Category: machine quilting

Quilt A Real Quilt with Me at Empty Spools Retreat!!

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I’m so excited to check something off of my bucket list! I’ve been wanting to teach at Empty Spools Seminars in Asilomar, CA for as long as I’ve been a quilter and 2026 will finally be the year, whoo hoo!!

Normally when I travel and teach I give a one hour lecture and 1-2 days of machine quilting workshops. I love it, but all we have time for in that short period of time is to quilt out a bunch of practice samples. I also discuss how students can apply what they’ve learned to an actual quilt but of course, they’ll need to go home and do that on their own time.

Well, I’m bursting with excitement to let you know that my week long workshop at Empty Spools takes it to the next level. In this class, you’ll get to bring in a real, basted quilt (or 2) and learn how to actually quilt it all week in class! We will go through a series of exercises to get you comfortable with the process and then I’ll guide you step-by-step to quilt and finish your own quilt. Won’t that be fun??

Take a look below at the schedule for the week. Click on the image to enlarge it if needed:

I will be teaching this in-depth workshop, called “Quilt That Quilt!” during Session 1 which runs from Sunday, March 1 through Friday, March 6 of 2026. This gives you plenty of time to gather supplies and make arrangements for your visit. Registration includes alls meals and you can either stay on campus, or make your own accommodations.

Click the image below to enlarge for details on costs:

This workshop/retreat is a chance for you to go through the entire process of making a quilt from start to finish. Once you sign up, I’ll be in touch with students so that they can prepare a quilt of their choice so it’s all ready to quilt once they arrive to class next year. I can’t wait to see what quilts students choose to make, and I’m so excited to help them experience the joy of making their own quilts.

This is a big event and commitment but I promise its worth it to set aside the time and money to attend. Do you have any questions? Please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them ASAP!

99 Designs Episode 13 – Free-Motion Quilting Broken Feathers & Echo Paisley

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Looking for a free-motion quilting design that can add dense texture to your quilt? Check out the latest from this week’s episode of my “Year of Machine Quilting,” where we will be learning to quilt Broken Feathers and Echoed Paisleys, two designs from my book, 99 Machine Quilting Designs:

Quatrefoil Quilt From The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

I used both of these designs on “Quatrefoil,” a quilt from my second book, The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting. This book was a collaboration with Angela Walters, featuring 10 quilt patterns with instructions to quilt them using either a longarm or domestic sewing machine. If you want to learn a variety of versatile approaches to quilting entire quilts, then this is the book for you!

Pick up a Copy The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting in My Etsy Shop!!

Are you enjoying watching my new machine quilting videos each week? I’ll be sharing a total of 60 when all is said and done. You can watch them as much as you like and go back and bookmark your faves. To catch up on any prior episodes you have missed, be sure to watch the playlist for the entire series. Start by clicking play below to catch them all:

99 Designs Episode 12 – FMQ Landscape Lines and Partial Waves

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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!!

Quilt Show Entries & Judging Feedback For 2 Quilts

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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

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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

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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?

99 Designs Video Episode 5 – FMQ Spiral Boxes

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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.

My Year of Machine Quilting Videos Has Begun!

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The new year is a great time to pick up a new hobby, or develop one you’ve been working on. Well I’m excited to say that 2025 is definitely the year to improv your machine quilting skills! My Year of Free Machine Quilting Tutorials has begun, kicking off with this in-depth introductory video. Click play below to watch:

Before we get started practicing, it’s important to set up your machine and gather your supplies. To make it easy, here are a few of my recommended supplies that I mentioned in the video above.

I’m so excited to demonstrate on a full quilting sample for every single design in my book, 99 Machine Quilting Designs. Although it’s not required to watch the videos, I highly recommend it as a great resource to follow along. Think of it as pre-written notes for the entire series.

Along the way I’ll share bonus tips and tricks using both walking foot and free motion motifs. My goal is that by the end of the year, you’ll see a vast improvement in your quilting skills. In fact, I’m sure you’ll start to notice smoother stitching in just a few weeks!

