Free quilt patterns by Monica Curry at Cut, Stitch and Piece Quilt Designs.
The CQA/ACC Sustainability Challenge, launched on Earth Day 2023, challenged quilters to use repurposed textiles to create quilts and quilted objects.
I'm teaming up with Brandy-Lynn Maslowski this week to get you all excited about a big postcard swap! Brandy-Lynn is the host of Canadian Quilt Talk Radio and the Explore Fibre blog (linked at the bottom of the post). We thought it would be fun to do a CQT podcast about Fabric Art Postcards. She is organizing a quilted postcard themed swap. My job is to offer a little tutorial and have supplies available for those who can't easily find what they will need. hang tight... the link is way at the bottom of this post... That's Brandy-Lynn. Look at her. How can you not love her!? She's been doing this show for nearly a year and she is so full of enthusiam! It was fun meeting with her to do this. A note about Postcards. I blab about them a lot. I teach them. I swap them. I sell them. It's contagious. So if you haven't caught the bug yet, now is the time. They have been a wonderful springboard for me that brought me from quilting to art. I highly encourage anything that gets people thinking more creatively. PLUS - you could make some new quilter penpals in the process. : ) Where to begin... For most swaps I've been in, the required sizes for swaps are a standard 4x6 inches. The cards are fabric front, fabric back, and a fabric stabilizer in the middle. You need to pick something thick and stiff. I use an interfacing called 'Flexi-Firm' from Fabricland that is double-sided fusible. It works so well that I honestly haven't explored other options. I believe many people use Timtex from you local quilt stores (correct me if I'm wrong). It is white, about an eighth of an inch thick, and so stiff that you are unable to fold it. THAT is perfect for a quilted postcard. You can stitch right through it. I buy Flexi-Firm on a roll and precut them to look like this. available at my Etsy shop if you need... I love that these are doublesided fusible. You can put your background fabric on and press. Done. Smooth. Adhered. PLEASE make sure you use parchment paper on top AND bottom before you press, otherwise you will glue it onto your ironing board and wreck your iron too. I take a piece of parchment paper and fold it in half. That way, any pressing I do is done by putting the postcard-in-progress between the sheets like a book. Step 1. Begin with your surface design. (Really - like we mentioned in the podcast, anything goes.) YOU be the designer. Be inspired by the theme. Use any scraps you have on hand. It's wise to use white in your bobbin so that the back looks clean. Often women will fues the backing fabric and then collage & stitch or applique & stitch. You can machine stitch. You can hand stitch. Doll it up! Just ensure that there are no loose parts that can get caught in the sorting machines at the post office. **Very Important** all fused on... ready to stitch I love using Lapel Stitck for the little parts. It's an acid free fabric glue stick that I bring to my classes in place of fusible web. SUPER easy for small projects. When it comes to stitching - pick any thread, any stitch... you can couch, bobbin play, hand stitch, or do some free motion. The sky is the limit! When I do my workshop, we start by looking through all the cards I've received. I think all the eye candy from so many different artists is very inspiring. Check out the variety of quilted postcards HERE on flickr to see what I mean. Step 2. Fuse on a light solid backing fabric to cover all the back threads. Do this only after your surface design is complete. This way, you have a smooth back surface to write on. Step 3. Trim down overhanging fabrics and threads using the sides of the stabilizer as your guide. Then stitch the edges closed. Often, people use a satin stitch working all the way around, pivoting at the corners. You can use any stitch. You can even couch fibres or yarns. I always tell my students that the border you add can really influence or change the look of your postcard. You can make it pop, or draw out certain colors. Step 4. Clip off any loose or stray threads if you are mailing it 'naked'. Liberate yourself! Mail it envelope-free like a traditional postcard. I dare ya. Step 5. Put the words POST CARD at the top of the back and draw a line down the centre. Address the back on the right, write a note on the left. Stick a stamp on the back top right corner and pop it in a mail box. It mails for one regular 'P' stamp within Canada. If you are mailing to any other country or overseas, please check your standard letter mailing rates. When I swap, we always always mail postcards without an envelope. Then it gets inked and dated and serves as a legitimate well-traveled piece of mail. In my opinion, this makes it more of a keepsake. Postcards backs as pretty and personal as the fronts. : ) Don't forget to sign it! After all, it is your creation. Okay... now I'm off to listen in to the Podcast. It will be #46 at the top of the list. Please sign up to swap with us at the bottom of the page HERE. It's a one-to-one themed swap. If you sign up 3 times, you'll be making 3 cards & receiving 3 cards from different people. * * * * * Enjoy! Have fun creating! And thank you so much to Brandy-Lynn. : ) CLICK HERE to go to her website, check out her her tutorials, see her new book, listen to the podcast, and sign up for the exchange. : )
Elaine Quehl is an award-winning Canadian quilt artist, teacher, and dyer who specializes in intricately-stitched pieced and appliquéd art q...
