Catching My Breath, a Few Updates – and a Fun Fabric Giveaway!

So right before quilt market my computer crashed. As in Dead. As. A. Doornail. Fortunately, my tech savvy hubby backed everything up so that nothing was lost. As you can imagine, the timing wasn’t great, but is it ever good timing for a hiccup like that?

Christa at Quilt Market 2017

One of my many demo’s at quiltmarket. My mom and I made the shirt I’m wearing from my fabric.

Now that at I’m back from quilt market and Jason has set me up on a new laptop, I can stop and breathe (for about 5 minutes) before it’s time to start working on the next fun quilty thing! (More fabric, more classes, more patterns, oh my!!)

So this post is a quick catch-up of what’s happening in real time along with a thank you giveaway for sticking with me and reading to the end!!

Quick Quilt Market Recap

Quilt Market was a blast! This is the industry trade show that takes place each fall in Houston, Texas, the week before Quilt Festival which is the consumer show. Many industry folks stay for both but that would be way too exhausting for me! Maybe once the kids are out of the house we’ll consider doing both…

Quilts from Modern Marks

One of the many quilts made from Modern Marks. Free & paid patterns coming soon!

I was in my booth most of the time at market showing my fabric line Modern Marks to quilt shops in the hopes that they decide to carry it in their shops. The response was really great as so many folks are attracted to the fun bright prints. I promised the shop owners a couple of free patterns coming soon, and I’d be remiss if I didn’t also share them with you. So be on the lookout as I’ll be sharing those as soon as my graphic designer has made them look pretty!

Machine Quilting Demo in the Aurifil Booth

Demoing machine quilting + wearing another top made from my fabric.

I also introduced new customers to my book, Piece and Quilt with Precuts, and my awesome publisher set up several book signings and machine quilting demos while I was there.

My good friend Annie Unrein from By Annie made several bags and accessories for my booth and my mom help me sew up several shirts from my fabric to wear during the show.

Annie Unrein and Christa Watson at Fall Quilt Market 2017

The quilt on the left is a free pattern coming soon; the one one the right was remade from my book Piece and Quilt with Precuts using my fabric! Notice the cute bag by Annie and my matching shoes!

Be on the lookout for more about the individual Modern Marks quilts and projects a bit later after I’ve had a chance to recover! Then save the date: Starting November 27th, Benartex will be hosting a blog hop to share even more ideas of what you can make from Modern Marks!

Quilt Kits for Sale

Squiggles recolored in Modern Marks

Get the Squiggles Quilt Kit

I’m continuing to sell quilt kits for the upcoming Quilt Along I’ll be hosting here on the blog in January. Click here for the QAL schedule. Most folks voted for us to make Squiggles from my new book for the QAL, but I know several of you really wanted to make Gridwork as well.

Gridwork recolored in EQ using modern marks

Get the Gridwork Quilt Kit

I’m now offering kits for each quilt, along with optional backing kits. You’ll need a copy of Piece and Quilt with Precuts for the patterns, but hey – if you want to make BOTH quilts, you just need ONE copy of the book. I really like it when you can get more bang for your buck!

And of course either of these quilts would look fabulous in other fabrics, too!!

Click here to purchase Modern Marks quilt kits and bundles.

Upcoming Teaching

I head to St. George, Utah this weekend to do a trunk show on Friday and machine quilting class on Saturday for Dave’s BERNINA. Then on December 1-2, for my last gig of the year, I’ll be flying out to visit my friend Stephanie who runs Quilt Addicts Anonymous in Illinois. I’ll be sharing a lecture and full day free-motion class at her shop, so if you are in the area, be sure and join us!

I’ll be super busy in January, and it’s the last time I’ll be in driving distance of Las Vegas for awhile. On January 3-5 I’ll be teaching one day of machine quilting and 2 days of improv piecing at Quilting at the Lake. Click here for registration info.

Then, January 15-18, I’ll be teaching four different machine quilting classes at Road to California. At last check, two of my classes at Road had sold out with waiting lists, but there are still spots open in my Monday and Tuesday classes. Click here for class schedule info.

How Do I Quilt it MQG

If you aren’t near where I’m teaching, you can catch my live webinar for the Modern Quilt Guild next week! On Wednesday, November 8th at 6 PM Pacific Time, I’ll be sharing tips and tricks for quilting on a home machine, answering the most asked question, “How Do I Quilt It?”

Click here to register for the webinar/or join the MQG.

If you aren’t yet an MQG member, be sure and join now so you don’t miss the fun! Members have access to all of the MQG webinars, so you can also catch it later.

The GiveawayS – Win my Fabric!

