Category: Giveaways

Contain It! Blog Hop and Book Giveaway

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It is with great pleasure that I get to share a new book I just came across. It’s called Contain It! English Paper Pieced Accessories by mother & daughter team Linda and Laura Chaney from Prairie Sewn Studios. First I’ll tell you about it, and then give you a chance to win your own copy!

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Now, usually I don’t make 3-D items, but several containers in this fascinating book definitely have me tempted to make one! In reality, I will probably choose one or two and have my mom make them for me – she loves this type of sewing and there are some really great containers in here!

cubesPage from the book showing a gallery of cube containers.

The projects are arranged in order of difficulty including: flatwork practice projects like mug rugs and table mats, cube containers, concave & convex containers, scalloped bowls, heart containers & boxes, star containers and boxes.

starsPage from the book showing a gallery of star containers.

Linda and Laura are very thorough in their directions and each of the projects includes full sized templates. There’s also a great section in the front of the book that goes over suggested fabrics and needed supplies to successfully make the containers in the book. The containers can be sewn by hand or machine and layout/assembly diagrams (called an “octopus”) are given for each project.

Be sure to check out each of the blogs on the hop this week for more perspectives on Contain It!

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The Giveaway

For your chance to win a copy of Contain It!, leave a comment below letting me know if you’ve ever made a quilted container before. Entries are open to US residents through this Saturday, April 18th at 6 PM Pacific Time. I’ll email the winner and update this blog post with the winner’s name.

My Newsletter

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QuiltCon Swag Winner and a Quick Update

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I owe you guys some winners! Congratulations to Karen W. who won the copy of QuiltCon Magazine and to Elizabeth B. who won the Charm Pack.

I’ve had a busy catch up week! After getting home and settled from QuiltCon it was time to quickly finish a quilt for an upcoming magazine deadline, and then pack and get ready for my week-long class at the Folkschool coming up.  What a fun kind of busy right?

hst_quiltingSneak peek of what’s been keeping me so busy this week!

I love teaching so much that I’ve been booking more workshops for the spring and summer (see my updated teaching schedule here). I’ve even had a few inquiries for next year, so that’s pretty cool, too. I’m not ashamed to admit that I still like getting asked out. 🙂

20150312_luggageI got some fun new “quilty” luggage just for the trip!

I’ll be posting plenty of real-time Instagram updates (follow me @christaquilts) and I’ll try to sneak in a blog update or two while I’m gone. Part of my workflow involves getting my weekly newsletters ready ahead of time, so be sure sign up for my email list so you don’t miss a thing!

I will leave you with a  little bit of novelty eye candy, newly arrived precuts from our store….

diarywimpykidDiary of a Wimpy Kid Fat Quarters – aren’t these fun??

star_warsStar Wars bundle – you know you want it!!

spidermanSpiderman – need I say more??

Thank goodness Jason and the kids can hold down the fort while I’m away!

 

 

Let’s Have a Giveaway – Courtesy of QuiltCon!

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A week later, I’m still basking in the glow of the awesomeness that was QuiltCon. Why don’t we have a giveaway so that I can share some of that awesomeness with you?

Quiltcon2015QuiltCon Magazine features many of the show quilts plus new original patterns.

First up, is a copy of QuiltCon magazine from Interweave. I was thrilled that two of my quilts were showcased in the magazine so I eagerly bought a copy for myself at the show. The publisher kindly sent me another copy for being a contributor, so I’m happy to pass that along to one of you!

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Spiralling Out of Control and Modern X were both featured in QuiltCon Magazine.

Next, I received a bit of swag in my goody bag so I’m happy to offer up this beautiful charm pack of Casablanca by Benartex to one of you!

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Here’s How to Enter:

  • Leave a comment below, letting me know whether or not you are thinking about attending a future QuiltCon. You can also mention if you were in Austin, or if you followed along virtually!
  • I will draw 2 winners at random, one for each prize, and will announce their names on Thursday, March 5th.
  • The contest is open to everyone, and comments close Wed, March 4th at 9 PM EST.

