Gridwork is Here!! Free Shipping with $50+ Purchase (Use Code SHIP)

January 3, 2020January 1, 20203 Comments

First of all – huge thanks and hugs to those of you who commented on my last post about my blogging goals for the new year. I’m so grateful to all of you who read this blog. Your kind thoughts really made my week!!

Today I’m excited to announce that my new Gridwork fabric is finally here – whoo hoo!!

Gridwork Bundles

Gridwork includes 27 prints divided into three colorways: Amethyst, Breeze, and Citron. Each colorway includes a total of 9 pieces and they are available in fat quarters, half yards, or full yard bundles.

Use code SHIP at checkout on orders of $50 or more for a bonus free shipping discount!

By request, I also put together a Gridwork neutrals bundle – 8 pieces of the black, white and gray prints from among all three colorways:

Click here to get the Gridwork neutrals bundle in fat quarters, half yards, or full yard cuts.

Gridwork by the Yard

Of course, you can pick and choose your favorite prints by the yard, too! There are a total of 6 different geometric designs with several colors of each. Here they are grouped together by print:

Arches Stripe in Blue, Turquoise, and Fuchsia

Diamond Ovals in Citron, Purple and Turquoise

Circle Grid in Caribbean, Purple/Red, Grape/Blue, and Black

Hourglass in Gray, Black/white, Red/pink, Purple and Blue

Square Grid in fuchsia, Lime, Navy, Grape, Black, Cloud, Lt Gray, Gray

Square Dots in Pink, Sky, Citron and Black/White

Click here to get Gridwork fabrics by the yard.

When Gridwork first arrived, I created an unboxing video on Youtube. It always feels like Christmas when I get new fabric, but these actually DID arrive right before Christmas and I couldn’t wait to dive into them!

Gridwork Precuts

Gridwork comes in all of the standard precuts, too: 5″x5″ charm packs, 10″x10″ squares, and everyone’s favorite: 2 1/2″ strip rolls which Benartex calls “Strip-pies.”

The Strip-pie includes 40 strips with 1-2 of each print as shown below:

Click here to get the Gridwork Strip Roll.

The 5×5 Charm pack includes 42 squares with 1-2 squares of each print in the line:

Click here to get the Gridwork 5×5 pack.

The 10×10 pack, aka “layer cake” includes 42 squares that are 10″ x 10″, with 1-2 prints each:

Click here to get the Gridwork 10×10 pack.

Free Shipping on $50 or More – Use Code Ship

To thank you for being a loyal blog reader, I’d like to offer you free shipping on your Gridwork fabric purchase. Use code SHIP at checkout to get free US shipping on orders of $50 or more. International customers will get $5 off the shipping cost order and I’ll refund any excess international shipping charges.

I sure hope you enjoy Gridwork as much as I do! When you share your makes on social media, please use the hashtag #gridworkfabric so I can see what you are creating. I love to re-share and inspire others, too!

Now what will YOU make?

Paper Pieced Primrose Quilt Along Starts Next Week!!

December 30, 2019January 4, 20202 Comments

Are you planning on learning to foundation paper piece in the new year? With my Pieced Primrose pattern, learning this skill is much easier than you’d think!! Be sure to let me know in the comments if you’ve done paper piecing before, or if this will be your first experience with it.

The fun begins on Monday, January 6th with weekly posts to keep you on track for finishing by the end February. But you can still work at your own pace, and I’m here to cheer you on, no matter how long it takes!

Next week’s introductory post will talk a little bit more about the tools and supplies and general foundation paper piecing tips. Then we’ll dive into cutting the following week, so you still have plenty of time to gather your fabrics and supplies.

Click here for the complete quilt along schedule and supply list.

Click here to get my favorite notions for successful foundation paper piecing.

We’ll take extra time to piece the blocks and will finish up with basting, machine quilting and binding. After all, if you’ve done a quilt along with me before, you know how much I detest these three little words, “quilt as desired!”

Pieced Primrose shown in the Cool colorway of Abstract Garden above.
Pieed Primrose shown in the warm colorway of Abstract Garden below.

My Pieced Primrose quilt pattern is super versatile and you can sew up as many blocks as you like with several different layouts. And it looks fabulous in ANY fabrics you choose to use. So I hope you’ll join the fun and consider me your cheerleader for “Start to Finish” quilting!!

“Best of” Quilt Alongs – Make a Quilt from Start to Finish

December 27, 2019December 16, 20193 Comments

Just in case you missed it, here are some of my most popular quilt alongs from prior years. I still have kits available for many of them! Click this link and use code KIT at checkout to save 10%!

