Monique Jacobs
Monique Jacobs (née Dillard) is a Canadian-American quilter, author, and fabric designer known for her quilting patterns, instructional books, and precision quilting rulers. [1] She is the founder of Open Gate Quilts, a quilting pattern and education company based in Illinois.[2]
Early life and education
Jacobs was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.[1] She developed an interest in quilting through relatives in Canada who taught her handwork and sewing. Her paternal grandmother was a quilter who hand-stitched crazy quilts from repurposed materials.[3] She earned a degree in mathematics, which she has credited with giving her an understanding of precise cutting and accurate seam allowances essential to quilting.[1]
Career
Open Gate Quilts
Jacobs founded Open Gate Quilts in 2004, a quilting pattern design business based in Rockford, Illinois.[4] The company name was suggested by her mother, who felt it was "an inviting name because it implies that you want someone to come in."[4] Through Open Gate Quilts, she has designed over 200 quilting patterns.[3]
Teaching
Jacobs taught quilting at her local quilt shop for 15 years before expanding to a national audience.[3] She teaches quilting at quilt guilds, retreats, and quilt shops across the United States.[2]
She has been an instructor at Missouri Star Academy, teaching the class "Stash Busting with Style."[3] She has also taught online classes, including "Flying Fat Quarters" on the Craftsy platform.[5]
Fabric design
Jacobs has designed fabric collections for Maywood Studio since 2008.[6] Her fabric collections include Regent's Park, Northgate Manor, Amour, Flower & Vine, Coastal Chic Batiks, and Hello Autumn.[6]
Published works
Jacobs has authored three books published by C&T Publishing, all published under the name Monique Dillard:
- Fat Quarter Winners: 11 New Quilt Projects from Open Gate (2011) — The first book in C&T Publishing's Quiltmaker's Club series[7]
- Traditional Fat Quarter Quilts: 11 Traditional Quilt Projects from Open Gate (2012)[8]
- Diamond Traditions: 11 Multifaceted Quilts – Easy Piecing – Fat-Quarter Friendly (2013)[9]
Quilting rulers
Jacobs invented a line of precision quilting rulers designed to trim quilt blocks accurately. She developed the "Fit to Be Geese" ruler with a friend after a quilting retreat, noting that over 4,000 rulers were in use by 2011.[4] The ruler line includes:
- Fit to Be Geese — A ruler for trimming flying geese units in multiple sizes (1.5"×3", 2"×4", 2.5"×5", 3"×6")
- Mini Fit to Be Geese — A smaller version for miniature flying geese
- Fit to Be Quarter
- Fit to Be Square
Magazine features
Jacobs' quilt designs have appeared in American Patchwork & Quilting magazine, a Better Homes & Gardens publication, over 21 times.[10] Her "Red Hots" quilt, featuring flying geese and hourglass units in 24 red hues, appeared on the cover of the February 2012 issue (Issue 114).[11][12]
Additional magazine features include:
- Sewing machine cover pattern (August 2012, Issue 117)[13]
- "Tiny Treasures" mini quilt (February 2018, Issue 150)[14]
- "Tree Rings" seasonal throw (December 2023) — her 21st project in the magazine[15]
- "Seaside Steps" bed quilt[16]
- "Coffee Mug Rugs" table runner[17]
- "Place in My Heart" coasters[18]
- "Patchwork Pines" wall quilt[19]
- "Fireworks" wall quilt[20]
- "Batik Lattice" (April 2020)[21]
- Sewing machine cover pattern (August 2012, Issue 117)[22]
- "Tree Rings" seasonal throw (December 2023) — her 21st project in the magazine[23]
- She has also contributed to Quiltmaker magazine's "100 Blocks" series.[24]
Media appearances
Jacobs has been interviewed on the American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast. In Episode 456, "Handwork Happiness" (January 27, 2020), she discussed her fabric lines with Maywood Studio, her stash-busting video series, and how she got started in the quilting industry.[25]
She has also appeared on Pat Sloan's American Patchwork & Quilting Radio, including Show #350 alongside designers Amy Butler, Tiffany Hayes, and Carrie Nelson.[26]
Bibliography
- Dillard, Monique (2011). Fat Quarter Winners: 11 New Quilt Projects from Open Gate. C&T Publishing. ISBN 978-1607051909. Search this book on

- Dillard, Monique (2012). Traditional Fat Quarter Quilts: 11 New Projects from Open Gate. C&T Publishing. ISBN 978-1607054375. Search this book on

- Dillard, Monique (2013). Diamond Traditions: 11 Multifaceted Quilts. C&T Publishing. ISBN 978-1607057055. Search this book on

References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 "Monique Jacobs". Maywood Studio. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Monique Dillard". C&T Publishing. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "Meet Missouri Star Academy Instructor, Monique Jacobs". Missouri Star Quilt Company Blog. 2019. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 "Meet Monique". Cupcakes 'n Daisies. April 2011. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Monique Dillard's Flying Fat Quarters Craftsy Class". Sister's Choice Quilts. February 2014. Archived from the original on September 11, 2025. Retrieved January 7, 2026. Unknown parameter
|url-status=ignored (help) - ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Designer Spotlight: Monique Jacobs". Maywood Studio. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ Dillard, Monique (2011). Fat Quarter Winners: 11 New Quilt Projects from Open Gate. C&T Publishing. ISBN 978-1607051909. Search this book on
- ↑ Dillard, Monique (2012). Traditional Fat Quarter Quilts: 11 Traditional Quilt Projects from Open Gate. C&T Publishing. ISBN 978-1607054375. Search this book on
- ↑ Dillard, Monique (2013). Diamond Traditions: 11 Multifaceted Quilts – Easy Piecing – Fat-Quarter Friendly. C&T Publishing. ISBN 978-1607057055. Search this book on
- ↑ "Monique Dillard". Amazon. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Monique Dillard". Moda Lissa. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Red Hots Quilt Pattern Download". Quilting Daily. 10 April 2016. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Monique Jacobs". First Light Designs. 2 September 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ Cite error: Invalid
<ref>tag; no text was provided for refs namedAmerican Patchwork Quilting - ↑ "Tree Rings Quilt Kit". American Patchwork Quilting. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Seaside Steps". American Patchwork & Quilting. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Coffee Mug Rugs". American Patchwork & Quilting. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Place in My Heart Coasters". American Patchwork & Quilting. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Patchwork Pines". American Patchwork & Quilting. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Fireworks". American Patchwork & Quilting. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "American Patchwork & Quilting April 2020". American Patchwork & Quilting. Meredith Corporation. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Monique Jacobs". First Light Designs. 2 September 2012. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "American Patchwork & Quilting December 2023". American Patchwork & Quilting. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "Quiltmaker 100 Blocks Sampler Sew Along – Block 42". Quilting Daily. 9 October 2017. Retrieved January 8, 2026.
- ↑ "Handwork Happiness" (Podcast). American Patchwork & Quilting Podcast. January 27, 2020. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
- ↑ "American Patchwork and Quilting Radio Archives". TogiNet. August 2017. Retrieved January 7, 2026.
External links
Category:Living people
Category:Canadian emigrants to the United States
Category:American textile artists
Category:Quilters
Category:People from Winnipeg
Category:People from Rockford, Illinois
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