Kandinsky Revisited: Inspiration for a new art quilt

When I was an art student, I became fascinated by the art of Wassily Kandinsky. I loved his playfulness with shapes and colour. I also saw that his style would translate very well into quilt applique and created this art quilt below.

Mystic Bird Art Quilt by Monica Curry 

Untitled (Kandinsky Inspired) by Monica Curry

I've recently been wanting to try something different, so I thought I'd revisit my Kandinsky phase; I'm glad I did. Recently, I found other quilts inspired by Kandinsky and discovered Kandinsky quilts are quite a thing in the quilting world.

Below are a few examples of the Kandinsky quilts I found recently. You can see that Kandinsky's art translates extremely well into art quilts. If you want some inspiration for your own Kandinsky quilt, check out wassily kandinsky.net where you'll find a catalogue of Kandinsky's artwork.

Victoria Findlay Wolfe

Patricia Bravo - My Vision of Kandinsky

The Vision of Kandinsky quilt pattern is one of three patterns by quilter and fabric designer Patricia Bravo. Update: July 07, 2021. The Kandinsky patterns by Patricia Bravo are no longer available.

Lolly Quilts

Check out these gorgeous Kandinsky quilts at the Lollyquiltzs Kandinsky Challenge.

Carol J. Floyd - Kandinsky and Me

Kandinsky and Me. This is an award winning Kandinsky quilt from the 2010 American Quilt Society Quilt Show & Contest in Des Moines, Iowa.

Don't Call Me Becky

Inspired by the Kandinsky classic, Color Study, Squares with Concentric Circles. This quilt was created by Rebekah at Don't Call Me Becky.

Daniela Schupp - Kandinsky Goes to the Bahamas 

Kandinsky Goes to the Bahamas by Daniela Schupp for the Art Quilt Association Inspired by the Masters Show

Butterfly Garden Quilt Block Pattern

Spring can never come soon enough. Until it arrives, this pretty paper pieced Butterfly Garden block is bound to cheer you up. The finished block is 12" x 12" and the paper piece butterfly center block measures 7" x 7" when finished.

This is a very versatile block. It would make a lovely pillow for a sunroom or a girl's bedroom.

Create a pretty wall hanging for your spring décor or a sweet placemat.

Christmas Cactus Quilted Table Toppers

I first introduced this pattern this past summer and finally finished it. I really wanted to have it done before Christmas but other commitments took up a lot of my time during the holidays. The nice thing about this pattern is that it can be used year round because it's not too Christmassy.

These stunning quilted table toppers were inspired by the Christmas Cactus that blooms throughout the Christmas season. The pattern includes instructions for both versions shown below. Finished size for both versions is 26" x 26" (65cm x 65cm) and the finished block size is 6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm). This table topper fits perfectly on a standard 42" round table.

VERSION 1

VERSION 2

NEW PATTERN! Sweet Hearts Placemats for that romantic dinner for two

Are you planning a romantic dinner at home this Valentine's Day? Why not make you and your sweetie these cute quilted placemats for that special night? You'll need five Fat Quarters to make two placemats. Fusible appliqué makes this project simple and quick.

I'm so glad to have this pattern complete for Valentine's Day. I think these are adorable. They would add a nice personal touch to a romantic dinner at home. Also, this is such an easy pattern to make. Just fuse the pieces together, quilt, bind and you're done.

I like how the little heart gives you a faux reverse appliqué look.

HAPPY 150th BIRTHDAY CANADA!

Celebrate Canada's 150th Birthday!

Buy my Canadian Flag Banner pattern at

40% OFF until July 2, 2017

This simple paper pieced pattern takes less than a day to make. Hang it in your window with pride this year, make it into a pillow, or use the paper pieced maple leaf block in a quilt.

Red Cardinal Mug Rug

This pretty Red Cardinal rug mug is quick to make and would be a great Christmas gift for the bird lover in your life. I love birds and came up with this quick little project for the holiday season. It measures 7" x 10" and the Red Cardinal block is 7"x 7". Combine it with a cute holiday mug and a packet of hot cocoa mix for a Hostess gift.

FREE POSTER: Keep Calm and Quilt On

Decorate your studio with this FREE 8x10 poster. 

