Monica Curry Quilt Design

Easter Egg Table Topper

Get hopping and cheer up your table this Easter with this sweet Easter Egg table runner. My cheery table runner pattern is ready just in time for Easter. I love the Easter colours. They remind me that spring is finally around the corner. This table runner/topper measures 22" x 16" (55cm x 40cm) and could also be used as a placemat or a cute wall hanging. The kids are sure to love it.

How to Make Your Own Quilt Ruler Grips

You can easily make your own quilt ruler grips in a few easy steps. I recently bought a couple of new quilt rulers, but I didn't think to get any quilt ruler grips. Also, the ones on my other rulers are starting to wear out a bit. So, wanting to pinch a penny, I decided to make my own ruler grips. They're really simple to make and you most likely have everything you need at home to get started.

YOU WILL NEED

1/2 inch double-sided tape
*220 fine-grit sandpaper.
an old pair of scissors (or utility knife)

*Don't use anything higher than 220 grit because it won't grab, and don't use anything lower than 180 grit because it could damage delicate fabrics.

Supplies Needed to make Quilt Ruler Grips

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Stick a strip of the tape on the paper side edge of the sandpaper.

2. With scissors or utility knife, cut along the side of the tape to make a strip of sandpaper. Do this over some old newsprint to catch any loose sand. I made a couple strips for future use.

3. Cut 1/2 inch squares from the strip.

4. Peel the tape paper off to expose the sticky side and stick your grips to the back of your quilt ruler.

Make Perfect Pinwheels Every Time!

I love the pinwheel block. It’s a timeless classic that can easily be incorporated into traditional as well as modern quilt designs, but piecing all those little triangles is a pain. Below is a quick method for making any size Pinwheel block you need.

Get my pattern on Etsy

FORMULA FOR QUICK PINWHEELS

Note: The finished block size is the size of the block after the quilt is finished.

Determine the finished block size, e.g. 6 inches
Divide the finished block size by 1.41. (6 ÷ 1.41 = 4.25)
Add this result to 0.875 (4.25 + 0.875 = 5.13)
Round up the above result to the nearest 0.125 inches. (5.13 + 0.125 = 5.25")
The parent size squares will be 5.25"
Square up your block to the correct unfinished size (finished size plus 1/2")

CUTTING + ASSEMBLY INSTRUCTIONS

Wonky Beach House Mug Rug

Wow! Mug rugs are just flying out of my studio these days. I have them all over the house and my husband is still not sure what the heck they are, ha! I love this Wonky Beach House mug rug and the striped "ticking" fabric gives it a very casual "beachy" feel.

Purple Coneflower Mug Rug

I think this is one of my prettiest mug rugs so far. The inspiration for this piece came from a photo I took of the Purple Coneflowers in our garden a few years ago. Purple is one of my favourite colours, so I really enjoyed designing and making this one.

Urban Pathway Table Runner Pattern

Let's take a stroll down the avenue. This stylish Urban Pathway table runner pattern is simple and elegant. The clean lines showcase beautiful art deco inspired fabrics.

Urban Pathway Table Runner

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I designed Urban Pathway for our new coffee table and finished it this weekend. The fabric, Modern Deco by Jane Spoler, has a sleek and modern art deco theme.

I love the Art Deco period, so I immediately fell in love with this fabric and kept the block design simple to showcase it. What is Art Deco? Think of The Great Gatsby, the Empire State Building in New York, and the Roaring 20s.

4 Quilting Apps You Can Not Live Without: 2016

UPDATED: June 06, 2021

Back when I first started quilting, I struggled with yardage calculations, resizing blocks and any other kind of quilting math. Everything was done manually back then. Most of the time I'd just wing it when it came to buying yardage, but that was risky. Resizing blocks was done with graph paper and pencil unless I had a magazine to give me the templates. I didn't even have a rotary cutter! Now technology is helping quilters with all this math stuff and I love it. Here are four quilting apps that will make your quilting a little easier.

1. The Quilter's Little Helper by Robert Kaufman

"Master the math involved in quilting! Robert Kaufman Fabrics and Quilters Paradise have joined forces to bring you this updated collection of eight essential quilting calculators. Designed by quilters, the calculators work with both U.S. and metric measurements. With these tools you’ll easily and accurately work out how many rectangular pieces can be cut from a larger piece, or how much fabric is needed for backing, batting and borders, square-in-a-square, set-in and corner triangles."

I love this app because it does all the quilting math work for you, which is great for me because I'm pretty much math-challenged. It has several calculations, but my favorites are backing and batting measurements, binding yardage needed, and piece count (calculates the number of pieces you can cut from a larger piece of fabric).

2. Quilt Creator by Crochet Designs
"Create quilts using over 200 quilt blocks to select from. You can then change the colors in the blocks to get the look you want."

3. How Much Thread by Superior Threads (This app is no longer available)

4. Color Gear by Appsvek ($1.99)
"Color Gear is a handy professional tool that helps to create harmonious colour swatches. To find the perfect colour combination, designers and artists use colour theory and the basis of it: colour wheel and harmonies. You don't need to be a colour expert in order to use this app – Color Gear is a user friendly application suitable for beginners and pro. Perfect app for understanding colour theory and daily working with palettes. Works offline."

A new year begins: looking back, looking forward.

Well, a new year has begun. 2015 was full of positive changes, both for me personally and for our home. Personally, I overcame my lifelong battle with depression with top notch professional help and a lot of hard work. Our home has a new kitchen and our yard has a new pond. As of June 2016, we will have lived in our little house for 10 years, and we finally have it just the way we like it.

I started my quilting blog in 2015 and, after a number of changes, finally have it set up the way I like it. The setup took a lot of time away from my quilting, which is kind of ironic, but I have ideas for some great block and wall quilt designs for 2016. I can't wait to start posting them!

Happy New Year! I hope your 2016 is full of joy and love.