Color Weave – Made from Precut Strips or FQ’s

Click here for the Color Weave quilt along.
Click here to get the original Color Weave quilt kit.

The original version of this was made using one strip roll of my Abstract Garden fabric plus background grays from my Fandangle line.

The Color Weave quilt pattern was so popular that I recently reprinted it and added bonus cutting instructions using fat quarters. Now I want to remake it using Geo Pop fat quarters:

Can you sense a theme here? I really do love working with precuts because it get to use lots of colorful prints in my quilts!

Squiggles – Made from Charm Packs & Background

Click here for the Squiggles quilt along.
Click here to get the Squiggles quilt kit.

This pattern is from my book, Piece and Quilt with Precuts. I had written and published the book before I started designing fabric. But once my first line, Modern Marks came out, I wanted to remake many of my earlier designs in my own fabric! Many of these fabrics are now out of print but I stocked up on the charm packs because I knew they’d be a hot commodity!!

Blooming Wallflowers

Click here for the Blooming Wallflowers quilt along.
Click here to get the Blooming Wallflowers quilt kit.

This is another quilt I loved so much that I had to make it twice! I was thrilled that I got to showcase the Abstract Garden version of the quilt at QuiltCon 2019 and of course it’s always a great pic when I can match my outfit to my quilt!!

I made the first version from Modern Marks and as you can see the colors are very similar. I actually used the same blue background fabric for both (Modern Marks Herringbone Navy) but due to the lighting it can look very different!

Dot N Dash Quilt – From Piece and Quilt with Precuts

Click here for the Dot N Dash quilt along.
Click here to get the Dot N Dash quilt kit.

This is another quilt that I remade from my Piece and Quilt with Precuts book and and it is so fun and fast to make! It uses one jelly roll + background and of I used one Fandangle Strip-pie to make this one + the gray background again.

Facets from Machine Quilting with Style – Improv Piecing

Click here for the Facets Quilt Along
Click here to get my book Machine Quilting with Style
Click here to get the Curated Solids Strip roll used in this quilt.

Facets was my first exploration of improv piecing and such a game changing quilt for me. It was the first time I placed in a national quilt show, and the very first pattern I designed for my very first book. It was also the first time I curated a collection of fabrics to achieve a certain look. I had collaborated with another fabric company at the time, not realizing that my penchant for bright colors and bold shapes would lead me to where I am today.

I hope you’ve enjoyed seeing just a few of the quilt alongs I’ve hosted. Click here for my entire quilt along archive. Leave me a comment if there’s a particular design from one of my patterns or books that’s you’d like to make. I’m always planning for future QAL’s and would love to help you along the way!

Beautiful Quilts Made from Gridwork

December 19, 2019December 16, 20192 Comments

I’m so excited that my newest fabric, Gridwork will be arriving in stores soon! To get you pumped up for some post holiday sewing, I’m sharing some gorgeous quilts made by my talented friends. Hopefully you’ll be inspired by one of these designs and put them on your “to make” list in the new year!

Why Knot by Heather Black of Quiltachusetts

Click here to get Heather’s Why Knot quilt pattern.

Whenever Heather Black designs a quilt, she really knocks it out of the park! She’s well-known for amazing modern curved piecing designs and she always makes my fabrics look great!! Check out her her new Why Knot quilt pattern, made from the Citron colorway of Gridwork fabric.

Heather is just as talented designing the machine quilting, too! I love how each section pops with the gorgeous custom quilting.

Here’s a mini-sized version of the same quilt, made from Gridwork in Amethyst:

The simple Gridwork quilting on this version gives it a completely different look, but it’s still very effective, don’t you think? And of course I love that it fits in with the theme of the fabric, too!

Mid Mod by Charisma Horton

I’ve recently gotten to know Charisma Horton online and her work is just fabulous! She has a great eye for modern design and is a prolific long-arm quilter, too. I love this composition that she created from Gridwork, called Mid Mod.

Click here to get Charisma’s Mid Mod quilt pattern.

She quilted it with a fun allover geometric motif that I think adds great texture to the quilt without overpowering the pieced design.

Doesn’t Charisma’s quilt look great on the side of this colorful building??

Meet Nate & Tate made From Leftover Scraps!

Check out what Charisma made from her Gridwork leftovers. Aren’t her Gnomes the cutest?

Get the pattern to make your own Noel Gnome and Home Gnome here.

