New in the Curlicue Creations Shop ~ Week of May 30, 2017

McCall's Quilting Magazine, October 2001 Issue

McCall's Quilting Magazine, the October 2001 issue. This magazine features 16 Autumn Classics, Apple Treats for Your Table, Create Our Cozy Cottage Step-By-Step Instructions, and more.

This fabulous issue of McCall's Quilting magazine is in used, but good condition. Some wear along the spine, but all pages are intact. 82 pages of great ideas for quilting.

Heartstring Quilts Book

Heartstring Quilts is an outstanding quilting book, and part of the Quilts Made Easy book collection. This book is filled with techniques and tips regarding all aspects of quilting, plus eleven easy patterns to sew.

This book is softcover, in good condition. Color photos throughout. 48 pages. Vintage 1996.

This book includes a Workshop chapter, plus patterns to make Country Hearts, Puppy Love, Fans for Rachel, Hearts and Flowers I, Patchwork Hearts, Hearts and Flowers II, Ohio Star with Houses, Stenciled Crib Quilt, Tucked Muslin Pillow, Checkered Hearts, and Heart's Desire. There is a lot of in depth information accompanied by helpful, full color, step by step photos.

New items added weekly!

Click here to visit the Curlicue Creations shop now.

Be creative ~ sew something today.

Jennifer Thomas

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Nine Patch Quilting Complete

 Here is the simple Nine Patch quilt I posted about last week, all quilted and rolling off the machine.  Oh Yeah!

 As you can see in this edge pic, I quilted an average of four swirl motifs in each square.  That makes 36 swirls per Nine Patch block, for a whopping total of approximately 1,080 swirls over the whole quilt top.  Whew!  No wonder my back is achy.

 I selected this pretty green Jinny Beyer fabric for the binding.  It features a small black diamond pattern all over.

 You can see the diamonds a little bit, here in this photo, where the binding is being pinned to the edge of the quilt.

After pinning, the binding was sewn on to the front of the quilt with a walking foot, and my trusty Elna.  It's all ready for some TV time, while I flip it over and hand sew it to the back of the quilt with some groovy green matching thread.  I enjoy the relaxation of hand stitching, and usually have a hand sewing project on hand.  Do you hand sew, machine sew, or both, like me?  Leave a comment below.

Be creative ~ sew something today.

Jennifer Thomas

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Chistmas BOM UFO

 School is almost out.  It feels like Summer.  Time to pull out an old UFO.  This is part of an old Christmas Block of the Month quilt I began years ago.  Most of the blocks have been cut out, bagged, and are ready to sew.  Fun!  

 I had pressed the candy pieces and stars into place during a previous sewing session, so I pulled out some matching thread and zigzagged around the edges.

I still need to pull the thread ends to the back and tie them off.  I'll show a picture of the finished block next week.

 This is a pointy triangle section for one of two red and green star blocks.

 These two blocks are pieced, and I'll be showing pics of them next week, too.

Do you have any UFO's?  Most of us do.  Are you working on one now?  Leave a comment below.

Be creative ~ sew something today!

Jennifer Thomas

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Ironing Boards - Is Vintage Better than New?

So many things don't seem to be manufactured quite as nicely today as in the past, ironing boards included.

My old vintage ironing board finally met it's end.  The metal cracked, and the whole board needed to be replaced.

I ran out and bought a shiny new board with a modern blue chevron striped cover.  It was pretty.  It was also pretty flimsy!  Every little bump sent it wobbling dangerously.  I was sure someone or something would get burned.

The modern board was then replaced with a vintage ironing board from the local thrift shop.

Price:  $1.00.
Look:  Not so pretty.
Quality:  Excellent.

Not only is the vintage board sturdier, it sits at a better height for me and is a few inches longer than the sleek new modern version.  I know this because I tried to stretch the cover from the modern board onto the vintage board ~ surprise! ~ it didn't fit.  I clamped it onto the edges with some binder clips, and planned on making a new cover...someday...when I wasn't swamped with children's needs, house cleaning, and work.  (When does that happen?)

Last weekend I was out at a yard sale and found  this vintage pink ironing board cover still inside it's dusty unopened package for 25 cents.  It fits perfectly!  It came with a nice thick pad!  Bonus:  It's pink!  The sewing goddesses have smiled down on me, and all is well in my studio.  Creation can go on ~ Yes!

