling Me Home. I made one for Scott's parents as a Christmas present, and another for our wall. They're so much fun to make, and a block doesn't take long to quilt at all! Plus, this kind of art is cheaper than prints or paintings!

Last but not least....my moose!!! I love this guy! Bigfork Bay Cotton Company has all sorts of wildlife busts that just suck me in! This one is Summer Serenity. This is also a wedding present for a couple of friends of mine that love the outdoors!!! I hope they like it, but again, if not, I'll keep it! Oh wait, I have another one that I had made for myself....so maybe not! :) This one I had quilted at Patched Works, Inc. here in South Eastern Wisconsin. The one that I made for myself is unquilted at the moment (I plan to quilt it myself) and hanging by pins above my bed.


I always thought that applique - the quilting part itself - was scary and intimidating. As it turns out, it's not! The only way to get over a fear is to jump in and see how it turns out. I'm so glad I jumped! :) Now that's led to me teaching my own McKenna Ryan class at Patched Works! I have so many kits to keep me busy! Some of them include:

McKenna Ryan Kits:
No Trespassing block (from quilt Calling Me Home)
Walrus you a Merry Christmas block (from quilt Once Upon a Star)
In Full Bloom (complete quilt)
When Friends Gather (complete quilt)
Petals of my Heart (complete quilt)
Out and About (complete quilt)
Gingerbread Lane block (from quilt Gingerbread Lane)
Bottoms Up block (from quilt Gingerbread Lane)
Cucina Italiana (complete quilt)
Just Coffee block (from quilt Coffee Classics)
Four Big Shots block (from quilt Coffee Classics)
Fisherman's Bend (a classic quilt)
The Chickadee's (a classic quilt)
Beneath the Boughs (a classic quilt)

Bigfork Bay Cotton Company Kits:
Autumn Eyes
On the Prowl
Spirit
Spring Storm (2)
Summer Serenity (ready to quilt)
Tatanka
Wading
Wild Girl (2)
Winter Wolf (3)

Not to mention the many jelly rolls and honey buns and few fat quarter bundles I have stashed away....I can stop buying fabric and be busy for the next 10 years! And that's without touching my stash!!!