Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Countdown, Volume 4

Hello everyone!  Welcome to Day 4 of my Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks countdown.  Today we are on Volume 4 from Winter 2011.  I did more block testing for this issue.  I also submitted a block.

In My Garden, Block #306, by me!  What a playful little block.  It always makes me smile when I see the little turtle and the graceful flower bending in the breeze.  I do have Eastern Box Turtles in my garden occasionally.  They like to nibble on the cantaloupes.

I made this cute little wall hanging featuring the In My Garden block.  Simple, but effective with a fun stripey border.

Winter Blooms, Block #309, by Cheryl Haynes.  Cheryl Haynes is also known as the Prairie Grove Peddler.  She is one of my favorite block designers.  I love her floral applique blocks.  This block features little french knots in the centers of the flowers.  

Olde St. Nick, Block #313, by Susan Marth.  Who doesn't love Santa!  This was a fun block to sew.  I was a little nervous about outlining all the patches with black thread, but it came out nicely.  It has been pointed out in Quiltmaker magazine that if you turn this block upside down it looks like a sheep eating out of Santa's hat.

The Balancing Act, Block #316, by Denise Russart.  How adorable!  Denise has designed a lot of dog blocks.  This one is so cute with the butterfly perched on his nose.

Posie Pathway, Block #317, by Erin Russek.  Another one of my faves.  I just adore applique floral blocks.

Sunday Rose, Block #325, by Chris Hoover.  I tried to use similar colors to Chris' original block for this one.  Very pretty foundation pieced block!

Fresh Cut, Block #343, by Sara Tuttle Khammash.  I sewed this block as part of my Fresh 'N Fancy quilt which appeared in one of the Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks issue.  I chose this block to go with my Polka Party block (Volume 5 - see tomorrow's post) because I wanted an applique block with a pieced background.  I wanted the applique shape to be rounded to add softness to the squareness of the Polka Party blocks. 

The Fresh 'N Fancy quilt, included in the Quilts from Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Spring 2013 issue.  See how the Fresh Cut blocks and the Polka Party blocks coordinate together?

Sephora, Block #345, by Becca LoGiudice.  This block makes me smile.  Becca's original block is very serious, a beautiful black and blue vase on a black and white background.  My vase has chickens on it and looks like it is outside, sitting in a farmer's field with the cows, geese, and ducks looking on.

Linked, Block #348, by Moira McSpadden.  This block gave me a hard time.  I sewed the sections together incorrectly the first time, but the end result is a really cool, interlocking look.  A fun modern block.

Patchwork Bouquet, Block #349, by Amanda Murphy.  I won't lie here - Amanda's block is far prettier than mine!  Her block is all cool blues and greens.  The color combination I used here is a little bit crazy.  I wanted to experiment with colors and stripes.  I did use the red and white striped fabric in several of the blocks I tested for this issue.

Brer Bunny, Block #353, by Marjorie Rhine.  How cute it this???  A little blue bunny sewn out of a triangle, with a carrot snack.  A little embroidery detail on the nose and mouth.  You can see I played with the red and white stripes in the background.
Stripes can add marvelous dimension to a block.

Confetti, Block #354, by Laura Stone Roberts.  Definitely different!  This block features a modern style pieced stripe background.  Each tiny squares is then fused on and secured with a French knot.

Patchwork Pansies, Block #360, by Terry Clothier Thompson.  Another pretty floral block with a pieced background.  I should have chosen a better contrasting fabric for the pansies.  They feature sweetly embroidered details.  

Ozark Cactus, Block #384, by Judy Laquidara.  This block should produce a nice secondary design when placed together.

Just Chillin', Block #397, by Margie Ullery.  I'm sorry the photo is so skewed.  It's the only pic I could find of this block.  This one was sewn for Trent's 100 Blocks quilt.  So cute!

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Countdown, Volume 3

Hello there!  Thank you for joining me again today for Day 3 of my Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks countdown.  Today we're revisiting Volume 3.  This is when I first got involved with the 100 Blocks series of magazines.  I became a block tester.  

Party Frock, Block #206, by Kay Mackenzie.  This is the very first block I tested.  How adorable!  I was instantly smitten.  To date, this is still one of my favorite blocks ever.

Night Lights, Block #211, by Gina Reddin.  Her original block has a black background, so the colors really pop.  Since I used a sunshine background, my block is more like "Day Lights".

