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.
"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.

water lily monica curry

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.


Checkerboard Scrap Mini Quilt: FREE Pattern

This stash buster is well suited for beginners or anyone who might need a quick gift. You can use the combination of light and dark fabrics or mix it up with a variety of scraps. Instructions are given for light/dark checkerboard. This pattern would be perfect for a young quilter's first project.

Precious Bundle Baby Quilt Pattern

My Precious Bundle baby quilt pattern is now CHARM PACK FRIENDLY!

I designed this sweet little quilt some time ago and finally finished it this week. I love shabby chic and used some beautiful retro-style fabrics from Connecting Threads called Line Dried by Mama's Cottons. The fabric design was perfect for this quilt. It's going to be a gift for a very special someone.





precious bundle baby quilt monica curry




Free-form quilting art quilt

This quilt, Happy Hour, was created for the Manitoba Crafts Council 2013 annual members' For the Love of Craft art show.

free form art quilt black and white

I enjoyed making this art quilt. It was inspired by Rayna Gillman's book Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts. I named it Happy Hour because the polka-dots reminded me of Leonard Cohen's song Closing Time. There's a line in the song that goes "and the men they dance on the polka-dots." I was humming that tune much of the time I was finishing up the quilt, and I couldn't get that line out of my head.

free form art quilt detail

One of the most enjoyable things about free-form quilting is that it keeps you thinking outside the box. There's no real plan, which means all kinds of cool things can happen.

Many Moons: Free Pattern

This modern drunkard's path pattern was made with my own ice dyed cotton. I titled it Many Moons because the colours and textures of the fabric reminded me of the moon's surface, and the pattern is laid out similar to a moon cycle chart. The moon is also considered to be the symbol for women.


This was my first try at the Drunkard's Path block. I avoided this block because of the curves, but once I did a few, I got the hang of it. Below are links to get this free pattern, instructions for ice dying and a video on a simple technique to sew accurate curves for this block. (I wish I'd seen this video before I made this quilt).




Glue basting?? 
Fons & Porter video demonstrating the glue basting technique for drunkard path blocks.


Happy Halloween!

Halloween is my favourite time of year. I did this floral arrangement for the season and made a Halloween table topper to go with it. I think the whole thing looks quite cheerful. Also, check out my Halloween door wreath.

halloween floral arrangement with table topper

Sewing machine cover from an old art quilt

I made a sewing machine cover with an old art quilt that hung in our office. I had been trying out improv aka free form quilting for the first time and created this mini quilt Summer Aspen. I love the colours but grew tired of it on the wall.

"Summer Aspen" improv quilt by Monica Curry

I used Rayna Gillman's book Create Your Own Free-Form Quilts to make this quilt art. This book guides you along very well and has beautiful examples of some of Ryana's pieces.



At first, I thought it might look nice as a bag, but I changed my mind about that and decided to turn it into a sewing machine cover. I love how it turned out.

sewing machine cover art quilt

Crazy quilt pillows with video tutorial

I made these crazy quilt block pillows for our couch, and they really inject a bit of character into the room. I love crazy quilts but lack the patience and time for all that embroidery. So, now I use the fancy stitches on my sewing machine instead. My little Singer has the best decorative stitches, so I use that machine for crazy quilt blocks.

crazy quilt pillows monica curry





Below is a great tutorial by Fons & Porter for creating crazy blocks. (FYI: The quilt in the left background inspired my denim scrap quilt beach blanket.)

My new studio desk

I'm very proud of this little desk I created from a vintage sewing machine. I think the machine is circa 20s or 30s. I got it free from a friend of a friend, and it sat in my studio gathering dust for over a year until I finally had the time to make it useful. Some may think it's sacrilegious to hack a vintage machine like this, but it makes a great desk. I'm amazed at how much I could fit into those four little drawers.