Christa’s Quilt Links – Finish Your Quilts with these fun Sew-Alongs

January 19, 2013March 19, 20133 Comments

There are so many fun projects to work on that I could literally start a new project a day for an entire year. Since there’s no way I would have time for that, I will share a few fun project ideas and inspiration that I found on some blogs instead. Join the fun below:

SewBitterSweetDesigns is hosting A Lovely Year of Finishes.

The way it works is that you pick one project per month that you know you can finish. You check in at the beginning, middle, and end of each month to show your progress.

Prizes will given each month as well as year-end prizes for those who finish. Sounds like a great way to set some goals!

Speaking of setting goals to finish your sewing projects this year, Leanne from She Can Quilt is hosting her own Finish-Along. Each quarter, you will have a chance to show pictures of projects you want to finish over the next 3 months. Those that finish are eligible to win prizes, too! The opening for the first quarter has already passed, but you many want to follow along anyway, so you can secure your spot to join up in April for Q2!

If a weekly finish is more your thing, be sure to check out Project Quilting‘s Weekly Challenges, hosted by Persimon Dreams.

There will be loads of inspiration, prizes, and of course, fun!

Leah Day from the Free-Motion Quilting Project invites you to quilt-along with her Goddess Quilt series she is offering on her blog.

This talented quilter has so many ways for you to make this outstanding piece of art: order a pre-printed panel, outline-stitch on your machine, or practice your applique techniques.

You can Express Your Love in so many ways with quilts!

If a quilt-along is too much for you, how about a Row-Along?

Lori Holt from Bee in my Bonnet has been hosting a lovely set of tutorials for making a row quilt.

She’s on row 9 right now but you can hop on over to her blog to join the fun. She has a flickr group, too!

And if you think all of the above is great, but you still want to add to your pile of ~~UFO’s~~ Finished Quilts, you can start on your own version of a scrappy Trip Around the World. Unless you’ve been under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now. This is the beauty of social media – someone has a fantastic idea and it goes viral!

Check out Bonnie Hunter’s Scrappy Trip Along Tutorial at Quiltville!

Favorite Tools – Flickr!

January 15, 2013March 19, 20133 Comments

I finally decided to jump on the Flickr bandwagon and I hope you will, too! I have created a Flickr group especially for my quilt-along tutorials, and the link for you to join is:

http://www.flickr.com/groups/christasquiltalong/

So before I go any further, I want to answer the question, what the heck is flickr all about? I’m answering because I’ve had this thought for several months now since I first heard of it.

Simply put, flickr is an interactive forum where you can post pictures, engage in discussions, and comment on other people’s photos and conversations. There are literally thousands of different groups on flickr, each moderated by the group’s creator.

My quilt-along group is a great supplement to my blog because you can post pictures of the quilts you are working on, ask me questions, and get input from anyone else in the group.

I have long lamented that I didn’t have a good way for you to share your WIP’s (works-in-progress) but now you can! And the best part is, you don’t even need a blog to participate – just a free flickr account.

My friend Alyssa from Pile O’ Fabric moderates a group on flickr for her Skillbuilder Block of the Month. She has put together 3 fantastic video tutorials showing how to create a flickr account and join some groups. Watch them and then be sure to join my group (and hers!)

Christa’s Show and Tell – Sewing Every Day

January 11, 2013May 15, 201415 Comments

One of the quilting goals I set for myself was to sew every day. To make this goal actually happen, I had to make sure it was realistic. In order to do that, I set a minimum time limit of just 10 minutes a day of sewing. I also broadened my definition of “sewing” to include designing quilts, reading quilt magazines and watching online quilting classes.

So far so good. Here is what I have been able to accomplish “sew” far this month:

I’ve signed up for several Craftsy quilting classes. I just finished watching Elizabeth Hartman’s free “Creative Quilt Backs Class” and am currently viewing Cindy Needham’s “Design It, Quilt It” class. They are both excellent!

I pulled these lovely fabrics to participate in the Skillbuilder Block of the Month over at PileOFabrics.com. I decided to go with all Kona Solids for this quilt. I haven’t decided on my background fabric yet. I’ll probably choose a shade of Grey.

I used the color wheel when choosing colors and went with an “accented analagous” color scheme. That means I chose red, orange and yellow which are next to each other on the color wheel, then threw in a bit of complementary teal just for fun. I can’t wait to get started!

Today, I paper-pieced this sewing themed block as part of Quiet Play’s And Sew On year-long block-of-the-month series. January’s block is called “Measure Twice” and is available as a free download this month.

Measure Twice, Cut Once!

I also made this block designed by Amy Friend of During Quiet Time. I love the sewing theme so I may have to incorporate it into the same quilt!