Book Winner – and Thank You!

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Congratulations to Caryn S. who wins a copy of Paper Pieced Modern from my friend Amy Garro. She has been contacted and the book is on it’s way!

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I don’t know about you – but I am constantly amazed at the talent I’ve seen in the online quilting community. Between social media and the modern movement I feel like I’m chatting with lifelong friends who really get me and my style. I love it!

Also, – a huge thanks to those of you who helped out with my fabric destash.

2015-02-14destashNow I have a nice clean shelf that I will be filling up with all sorts of fun works-in-progress. For those that missed out, rest assured that I will be doing another one in a few weeks (maybe a couple of months). I still have loads of fabrics and goodies to clean out – stuff I just don’t use anymore.

2015-02-16-quiltconbagSneak peak of that quilt backing on the design wall coming soon….

I’m just about packed and ready for QuiltCon. I leave in the morning and will be sporting my favorite bag (made by my friend Vicki from A Quilter’s Mission) and an awesome lanyard that I got from Sewtopia.

Be sure to keep up with me throughout the week on instagram @christaquilts!

Giveaway Winner

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Congratulations to Lori M. who is the winner of the Kaufman Skinny Strips and Moda Charm Pack shown below! I’ve sent you an email directly. Thanks also to those of you who participated by reading my weekly email newsletter. 🙂

Precuts

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Fabric Friday – Global Shipping for Precuts and a Giveaway!

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For this week’s Fabric Friday, I thought I’d do something a little different – let’s have a giveaway!!

But first, I have some great news for my international friends: most of our precuts are now available for global shipping! Whoo hoo! I believe this is a pilot program, which if successful, will hopefully mean that all items will be available for international shipping in the future.

Click here to see which precuts this applies to. 🙂

PrecutsOne of you will win these precut bundles by signing up for my newsletter!

And now for the giveaway…

One lucky winner will receive the precut bundles shown above: a Skinny Strip (1 1/2″ x 40″ strips) of Valori Wells Blueprint Basics in Summer, plus a charm pack of Bella Snow.

Enter to win!

Click here to subscribe to my weekly email newsletter and you’ll be automatically entered to win! I use a double opt in system which means you’ll receive a confirmation email once you’ve added your name to the list. Be sure to find that email (check your spam box just in case) and open it to ensure you’ve been registered.

blueprint basics summerFabric swatches from Blueprint Basics – Summer

If you are already signed up for my newsletter, you don’t have to do a thing – you are already entered. Imagine that – you don’t even need to leave me a comment! Though of course you still can if you want to. 🙂

The giveaway is open to everyone worldwide through Monday, January 19th at midnight PST. I’ll draw a winner’s name and announce it on the blog during the day on Tuesday.

Have a happy sewing weekend!

Another Craftsy Class Giveaway – Fresh Applique Techniques

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It’s time to wrap up my giveaway series that coincided with my Abacus Quilt Along. (For those of you who quilted along – be sure to email me pics of your progress and I’ll share showcase them here on Wednesday.)

Since the quilt along was all about easy applique, I thought you may want to learn more about this fun technique. My friends at Craftsy are giving one lucky reader the online class, 20 Fresh Applique Techniques with Amanda Murphy. You may remember not too long ago I fell in love with Amanda’s book on color. As much as I love quilting books, video classes are even better!

20141110_fresh_ideas_appliqueIn this class, Amanda walks you through 4 fun applique projects that cover a total of 20 different techniques. The class is divided into 7 lessons that run about 20-30 minutes each. As a bonus, she even includes tips on free-motion quilting and trapunto.

Here’s an overview of the class agenda:

  • Lesson 1 Swirls Quilt: machine applique techniques with concave and convex turns
  • Lessons 2-3 Garden Runner: learn about fusible web and tips on using a lightbox
  • Lessons 4-5 Flower Power Pillow: work with bias tape and variety of stitches
  • Lesson 6 Hawaiian Table Topper: practice trapunto techniques and yo-yos
  • Lesson 7 Emphasis Your Applique with free motion quilting techniques

Check out her Swirl Quilt below, where she demonstrates one of my personal favorites for machine applique – the blanket stitch.

