Category: Christa’s Quilts

Save the Date: I’ll be Teaching at Quilt Festival in Houston October 7-11, 2025

Leave a comment

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be teaching at Quilt Festival in Houston, TX this fall! This will be the third time I’ve taught at Festival, so I’m really excited to be returning again this year!

Click here for the full catalog and registration info.

Class Registration begins in June. Classes usually fill up fairly quickly, so I’m going to share the schedule of which classes I’ll be teaching and when, so you can be ready once registration opens:

Sketch It, Then Quilt It
Tuesday, October 7: 2-5 PM

Learn how to create a quilting plan for your quilt! This hands-on workshop will allow students to create their own original designs using printed images of their quilts as well as how to create specific plans for a variety of different quilts.

Walking Foot Bootcamp
Wednesday, October 8th: 9AM-5PM

In this full day session, students will learn how to quilt a variety of walking foot quilting designs on their domestic sewing machine. I’ll also go over how you would apply these designs to actual, full sized quilts. Whether you are a beginner or want to learn a few extra tips and tricks, this is the class for you!

Improv Free Motion Quilting
Thursday, October 9: 9-Noon

This jam-packed class will teach how to combine and design two or more filler motifs into something entirely new. Students will practice drawing the designs on paper, then apply what they’ve learned to sample swatches or orphan blocks.

Modern Machine Quilting Lecture
Thursday October 9: 12:45-1:45 PM

This informative lecture demonstrates how the modern aesthetic applies to the machine quilting process. Learn how negative space, minimalism, graphic geometry, improvisation and other hallmarks of the modern aesthetic can be incorporated into your machine quilting work.

Free Motion Bootcamp
Friday, October 10: 9AM-5PM

In this full day class, learn the basics of free-motion quilting! We’ll explore a wide range of motifs that will look good on any quilt from modern to traditional. You’ll leave class armed with the confidence that yes, you can quilt your own quilts!

Modern Free Motion Feathers
Saturday, October 11: 9AM-12PM

This is a brand new class that I’m so excited to debut at Festival! Students will learn basic feather plume shapes, then build upon those shapes to create entirely new designs. They’ll explore a variety of options such as echo feathers, swirl feathers, “broken” feathers, and many more!

Perfectly Imperfect Free-Motion Swirls
Saturday, October 11: 2-5PM

In this class, students will learn how to form the basic swirl shape, then branch off in many different directions as they discover their own signature swirl! Ideas to explore include the wonky swirl, the flower swirl, the elongated swirl, the packed swirl, and many more.

I sure hope I’ll be able to see you at the show. If you can’t catch me in Houston, here’s a link to my traveling and teaching schedule! I love traveling and teaching all over the world and would love to come to a location near you!

99 Designs Episode 12 – FMQ Landscape Lines and Partial Waves

Leave a comment

Want to practice your free-motion quilting this week? Join me for the latest video of my “Year of Machine Quilting” tutorial series, where we will be quilting two designs from 99 Machine Quilting Designs: Landscape Lines and Partial Waves.

Featured Book: Piece and Quilt with Precuts

The quilt showcased in this week’s video is called Spools, which comes from my book Piece and Quilt with Precuts. This book features 11 quilt patterns as well as step-by step instructions on how to quilt them all! I used Partial Waves on Spools to separate the colorful parts of the quilt from the background, but this book will show you all different kinds of quilting plans and strategies for both walking foot quilting and free-motion!

Click here for the PDF version of the book on my Etsy Shop!

Piece and Quilt with Precuts by Christa Watson

Bonus Video: Setting Yourself up for Machine Quilting Success

Want to learn more about how to setup you machine for walking foot and free-motion quilting? Check out the series intro, where I give the best tips and tricks for setting yourself up for sewing success!

How Will You Use These Designs?

There are endless possibilities for Landscape Lines and Partial Waves. Try echoing them, combining them together, or experiment with other designs for different textures. Let me know how you are using them in your quilts! You can even share pics of your progress over in my Facebook group. Until next time, Happy Quilting!!

99 Designs Video Episode 11 – Walking Foot Quilting Wavy Zigzags

Leave a comment

We’re back to Walking Foot quilting this week for 99 Machine Quilting Designs! Wavy Zigzags is a great design to add some quick texture to a small or full-sized quilt. Try quilting it once, twice, or combining it with regular zigzags for endless variety! If you want to learn how-to, check out the video below:

Get the Ticker Tape Quilt Pattern or Kit

Each week I try to feature one of my patterns where I’ve used the design I’m showing you. That way you can actually practice this design on a full sized kit! I quilted some fun wavy double zig-zags on the navy version of my Ticker Tape quilt. This is one of those designs that I’ve made several different versions of, just because it’s so darn fun to experiment!