Download HERE

Jam Pantry Wall Quilt: Free Pattern

Get a taste of something sweet with this pretty Jam Jar wall quilt. It would be perfect in a kitchen nook. I wanted my pantry to have a vintage feel, so I used a medium floral print in the background for "wallpaper." I think this adds interest to the design. I also took away a few jars to break up the rhythm and showcase the floral wallpaper. This pantry is stocked with my favourite jams, but there are many cool foodie fabrics that would work great for this quilt. Choosing the fabrics is half the fun.

Finished Block:  6" x 6" (15cm x 15cm)

Jam jar labels are included with the Jam Pantry quilt pattern

New Job: Time to brush up on my time management skills

I haven't been able to post very much these days because I have a great new part-time job. Besides loving to quilt, I'm also a floral arranger. I love my job, but I'm now juggling my time between job, blogging, sewing, and housework. It's totally doable (I have no kiddies running around), but I really have to plan my time better for my sewing. I have a Halloween table runner on the design wall and on deck is a beautiful Christmas table topper.

Here are some of my floral design creations. It's been a long time since I did any floral work, but I'm starting to get the hang of it again, and I'm learning from some very talented designers at work.

I'm now a Connecting Threads Designer

I was so pleased to have my patterns accepted by Connecting Threads last week. I posted four of my best-selling patterns there and will be posting more very soon. Click the link below to check them out.

10 Great Canadian Online Fabric Stores

Hello Canadian quilting friends! When I first started ordering fabric online, I initially went to the US online stores because of the lower prices. However, I quickly learned that I wasn't getting much of a bargain. It didn't take me long to realize I was better off shopping at Canadian online fabric stores. In some cases, the fabric prices may be slightly higher, but the price you pay online in Canadian is the price you pay without the duties, exchange rates, and high shipping costs to worry about.

Shopping USA: Let's do the math . . . 

Shipping costs from the US can sometimes be outrageous. Also, you have to take into account the current Canadian/US dollar exchange rate and cross border duty charges. 

As of this post, the exchange rate on the Canadian dollar is around 1.30. That's right, right now our dollar is only worth around 0.70 cents compared to the US $1.00. This means when you shop US stores online, you're paying 0.30 cents more on the dollar for your fabric. For example, a fabric at $10 US will cost you $13 CAD, and $100 US can jump to $130 CAD! And that's before shipping costs and duty.

I still prefer to shop at my local stores, but below are 10+ Canadian online fabric stores including their shipping rates. This is not an exhaustive list. I add new stores periodically.

Canadian Online Fabric Stores

(Last Update: August 21, 2021)
NOTE: Shipping rates listed here are subject to change.

Along Came Quilting (Calgary, AB)

A very nice selection of fabrics.
Shipping: Canada Post rates according to weight.

Bibs and Boots Fabric and Apparel (Dinsmore, SK)
Modern baby fabrics and apparel.
Shipping: Canada Post rates according to weight.

Canadian National Fabric (N/A)
Good selection quality fabrics. You can also collect points on your purchases.
Shipping: $5 flat rate shipping anywhere in Canada.

Club Tissus (Laval, QC)
This shop has all the bases covered: quilting fabric, sewing notions, knitting, fabric crafts, etc.,
Shipping available to residents of Canada only
Quebec and Ontario ─ $12.
The rest of Canada ─ $15.
Remote areas within Canada ─ $50.
An additional fee of $10 per item will be added for packages with non-standard weight or size.

NEW Christina's Fabrics

FREE For Orders $75+ - Before Taxes
Flat Rate Shipping:
Ontario
$6.00
The Rest of Canada
$10.00
Canada: Your estimated delivery time is 1-7 days.

Country Clothesline
(Toronto, ON)Shipping:
Shipping costs are calculated by Canada Post.
Free shipping over $150.

