Winner!

Just popping in to announce the winner of the Uncommonly Corduroy e-book by Stephanie Dunphy. 

 

Congratulations, Barb!  If you'll shoot me an e-mail (link in profile), you can get started on one of these fun projects very soon!

 

 

 

Uncommonly Corduroy by Stephanie Dunphy

Please excuse the delay in sharing this delightful book with you.  Uncommonly Corduroy by Stephanie Dunphy.  You may have seen it by now, but in case you somehow missed it, I thought I would give you the scoop.  Stephanie at Loft Creations has published a really cool book of projects using -- you guessed it -- corduroy!  Until Stephanie told me what she was up to, I had no idea that using corduroy in quilts is actually a thing.  Apparently, I need to keep up a little better.  Stephanie will be at Quilt Market in Pittsburgh, so if you're there, stop by Martingale's booth (No. 618) to visit with her, and make sure you catch her Schoolhouse presentation. 

Photography by Brent Kane

In her book, Stephanie tells you everything you need to know about corduroy and how to work with it, as well as the best corduroy to use for quilts and for bags.  She also tells you about her favorite stabilizers and tricks for making bags.  Her bags always look so structured, and now I know why. 




Photography by Brent Kane

One of my favorite things about this book is that Stephanie provides cutting guides for various shapes instead of requiring the use of specialty rulers.  Even for the kaleidoscope-style quilt below, Saltwater Taffy. 



Photography by Brent Kane
 

There are patterns for sixteen projects, including quilts, bags, and even a scarf.  And a fun poem all about corduroy!  I love Stephanie's unique style, and the way she embellishes some of her projects with rickrack and buttons.  And, yes, Abby the dog makes an appearance in the book, along with her own special tote.



Photography by Brent Kane

 Some of the projects are made completely from corduroy; others are mixed with quilting cottons.  Quilting-weight corduroy is increasingly available.  If your local quilt shop doesn't stock it, ask them to try it.  Or look for online resources.  Stephanie provides a list of manufacturers and retailers to get you started. 

Photography by Brent Kane

   Just in case you're afraid to use corduroy in your sewing projects, every project in the book can be made with quilting cotton.  Stephanie's designs are unique, her directions are easy to follow, and each of the projects can be made with so many different styles of fabric.  Just check out her blog to see some examples. 

Photography by Brent Kane

 It was incredibly hard for me to choose a project from the book.  I decided to make this adorable bag, I Heart Dresdens.  That sounds like Stephanie.  Whenever I see a Dresden block, I always think of her. 

Photography by Brent Kane

I settled on a collection of fabrics I've been hoarding for a while, one that has a lot of polka dots (also a Stephanie thing).  Because I've never made a Dresden block this small, I made a test block using a mini charm pack of Sunnyside by Kate Spain.  Using the cutting guide in the book, it took me less than five minutes to cut all the little Dresden blades.  It was so much fun that I've decided to collect a lot more mini charms and make Dresden blocks out of each collection.  After I finish my bag.  Or maybe not. :-)

 

 

If you'd like to win your own e-copy of Uncommonly Corduroy, please leave a comment and let me know what you think about the projects.  (There's a gallery of all the projects in the book here.)  I'll announce the winner on Tuesday, May 20.  Hope you enjoy the inspiration!