Paintbox by Linda Sullivan of Colourwerx

If you love jelly roll quilts as much as I do – check out the new Colourwerx Paintbox quilt below. It’s made from one “Strip-pie” of Gridwork plus background fabric – easy peazy!!

Click here to get the PaintBox quilt pattern.
Click here to grab the Gridwork strip roll to make it.

Gridlocked by Jenifer Dick of Everyday Stitches

This striking design is made from Gridwork fat quarters + background fabric. I love how it shows off the prints and they look great all mixed up together!

Click here to get the Gridlocked quilt pattern.

I sure do love having talented friends that create some amazing patterns with my fabric!!

Now it’s your turn. Once you grab your favorite Gridwork prints and start sewing with them, please share your progress with me. You can post pics in my Facebook group, or you can share on instagram with the hashtag #gridworkfabric. I can’t wait to see what you make!

And don’t forget to preorder your favorite Gridwork bundles by colorway. They’ll ship in January!

Preorder Gridwork Fabric – It Ships in January 2020

December 16, 2019December 7, 20191 Comment

With all of the holiday preparations at this time of year, I’m also getting excited for my best gift of the year – my new fabric line Gridwork from Benartex, which should be arriving at shops starting in January of next year. For your viewing pleasure I’ve included pretty pics of all 3 fabrics by colorway below:

The Amethyst colorway includes 9 coordinated fabrics in gray, lilac, pink and plum.

The Breeze colorway includes 9 coordinated fabrics in lime, cloud, aqua and teal.

The Citron colorway includes 9 coordinated fabrics in Black, White, Navy, & Citron

Of course, I always encourage you to ask for my fabrics from your favorite local quilt shop first. And if you ARE a quilt shop who’s reading this, feel free to use these images in your marketing efforts.

However, if you don’t have a shop nearby, you can also preorder Gridwork directly from me while supplies last. I like to keep a healthy stock of all my fabric lines one hand, not only for my own use, but also to share with others so it gets into as many hands as possible.

You can preorder your favorite colorway from me in your choice of 9 fat quarters, half yards, or full yard increments.

Click here to get the Amethyst colorway in fat quarters, half yards, or full yard bundles.

Click here to get the Breeze colorway in fat quarters, half yards, or full yard bundles.

Click here to get the Cirton colorway in fat quarters, half yards, or full yard bundles.

Nothing beats seeing a project “in the wild” made from one of my fabric lines. And I escpecially love seeing how well it plays with other fabrics, too. Be sure to share your makes on social media using #gridworkfabric. Whenever I see your projects made from my fabric or patterns, it totally makes my day!!

Make the Rounds Quilt Pattern and Kit Available

December 12, 2019December 9, 20195 Comments

Did you see this amazing quilt, designed and made by my friend Heather Black? She used my Geo Pop fabric and it’s in the current issue of American Patchwork and Quilting (February 2020).

Click here to get the quilt kit for Make the Rounds.

Before the issue went to print, APQ magazine contacted me and asked if I’d be willing to offer kits for this quilt since it’s so eye catching. I immediately said yes and they were kind enough to mention my fabric and include a link to my shop in the magazine pattern.

Here’s a photo of the magazine cover, so you know which issue has the pattern:

It’s no secret that I simply adore all of Heather Black’s quilt designs. She really makes my fabric look good, don’t you think??

This is what she had to say about the design of this quilt, “When making a quilt, I like to choose a theme, either literal or figurative to help guide my choices while picking fabrics and quilting. I wanted to convey a sense of movement, and the name of this quilt [Make the Rounds] helped me pair colors and choose how to quilt the top.”Designed by Heather Black. Used with permission from American Patchwork & Quilting® magazine. ©2020 Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved. The kit includes the same fabrics shown here for blocks, borders and binding. The background behind the blocks consists of all one fabric.

Of course I’m biased because it’s using my fabric, but I just love the bold design and energy in this quilt! I think Heather did a fabulous job with color placement, and I love how she fussy cut the Mosaic Dots print to create a frame in the borders. Heather is an expert with modern pieced curved designs, and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next!

Quilting detail on Heather’s quilt.

Let’s Learn to Foundation Paper Piece with My Paper Pieced Primrose QAL

December 9, 2019February 26, 20201 Comment

I just love hosting quilt alongs, and better yet, I love it when you all quilt along with me! Here’s all the info you need to get started on my Paper Pieced Primrose Quilt Along:

Paper Pieced Primrose Kits Available

The image above shows the 35″ x 35″ wall size in two colorways, made from 16 paper pieced blocks. The images below show the 68″ x 84″ throw size in both colors, made from 80 paper pieced blocks.