NEW Creative Sewing 

(Mount Brydges, Ontario)Good Selection of Wm. Morris cotton prints.
Shipping:
$1 - $25 - $10.00
$25 - $174 - $20
FREE shipping for orders over $175

Dinkydoo Modern Fabrics (Pitt Meadows, BC)

Very large selection of solids! Very nice selection of modern fabrics.
Shipping:
$8.99 flat rate under $99
FREE shipping for orders $99+

Fabric Spark (Toronto, ON)
Shipping:
$5 for orders up to $25
$8 to $11 for orders from $25 to $149
$150 and over - FREE

Flare Fabrics (Maberly, ON)
A lovely selection of batiks.
Shipping:
All Canadian orders under $20 get a flat shipping rate of $4.50
Ontario orders between $20.00 to $124.99 - $9.99
Quebec orders between $20 to $124.99 - $11.99
Rest of Canada orders between $20.00 to $124.99 - $13.99
All of Canada orders over $125 - FREE

Fridays Off Fabric Shop (Toronto, ON)
Has a nice selection of unusual modern prints.
Shipping:
Under $20 - $2.99
$20.01 to $45 - $5.95 flat rate.
$40.01 to $124.99 - Canada Post calculated shipping.
FREE shipping on orders over $125.

Hamels Fabrics (Chilliwack, BC)

Excellent, large selection of fabrics.
Shipping:
Starts at $5.50 depending on how much you spend.
FREE shipping on orders $200 or more.

Log Cabin Yardage (Pickering, ON)
They have a good fabric club that offers six fat quarters for $22.60/month (includes shipping).
Shipping:
$7 for orders up to $30.
$10 for orders between $30.01and $100
$15 for orders over $100.

Mad About Patchwork (Stittsville, ON)
Great selection of fabrics at reasonable prices.

Shipping:
Order less than $175 - 7.95
Orders over $175 - FREE

Mad Moody Quilting Fabrics (Pincourt, QC)
Shipping:
Free shipping over $100
Discount shipping for Canadian customers. (See website for details)

Paisleys Quilt Shop (Ottawa, ON)
Large collection of William Morris prints.
If you love William Morris fabric as much as I do, you will love this shop.
Shipping: Contact store for shipping rates.

Royal Quilts (Niagara Falls, ON)

Shipping: $5.99 flat rate shipping on all orders up to $99.
Once your order is at $100, your shipping is FREE

Runaway Quilts (Edson, AB)
Shipping:
$0 to $15.00 - $6.50
$15.01 to $50.00 - $12.50
$50.01 to $100.00 - $15.00
$100.01 to $200.00 - $19.50
$200.01 and up - FREE Shipping

Sew Creative Quilting (Mount Brydges, ON)
Shipping:
$0 to $25 - $10
$25 to $174 - $20
Over $175 - FREE

Sew Sisters (North York, ON)

Good selection of notions, batting, and interfacing. Excellent selection of clearance fabrics.
Shipping:
$0 - $19.99 - $4.99
$20.00 - $100 - $8.99
Over $100 - FREE

Stitch It Central (London, ON)
Very good selection of products for quilters and needlework crafts.
Shipping:
Shipping costs are calculated based on the product weight and the destination of the order. Shipping rates will be displayed during the checkout process.

Stitch-in-the-Ditch (Kelowna, BC)

Sells a variety of products for quilters.
Shipping: Shipping costs are based on actual rates charged by Canada Post.

Taylor Sewing (Brockville, ON)
Up to $200 will ship for a flat rate of $15.00 by Canada Post.
Online orders over $200 will ship FREE by Canada Post.

The Fabric Curator (N/A)

A wide variety of beautiful quilting fabrics.
Shipping: Shipping costs are based on actual rates charged by Canada Post.

The Quilt Store (Newmarket, ON, Burlington, ON)
Great selection of fabric, sewing notions, sewing machines, etc.
Shipping:
Orders up to 5kg - $10
International & Heavy Goods Shipping - Orders over 5kg - $20
Orders over 10kg may incur additional freight charges.

Thread Count Fabric (Souris, MB)
Nice variety of fabrics and beautiful canvas prints.
Shipping:
Orders over $99 - Free Shipping
Orders under $99 - Flat Rate $8.49

Woven Fabric Gallery (N/A)

Beautiful modern fabrics. Monthly stash builders program. Good shipping rates.
Shipping:
$0.00 - $44.99 - $5.95
$45.00 - $150.00 - $9.95
$150.00 + FREE

Christmas Cactus Table Toppers.