I'm sure there are some wonderful new ironing boards out there somewhere, just not in my town!  What is your ironing setup like?  Do you keep it set up all the time, or only when you are sewing?  Leave a comment below.

Be creative ~ sew something today!

Jennifer Thomas

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New Fabrics in the Curlicue Creations Shop ~ Week of May 8, 2017

Burgundy Damask Vine Pleasure Knit Fabric
A beautiful cut of 50 percent combed cotton/50 percent polyester blend fabric, Burgundy Damask Vine Pleasure Knit Fabric. Cotton/polyester blend, 60" wide. Machine wash warm, tumble dry, remove promptly. 

The design on this fabric features a pink and white damask vine print over a burgundy background. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Blue Leopard Print Knit Weave Fabric

A beautiful cut of polyester/cotton blend fabric, Red Leopard Print Knit Weave fabric. 80 percent polyester/20 percent cotton, 60" wide. Machine wash warm, delicate cycle, tumble dry low, use cool iron. 

The design on this fabric features black leopard spots over a red background. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Brown Red Blue Damask FabricA beautiful cut of rayon fabric, Brown Red Blue Damask Fabric. Rayon, 60" wide. Hand wash separately, use cool iron.

The design on this fabric features a large scale colorful brown/red/blue damask design. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Black and Gold Floral Rayon Fabric
A beautiful cut of 100 percent rayon fabric, Black and Gold Floral Rayon Fabric. 100 percent rayon, 60" wide. Hand wash separately, use cool iron.

The design on this fabric features an allover gold floral design over a black background with occasional large colorful bursts of flowers. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Purple Summer Fabric

A beautiful cut of 100 percent polyester fabric, Purple Summer Fabric. 100 percent polyester, 44" wide. 

The design on this fabric features an abstract floral design in purple and green. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Turquoise Polka Dot Fabric

A beautiful cut of cotton/polyester blend fabric, Turquoise Polka Dot fabric. Cotton/polyester blend, 60" wide. Machine wash warm, tumble dry. 

The design on this fabric features turquoise polka dots over a white background; fabric is also reversible, back is solid turquoise. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Pink Roses on Black Flower Fabric

A beautiful cut of polyester/rayon/linen blend fabric, Pink Roses on Black Flower fabric. Polyester/rayon/linen blend, 60" wide. Machine wash warm, delicate cycle, tumble dry low, use cool iron.

The design on this fabric features an all over pink and purple large scale flower design on a black background. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Mint Green and White Floral Fabric

A beautiful cut of rayon polyester fabric, Mint Green and White Floral fabric. Rayon polyester, 60" wide. Machine wash warm, tumble dry. 

The design on this fabric features an allover white floral design over a mint green background. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

New fabrics added weekly!

Click here to visit the Curlicue Creations shop!

Be Creative ~ sew something today.

Jennifer Thomas

New in the Curlicue Creations Shop ~ Week of May 3, 2017

Hot Pink Summer Fabric

A beautiful cut of 100 percent polyester fabric, Hot Pink Summer Fabric. 100 percent polyester, 44" wide. 

The design on this fabric features an abstract floral design on a pink background. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Solid Black Polyester/Wool Blend Fabric

A beautiful cut of wool/polyester blend fabric, Solid Black Polyester/Wool Blend Fabric. Wool/polyester blend, 66" wide. Dry Clean Only.

The design on this fabric features a solid black. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Solid Blue Polyester/Wool Blend Worsted Suiting Fabric
A beautiful cut of wool/polyester blend worsted suiting fabric, Solid Blue Polyester/Wool Blend Worsted Suiting Fabric. Wool/polyester blend, 60" wide. Dry Clean Only.

The design on this fabric features a solid blue. Perfect for your next sewing project. This fabric can be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 15Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 15 in the popular 100 Blocks Series of special issues from Quiltmaker Magazine. This magazine features 100 blocks from today's top designers, and how to make them, plus some great quilts featuring these blocks. 

This issue includes my block, #1492, Cherry Bon Bon. The other 99 blocks are all enchanting, must sew blocks, as usual. There is such an unbelievable variety of designs and quilting techniques in each issue of the 100 Blocks series.

For all these, plus 500 other fabulous sewing finds, Click here to visit the Curlicue Creations shop!