Click Here to Get the Ticker Tape Quilt Pattern
Click Here for the Ticker Tape Quilt Kit in 4 Colors (while supplies last)

Bonus Video – Machine Quilting Ticker Tape

For even more video fun this week, check out my bonus video showing how I quilted both versions of Ticker Tape shown above. Click the image below to watch:

Are you quilting along?

How are you doing on your machine quilting practice? Are you following along and making up the practice sandwiches? Please let me know how it’s going or if you have any questions that I can trouble shoot for you. My goal is to inspire you to quilt more of your own quilts and have fun doing it!

99 Designs Video Episode 10 – Quilting Loops and Stuff

Leave a comment

This week for 99 Machine Quilting Designs I’m showing how to free-motion quilt several loop variations. They are one of my go-to designs! Click below to watch:

These 3 designs all come from my book 99 Machine Quilting Designs. You can grab the instant PDF download of this book from my Etsy shop and follow along with each video that I’m sharing all year long!

99 machine quilting designs

Click here to grab your PDF Copy of 99 Machine Quilting Designs

Bonus Video: Quilting Loops on a Real Quilt!

After watching my video tutorials each week, I’m sure you’ll want to apply what you’ve learned on a real quilt. I’ve taken the basic loops I shared in this week’s tutorial and have modified it to include another design I recently shared – boxes – to create a fun and festive design that I quilted on my Fancy Gifts quilt!

As of this writing, I have only a couple of Fancy Gifts quilt kits left – made from my colorful Dazzle Dots fabric collection.

Click here to see all of my quilt kits made from my fabrics.

Let me know if you end up quilting loops, or loops & stuff on your next quilt. It’s one of the most customizable and forgiving designs you can stitch!

Quilt Show Entries & Judging Feedback For 2 Quilts

2 Comments

I recently entered 2 quilts into my local quilt guild’s show and was pleased with both the feedback and the response they got, so I thought I would share more about that with you today!

Interlinked Wins 1st Place!!

First up is my Interlinked Quilt. This one is huge – King sized to be exact! I had finished nearly all of this quilt a couple years ago when my Stitchy fabric first came out. However, I dragged my feet on finishing the binding because I wanted it to match up perfectly with the offset borders. Once I finally did, I was pleased that it was able to be hung in the show and received a 1st place ribbon in the Modern Category.

Interlinked Custom Quilting Detail

The only bummer is that it was so huge that you can’t even see all of it in the picture, LOL! But I’m pleased that the judge liked it. Here are the comments I received on this quilt:

“Use and placement of neutrals and colors create great movement and keeps the eye moving. Piecing is good. Variety of quilting designs enhance your modern aesthetic. And the quilting technique is generally well done. Some buildup of threads in some backtracking areas should be avoided. Outer edges should be straight, and binding is well done.”

Just in case this is the first time you are seeing this quilt, I actually made a video showing how I managed such a large quilt on a regular sized sewing machine. Take a look below to watch:

Swanky Spirals Quilt

Next up, I entered my Swanky Spirals quilt made from my Dazzle Dots fabric. Originally I had planned to do a simpler quilting design since it’s such a busy quilt. However, once I started quilting different designs in each wedge of each block, I just couldn’t stop!

Here’s the judging feedback I received for this quilt:

“Successful modern esthetic. Grey neutral was a good choice for the balance of the brights. Pacing is generally good. Intersections should be precise. The variety of quilting designs greatly enhanced the piecing and the theme. Quilting should remain in the ditch. Back art is appreciated. Binding is generally good. Take care with miters.”

Swanky Spirals Quilting Detail

If you’d like more details on how I quilted each and every part of this quilt, take a look at the bonus video below:

Interlinked & Swanky Spirals Quilt Patterns

If you’d like to make either or both of these quilts, you can grab the patterns in print or PDF.

Click here to get Interlinked PDF Digital Download
Click here to get Interlinked Physical Print Copy

Click here to get Swanky Spirals PDF Digital Downlaod
Click here to get Swanky Spirals Physical Print Copy

99 Designs Video Episode 9 – How to Free-Motion Quilt Circuit Board

Leave a comment

Want to learn to quilt a fun modern meander called Circuit Board? This is the next installment of my “Year of Machine Quilting” free video tutorials for you to try! Click the image below to watch:

Click here to watch all episodes in my 99 Machine Quilting Designs series

My Latest and Greatest: How Do I Quilt It?

This week’s featured quilt comes from my latest book, “How Do I Quilt It?” In this book (which is required reading for all of my in-person workshops), I show how to quilt 3 different quilts, 3 different ways. In the teal version of Loose Weave, shown under my machine on the book cover below, I’m free-motion quilting circuit board as an edge to edge allover design. So take what you’ve learned in the video above, and you can make this super fun and simple quilt!