This pattern was inspired by the Christmas Cactus which got its name because it starts blooming during the early winter, just in time for Christmas. 

The blocks are simple foundation piecing. The pattern includes yardage and assembly instructions for both Versions 1 and 2. Finished measurements for both versions: 26" x 26" (65cm x 65cm). 

Version 1

Version 2

Postage stamp doll quilt

I love postage stamp quilts; they're great stash busters. I made this doll quilt for my grandniece, Abby, who just had a new baby brother. I made her mom my Precious Bundle pinwheel quilt for the new arrival, and my sister and I thought it would be nice to make a quilt for Abby's baby doll as well.

To make this quilt, I used a great piecing technique I found at So Resourceful This technique makes piecing all those little squares a breeze. See the tutorial HERE

4 Summer Mug Rug Patterns

My new mug rug book has four great patterns inspired by lazy summer days. These cheerful mug rugs would be great by the pool, at the cottage or as hostess gifts at your next BBQ. The book includes complete patterns for every skill level.

UPDATE: This mug rug book is no longer available for sale. However, the Purple Coneflower, Ice Cream Swirl and Wonky Beach House mug rug patterns are still available for purchase individually at my Etsy Store

Precut fabric guide: Free poster download

When quilters talk about jelly rolls and layer cakes we're not always talking about the scrumptious desserts. We could also be talking about our fabrics.

The other day, I mentioned to my sister (who isn't a quilter) that I ordered some jelly roll fabrics. As soon as I said it, I got that deer-in-the-headlights gaze from my dear old sis that said, "What the heck is jelly roll fabric"?  Quilting has its own jargon just like any other craft.

Precut fabrics are a quilter's dream. All the colours and patterns are perfectly coordinated, you get to try out beautiful samples of any designer you like, and the choices are endless. There are even quilt pattern books written specifically for precuts.

I created this pre-cut fabric reference tool that you can download for FREE. Put it up in your studio as a guide to what type of pre-cuts are out there.

FREE Download HERE

Book Review: Kool Kaleidoscope Quilts by Ricky Tims

Have you drooled over those stunning Ricky Tims kaleidoscope quilts but felt too intimidated to make one? Don't be! When Tims says "simple strip-piecing technique for stunning results," he really means it. This technique is very simple. The book has very thorough instructions with lots of pictures. Tims also includes plenty of examples of quilts made by his students that will give you inspiration. Tims also has a very helpful video tutorial of the whole process for this technique. I found this video very helpful. You can see it at the end of this post.

I bought Ricky Tims' book Kool Kaleidoscope Quilts a couple of years ago and this is my first attempt at his technique. It was a practice run, so I made no plan as far as fabrics go. I used scraps I had laying around that needed a place to land. In spite of an absence of planning, I think this kaleidoscope turned out quite pretty. This table topper measures 24" x 24."

I'm now going to take the plunge and make a bigger kaleidoscope quilt. I recently ordered fabric to make a quilt for our living room wall. Our feature wall is a deep red/orange, so I picked out rich autumn colours (my favourite). I'm sure it will look gorgeous. As soon as the fabric arrives, I'll be posting my progress.

Here is a helpful video by Ricky Tims on how to cut your strips and construct your very own Kool Kaleidoscope quilt.

Disclaimer: This is an honest, independent review of this book. I don't know Ricky Tims from Adam, and I'm not promoting his book for profit.

Oh Canada Flag Banner

You can hang this beautiful paper pieced Canadian flag banner with pride. I'm Canadian born and raised and I truly love this country. I also think we have a very cool modern flag design; a simple maple leaf.

On July 1st, 2017, Canada turns 150 years young. I decided to make a Canadian flag banner to hang in the front window this year instead of using the one everyone gets in the morning paper.

The maple leaf in the center of the flag is a perfect design for foundation piecing. After some tweaking here and there, I finally got everything right. This block is 25 cm x 25 cm (10" x 10"). It can be reduced or enlarged to incorporate into pretty much anything: a throw pillow, a tote bag, or anything you want to cover with Canada's national symbol.

Another reason to love Canada . . . check out our Prime Minister.😛