Deb Tucker’s Northern Neighbors pattern features intricate maple leaves and flying geese. The pattern makes two sizes: Twin (70″ x 95″) & King (104″ x 104″). I b…
Elaine Quehl is an award-winning Canadian quilt artist, teacher, and dyer who specializes in intricately-stitched pieced and appliquéd art q...
I'm teaming up with Brandy-Lynn Maslowski this week to get you all excited about a big postcard swap! Brandy-Lynn is the host of Canadian Quilt Talk Radio and the Explore Fibre blog (linked at the bottom of the post). We thought it would be fun to do a CQT podcast about Fabric Art Postcards. She is organizing a quilted postcard themed swap. My job is to offer a little tutorial and have supplies available for those who can't easily find what they will need. hang tight... the link is way at the bottom of this post... That's Brandy-Lynn. Look at her. How can you not love her!? She's been doing this show for nearly a year and she is so full of enthusiam! It was fun meeting with her to do this. A note about Postcards. I blab about them a lot. I teach them. I swap them. I sell them. It's contagious. So if you haven't caught the bug yet, now is the time. They have been a wonderful springboard for me that brought me from quilting to art. I highly encourage anything that gets people thinking more creatively. PLUS - you could make some new quilter penpals in the process. : ) Where to begin... For most swaps I've been in, the required sizes for swaps are a standard 4x6 inches. The cards are fabric front, fabric back, and a fabric stabilizer in the middle. You need to pick something thick and stiff. I use an interfacing called 'Flexi-Firm' from Fabricland that is double-sided fusible. It works so well that I honestly haven't explored other options. I believe many people use Timtex from you local quilt stores (correct me if I'm wrong). It is white, about an eighth of an inch thick, and so stiff that you are unable to fold it. THAT is perfect for a quilted postcard. You can stitch right through it. I buy Flexi-Firm on a roll and precut them to look like this. available at my Etsy shop if you need... I love that these are doublesided fusible. You can put your background fabric on and press. Done. Smooth. Adhered. PLEASE make sure you use parchment paper on top AND bottom before you press, otherwise you will glue it onto your ironing board and wreck your iron too. I take a piece of parchment paper and fold it in half. That way, any pressing I do is done by putting the postcard-in-progress between the sheets like a book. Step 1. Begin with your surface design. (Really - like we mentioned in the podcast, anything goes.) YOU be the designer. Be inspired by the theme. Use any scraps you have on hand. It's wise to use white in your bobbin so that the back looks clean. Often women will fues the backing fabric and then collage & stitch or applique & stitch. You can machine stitch. You can hand stitch. Doll it up! Just ensure that there are no loose parts that can get caught in the sorting machines at the post office. **Very Important** all fused on... ready to stitch I love using Lapel Stitck for the little parts. It's an acid free fabric glue stick that I bring to my classes in place of fusible web. SUPER easy for small projects. When it comes to stitching - pick any thread, any stitch... you can couch, bobbin play, hand stitch, or do some free motion. The sky is the limit! When I do my workshop, we start by looking through all the cards I've received. I think all the eye candy from so many different artists is very inspiring. Check out the variety of quilted postcards HERE on flickr to see what I mean. Step 2. Fuse on a light solid backing fabric to cover all the back threads. Do this only after your surface design is complete. This way, you have a smooth back surface to write on. Step 3. Trim down overhanging fabrics and threads using the sides of the stabilizer as your guide. Then stitch the edges closed. Often, people use a satin stitch working all the way around, pivoting at the corners. You can use any stitch. You can even couch fibres or yarns. I always tell my students that the border you add can really influence or change the look of your postcard. You can make it pop, or draw out certain colors. Step 4. Clip off any loose or stray threads if you are mailing it 'naked'. Liberate yourself! Mail it envelope-free like a traditional postcard. I dare ya. Step 5. Put the words POST CARD at the top of the back and draw a line down the centre. Address the back on the