Spring's Best, Block #214, by Ann Weber.  This is not the best picture, but what a cutie pie block.  Each petal of the flower is an individual piece of fabric, and the vein detail in the leaves really make this block interesting.

Cactus Flower, Block #215, by Sue Beevers.  It was a bit difficult to get the points to match in this foundation pieced block, but worth it!  It reminds me of the cactus I have growing in my front yard.

Stepping Stone, Block #228, by Janice Averill.  This would make an interesting quilt.  It would be fun to sew a lot of these and play with them on a design wall.  The background stripes could lead your eye all over a quilt.  Fun!

Spring Beauties, Block #240, by Rochelle Martin.  Sew sweet!  I love blocks like this one.  Again, the yo-yo's were a little bit challenging for me, but they came out okay.  I red, white, and blued this block and a few of the others that I sewed from this issue. 

Fantasy Flutterby, Block #241, by Jo Moury.  Can you say teeny-tiny bias stems?  That's one of the many special features of this block.  I followed Quiltmaker's directions for "Tiny Bias Stems", and they came out just lovely.  I also enjoyed adding the embroidered details to this block.  Beautiful.

Rubber Duckie, Block #246, by Heidi Pridemore.  I made this block recently.  Trent chose it for his quilt.  He has a whole rubber duckie family for the bathtub.  "Rubber duckie, you're the one..."

Desert Lily, Block #248, by Caroline Reardon.  This was another one of my favorites.  I am not a huge fan of foundation piecing, but I just love the way this block turned out.  The colors look so happy together, and the little flowers accenting the corners of the block - I just love it!

Going in Circles, Block #252, by Paula Stoddard.  This block had a really neat technique.  It took a while to sew it all together, but well worth the work.

Horizon, Block #255, by Vanessa Vargas Wilson, a.k.a. The Crafty Gemini.  What a modern looking block.  I would love to see a whole quilt sewn from this block.

Winston Ways, Block #279, by Bonnie Hunter.  If I'm counting correctly, this block has 100 pieces!  That's a lot of pieces!  Scrap diva-licious.

Twister, Block #286, by Christina McCourt.  I could have done a little better job choosing the fabric values for this block.  

Filmstrip, Block #289, by Scott Murkin.  This was my first introduction to Scott Murkin, a fellow North Carolina quilter.  I really like his unique approach to quilt design.  He looks at quilts in such a different way than I do.

Khanam's Surprise, Block #299, by Cinzia White.  This block was like a puzzle to put together.  It really was a surprise to me that it all fit together!   A great block to piece with fun results.  I'm also amazed that I got all the American flags waving in the same direction.

I made the Lollipops quilt using nine of the blocks that I tested for Volume 3.  I used scraps from all the fabrics to make the nine patch cornerstones and the four patch border.  I designed the floral vine blocks for the outer border myself.  

Wshew!  That was a lot of blocks!  I suppose somewhere out there is someone who has sewn all the blocks.  Now that would be an undertaking.

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Countdown - Volume 2

 Thanks for joining me for Day 2 of my Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks countdown.  I suppose it's actually more of a count-up.  Here's what I've sewn from Volume 2:

Delectable Grapes, Block #110, by Marian Mapes.  I made my block using the fusible applique method.  It was challenging to arrange all the grapes into a pleasing arrangement.  This block is part of Trent's 100 Blocks quilt.

Cute as a Button, Block #136, by Amanda Herring.  This block was also a challenge for me.  The "cherry" on top of the cupcake is actually a yo-yo.  I'm a little bit yo-yo impaired.  I never learned to make these as a child.  Also, sewing all those stacks of buttons around the tabbed border was tedious.  I love the button look, and this block is adorable, but I do not like to sew buttons!  This is another block for Trent's 100 Blocks quilt.  He loves cupcakes.  But then, doesn't everyone?

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks Countdown - Volume 1

Good morning!  Welcome to my countdown to Quiltmaker's 100 Blocks, Volume 10.  Quiltmaker will be hitting 1000 blocks with this amazing issue!  I've sewn a few blocks from each magazine along the way.  I thought it would be fun to have a countdown to Volume 10.  I hope you'll join me on this journey.  Here are the blocks I've sewn from Volume 1.

Look at this yummy hot fudge sundae!  Complete with a cherry on top.  This is block #23, Hot Fudge Please, by Julie Pieri.

