Well it feels great to be back in the saddle again – quilting, blogging, and creating more fun video content. I just did a soft launch of my Christa Quilts Live! series in my Facebook Group. I uploaded the replay to my YouTube channel so you can click HERE or the image below to watch.

Each Live chat will be about 30-45 minutes covering a different topic. For next week’s chat (on Tuesday, November, 30) we will be discussing more details about my upcoming Blooming Wallflowers Quilt Along that starts in January.

So click here to grab a copy of the Blooming Wallflowers Quilt Pattern and stay tuned!

Click here to subscribe to my YouTube Channel

Click here to join my Facebook Group

Whenever I release a new line of fabric, I LOVE to see what it will look like made up into one of my previous quilt patterns. Depending on my free time, sometimes I’ll remake the quilt. But usually if time is tight, I’ll get just as much satisfaction recoloring it in EQ8 (Electric Quilt design software.)

• Click here to get the Optical Illusion Kit above, in Navy or Red.
• Click here to get the Optical Illusion Quilt Pattern PDF

I enjoyed recoloring Optical Illusion Using my Black, White and Bright fabric line. This line can be used all together of course (just like any of my collections). But there’s something magical when you pull just a few prints together in its own color story.

Be sure to scroll up and down to see these quilts wiggle. That’s the optical illusion caused by the placement of light, medium and dark fabrics in the correct proportion. The secret is to have high contrast in the squares (the lightest and darkest prints) with a medium/midtone color as the long skinny strips in between.

Optical Illusion Quilt in Red/Pink Fabrics

Click here to view all Black, White & Bright fabrics for more fun combinations!

In the red/pink version above, I’ve chosen Branch dots in orange/pink, Crackle in red, and Electric Stripe in red/white. I love how all of these combine together, don’t you?

Optical Illusion Quilt in Navy/Black Fabrics

Click here to grab any of the quilt fabrics above, by the yard!

In the navy/black version above, I’ve chosen Crackle in blue, Electric Stripe in navy/black, and Links in Gray.

Check out the Optical Illusion Quilt Along to Make this Quilt!

A couple of fabric lines back, I made the first version in Black, White & Gray. I offered a free quilt along to go with it, too. All you need to purchase is a copy of the quilt pattern to follow along.

Click here to follow the Optical Illusion Quilt Along

In the link above, I’ve also included additional tips and tricks for choosing fabric combinations and why they work. I also included some examples of what doesn’t work so you’ll know how to choose fabrics effectively, right off the bat! Below is the original version of the quilt shown on the pattern cover.

I’m curious – what color combination would you choose to make this quilt?

Electric Quilt Software (EQ8) Black Friday Sale!

P.S. My friends over at Electric Quilt just set up an affiliate program AND they are offering 25% off of any purchase through the end of the month when you use code 25 Days at checkout through my affiliate link here. I design ALL of my quilts in EQ8, and I’m also an ambassador for the company – so I can’t say enough nice things about them!!

Click here to get EQ8 design software – perfect for holiday gift giving!!

At the very beginning of the pandemic I experimented with a fun feature in my Facebook Group. I hosted a series of weekly live chats on a number of fun quilty topics. It was well received, but then life got in the way and I had to take a pause. But now I’m happy to say that fires have been extinguished, and ducks are all in a row once again. So I’m excited to announce that Christa Quilts Live! is back.

Click here or below to watch the video for complete details!

These chats will be very informal and interactive. If you aren’t on Facebook, don’t fret! I’ll also be posting the replay to my ChristaQuilts YouTube channel later the same day, so you won’t miss a thing!

I’ll be chatting about all things fabric design for our very first topic, so please leave a comment with any questions you have about this topic. I’ll do my best to answer during the show. I hope to see you there!

Click here to join my Christa Quilts Group on Facebook

Click here to subscribe to my Christa Quilts YouTube Channel

Click here to get my Black, White & Bright fabric collection.

Can you believe it’s been over 6 years since I wrote my very first quilting book? Back in 2015 I was so thrilled to launch my national career with what I considered my textbook for my quilting workshops, Machine Quilting with Style. It was soon followed by The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting in 2016 and Piece and Quilt with Precuts in 2017. Then I took a break from book writing to design fabric. Now I’m back to both and I couldn’t be more thrilled.

Click here to grab your signed copy of my books for just $19.95 each.

But the time has now come to clear out the old to make way for the new. Just in time for the holidays, you can get any of my first 3 books for just $19.95 each, and I’ll be happy to sign them for you!

If you are missing any of them, now’s your chance to complete your collection. Take a look at each of the collage images below, for an overview of the projects included in each book.

Click here to grab my machine quilting books on sale, while supplies last.

They each include step by step instructions on how to make a complete quilt, from start to finish – including machine quilting plans and diagrams. Writing these books has helped me become a better teacher. My hope is that by reading them, it will help you become a bette quilter!

Let me know in the comments if you have a favorite book, or a favorite project from one of the books. Each time I hear that it makes the machine quilting process easier, that’s like music to my ears!!