20141110_swirl_applique_amandaSwirl Quilt by Amanda Murphy

Amanda’s style is whimsical and fun, her manner is easy-going and she has a soothing voice, which is always nice to listen to!

All patterns and templates for the projects are included in the class materials and she goes over some of her favorite fusible products, stitches and threads. The Q&A section (off to the right) also has a wealth of information including suggestions for troubleshooting as you sew.

Here are details on how to win this class:

 

Craftsy Winner! And a Quilt Along Reminder

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A quick congrats to Kathy H. who won the Craftsy Class, Finishing School: Edges and Bindings with Mimi Dietrich. I’ve got one more Craftsy class giveaway scheduled in the next couple of weeks, so be sure to stay tuned for details!

20141027_finishing_schoolThat reminds me – for those of you participating in the Abacus Quilt Along, be sure to email me pictures of your progress by November 10th and I will highlight them here on the blog on November 12.

They don’t even have to be finished! The more people who email me at christa@christaquilts.com, the more I’ll have to share! You can also post them on instagram #abacusqal or share on flickr at ChristasQuiltAlong.

 

Craftsy Giveaway – Finishing School: Edges and Bindings

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As promised, it’s time for another Craftsy class giveaway – whoo hoo!! Since my quilt along tutorial on binding your quilt is coming up later this week, I thought it would be perfect timing to give away the Craftsy class Finishing School: Edges and Bindings with Mimi Dietrich. But first, let me tell you a little bit about this fabulous class.

20141027_finishing_schoolAlthough I pretty much bind my quilts the same way every time, Finishing School teaches you how to do several fun techniques such as prairie points, scallops, piping, ruffles, and more! There’s even a bonus section on the often overlooked finishing touches like adding sleeves and labels to your quilts.

The class is broken down into six easy to swallow lessons, each about 30-45 minutes:

  1. Using Backing as the Binding
  2. Making New Bindings from Scratch
  3. Adding Trims
  4. Rounded Corners and Scalloped Edges
  5. Prairie Points and Ruffles
  6. Sleeves and Labels

20141027_finishing_school_bindingsThere are lots of options for beautiful bindings!

Whenever I check out a Craftsy class, I always love reading the students’ comments and questions to learn more. Seeing what my fellow class-mates are making is super fun, too! Check out the cool coasters and trivets by craftsy member Pam in New Zealand. She was able to bind a project with more than 4 edges after taking this class! 🙂 (And her machine quilting is pretty awesome, too!!)

20141027_coastersCoaster and Trivet set by craftsy member Pam in NZ

Here’s how to enter:

Good luck and thanks for reading! This post was sponsored by my friends at Craftsy.

I’m Off to Market – and Ready for a Giveaway!

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I’m headed off to the trade show, the International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. Jason and I have a strategy for the show – he will be the planner, setting up appointments to meet with our vendors, organizing our budget for new precuts, and making sure we both eat and rest well.

amybutler_meIt’s fun to meet up with “Sew”-lebrities at Quilt Market!

I’ll get to do the “fun” stuff – rub shoulders with quilting celebrities, meet up with online friends, and attend presentations from some of the top designers in the industry. Jason told me he’s perfectly happy to stay out of the limelight while attending to business, so together we’ll make a great team!

I’m sure I’ll pick up a bunch of freebies while I’m there, so I thought for this week’s giveaway, I’ll offer up a mystery bag full of market SWAG!! Be sure to follow me on instagram @christaquilts starting on Friday for some sneak peeks!

20141020_market_pinTo enter, just leave a comment telling me what you would want to do if you attended market, or who’s new designer lines you’d love to see!

The giveaway will remain open through Monday, Oct. 27th at midnight Pacific Time. I’ll draw a winner’s name at random sometime Tuesday morning (after I’ve recovered from the trip) and will mention it on the blog later that day.

Have a happy quilting weekend!