For your convenience, I’m offering kits in both colorways, and both sizes – so you can pick and choose what works best for you! All four versions are made from my Abstract Garden fabric for Benartex. And for one week only, you can save 10% off the kit when you enter code KIT at checkout!

Click here to get the Paper Pieced Primrose Kit in Warm or Cool, Wall or Throw.

Paper Pieced Primrose Throw Size – Warm Colorway

Paper Pieced Primrose Throw Size – Cool Colorway

Of course you can make this quilt using any fabrics you like! Part of the fun will be seeing all of the different variations! Click the quilt pattern image below to enlarge the materials list:

Supplies Needed to Make this Quilt

Pieced Primrose Pattern – PDF version, OR
Pieced Primrose Pattern – Paper version
Optional Pieced Primrose Kit, OR fabric amounts shown in the pattern above
Basic cutting and sewing equipment
Sewing machine with brand new needle. (I recommend Superior 80/12 Topstitch Needles)
High quality thread for piecing and quilting (I recommend Aurifil 50 weight cotton.)
Recommended: Add a Quarter Ruler
Recommended: Wooden Seam Roller

Click here to get the recommended notions shown above.

Quilt Along Schedule:

If you want to follow along, we’ll make this entire quilt from start to finish in just 8 weeks!!
Click the links below for each step of the quilt along:

So don’t worry if you’ve never tried foundation paper piecing before. I’m going to walk you through every step of the process with detailed photos and explanations. The pattern includes the master foundation paper pieced template that you can photo copy as many times as you’d like. It will be a fun new adventure for a new year!

If you can cut the shapes above, you’ll have no problem foundation paper piecing – I promise!! Abstract Garden fabric shown is for BOTH colorways of Pieced Primrose.

So who’s with me? All you have to do is follow my blog each week! You can subscribe to my blog by entering your email in the box in the sidebar (either on the right if you are viewing on a laptop, or scroll all the way down to the bottom on your phone). You can also use the hashtag #piecedprimrosequilt on instagram so I can see what you are making!

More Infrastructure Inspiration

December 5, 2019December 3, 2019Leave a comment

Earlier this week, I shared my Infrastructure quilt finish, along with links to all of the quilt along tutorials. Today I’m back with more inspiring versions of this quilt made by others. I love to see the same design made up in different fabric, don’t you??

My version of Infrastructure quilt made with Geo Pop fabric.

Heather Black’s Version Made from Solids

Heather Black originally designed this quilt for me to show off my Geo Pop fabric line. But then she made her own version using Benartex Superior Solids. The color placement is basically the same, but the solids really allow her amazing machine quilting to shine!

Click here to read more about Heather’s fabulous machine quilting on Infrastructure.

Here’s a view of the Heather’s quilt hanging in the Benartex booth at quilt market earlier this fall:

Click here to get the solids color chart that Heather used for her quilt.

Other Gorgeous Finishes!

Whenever I do a quilt along, I always emphasize that I want everyone to work at their own pace. But it was really fun to follow two of the participants on Instagram as they kept up each and every week. Check out their beautiful versions of Infrastructure below:

This lovely quilt top was made and shared by Margaret Fleisher on Instagram. I love her color choices and clever use of fabric. Now I’m excited to see how she quilts it!

This one was made by Crystal, aka The Cozy Little Goblin on Instagram. Not only did her quilt top turn out beautifully, her photography is pretty amazing, too!

Want More Quilt Alongs?

If these have inspired you to make more quilts in the new year, be sure to check out my quilt along web page. It’s a roundup of all of the quilt alongs I’ve done so far. You may just find the perfect quilt you’ve been looking for!

Click here for all of my previous quilt alongs!
Click here to get the Infrastructure Quilt Pattern – Paper Version
Click here to get the Infrastructure Quilt Pattern – PDF Version

Infrastructure Quilt Finish – Ta Da!!

December 2, 2019December 16, 2021Leave a comment

I had the most amazing time making my Infrastructure quilt and sharing each step of the process with you. I’m excited to share more pics of the finished quilt along with links to all of the previous quilt along tutorials and videos. I hope it inspires you to make your own version!