Whenever I release a new fabric collection, I always like to include a bonus free quilt pattern to go along with it. My freebie for my latest quilt collection is called “Stacked Bricks” and it’s made from 2 1/2″ precut strips of Black, White and Bright.

Get My Free Quilt Pattern and Fabric to Make It!

Click here to get Stacked Bricks Free Quilt Pattern
Click here to get my Black, White & Bright Jelly Roll

As you can see from the images above, I’ve designed 3 different versions of this quilt. You can make it with all dark strips plus a contrasting light background, all light strips with a contrasting dark background, or a scrappy look with light AND dark strips. The lap size measures 45″ x 62″ but you can easily make it larger simply by adding more strips. It’s a very versatile design!

I hope you enjoy making this quilt. If you’d like to share on social media, please use the hashtag #stackedbricksquilt so others can see your beautiful work!

If you’d like to help support everything I do here on the blog, be sure to grab some of my newest fabric collection. As you can see below, it plays really nicely with Good Vibes which was my previous line.

The one good thing that has come out of pandemic/lockdown times is more companies embracing online events. I’m excited to be part of Benartex’ next Virtual Fabric Show on November 16, 2021. The fun begins at 10 am EST.

Click here to register for the FREE virtual fabric show!

Here’s the schedule of events for that day. I’m excited to talk more about my new fabric line, Black White & Bright. But you’ll be inspired by all of the other fabric designers, too! We all have our own unique style and I love seeing what they create. I hope to see you there!!

Well hi all! It’s been a minute since I’ve posted regularly on my blog. Like so many of you, the past year or so has been a crazy time for sure. Throw in some deadlines, some life circumstances, and some general malaise, and that’s a great excuse to not share here as much as I usually do.

The good news is that I recently completed a big project (more about that later) and I finally have more time to get back to what I enjoy doing – making fun quilts and tutorials and sharing them with you all! I recently sat down and did a little thinking and strategic planning which basically boiled down to this: I need to create more and consume less. That’s the secret to a happy, quilty life I think!

This represents “What I did over my Pandemic Vacation…” More about this coming soon!!

More Online Video Content Coming Soon!

The other thing I realized is that I need to get over my fear of imperfection and create more fun, free YouTube videos for you all. It’s one thing to film them professionally in a studio and quite another to do them in my own studio with a production team of 1 – yours truly!

But I have a whole boatload of ideas on what I want to share with you all, so I’ll get started on that soon, whether or not they look professionally edited. As I say with quilting, finished is better than perfect, right?

In addition to more video content, stay tuned for more quilt patterns, more quilt alongs and loads of quilty inspiration. I’m still putting some finishing touches on some new products behind the scenes (can we say new sewing table anyone??). Plus a few more things that will be launched into production once supply chains and shipping is under control again! In the meantime, click the links below to browse some other fun places I like to share:

Click here to subscribe to my YouTube channel and catch up on my old videos while you wait for more!

Click here to join my Christa Quilts Group on Facebook and share what you are currently working on!

At a minimum, you’ll be hearing more from me here on the blog and I can point you to all the right places once new things are announced. I can’t wait – and please let me know if there’s something specific you’d like to learn or see more of. I’ll do my best to accommodate your request.

I have 2 super fun things to talk about today, both involving Electric Quilt.

First of all, I’ve partnered with them on a design challenge, featuring my new fabric collection, Black, White & Bright from Benartex.

During the month of November 2021 you can head over to the EQ blog to download swatches of my newest line and design an original quilt to enter into the contest.

Click here for complete details to download swatches and enter the contest!

2 lucky winners will each get a bundle of Black, White & Bright – how cool is that??

The second EQ news is that I’m featured over on their blog as one of their “Pearls of Wisdom” celebrating 30 years of EQ! I’ve used the software since before the beginning of my quilting career and I currently use EQ8 to design ALL of my quilt patterns. I couldn’t design without it!

Free Quilt Pattern!

Whenever I design a new fabric line, I include a free quilt pattern to go with it, designed in EQ8 of course! Here’s my free Pattern, Puzzle Box, recolored in my Black, White & Bright collection. This really plays up the black, white and grays in the group – don’t you think? It just takes 2 jellyrolls to make it with half light/half dark fabrics.

Click here to get my Free Puzzle Box Quilt Pattern

Click here to get the Black, White & Bright JellyRolls to make this quilt.

I’m so excited to introduce my 7th fabric line with Benartex, called Black, White & Bright!

Black, White & Black: Gray Fabrics

Black, White & Bright: Low Volume Prints

Black, White & Bright: Saturated Colors

Get Free Shipping On Fabric by the Yard!

For all you early birds out there, I’m offering a pre-order special now through October 31st!! Get any of the 20 Black, White and Bright prints by the yard and receive FREE US shipping with NO coupon required. How cool is that???

Click here to PreOrder Black, White & Black Fabrics by the yard with Free US shipping!!

I’ve also grouped the entire line into two bundles – lights and darks. You can order a full yard bundle, or a half yard bundle, and those qualify for free US shipping, too!!

I hope you love using these fabrics and much as I enjoyed designing them. Stay tuned over the next few weeks to see what you can make with these fabulous fabrics. I’m excited to dive in and start using them and sharing my process with you!!