right, write a note on the left. Stick a stamp on the back top right corner and pop it in a mail box. It mails for one regular 'P' stamp within Canada. If you are mailing to any other country or overseas, please check your standard letter mailing rates. When I swap, we always always mail postcards without an envelope. Then it gets inked and dated and serves as a legitimate well-traveled piece of mail. In my opinion, this makes it more of a keepsake. Postcards backs as pretty and personal as the fronts. : ) Don't forget to sign it! After all, it is your creation. Okay... now I'm off to listen in to the Podcast. It will be #46 at the top of the list. Please sign up to swap with us at the bottom of the page HERE. It's a one-to-one themed swap. If you sign up 3 times, you'll be making 3 cards & receiving 3 cards from different people. * * * * * Enjoy! Have fun creating! And thank you so much to Brandy-Lynn. : ) CLICK HERE to go to her website, check out her her tutorials, see her new book, listen to the podcast, and sign up for the exchange. : )
This year, Mother's Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 11. We like to think of Mother's Day as a tribute not only to mothers, but to the crea...
Monica Curry Quilt Design
We've rounded up some of Canada's best creators who we think are going to make a splash this year.
Happy Friday, everyone! No idea where this week went, but here we are. I'm a little punchy this morning because I stayed up ridiculously late last night to finish this top. And son #3 is fighting a stomach bug this morning so we are cuddling on the couch watching his favourite show "Super Why" in between bouts of vomiting. Poor bug! As riveting as Super Why is and as much as I enjoy the cuddling time, I know that if I don't do something right now, I'll fall asleep so here's my homage to the Hudson's Bay Company point blanket. For those who've been following along for some time, I posted this EQ design a couple of months ago. I was pleasantly surprised at the response; clearly I'm not the only one with a love for those blankets! Yesterday, the design went from this: To this: To this: As a number of you mentioned that you'd like to do one of these too sometime, I thought I'd share my measurements to save you some time. This quilt will be 90" square (I like my queen-sized bed quilts big). Fabric for the top (NB: These are generous fabric requirements. I did not want a seam in the stripes and I knew I'd be using the colour stripes on the back too so I bought the stripe fabric for the width of the quilt): 2 - 2.5 meters (3 yards) of off-white cotton making 5 meters (6 yards total) 2.5 meters (3 yards) indigo cotton 2.5 meters (3 yards) yellow cotton 2.5 meters (3 yards) red cotton 2.5 meters (3 yards) green cotton Cutting Directions: 1. Fold all of your fabric so you will be cutting along the length of the fabric instead of the width. 2. From the off-white fabric, cut: 22.5" wide by 92" 2 - 6.5" wide by 92" 6 - 4.5" wide by 92" 3. From each of the indigo, yellow, green and red, cut: 2 - 4.5" wide by 92" Layout Directions: 1. Layout your stripes according to the design above, with your 6.5" off-white strips on the ends and the 22.5" piece as your centre, and sew them together. 2. You can square it up to 90" square now or wait until you've quilted it (I'd wait until you quilt it). And voilà, you have your own HBC top. If you do make one, I'd love to see it and know if these directions are clear and easy to follow. Being the rebel that I am, I'll be doing this "Party in the back" design for my backing. I'll share the measurements when I finish it. If you wanted to make this look like a true HBC blanket, you could make this top again for the back. I'm linking up with Allison and the other TGIFF! participants at Dreaming in Patchwork. She's got a fun Dorothy picnic quilt to share today. That's where I'm headed next! Hope you have a great weekend!
Happy Wednesday, all! Can you really say that about a Wednesday? Well, I'm going to anyway. Not only am I happy that it is Wednesday, but I'm also happy to introduce a new sponsor to you! Canadian Nat
Have you seen Canadian quilter Riel Nason's recycle symbol selvage quilt? Here's her post about it. Riel is also an author. Her book "The Town that Drowned" is good for young readers and adults alike. I read it and enjoyed it very much. A good story well told. Don't let the title scare you. :) Like Elvis and Oprah, Riel is easily recognized by her first name alone. At least among quilters. Haha. Nice job, Riel!