Infrastructure made from Geo Pop Fabric

Click here to get the Infrastructure Quilt Kit (while supplies last).
Click here to get the Infrastructure Quilt Pattern – Paper Version
Click here to get the Infrastructure Quilt Pattern – PDF Version

Infrastructure Finished Stats:

Finished Size: 60″ x 73″
Pieced and Quilted by Christa Watson on a BERNINA 770QE
Fabric used: Geo Pop by Christa Watson for Benartex
Quilt designed by Heather Black of Quiltachusetts
Infrastructure quilt pattern written by Christa Watson
Batting used: Hobbs Heirloom 80/20 cotton/polyester
Thread used: #5007 from Christa’s Aurifil Piece and Quilt Collection – Neutrals
Quilting design: allover quilting using a decorative running zig-zag stitch
Completed: November, 2019

Infrastructure Detail Pics:

You can really see how the bright geometric fabric and adds to the movement of the design.

Links to Quilt Along Tips & Tutorials

Stay Tuned for More!!

I want to continue to be a cheerleader for “Start to Finish” quilting. Although I know that everyone has their favorite part of the quilt making process, I’m happy to guide you through the entire journey.

Click here to be notified about future quilt alongs.

Infrastructure quilt, designed by Heather Black, made by Christa Watson

Happy Turkey Day!! Save 20% on My Fabric Collections by the Yard!

November 28, 2019November 20, 2019Leave a comment

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! This officially kicks off the holiday shopping season, so I figured I’d join the crowd of business owners and get it on the Black Friday frenzy! From now through the end of the month, you can save 20% off all of my fabric lines by the yard, when you use code TURKEY during checkout at shop.ChristaQuilts.com.

Modern Marks – My Very First Line from 2017!!

Click here to shop Modern Marks fabric.

It was such a thrill when Benartex contacted me three years ago and invited me to become one of their fabric designers for their Contempo division which features modern and contemporary prints. They told me they loved my work and would love for me to infuse my funky geometric style into fun colorful fabric. Modern Marks was the result and it’s been a wild ride ever since!!

I still have a bit left of each of the 26 Modern Marks fabrics, and most are now out of print. As you can see below, all of my groups mix and match and are a riot of color and texture!

Fandangle – Debuted in 2018

Click here to shop Fandangle fabric.

I continued to fill out the rainbow in my fabric stash with this line, and decided I needed not one, but two background grays to go with them. Because Benartex reprints hot selling fabrics, the grays have been printed over, and over, and over again. They are literally, the “perfect” neutrals!!

Fun fact: most people mistake the word Fandangle with “Fandango“, but hey have two completely different meanings. Fandango is the dance, but Fandangle means decorative ornamentation – which is why I included fun fabric names like Beaded Curtain, Triangle Trinkets, and Baubles and Bits. Sometimes naming the fabrics is as much fun as designing them!!

With this group, you can separate them into warm and cool, but as you can see above, each print looks great with every other piece in the line. I have yardage of all 20 bolts of Fandangle available, and with this special deal, you can stock up on your faves!!

Abstract Garden – Spring of 2019

Click here to shop Abstract Garden fabric.

Can we say purple?? With each line I create, I want it to stand on its own as a complete color story. But, I love adding new things that will mix and match with what came prior. In Abstract Garden, I made sure to include purple, plus four great pastels that would serve as light, or “low volume” backgrounds.

Abstract Garden consists of 20 prints, many of which are loosely based on some of my favorite machine quilting motifs. The name is a tongue in cheek nod to the fact that I can’t really garden, OR draw floral motifs. Be sure to check out the signature print of the line, “Raised Beds.” It’s little plots of my most favorite geometric shapes!!

Geo Pop – Newest Release, Fall 2019

Click here to shop Geo Pop fabric.

With four fabric collections under my belt, I decided I really needed a line of modern basics. This is my largest line yet at 25 pieces, but with only 4 different prints. I’m thrilled that I was able to include more neutrals – plenty of black, white, and gray in this group to go along with the bright saturated colors.

With Geo Pop, you can have fun fussy cutting the geometric stripe, and can create some really cool effects with the eye catching Mosaic Dots print.

Shop, Save, and Share!!

For your viewing pleasure, here’s my stash of all four collections that I’m offering for sale by the yard. I keep these in my ~~overflow fabric room~~, I mean guest room!!

When you create with my fabrics, be sure to send me pics or tag me on social media using @christaquilts or #modernmarksfabric #fandanglefabric #abstractgardenfabric and #geopopfabric. I absolutely love to see what you create!!

Click here to shop all fabric lines by the yard.

Don’t forget to use code TURKEY at checkout to save 20%! Shipping is a flat $5 to the US, and I’m happy to refund excess International shipping charges, too!!