Click here to get your signed copy of How Do I Quilt It?

Have You Checked My Clearance Sale Lately?

I love to clear out the old, to make room for the new! Be sure to head over to my online shop where I sell all of my designer fabrics, patterns and other fun goodies. I’m needing to make room on my shelves for my new Dazzle Dots 2 collection, so now is your chance to scoop up some of my older fabrics & bundles for less than retail price.

Click Here to View Everything on Sale!

Bolts of Dazzle Dots 2 Just Waiting for Shelf Space!!

99 Designs Video Episode 8 – Zig Zags

Leave a comment

It’s time for another fun set of Walking Foot quilting designs for you to try – Zig Zags & Double Zig Zags. Take a look by clicking the image below:

Click here to watch all episodes in my 99 Machine Quilting Designs series

Get My Book – Piece and Quilt with Precuts for More Designs!

Two of the quilt patterns I show in the video above come from my 3rd book Piece and Quilt with Precuts. It’s now out of print but you can grab the PDF version from my Etsy Shop!

Click here to get your copy of Piece and Quilt with Precuts

Bonus Freebie: Modern Table Runner Pattern + Video

I quilted this fun Modern Table runner design 3 different ways. Can you see the zig zags stitched on the grey version? Grab my free pattern to make these projects below. It includes 3 quilting plans for all free versions, plus a bonus video showing how I quilted them all!

Click here to get the Modern Runner Free Quilt Pattern

Are you enjoying all the fun videos I’m sharing with you each week?

Dazzle Dots 2 is Here!

1 Comment

Can you believe I’ve designed 10 fabric lines? Do you have any of my previous collections in your stash? Although I love releasing a new fabric group once or twice a year, I really look at it as one continuous collection. I enjoying adding more fabrics and designs when I realize what I’m missing in my own stash, LOL!

Click here to view all Dazzle Dots 2 fabrics, bundles, precuts and kits.

After the tremendous success of the original Dazzle Dots, my fabric company asked for more dots! Since I did bold saturated colors last time, I though it would be fun to lighten things up again and add soft pastels to the mix. I absolutely love how they play well together and have plans to incorporate both groups into the same quilt, soon. Won’t that be fun??

Click here to view Dazzle Dots 1 and 2 together!

Dazzle Dots 2 includes a total of 20 prints – 10 dots and 10 squares. Aren’t they scrumptious?

I recently making 2 new versions of my Surplus Strips quilts using all of these pretties. I used the grey dots for the background of one of them, and the white squares for the background of the other. You can grab a quilt kit for one or both for a limited time! And I’ll be sharing a video soon, showing how I quilted them both, so stay tuned for that!

Click here to get the Surplus Strips quilt kits, while supplies last.

99 Designs Video Episode 6 – FMQ Triangle Texture

Leave a comment

This week for 99 Machine Quilting Designs we are learning to quilt Triangle Texture, a design that’s great for modern OR traditional quilts! Watch below and let me know what you think!

Get the Surplus Strips Quilt Pattern or Kit
I recently combined 2 motifs – boxes and triangles on the gray version of my Surplus Strips quilt! You can now grab the kit to make this quilt with the gray or white background, or grab the pattern and choose your own colors. It’s fun to make and fun to quilt! 

Suplus Strips Quilt Pattern

If you’d like to choose your own adventure, grab the Surplus Strips quilt pattern and then rummage through your stash for the perfect colors to make it your own. It’s the perfect design for using up leftover (surplus) precut strips!!

Below are 2 versions I made a few years ago and it looks great no matter what!

Surplus Strips quilts made from Fandangle by Christa Watson

99 Designs Video Episode 5 – FMQ Spiral Boxes

Leave a comment

If you are looking for a geometric, modern free-motion fill, this week’s machine quilting tutorial is just for you! I break down this fun design step by step with 2 different variations for you to try. Take a look below and let me know what you think!

All of the designs I’m sharing in this year long series come from my book 99 Machine Quilting Designs. Although it’s gone out of physical print, you can still grab the PDF download from my Etsy shop.

Over the course of the year I’m going to demonstrate how to sketch out each and every design in the book! Be sure to bookmark the video playlist so you’ll be able to back and watch them again and again!

99 machine quilting designs

Bonus Video – Quilting Boxes on a Real Quilt!

If you’d like to take things up a notch, be sure to watch this bonus video below where I show how to apply this week’s quilting design to an actual full-sized quilt. I quilted boxes and spiral boxes on a scrappy version of Terrace Tiles made from my Stitchy Fabric collection.

Get the Terrace Tiles Stitchy Kit!

For a limited time, you can make the exact version of Terrace Tiles I show in the video above. It’s made from fat quarters and is literally the easiest quilt pattern I’ve designed!

Click here to view all quilt kits, made from my fabrics.