I have 3 fabric giveaways for you today, as a thanks for your continued support! First, I’m giving away a box full of fabric scraps which is mostly Modern Marks plus a few misc. pieces. These are leftovers, large and small of all the projects I’ve been making from Modern Marks over the last few months. It also includes some nice chunks of funky shapes that were the cutaways from the shirts I made, plus tons of small to medium scraps that frankly I’m just too lazy to sort through! But I know one of you will love them!

Modern Marks Scraps

Win my Modern Marks scraps!

The second and third giveaways are Modern Marks precuts. At Quilt Market, there’s a night of shopping frenzy called Sample Spree where attendees can purchase bundles before they are available in shops. I wasn’t there, but apparently all of my precuts sold out except for one 2 1/2″ strip bundle (Benartex calls them Pinwheels) and one charm pack (aptly named 5×5’s) that were held back for promotion, so I snagged those puppies to give to you all!

Modern Marks Precuts

Modern Marks precuts coming soon! Ask your local quilt shop to stock them.

I’ll make this easy – just leave any comment to enter. I’ll give the scrap box and the Pinwheel to two separate US winners, and send the charm pack to an international friend. So be sure to mention in your comments which prize you’d like to win and where you are from!

I’ll pick the winners first thing Monday morning and notify them via email.

Whew! I think that’s all for now!! Now it’s time to unpack and sew!

342 thoughts on “Catching My Breath, a Few Updates – and a Fun Fabric Giveaway!

  1. Judy Frye says:

    Modern Marks fabric is a fun and cheerful line of fabric. I would love to win the scrap box but either would be great. Looking forward to making a wall hanging.

  2. Simone Thompson says:

    I have purchased one of your quilt designs already (Stepping Stones). Used it at our annual family sewing retreat to make masculine looking prayer quilt tops out of thrift store men’s shirts. Worked great. Love your designs! I’d love either choice of your United States giveaway fabrics. Thanks much and hope your daughter will enjoy working with you and picking up your skills as she grows into a beautiful young woman.

  3. Renee says:

    I love Modern Marks…it’s so bright and colorful, very uplifting! And I love it in the quilt pattern shown in your post…it isn’t named, but just called the left quilt 🙂

  4. BjoLiz says:

    Pretty fabric! One question, on a dark background fabric with bright colors throughout a quilt, do you quilt with a dark thread when changing out to color coordinate the colorful pieces would make quilting too labor intensive?

  5. ALEXA LITTLE says:

    One can never have too much fabric, especially pre-cuts. I’d love the charm pack to show my quilting and crafting friends here in South Australia!

  6. Christine M says:

    Love you’re fabric, blog, book, etc. I was in Henderson yesterday (visited Quiltique) but am back home in Pomona, CA today!

  7. Nicole Sender says:

    Oh, your fabric is awesome! I’d love any of the giveaways but your scraps would be my first choice! Your quilts are terrific!

  8. Jeanette Atkinson says:

    I have recently began following you. I enjoy your work. I would love either, but would prefer the pinwheel. I am from Las Vegas.

  9. Michelle Martin says:

    I just found your blog and love your material line! So bright and cheery : ) I would love the pinwheel but any prize would be great!

  10. Coreen Murphy says:

    I would love to win the scrap bag or the pin wheel. Thank you for all you share on your blog and Instagram. You are inspiring.

  11. Michelle Taylor says:

    If you want to send those gorgeous happy scraps to Cincinnati I would be delighted to give them a new home! Thanks for all the beauty and inspiration you share with us all.

  12. Jennifer says:

    Scraps… pinwheel -doesn’t matter… just lots of gorgeous color to play with! Congrats on your book and new fabric line – keep on keeping on!

  13. Mara says:

    Your fabric looks awesome, I am sure a lot of shops were interested in carrying it. I live in Greece and would love a charm pack!

  14. Kirsten Conway says:

    I would love the scrap box. Your lovely, bright, happy fabrics would make great baby and youth quilts for Liberty House, a local non profit here in Salem, Oregon.

  15. Pam says:

    Modern Marks is delightful! I can understand why it sold out at sample spree! Thanks for the great giveaway! I like jelly roll patterns, so it would be exciting to win your jelly roll!

  16. Janet Deschamps says:

    Love seeing pics of your booth and can’t wait to see the new patterns. Thanks for the opportunity to win fabulous scraps or the strips!

  17. Susan says:

    I love your blog and books; so many great ideas and things to learn. The 5×5 would be my choice to make a bright cheery kids quilt for one of my “rental” kids in the neighborhood.

  18. Reg says:

    I’ve been following your blog for several years now and I just love all your enthusiasm for,quilting. I wish I had even i/10 of your talent to quilt on my Bernina machines. Ahh…..if only we lived closer so I could attend some of your seminars.

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