Focal Point was such a fun design to both piece and quilt! I made it specifically for my book Machine Quilting with Style as part of my quest to go more modern with my designs. I remember attending a lecture by Heather Grant at the very first QuiltCon in 2013. She gave us several great tips on how to go more modern. Two of my favorites used in this quilt are asymmetry and cropping your design. Later once I got to know Jacquie Gering, she reminded me to make sure my modern quilts always had a “focal point.”
Christa with Focal Point at QuiltCon 2016. Quilt Measures 45″ x 45″.
I was thrilled to be able to share Focal Point at QuiltCon earlier this year and of course, I had to take the obligatory “here’s the quilt from my book pic!”
More Neutrals
I used Amy Ellis’ fabric to make the original version of the quilt. Her debut line was called Modern Neutrals which I thought was so appropriate for the quilt. When her next line, Chic Neutrals came out around the same time as the book I thought it would be fun to recolor it using those fabrics. (She’s since released a third line which I think would be just as fab!)
Focal Point recolored in EQ7 with Chic Neutrals by Amy Ellis for Moda
For another color idea, I thought I’d take you behind the scenes a bit. Many times when I’m designing, I’ll go through tons of different color iterations until I find the one that’s just right. Focal point actually started out in this icy blue colorway, before I applied Amy’s fabrics to it:
Focal point in classic blue and white.
I once heard it said that you know you have a good design on your hands when it can look good in any fabrics. Hopefully that’s how you all will feel when making the quilts from my books! 🙂
A Secret Revealed and a Giveaway!
It’s always fun to reveal secrets when sharing my books and patterns. Now I have another big announcement I can finally share. I’m an Aurifil thread designer! This week, Aurifil debuted my brand new line, The Piece and Quilt thread collection.
It’s a line of 24 threads in 50 weight cotton: 12 Neutrals and 12 Colors. These are my favorite threads that I use for every part of quilt making: piecing, quilting and binding! In fact, the light gray that I used to quilt Focal Point is included in the neutrals collection.
To celebrate the one year birthday of my first book, and now my debut thread collection, you can win them before you can buy them!! To win a 12 pack of the neutrals, leave a comment here at my site, letting me know what your go-to thread colors are.
To win a 12 pack of the colors, head over to the Auribuzz blog and follow the intructions over there. Due to shipping limitations, this giveaway is open to all of my US friends. Be sure and ask for these by name at your favorite quilt shop – they’ll be arriving soon!
Last Week’s Winner
Last but not least, I’d like to congratulate Zina C. who won a copy of EQ Mini. I’m sure she’ll be able to put this software to good use!! Next week is quilt market so I won’t have another book post. But come back in 2 weeks for another winner and another re-imagined quilt!
Click here to purchase a signed copy of Machine Quilting with Style.
Click here to see all of the quilts from the book.
Christa Quilts 
My go to thread and color is aurifil 50wt light gray.
I usually use a light gray, cream that blends into the quilt. Congratulations on your new thread line.
My go to thread is Aurifil 50wt in 2600, it is the perfect neutral!
I mostly use light greys for piecing. I love sewing with Aurifil!
Just started using Aurifillfor oiecing and quilting and love it.
I mostly use light grey for piecing. I just started quilting with Aurifill, too.
I use light gray the most. However, I love the colors in your sets!
Love the new thread colors! My go to neutral is 2600.
My go to colors are ivory and a soft gray. I’m just starting so I’m not as adventurous with my thread choices yet. Thanks !
My usual thread is cotton Aurifil color 2310 for my quilting !
I tend to use light grey or off white/lt tan. They seem to blend in with lots of different fabric colors
I love the threads! I usually see with off white or gray for piecing but I love to try new colors.
I really love Aurifil. I enter as many giveaways as I can, and search for sales on Aurifil as often as I can. Rebuilding a thread stash has been quite the adventure. I’m not sure I’ll ever call them by number, I feel it’s excluding folks to call them numbers. My go to colors are the neutrals, though I’ve had to change my mindset in machine appliqué to finish my Lori Holt items! That’s been a challenge to match things up!
My favorite Aurifil color is 2600 Dove Gray – it blends well with everything! I use it for piecing and for quilting allover designs.
Always match my threads but in a pinch, off-white works with nearly everyting 🙂
My go to colours are black and white. I like using a contrast colour for the quilting, to pop the colours in the quilt.
