Monica Curry Quilt Design

Like most of you, my studio had humble beginnings but, over time, evolved into a creative sanctuary. As in any good studio, there are special items that keep me inspired, grounded, and working efficiently. In no special order, these are the Top 10 things in my studio I would never part with. 1.  MY ART QUILT ON THE COVER OF  QUILTING ARTS MAGAZINE This framed  Quilting Arts  magazine cover featuring one of my art quilts helps to remind me that hard work and perseverance can pay off and that even though I've created some epic fails, I've also created some beautiful work that others can appreciate. In 2012 my art quilt Mother Ship was selected to be published for the  Quilting Arts  magazine Readers Challenge. I was even more excited when I was told my art was going to be on the front cover of the magazine. The Readers Challenge was to create an art quilt interpreting the phrase "What If." Being a UFO/alien buff, I wondered "What if I saw a UFO over my house...

A year ago, I posted a tutorial for sorting fabric scraps. I decided to supplement that post with a quick tutorial for cutting fabric scrap squares for 9-patch blocks. Because of their versatility, 9-patch blocks are great for making scrap quilts. The easiest square size to start with is 5 inches should you have a lot of Charm Pack and Layer Cake scraps. SQUARE SIZES The easiest square size to start with is 5" should you have a lot of Charm Pack and Layer Cake scraps. 5 inch - Finished Size: 4½ inch    (12.5 cm - Finished Size: 6.25 cm ) 2¾ inch - Finished Size: 2¼ inch    (7 cm - Finished Size: 3.5 cm) 2 inch - Finished Size: 1½ inch    (5 cm - Finished Size: 2.5 cm) YOU WILL NEED A good assortment of quilt cotton fabric scraps Iron and ironing board Rotary cutter (have fresh blades available) 6" x 12" and/or 8" x 8" quilt ruler INSTRUCTIONS 1. Separate your scraps into individual colours: yellow, orange, purple, red, etc. This is a very important step. Y...

This is a great storage idea that I wanted to share. I can't afford much for storage furniture so I normally have to think outside the box to furnish my sewing room. I picked this little mid-century modern dresser at a thrift store. I desperately needed more storage for my batting, backing and those miscellaneous things that needed a home. I forgot to take the before picture but, basically, the original was sprayed in a dark stain and had super ugly drawer handles. After combing over ideas on Pinterest, I came up with this. I really love how it turned out. And I can keep an awful lot of stuff in these drawers. UPDATE: June 2021 Dresser was sold for $150. I paid $40 for the original so I made a $110 profit.😀 I used that $$ to buy IKEA shelving for my studio.

This is my most recent foundation pieced pattern, Vintage Sewing Machine mini quilt pattern. I have this piece in my studio and love the bright colours. It measures 15" x 15" (37.5cm x 37.5cm) and would make a perfect little project for your sewing room.

I had a great summer! I finished up some UFOs and I have some beautiful new patterns to launch in the next few months. I'm sure you'll love them as much as I do. My new pattern launch for this month is my Feather Your Nest table runner pattern. I had been seeing the feather block all over the internet and had to make my own pattern for it. My method for making the feathers is simple. My instructions are thorough and easy to follow, so don't be afraid to jump right in and give it a try. This pattern is great for using up your scraps. The finished table runner is 38" x 14". The pattern also includes instructions for making a single 12" x 12" block shown below.

For the past few weeks, I've been working on my unfinished quilt projects aka UFOs. I gave myself an official UFO challenge. I decided to share some of my tips for starting your own UFO challenge and finally getting your unfinished projects done. 1. Get everything out in the open. Pull out all of your UFOs, and I mean all of them! Lay them out and review exactly what you're dealing with. 2. Weed out the rejects. Look at each UFO and decide which ones you'll keep and which ones you can part with. Some UFOs are UFOs for a reason. Maybe the colours are wrong, the pattern is boring, or the workmanship is poor. Don't spend precious sewing time on projects that don't thrill you. If a project doesn't make the grade, let it go. Use it for a scrap quilt or give it away. 3. Store each UFO where you can see it. After you've sorted out your projects, store them where you can see them. I use clear plastic 12" x 12" scrapbook bins that I buy at Michael's....

The fabrics you choose for your quilt can really make or break your project. I prefer not to stumble blinding when picking my colors but choosing from all the beautiful fabrics out there can be overwhelming. There are many wonderful pre-cuts that make most of the color decisions for you, but it's still good to know at least the basics of color theory. To get started learning color theory, purchase the color wheel by Dritz that is specifically for quilters. The color wheel will help you choose colors a little more easily. COLOR WHEEL COMBINATIONS Below are the basic five color combinations you can get from the color wheel. I use one of these as a starting point when planning quilt colors. With practice, choosing fabrics will become easier starting with just these five combinations. Download FREE PDF of these five combinations HERE MONOCHROMATIC Different shades and tints of the same color. COMPLEMENTARY Colors that are across from each other on the color wheel. ANALOGOUS   C...