Nancy Shamy Designs

And even a few more!

2012-01-13T11:51:00.001-08:00

I can't resist posting all these. Only wish I had the name of each quilter to give proper credit.

Couldn't resist adding a few more quilts from Festival!

2012-01-13T11:41:00.000-08:00

Penny, me and Linda enjoying Quilt Festival!

I couldn't resist adding a few more pictures from Quilt Festival. This one is of Marylin Badger with one of her quilts and she is an incredible, award winning quilter.

Current Projects

2012-01-13T11:29:00.000-08:00

I have recently acquired these two rugs that will soon be purses!

The 5" blocks are from an on-going class I am taking at Zoe's Trunk called Cotton Club with my friend Joan.

Sewing!

2012-01-13T11:25:00.000-08:00

After going through shelves, boxes, cupboards.......it has finally come to this!

Quilt Festival Pictures 2011

2012-01-13T10:45:00.000-08:00

In organizing our photos I realized I hadn't shared any of the photos from the International Quilt Festival. This is an event I attend every year with my friend Linda-boy do we ever have some stories from our many years of these trips!

Enjoy these photos and the incredible talent of these fiber artists! Wish I could name and give proper credit to each quilt artist. You can go to the Quilts.com website and look at or purchase a CD with all the quilts beautifully photographed and the artist properly named and given credit to.

New Year!

2012-01-13T10:33:00.000-08:00

Welcome 2012! This year is IT! A LOT is sure to be accomplished in the creative arena and we're/I'm already working on new ideas, designs, patterns and more! Daughter is working oh so hard on her new home and we will miss them like crazy once they move from staying with us-thank heavens they are only 10 min. away so I can get a lil Miss M fix in a matter of minutes! She has us in the palm of her hand and tightly wrapped around her little fingers.

I have SO many things started right now and today is focus/direction time. One area I'm working on is our photos and the one posted here is of an antique quilt I just purchased in Pinetop at a lovely little shop called LilyBear. All the red fabric is in terrible shape but the rest is just wonderful and I couldn't resist it. The photo was taken at a dear friend's beautiful cabin where I was recently a guest. It was "girls" weekend and we shopped, stitched, read and just had fun together-what a treat!

Boutiques and Shows, Oh My!

2011-12-03T18:29:00.000-08:00

Thanks to all that have come by to see Kenzie Mac and Co. (us) our boutiques and shows these last few weeks. They have been both fun and a ton of work but well worth our efforts. We are always thinking about what our future creations will be and it is inspiring seeing all the other artists. We'll be selling at the F.Q. Story Historic home tour and boutique tomorrow. Hope you can come by and see us. Check out our Kenzie Mac blog and a few listings in our new Etsy shop too...all thanks to Lauren, we all know I am not very good at this technology stuff. ;) Also check out Penny Up.

Purse Progress

2011-10-16T14:21:00.000-07:00

The handful of pictures just posted are a few of my favorites. There are some in progress using unique fabrics, buttons, etc. and even some vintage items which will really be one of a kind.
This Kenzie Mac venture has been such fun. There is nothing better than sewing with your daughter till the wee hours of the morning-a mother's dream come true! You should see what she is sewing on now-she'll most likey post pics sooner than I will.

Purse Progress

2011-10-16T14:12:00.000-07:00

There are maybe 40 here of the 70 we will have finished up by later today. We just have handles left to sew on and then it will be photo time. Wait till you see our next project. Not sure it will be a pattern but fun and easy to make and so cute on little girls.

Just had to share a little progress with you.

Fall

2011-10-10T14:30:00.000-07:00

To say we are a little exctied about fall finally arriving in Arizona is an under-statement-yes, it is going to heat up again this week but hang in there, fall is just around the corner. I had to share some of my new fall flowers with you. It's hard to tell the size in a picture but this table in my courtyard is about 5 feet long.

Quilters Hall of Fame book is here!!

2011-10-10T14:14:00.001-07:00

Sorry this is sideways!

It's finally here!!! After much anticipation, "The Quilters Hall of Fame -42 Masters Who Have Shaped our Art" is out. Here is a picture of the cover and a partial view of pgs. 119 and 120. Notice a familiar name?! A smaller version of this book came out in I believe 2004 and then all the original authors were invited to update their inductee. This book features the 42 quilters including incredible pictures. Please ask your local quilt shop to order in this book for you, it is BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!!!!!! Marian Ann J. Montgomery and Voyageur Press went above and beyond for this book-I know you'll LOVE it!!!

2011-10-10T14:05:00.000-07:00

I just had to post this picture of Christmas presents stored up in my closet for my sister!!! I recently started wrapping Christmas presents and it drives her crazy-hey, there is one big family here and if I didn't start early I'd never finish in time.

2011-10-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Getting ready for Halloween!

2011-10-10T14:03:00.000-07:00

A look at the partially completed "Elite Totes". There are nearly 70 new ones soon to be available!

2011-10-10T14:02:00.000-07:00

Just a teaser of some of our fabric lines for our latest new "Elite Totes" we'll be selling soon!

Sewing Helper

2011-10-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Bessssst little sewing helper there is!!!

Coming Boutiques/Patterns!!

2011-10-10T13:46:00.000-07:00

We're busy, busy this fall. Shortly I'll be posting some pictures of our progress. We're getting some nice ohhs and ahhs on our new products and can't wait to share them with you! We'll be posting a list of upcoming boutiques as well.