I'm teaming up with Brandy-Lynn Maslowski this week to get you all excited about a big postcard swap! Brandy-Lynn is the host of Canadian Quilt Talk Radio and the Explore Fibre blog (linked at the bottom of the post). We thought it would be fun to do a CQT podcast about Fabric Art Postcards. She is organizing a quilted postcard themed swap. My job is to offer a little tutorial and have supplies available for those who can't easily find what they will need. hang tight... the link is way at the bottom of this post... That's Brandy-Lynn. Look at her. How can you not love her!? She's been doing this show for nearly a year and she is so full of enthusiam! It was fun meeting with her to do this. A note about Postcards. I blab about them a lot. I teach them. I swap them. I sell them. It's contagious. So if you haven't caught the bug yet, now is the time. They have been a wonderful springboard for me that brought me from quilting to art. I highly encourage anything that gets people thinking more creatively. PLUS - you could make some new quilter penpals in the process. : ) Where to begin... For most swaps I've been in, the required sizes for swaps are a standard 4x6 inches. The cards are fabric front, fabric back, and a fabric stabilizer in the middle. You need to pick something thick and stiff. I use an interfacing called 'Flexi-Firm' from Fabricland that is double-sided fusible. It works so well that I honestly haven't explored other options. I believe many people use Timtex from you local quilt stores (correct me if I'm wrong). It is white, about an eighth of an inch thick, and so stiff that you are unable to fold it. THAT is perfect for a quilted postcard. You can stitch right through it. I buy Flexi-Firm on a roll and precut them to look like this. available at my Etsy shop if you need... I love that these are doublesided fusible. You can put your background fabric on and press. Done. Smooth. Adhered. PLEASE make sure you use parchment paper on top AND bottom before you press, otherwise you will glue it onto your ironing board and wreck your iron too. I take a piece of parchment paper and fold it in half. That way, any pressing I do is done by putting the postcard-in-progress between the sheets like a book. Step 1. Begin with your surface design. (Really - like we mentioned in the podcast, anything goes.) YOU be the designer. Be inspired by the theme. Use any scraps you have on hand. It's wise to use white in your bobbin so that the back looks clean. Often women will fues the backing fabric and then collage & stitch or applique & stitch. You can machine stitch. You can hand stitch. Doll it up! Just ensure that there are no loose parts that can get caught in the sorting machines at the post office. **Very Important** all fused on... ready to stitch I love using Lapel Stitck for the little parts. It's an acid free fabric glue stick that I bring to my classes in place of fusible web. SUPER easy for small projects. When it comes to stitching - pick any thread, any stitch... you can couch, bobbin play, hand stitch, or do some free motion. The sky is the limit! When I do my workshop, we start by looking through all the cards I've received. I think all the eye candy from so many different artists is very inspiring. Check out the variety of quilted postcards HERE on flickr to see what I mean. Step 2. Fuse on a light solid backing fabric to cover all the back threads. Do this only after your surface design is complete. This way, you have a smooth back surface to write on. Step 3. Trim down overhanging fabrics and threads using the sides of the stabilizer as your guide. Then stitch the edges closed. Often, people use a satin stitch working all the way around, pivoting at the corners. You can use any stitch. You can even couch fibres or yarns. I always tell my students that the border you add can really influence or change the look of your postcard. You can make it pop, or draw out certain colors. Step 4. Clip off any loose or stray threads if you are mailing it 'naked'. Liberate yourself! Mail it envelope-free like a traditional postcard. I dare ya. Step 5. Put the words POST CARD at the top of the back and draw a line down the centre. Address the back on the right, write a note on the left. Stick a stamp on the back top right corner and pop it in a mail box. It mails for one regular 'P' stamp within Canada. If you are mailing to any other country or overseas, please check your standard letter mailing rates. When I swap, we always always mail postcards without an envelope. Then it gets inked and dated and serves as a legitimate well-traveled piece of mail. In my opinion, this makes it more of a keepsake. Postcards backs as pretty and personal as the fronts. : ) Don't forget to sign it! After all, it is your creation. Okay... now I'm off to listen in to the Podcast. It will be #46 at the top of the list. Please sign up to swap with us at the bottom of the page HERE. It's a one-to-one themed swap. If you sign up 3 times, you'll be making 3 cards & receiving 3 cards from different people. * * * * * Enjoy! Have fun creating! And thank you so much to Brandy-Lynn. : ) CLICK HERE to go to her website, check out her her tutorials, see her new book, listen to the podcast, and sign up for the exchange. : )
