Curly Ribbon and Blue Pigs

Last week I posted about the applique part of a quilt I was making. At that time, I hadn't decided how to do the tails. I finally decided it would be fun to use curly grosgrain ribbon. It is super easy to make curly ribbon. In addition to pig tails, it would be very cute in children's hairbows, in fairy wands with netting and other sparkles, and on gifts.

To make it, wrap grosgain ribbon around a dowel. The tighter your wrap it, the tighter your curls will be. I am using about a 3/8" dowell  here, but you can use smaller diameters, too. I secured each end with duct tape. Then I wet it and popped it in a warm oven -- about 250 degrees.. (I suppose you could also use a hair dryer.)  When it is dry, remove from the oven and let it cool off. Remove it from the dowel and use it in your project.

Here's the finished quilt I made. I sewed down the curls so that it could be washed.

Mrs. Pigg loved it!