I also sewed Friends, block #43, by Lynette Anderson-O'Rourke.  This one was so much fun to make.  I used the fusible applique method, and zigzagged around the kitty with black thread.  Then I hand stitched the little bird and the other details. I love doing a little embroidery, and look at how cute it makes this block.

Both of these blocks are part of my son Trent's 100 Blocks quilt.  He is 4 years old and picked out all the blocks and most of the fabric for his quilt himself.  It's almost finished.  I just need to get it quilted.

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Craftsy Quilt Kits on Sale Now through October 10th

What better time than now for a new project for Fall?  Think chilly Autumn evenings with the bright foliage falling outdoors, and a warm cozy fire in the fireplace, the smoke curling into the night sky.  You and your loved ones, cuddling under a special handmade quilt.  

Craftsy has some wonderful quilt kits on sale.  Click on the banner above to view all the kits available.  Here are a few that I love:

The Criss Cross Quilt Kit.  So pretty & a little bit modern, using Moda's Autumn Lily fabric collection.  The finished quilt size is 56" x 72", perfect for couch cuddling!  Link to the kit for more details here:  Criss Cross Quilt Kit   

This one is a little more Wintry to me, the Northern Stroll Quilt kit.  The finished size of this quilt is 63' x 75".  This quilt features Moda's Celeste fabric collection.  Yummy!  Link to the kit for more details here:  Northern Stroll Quilt Kit

The Bedfordshire Quilt kit is available in three amazing color schemes, Teal, Rust, and Gold.  Fabrics for this quilt are from the Jinny Beyer Bedfordshire collection by RJR.  The finished measurements of this quilt are 57" x 57".  So gorgeous!  Make all three.  Link to the kit for more details here:  Bedfordshire Quilt Kit

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Island Batik Fat Quarters in the Curlicue Creations Shop

Have you tried Island Batik fabrics?  I made my Beaches quilt, featured in the It Takes Three Book exclusively using Island Batik fabrics.  They have such rich colors, and the fabric is a joy to sew with.  If you want to try just a sample, I have a few fat quarters available in the shop for only $2.25 each.

Hot Pink Batik Fabric

This pattern is spicy hot! It features a random, spiky design in a range of pinks. Perfect for your next quilting or home sewing project. This fabric can also be used to sew one of a kind clothing. So unique - be creative!

Green Batik Fabric

This pattern evokes the tall Savannah grasses, bending in the breeze. 

Florida Green Batik Fabric

A lush, thicket of green palmetto branches covers this fabric in spiky splendor. Printed in a gorgeous range of greens.

Blue Batik Fabric

The pattern looks like cool, tree bark, or swirling water, in a gorgeous range of blues. 

Cream Batik Fabric

The pattern looks like palm leaves against a cool, creamy background. This fabric would make a great neutral, or work well for an applique background. 

Keep your eye on the Batik Fabric Section of the shop.  I've just ordered some more yardage of beautiful, Island Batik fabrics.  They should be in any day!

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas

Strippy Flowers Quilt Redesign

It's time to get back to the Strippy Flowers quilt.  I have no idea how this quilt top got stuffed into a drawer and forgotten.  I love this design!  Above, see my original idea.  

These are the quilt parts I pulled out of my sewing desk drawer.  A little different color scheme from the original idea, but so cute!  So romantic!  And a little bit primitive.

I chose this angel fabric as one of the three fabrics for the center strip of plain, square blocks.  I decided to change the tan section border strips in the quilt to country black instead to give the quilt more definition.

Then, following my directions, I sewed the center squares strip together.  Uh-oh!  See how it's a couple of inches shorter than the other strips?  What have I done???

I'm sewing this using my new spool of Superior Thread's MasterPiece by Alex Anderson.  It's made specifically for piecing, to help your seams lie flat.  I got to test it out both sewing, and unsewing!  So far, so good, on both counts.

Here's a few pics of the Strippy Flowers blocks.

I had all this super pretty coordinating fabric, and I mixed it up to sew some unique color combinations.

I love the way these blocks came out.  Who says leaves and stems have to be green?

And back to the center strip.  I changed the width of the black fabric, to make it work out properly.

Almost finished...looking better.

And here's where I ended up.  The center strip took a lot more time than I planned, but I'm glad I fixed it. I like the way the country black strips are working on this quilt.  I should be able to finish the top during the next sewing session.

Until next time...please visit the Curlicue Creations Shop...and have a super day!

Get Creative!

Jennifer Schifano Thomas