For example, here’s a bonus video I’m sharing along with the introductory video. It’s a longer sneak peak showing how I quilted my Daisy Chain quilt 3 different ways. This is the cover quilt from my book, How Do I Quilt It? Click play below to watch:

Each new video tutorial will post to my YouTube channel on Fridays at 8 AM Pacific Time. They are all pre-recorded and edited ahead of time, so you can watch them anytime, on *your* schedule! I’ll include a reminder blog post each Wednesday, just in case you forget. And you can subscribe at ChristaQuilts.TV so you don’t miss a thing. Watch the videos as much as you like. Pause and rewatch your favorite sections so you can work comfortably at your own pace.

In every video, I get down to the nitty gritty right away. And the comments section is lively and educational, too! I read and answer every single one. So rest assured, if you have any questions at all, I’m happy to help!

I couldn’t have pulled this off without the help of my college kids. They worked hard behind the scenes to help me hang quilts, edit all of the videos and generally keep me on track. I’m sure they enjoyed bossing their mom around to get this done, LOL!

I also have to thank *you* for supporting my little business over the years. It’s allowed me to work from home while raising the kids. I couldn’t be more proud of the education and career paths they’ve chosen, and I love that they enjoy working for me part time during their breaks.

Until next time, happy quilting!

Watch My Replay Chats with By Annie

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I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on Annie Unrein’s Live YouTube show. We talked about how you can apply machine quilting designs to her cute bag projects and patterns. We discussed things to think about when using her fabulous product called Soft and Stable. The most fun part was getting to show off a cute project that my mom (Also Annie) had made using the fabric I had quilted the previous time I was on Live with Annie. (Click the images if you don’t see the play buttons below.)

Recent Episode 44 from Season 4 in 2024

Previous Episode 22 from Season 2 in 2022

My Fabrics Make Cute Bags and Totes!

I’m always thrilled when Annie uses my fabrics in her cute bag samples. In both episodes her studio was filled with them. She’s also made a few projects from my latest fabric line, Dazzle Dots. Enjoy the eye candy below.

Click here to view all By Annie Patterns & Supplies
Click here to get my Dazzle Dots Fabric

Drop Zone Pattern

Cut it Out Pattern

Hot & Heavy Pattern

New Video Series: 99 Machine Quilting Designs!

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Starting in January of 2025, I’m excited to share an entire year’s worth of machine quilting tutorials over on my Christa Quilts YouTube Channel. This is something I’ve been wanting to do ever since I wrote my book, 99 Machine Quilting Designs. With the help of my tech savvy college kids, I’m finally making this dream a reality. Click the video below for a sneak peek of what’s to come!

Grab Your Quilting Textbook to Follow Along!

Although the entire series will be free to watch, I highly recommend getting my book to follow along. It’s the perfect textbook for independent study as you practice your machine quilting skills. It’s available as an instant PDF download which you can save to your computer for quick and easy reference!

Click here to get 99 Machine Quilting Designs Digital Ebook

Behind The Scenes

We filmed about half of the series over the summer and the kids have spent the last few months editing them together so they are ready to go starting on the first week of January. That will take us through until about the summertime. Then, over the winter we’ve been working on the other half of the series which will run through the end of 2025 and a bit into 2026. I’m very pleased with how everything is looking so far and I’m excited to share it all with you!

Here’s a bit of what my studio looks like when we are in the thick of it:

My kids did a great job hanging the quilts that served as my backdrop for each episode.

Making these videos has been a fun family affair. I hope you enjoy them!!

Bonus Machine Quilting Tutorials on “Real” Quilts

Throughout the year as I make more quilts, I’ll share bonus videos showing how I apply many of these motifs to an actual quilt. Here’s just one example from a previous quilt I made called Swanky Spirals. This is the quilt shown behind me in the preview video above.

Click below to watch:

Click here to get the Swanky Spirals PDF pattern
Click here to get the Swanky Spirals Printed pattern

What are Your Machine Quilting Hangups?

Now I need your help. I’d love to know your biggest stumbling blocks when it comes to domestic machine quilting. Please leave a comment below letting me know any particular issues you have. I’ll incorporate these into the series as much as possible. Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel to join the fun!