I started my Canada 150th quilt last weekend. It really is coming together very quickly. A couple of hours each day on four days this week has brought me all the way to borders, where I always stall because I don't like sewing on borders. In another day or two (depending how long I dither about the borders) this will be a finished top, then I can dither some more about the basting, then the quilting. Sunday's sewing - the large leaf block Monday's sewing - stacks of units for 12 leaves Thursday's sewing - assemble the small leaves and join them into strips Friday's sewing - filling in the background I've given more thought to a sew-along. I don't think I have time to organize one properly at this point. What I plan to do instead is write the pattern (hopefully in the next week or two) then offer it as a free pattern for a few months. I'll also suggest a sewing schedule for those who want a finish by Canada Day, July 1st. On July 1st, I'll have a linky party for anyone to post their progress, flimsies or finishes of this or any other Canada quilt. But first, borders! Linking up with Linky Tuesday at Freemotion by the River
I was invited last year by Sew Sisters Quilt Shop to participate as one of the designers in The Canadian Sampler to celebrate Canada's 150 Anniversary. This block of the month consists of 20 blocks designed by Canadian designers to create a red and white quilt that expresses our love of our country. Participants receive 2 block patterns a month for 10 months, giving us 2 months to finish the quilt before the end of the year. My block is second row from the top, second from the left - the one with the three triangles. I am not sure which month my block will come out but I will tell you more about my inspirations for it when it does. I also want to say that Sew Sisters Quilt Shop fairly compensated each designer for their contribution to this quilt, gave plenty of time to design, and were wonderful to work with. I was not sure I would sew along with the block of the month until I saw the quilt, and I have to say I am so proud to be included in a quilt designed by such talented Canadian quilters - I cannot resist joining in. If you want to join, the registration is open until the end of February so act fast - go here to register. That fun toque block, called Keep'n Warm is Block 1 and it was designed by Sandy Whitelaw from Upstairs Hobby Room. This block shares a representation of the typical Canadian toque, which is a knitted hat with a rolled up brim and a pom pom - I expect most every Canadian has owned one in their life, and probably still does. Block 2 is called Pacific Stars and was designed by Daphne Greig from Patchwork Studio. I love the star in star created with this block. I must say that I found that my precision piecing skills are rusty after so much focus on improv work, so it took me a bit longer than it should have - but it was well worth the effort. Here they are together, all blocks in the sampler finish at 12" square. The February block patterns arrived yesterday in my mail box - I expect that I will have time to start them soon. Best, Leanne
Northcott recently released it's "Oh Canada" fabric line to support the Quilts of Valour and I was immediately struck by these wonderful fabrics. I am not sure if everyone knows but Northcott is the only Canadian fabric designing company amongst all the fabric companies out there. This is also the first line of Canadiana fabric that has ever caught
This year, Mother's Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 11. We like to think of Mother's Day as a tribute not only to mothers, but to the crea...
Show your Canadian Pride by making this maple leaf quilt. This is a PDF pattern to make your own Valour quilt which finishes at 54" x 68". Perfect size for a lap quilt. The quilt is made with large pieces and comes together quickly. Pieces are cut so that there are no bias edges around the border making it more stable for piecing and binding. The cover quilt is made with Northcott Oh! Canada Fabrics.
Lori made the lovely Canadian themed quilt using a panel by Stonehenge from a collection called Home and Native Land. The aboriginal art work in the map is very striking in design. I was at a retreat this winter with Lori when she was working on this quilt. She didn't use a pattern but as she put it 'was making it up as she went along'. I think she did a fantastic job and I like the addition of the Canada flags and red stars in the outer border. I used the Maple Syrup pantograph as the leaves in that design really stand out nicely in the off white border. I used off white So Fine thread and she brought a Pellon Cotton batting.