Be creative ~ sew something today.

Jennifer Thomas

Road Rally Winner!

Congratulations goes out to Kathy H.!  She was chosen by random as the winner of a brand new copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 15.  Her answer to the question of what you would drive if you were on a road rally was:  "In a road rally, I would love to drive a motorcycle.."  

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments.  What variety there was ~ bicycles, a train, RV's, sports cars, and vans for lots of fabric shopping along the way.  If you're curious, the most popular answer was a Mustang, preferably red.

If you would like to purchase a copy of Volume 15, I have a few for sale in my Etsy shop.  Click here to purchase your copy.

Be creative ~ sew something today.

Jennifer Thomas

Curlicue Creations

Beep! Beep! Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Road Rally Blog Tour ~ Stop Here!

 Hello!  Welcome to my little segment of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Road Rally Blog Tour.  I'm so happy you've stopped by today.  This is my block from Volume 15, Cherry Bon Bon.  

It's block #1492, shown on page 56 of the magazine, and also on the cover.

Vroom!  Vroom!  I drove my trusty old Singer 301 to sew the easy half square triangle seams on this block.  This is my favorite machine.  It sews fast.  I'm sure it would do well in a quilting road rally.  

 I made nine Cherry Bon Bon blocks into this cute lap size quilt.  See the nice secondary design you get when you put these blocks together?  I finished this quilt off with a simple skinny black border and a wider red border.

Quilt Stats:

Size:  44" x 44"

Block Size:  12"

Fabric:  Pumpkin Pie by Laundry Basket Quilts for Moda

Batting:  Warm 100 by The Warm Company

Thread:  King Tut by Superior Threads

 The Cherry Bon Bon quilt block is quite versatile.  You can get a number of different looks using the same fabrics.  I've just changed their positions in the blocks.  Here, I've reversed the creams and the blacks.

 In this version, I've eliminated the brown fabric, replacing it with black, and changed the original black patches to red.

 In this block, I've brought the brown fabric back in, by changing the outer pink triangles to brown, and keeping just a touch of pink in the center square of the block.  You could play with this block endlessly, for so many different looks.  It was tough to choose my favorite for the magazine.

Here's an example of how the four versions I've shown today could look in a wall hanging sampler.  I like it.  I may sew one of these, too.  

Thank you for visiting Curlicue Creations on the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Road Rally today.   If you were driving through my area, Vance County, North Carolina, you could see the Quilt Trail of the Tar and Roanoke Rivers, the Corbitt Truck Museum, and Kerr Lake.

I hope you've enjoyed this segment of the tour.  To win a copy of Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 15, leave a comment below.  Let's make it a little fun ~ if you were on an actual road rally, what would you be driving?

Click here to return to Quilty Pleasures and continue the blog tour.

Get Creative ~ sew something today.

Jennifer Thomas

Modern Double Irish Chain Scrap Quilt in Blue, Yellow, and Black

 Today I'm featuring the Modern Double Irish Chain Scrap Quilt in Blue, Yellow, and Black.  There is no published pattern for this quilt.  It's a free form, personal project I've been sewing in my spare moments.

Quilt Stats:

Size:  52"x  52"

Fabric:  Various fabrics from my stash

Batting:  Cotton

Thread:  King Tut, by Superior

 Here's a corner of the quilt.  I have quilted some of my favorite motifs across this quilt.  I quilted swirls in the two outer borders, narrow lines in the yellow border to give it more definition, and an allover loopy meander in the center section of the quilt.

 Here's a closer look at the center of the quilt.  You can see a wide variety of fabrics were used.  These fabrics all came out of my stash.  Nothing new was acquired for this project.

The quilt backing is a sweet baby blue goose print fabric.  

Another close-up.

And a final clothesline photo.  I like to photograph quilts outdoors.  The colors come out so lovely in the natural light.  There is no pattern available for this quilt.  It is a one of a kind creation.  This quilt is for sale in my Etsy shop. 

 Click here to view the Modern Double Irish Chain Scrap Quilt in Blue, Yellow, and Black in the Curlicue Creations shop.

Be sure to visit my blog again tomorrow (May 2nd) for the Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Blog Tour and a chance to win your own copy of Volume 15!

Be Creative ~ sew something today!

Jennifer Thomas