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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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.
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| 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!
19 comments:
Ooh, love the Halloween string quilt, and the blue and green star! I'm a big fan of corduroy, too.
I agree 100 %... It's a great book with lots of cool inspiration. I already have the book :)
I love the bags,especially the Dresden bag. I also love the Haloween quilt.
I love the different bag designs~ and I think the texture of the quilts must be awesome. I would definitely try a few of the patterns if I won. Thanks for the chance!
Hi Kim. No need to enter me in your giveaway (I have my own autographed copy) but I did want to tell you that you wrote an excellent review of Stephanie's book. Everything you shared is absolutely true. I've already made several Traveling with Lou bags for gifts and all of the recipients love the bag. I know I need to move on to other projects but I am overwhelmed with what to choose next.
Dresdens scare me so I haven't even attempted that yet. You have chosen some lovely fabrics for yours.
Lots of bright quilts I would like to try. Always loved the feel of corduroy. Cindy bluemoonstencils@yahoo.com
I love the quilt with the black background and the bags all look great.
Those dresden blocks are so cute.
Those little Dresden blocks are too die for! I have not worked with corduroy and would love to learn about it from the book. Thanks for the giveaway
Thanks for such a great review of Stephanie's book, Kim! I've made several of the projects both with and without corduroy -- they're so much fun and look great! Whomoever is lucky enough to win a copy of the book (I already have one) will have a lot of fun projects to keep them busy!
Cheers!
All the projects have a fresh modern appeal and look very doable! I want to make all of the bags.
This looks like a really fun book. Lots of interesting projects to make.
Looks like a great book. I for sure need to win...I almost destashed my corduroy two weeks ago because I forgot what I bought it for! RxQuilter
I just purchased 5 yards or pretty red corduroy with tiny flowers thinking how will I ever use it all up. Answer - in a quilt. I had no idea that people were using it in quilts, except maybe in a crazy quilt.
Never been afraid to use it on bags, kids clothing like little jumpers, and etc. Maybe this transition will not be so difficult after all. Thanks Kim for giving us the heads up.
There's a unique look to all the projects you've shared from this interesting new book. Many years ago, when I found myself shifting from garment making to being totally immersed in quilting, I got rid of my "non-quilting" fabrics including (as you might guess) a lot of corduroy. <> The large star quilt is especially appealing to me, but the bag projects would probably be ones I would try first.
Thanks for the giveaway, Kim.
I have never worked with corduroy, but it is very intriguing. Love all those bag patterns too!
I like how bright and modern the quilts look.
I would love to make some of the quilts in this book. I have always liked corduroy & have made purses from it in the past.
nice bag colour is also nice.
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