This is Jenny’s Canadian Sesquicentennial Celebration quilt, say that ten times fast! :) Northcott Fabrics released this great collection to celebrate Canada’s 150th anniversary last year. Jenny asked for straight line quilting and it really suited the quilt highlighting the Hudson Bay Blanket lines that she pieced into the quilt. I used beige So Fine thread and Quilters Dream Blend batting. I have been having fun taking pictures of lightening this summer as I love a good thunderstorm. This storm was just to the south of use last night, I had stars overhead so it was neat to watch the tops of the clouds light up. Then last week we were right in the storm and I was trying to catch a bolt of lightening. Hope to get one that touches the ground, maybe next time!
Monica Curry Quilt Design
One of my WIPs is to make a table runner for every holiday, season, and event in our family, to keep the hutch in our front room decorated for our family's treasured occasions. So far table runners for Christmas, Halloween, Summer time, and now Canada Day are complete. This one came as a spark of inspiration on the morning of Canada Day last year. I designed it in the time between our community Pancake Breakfast and the Canada Day Fair, and I sewed this block in between the Fair and our community's awesome fireworks! I designed this paper pieced block in Electric Quilt, over the image of an official Canadian Flag. I wanted the Maple Leaf to look as accurate as possible as the official flag, and after a handful of attempts it was just right! It being Canada's 150th birthday in 2017 makes me want to celebrate Canada big! So, my Canada 150 pattern makes a quilt sized 69" x 69" with 18 identical paper pieced blocks, and a table runner as well! Flying geese had to be part of this pattern as well, of course! I quilted this on my domestic machine with an asymmetric cross hatch. What’s great about the asymmetric cross hatch quilting, is that a quilt top often already has lines on a 45° angle in your pieced blocks that you can follow. Also, I drew many lines using a Frixion Pen across the table runner on the diagonal, and then I’d echo some of these lines two or three times, and at varying distances from other stitch lines. I left some areas open and free of quilting, and adversely, I made lots of sew lines intersect in other areas. My only rule was to not leave an unquilted area larger that 4". One thing I will suggest if using this machine quilting stitch is to starch your backing! If you find when one stitch line crosses another that your fabric folds or puckers, starching and pressing your backing can keep that from happening! I had no idea what I would use for a backing until I realized I had this perfect match in my stash. Seriously, I have the stash of a minimalist, so I expected I'd have to shop for the right backing. I just so happened to have a half metre of this fun fabric! It's from the PB&J collection by Basic Grey. This backing pulls all the colours from the quilt top together just as I'd hoped! The pattern is in our Briar Hill Etsy shop! It includes step-by step instructions and illustrations, paper pieces, dry jokes, and a colouring page to help you plan out colour placement, or just for fun! Happy 150, Canada!
Better than an HBC blanket.
Cindy made the great Canadian version of the Quarter Sections pattern from our very own Highway 10 Designs. The fabric collection that she used is the Oh Canada Stongehenge from Northcott Fabrics. Cindy made this quilt for a special young man so we decided on the Gatsby pantograph, Quilter's Dream Blend Batting and a fun red Stonehenge wide backing. This is the week I get back into my routing and post all the photos that have been living on my camera - or I will be showing summer pictures when the snow is already on the ground.
Northcott recently released it's "Oh Canada" fabric line to support the Quilts of Valour and I was immediately struck by these wonderful fabrics. I am not sure if everyone knows but Northcott is the only Canadian fabric designing company amongst all the fabric companies out there. This is also the first line of Canadiana fabric that has ever caught
I swear on a stack of Anne Rice novels that I did not plan this. But it just so happens I have a Canadian Flag pillow to share with you, just under a week away from Canada Day! You see, a little bit ago I was asked to make a Union Jack Pillow for a friend's daughter. It was a birthday gift. But this friend has another daughter, with another birthday, so a Canadian Pillow was ordered :) I had a great time making this pillow. The quilt block is from Cheryl Arkison's Oh Canada! pattern. I loved learning Cheryl's slab technique. For sure a method I will use again. For quilting, simple straight lines and the maple leaf is machine appliqued. And on the back, some strips from a previous project found a good home. I love this little pillow, I hope it's new owner will like it too. Do you have any Canadian themed projects on the go, or even sewing plans for the Holiday weekend? I am going to the MMQG Sew In, looking forward to a full day of stitching bliss! This project was my June Goal for A Lovely Year of Finishes. So linking up over at Fiber of All Sorts. And, linking up Fabric Tuesday Happy Canada Day! Adrienne
