I’m so excited to finally reveal a secret sewing project I made last year! If you followe me on instagram  (@christaquilts), you can check out the hashtag #secretsewingchrista to see sneak peeks of my progress while working on this quilt, plus several others that I can’t reveal quite yet. Makers gotta make and sharers gotta share!

So without further ado, I’d like to introduce Churn Dash Slide, my contribution to I Love Churn Dashes, the latest book in the Block Buster Quilts series by Martingale/That Patchwork Place.

Churn Dash Slide, by Christa Watson, 72″ x 78″. Photography by Brent Kane.

Although this book is more about the pieced design of the quilts rather than the machine quilting, I still loved quilting the heck out of it! I used a simple elongated swirl, quilted edge to edge across the quilt.

Here’s a machine quilting tip: when working with busy prints, where your quilting is NOT the star of the show, choose a simple quilting design that adds texture, but is relatively quick and easy to do. I used a light green from my Piece and Quilt thread collection from Aurifil to quilt it.

I love adding texture to my quilts with lot of machine quilting!

So here’s a bit of trivia I learned when reading I Love Churn Dashes: The term comes from the design’s resemblance to the staff or pole (referred to as the dash) that’s used in a traditional wooden butter churn. I’ve also heard the block called by other names such as Monkey Wrench, or Hole in the Barn Door, but I think Churn Dash is the cutest name, don’t you??

Partial quilts on the cover (clockwise) are from Amy Ellis, Me, Jo Morton, and Carol Hopkins.

I Love Churn Dashes include 15 fabulous designs from 15 well-known quilters (plus a bonus quilt in one of the patterns – so really, 16 quilts)! Plus it includes detailed instructions on making a basic churn dash block right at the beginning of the book. Once you have this block down, the variations are endless! In addition to the eye catching designs shown on the cover, here are a few more of my personal favorites:

Block party by Jackie White – I love those white solids and the modern design!

In reverse by Kate Henderson – the book includes intrucctions to make two quilts at once – this version, and an inverted version with a pieced background and solid block!

Wavy Churn by Gina Reddin – this one is all machine applique!Summer Dash by April Rosenthal – so fresh and sweet!

I tend to go for the lighter brighter versions, but the book is so versatile. It includes several more traditional-looking Churn Dash designs, too. There’s truly something for everyone! Be sure to follow Martingale/That Patchwork Place’s blog for more fun announcements and new releases.

FYI, here’s the complete list of designers included in the book:

• Tanya Alexander
• Laura Beohnke
• Kim Brackett
• Kari Carr
• Kim Diehl
• Amy Ellis
• Kate Henderson
• Carol Hopkins
• Kimberly Jolly
• Jo Morton
• Gina Redin
• April Rosenthal
• Tammy Vondershmidt
• Jackie White
• And ME!

Click here to pre-order your copy of Churn Dash Slide using my affiliate link. Thanks!