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Cora's Quilts

stunning quilts made simple

Kaleidofloat

Hi everyone!  Welcome to my stop on the Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks blog tour!  My name is Shelley, and I’m the designer behind Cora’s Quilts.  My hubby and I make our home in Northern California with our two sons, ages 5 and 3.3.  Aside from all of the adventures that come along with a house full of boys, I’m an avid reader, addicted to Bikram Yoga, collector of fabric, a budding knitter, and I somehow manage to sneak in a little bit of time for sewing and designing quilt patterns.

Aspen Glow

Beguiling Quilt

Flora Quilt

Gypsy Queen Quilt

Kismet Quilt

Sweater Weather

Selkie

Northern Lights

My designs typically fit somewhere in the realm between Modern and Contemporary Quilting, and my current obsessions are Mosaic and Fair-Isle inspired designs.  I hope you’ll take a few minutes to take a peek at our pattern collection and poke around our shop before heading to your next destination.

Now, on to the block!

Introducing … Kaleidofloat

kaleidofloat

You might be surprised to see that block #1365, with all those curves is mine, especially since I tend to stick to straight-edged designs … but hear me out!

curvesLast February, I had the last-minute chance to add Janice Ryan‘s Conquering Curves class to my already over-stuffed Quilt Con class schedule.

For some reason, I had it in my mind that curves were icky and typically avoided them at all costs.  But in all honesty … I had never tried them until that class … and they really aren’t that bad!  Yes, they do require careful cutting, lots of pins, slower-paced sewing, and a little bit of fussy alignment … but the resulting blocks are totally worth it!!!

The original inspiration behind my block was a simplified dragonfly block that I rotated around a center axis.single-flutter

I love the look of pairing both the individual blocks along side the kaleidoscope blocks in a horizontally-set crib-sized quilt or in an on-point setting for a larger quilt.

And … if you mix in a few extra orange peel blocks, the possibilities are endless!

I hope that if curves are new to you, you’ll try our block out and see that they’re actually super fun to play around with and that they open the door to loads of exciting design opportunities.

If you’d like to win your own copy of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks, Volume 14, sign up to receive our monthly newsletter below (or leave me a comment saying that you’re already a subscriber).  A winner will be chosen on Monday, 11/21.

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Thanks for stopping by and be sure to check out all the other fabulous blocks in Volume 14 of Quiltmaker’s 100 Blocks in this Fall’s Blog Tour!

Comments

  1. I’m currently sewing curved blocks and find it kind of amazing. I love seeing them actually turn out well…and with no pins!
    P.S. I’m also a huge fan of Fair Isle 🙂

  3. Love the curves! I tried to subscribe your newsletter, but it says invalid email address Because it is Dutch?

  4. I find I’m drawn to variations of orange peel designs although I am leery of sewing curves, too. Thanks for the chance to win and to subscribe to your newsletter.
    joyecox@yahoo.com

  5. I love your block and thanks for the examples on how to arrange them. I especially like the 2nd one. I just signed up to follow your blog.

  6. Wow! I love all the different settings that can be made with your lovely block. Curved patterns just take a little more time. Thanks for the chance to win.

  10. I just ordered your Sweater Weather pattern through Craftsy. I was reminded I wanted it when I surfed here for the blog tour! Just thought you might like to know that. Beautiful block!

  11. This is a beautiful block. I love the onpoint setting. Congratulations on having it inclued.

  17. I had forgotten Shelly is the writer of my newsletter “Cora Quilts” Quite the challenge to do all of those curves in a 12″ square. Kathy in snowy Colo

  22. What an interesting block! Thanks for sharing the paired quilt arrangements. I subscribed to your newsletter.

  23. I’m a subscriber:) Cute block even if I’m terrified of curves! lol! May just have to give it a try!

  24. I ‘m already a subscriber 😉 Thank you for chance to win your give-a-way too! 🙂

    Loooove your block..and how it looks in a quilt!! Beautiful!!

  26. I like the look of your crib sized quilt — but I don’t know if I like it enough to do all those curved seams!! I’ve done curve seams, but they always feel too “fiddly” for me!

    PS – I’m already a subscriber.

  33. This is my first time to your quilting site… I like the dragon fly modification… not sure I’m up to a whole quilt of curves — even a baby quilt might be much 🙂 Maybe a one block isolette quilt for the NIC unit…

  35. I thought I was already a subscriber, but signed up again as I don’t remember receiving any news from you lately. Love curve piecing. ndfromsd at gmail. com

  38. I already subscribe to your newsletter. You are producing some beautiful quilt designs and I like to keep abreast of what you are doing.

  39. congratulations. this is so pretty. I get your newsletter.
    I have not done curves yet, I think I am a little intimidated.
    Need to give it a try.

  40. I already subscribe to your newsletter – which I enjoy tremendously! I admire your creativity and contemporary to modern style. Thanks for sharing with us!

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