For piecing I usually use a pale grey thread. For quilting, it depends on the quilt colors, but my favorite is a variegated lime green which goes with a surprising number of quilts.
Hi, Christa! I use a lot of Aurifil thread for piecing my quits, and find that white and off-white are my go-to colors, although I use a lot of the neutrals.
I love Aurifil, just wrote a blog post about my favorites! My top neutral is 2600, and now I’m playing with the new 6000 colors, sea biscuit, moonrise and jedi
I don’t have a “go to color”, I just use whatever will either blend or contrast, depending on what I want to do. I have not used Auriful threads before, but they are on my list for my next quilt. Thanks for the chance to get to know them!
I use Aurifil black, white, silver and ecru for all my piecing. I just love them.
Love the Aurifil threads! I, too, use the cream or grey for most of my piecing. Thanks for the chance to win this wonderful thread pack.
I like using nuetral colors when fmq. Aurifil 50 weight is my favorite go to thread.
I’m just starting along my quilting journey, so I like to match my thread to my fabric so that if I’m not “perfect” the “design elements” of the quilting won’t be as dominant. HA HA HA
I like to preview threads and decide what works best for that quilt and the look I am seeking.
love my Aurifil but it isn’t always avalible in Canada, i usually stick to neutrals like grey or white
I use mostly neutrals, cream and light Grey. They blend with most colors.
I always pick a neutral colour like Ivory!!! Thanks for the chance!!!
My favorite thing about machine quilting is that I can sit to do it! I especially like it at retreats because I can hang with the girls and still get work done. The longarm is nice but hard on my back.
I love your Aurofil thread combos. I use mostly off white and greys. Thanks for the chance to win your Aurofil packs.
My go-to color on the machine to piece is light beige. I have been looking for Aurifil threads since reading about them on your and their blogs. I am anxious to try them. Especially since I am starting to EPP which is all by hand. Thank you for the chance to win some, and love your blog.
Go to thread is always neutral – I like 2600 (Dove gray) or 2310 Light Beige. Really enjoy your Blog. Thanks for sharing!
Love neutral colors! Just learning about them and how to use them. I would love to win the free pack of threads!
I use mostly greys, dark, medium or light, depending on the fabric. If the fabric is very light I use an off-white thread.
My go to colors are beige, white, grey & black – you have all bases covered & I would love to win.. Aurifil threads are not available in my area. Many thanks for the opportunity to win.
Love Aurifil threads, they are all I am buying now. Light grey is my favorite oiecing color for lighter fabrics, a medium grey for darker ones.
Like everyone else, I like a light gray. I have an Aurifil variegated that I love, but it’s hard to figure out where to use it.
My go to color is 2600 (dove)… seems to work with everything…
HI CHRISTA, love the colors #2260+2460, but 2024 bright white, is my go to color for my baby charity quilts! Thank You so much for Your Inspiration! Great Giveaway!
I don’t have a great variety of Aurifil threads but I do use Aurifil 50wt in light gray, white and light cream. Would love to win this collection of threads.
I find light and medium grays, off whites and creamy tans the most useful color of thread.
My go to neutral color is gray, color number 2615. I have just started using the Aurifil threads and I am loving them. I love that you share your expertise with us. You make it look so darn easy. Thanks
Go to colors, you got them in your collections, prefect.
My piecing colours are grey and taupe, but for FMQ I like to match with the colours in the quilt top. My sewing machine LOVES Aurifil thread, so any colour would be put to good use!
I usually use a white quilting thread, I just recently bought an Aurifil sampler type thread, I love it, but cannot afford to buy it all the time. Would love to win your give-a-way. Thanks for opportunity.
For piecing I like to use taupe or grey. For quilting, often either of those will work but I look to the colours in the quilt top for the ultimate colour for blending!
Aurifil go to colors for me are: 1133 (gold) and 2350 (bronze)…..
Checking out the greys too..can’t recall the numbers and I’ve peeled off the labels.
Thank you . Have tons of fun in Houston.
I sew with the white 2021 when using a white fabric but when working with other colors I use either the beige 2314 or the light gray 5007. Thanks for the chance to win.
I usually match my thread and fabric. Love Aurifil threads! and your colors are fantastic.
I am just learning about Aurifil threads and quilting and would love to win a set of your neutral color set. This brand of thread not available in stores where I live. Thanks, love your blog!