We had a little dinner party here last night where my husband did all the cooking and I mean all and from scratch! Ck out this menu (and I'm dieting!!)! Wish I had pics to share of this.

Oysters (like Rockefeller)
French Onion Soup
Lebanese Salad
Chateaubriand (for 8-not 2)
Ringed Potates (sliced thin and between the layers were small amounts of his famous hot artichoke dip)
Banana Creme Pie

Update!

2011-09-11T11:17:00.000-07:00

I can't wait till my IT Dept. returns from another wonderful trip-aka daughter, Lauren! Those of you that know me well know I'm not the best with technolgy and that is putting it nicely. I can't get anymore pictues to post and I can't tell you the number of requests I've had via phone and email that they are unable to post a comment. Hang tight, they return late tonight! She will check my progress on our boutique items very first thing. In between doing real estate this weekend I've stitched almost all the exteriors of the "Elite Totes" for our boutiques plus done a little design work on a new pattern. Because of my love for Mackenzie-Childs I'm doing a thistle wall hanging.
No more postings till I get the picture part solved!

I'm BACK!

2011-09-07T22:09:00.000-07:00

I'mmm bbaaaacckkk.....

Bet you're surprised I've re-surfaced. So much has gone on I don't know where to start. First things first though. We've moved back to Scottsdale and I am now working hard along side my daughter in our Kenzie Mac & Co. business. We intend to grow it for real this time, after all, lil mac is now three so we have so much more time to get things done-LOL! We(Lauren!) just re-vamped the www.kenziemac.com website and blog www.kenziemacandco.blogspot.com we have numerous boutiques scheduled for this fall. We will be posting the schedule on the website.

Boutique prep...50 purses cut and ready to sew...

Our first pattern is the "Elite Tote". A modified version has already been out locally but we have finally tweaked it to satisfaction. All that is left to do is the photography and then printing. I lost sleep over this one. I had fallen in love with upholstery webbing a few years back and my mind worked overtime with ideas to use it on. I was experimenting with it by painting, washing, bleaching, stamping, etc. I was just about finished with the pattern design when shopping one day low and behold, there was a purse so close to my design I couldn't believe it. It was at a store that not only sold the purses but also had classes so I signed up so I could get the pattern and could then compare it to mine. It is such a simple/basic design but I was thrilled when my measurements and curve were different and my approach to the sewing assembly was much different as well. I am a "freak" about copyright and I have purchased numerous purse and apron patterns so I can make sure mine are different. I go out of my way to change something I think look close to other patterns. I have now made well over 50 of these bags and they are great sellers at The French Bee (Kierland) when made out of high-end designer fabric.

Lauren altered the Elite Tote pattern and made this extra long bag out of laminated fabric for our recent trip to Myrtle Beach.

In addition to working on our business, we've had some great trips and lots of fun and have settled nicely into our new home in a neighborhood we are much familiar with.

Here's to loads of creativity, accomplishing daily goals and blogging a few times a week!!

Mackenzie is a happy traveler in one of the dresses that I made for her.

Next pattern!!

2010-02-08T14:22:00.000-08:00

Here is another teaser! You'll be seeing some of this ribbon used in the first pattern for the youngest at heart!!! Mackenzie makes a great model!

Next project!!!

2010-02-08T14:19:00.000-08:00

I'm so excited about another pattern I'm working on! This will give you a little idea what is in store!

Draft!

2010-02-08T14:14:00.000-08:00

Thought you'd get a kick out of this one!!! This is about as good as it gets-my drawing ability that is-I cannot draw a straight line with a ruler!!! This was plenty of detail for me when I sketched this to go ahead and start in with measurements, directions, etc. very little changed in the sewing process other than the waistband which is non-existent here-perhaps, that is why I'm in the process of re-working it!!

New apron pattern!!!

2010-02-08T14:11:00.000-08:00

Well here she is!!! It is nearly completed and I hope to have the pattern hot off the press here soon-I'll keep you posted.

From this........

2010-02-08T14:04:00.000-08:00

One of my current projects is my new apron pattern which will soon go to print!!! For the first "real" apron made from the pattern I used this Nicey Jane, Church Flowers fabric by Heather Bailey which I just love. Picture of the nearly completed apron will be in my next post, I'm in the process of changing the waistband (again-LOL). Those of you that know me and computers will understand the following!!! I can only get one photo at a time to go to my blog, it will not take multiple pics today for some reason so I'll have to do each post and picture individually-sorry!

2010-02-08T13:49:00.000-08:00

Thought you might like to see where some of the creations begin! It's hard to tell here, but there are several projects started all around the room.

2010-01-18T11:51:00.000-08:00

Here is an art you will perhaps have never seen before. Enjoy!!

Click here: YouTube - Kseniya Simonova's Amazing Sand Drawing

Purse Pattern

2010-01-18T10:04:00.000-08:00

Here is my first blog photo!! This is a purse pattern in the making using my favorite plate to get just the right curve. I'm currently experimenting with different plate sizes for different size purses.

Other Blogs

2010-01-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

I have had the BEST time looking at other blogs while getting mine started. I now know I'm going to be "okay" because many bloggers out there have not posted since about the week before Christmas. I've had a lot of help lately from friends and family (you know who you are!!) in getting me started in a new pattern/design business in addition to Kenzie Mac & Co. I'm currently working on patterns of all sorts that will soon be "out" there!!!