Next, I designed this quilt in EQ7 which will be the basis for my next quilt-along as soon as the current one finishes. I found out how to download Moda’s fabric swatches directly into the design program so I can design quilts using the actual fabrics from the quilt. Very cool!

Hugs and Kisses

When I don’t feel up to sewing, or when I’m traveling, and bringing along sewing supplies is impractical, I have a stack of quilting magazines that I am thoroughly enjoying reading.

My favorite magazines are Machine Quilting Unlimited, along with their brand new sister publication Modern Quilts Unlimited. I’ve also been a long-time subscriber of Quilter’s Newsletter, the best source of news for what’s hot and happening in the quilting world.

I think that’s a great start for January! How about you? How are you coming along with your quilting goals?

Christa’s Quilt Links – New Projects for the New Year

January 5, 2013March 19, 20131 Comment

In addition to my ongoing Do-It-Yourself quilt-along, there are a host of exciting new quilt projects to participate in for the new year. The ones below are just a few that I’ve had my eye on or am going to participate in.

Kristy from Quiet Play is hosting a paper pieced block of the month for 2013.

She has included a tutorial on paper piecing and will be showcasing her original patterns each month.

Each block pattern will be free for the current month. And the best part is – there will be prizes each month for those who participate!

Alyssa from Pile of Fabrics is also hosting a fantastic year-long project she’s calling her Skillbuilder Block of the Month.

From January-October she will demonstrate 2 blocks per month utilizing quilt-as-you-go techniques.

Then in November-December she will show how to add the borders and put on the finishing touches. And it’s Free!

Linda from Buzz-N-Bumble is hosting a blog hop in January called, “In Your Words.”

Each hop participant will show an item made from fabric with words added that tells a little bit about that person.

It will be fun to hop around, find some inspiration, and maybe even win some fabulous prizes!

For the complete blog hop schedule, click here.

For another fun January blog hop, visit Christine’s Quilt Monster in My Closet blog.

She will be posting the blog hop schedule on Sunday and it promises to be loads of fun. Do you Dare to Dresden?

And finally, Monique at Open Gate Quilts is hosting a free Blogger Girls Block of the Month series.

The block patterns are very traditional yet they can be interpreted in numerous ways.

She has posted a schedule of other bloggers who will be joining with their versions so you will get to see the blocks in lots of different colorways.

If you love to blog and hop like me, feel free to send me links to more fun events. I try to post my favorite blog quilt links each week, and I’m always on the hunt for more!

Final Giveaway of the Year – Pearl Bracelets Fabric Winner

December 24, 2012March 19, 2013144 Comments

I am excited to announce my final giveaway of the year! Lizzy House’s fantastic Pearl Bracelets collection has finally arrived – in 26 colorful hues.

I was so happy to get them. I had only seen them previously on random blogs and in books here and there. The scale is a little larger than I imagined – each complete pearl measures about 3.25 inches across – but that just makes them more interesting!

One lucky winner will receive a gift certificate for my store, good for any 8 Pearl Bracelet fat quarters of your choice. To enter, simply leave a comment telling me which color is your favorite.

Thank goodness Lizzy gave them all fun names – their color names are listed next to each fabric picture on my website.

This contest runs through the end of the year, Monday December 31, 2012 at 9 PM Pacific time, Midnight Eastern. I will post the winner’s name here on my blog. Good luck!

Updated 12/31/2012 – We have a winner!

Congratulations to Mara who said,

“Grape Jelly, sounds yummy and looks yummy!”

Well, Mara, you have a lot of yumminess coming your way! I will email you separately so you can pick out your favorite pearl bracelet fat quarters.

Thank you all for your comments and look forward to more giveaways to come in the new year!

Sat Dec 22 Christa’s Quilt Links – Holiday Projects and Beyond

December 22, 2012March 19, 20134 Comments

Ok, so maybe this post is a little late talking about holiday sewing projects with Christmas a few days away, but I couldn’t resist. I saw so many of them while blog hopping this week that I just had to share. You can file this under “get started right away for next year!”

Terry from A Quilting Blog has a tutorial for adorable snowman ornaments on her blog.

She used a super easy snowball block to make them (love that theme!) and they turned out so cute. You can follow her tutorial here.

Connie at Free Motion by the River has put together an excellent Christmas mug rug tutorial.

In fact, she has several posts about different mug rugs, mats and fun holiday ideas that I know you will want to check out on her blog so be sure to take your time reading and enjoy it!

Amy from During Quiet Time made some fun Christmas pillows from the song “12 Days of Christmas”.

She focused on the line about 2 Turtle Doves for her festive creation! I love it, don’t you?

Karen, blogging at BlondeDesign has decided to share this fantastic Patchwork Star Ornament tutorial.

I definitely feel the need have to make a few of these for next year!

Karen is talented enough to have been featured on Liberty of London’s blog. Way to go Karen!

Another talented Karen, from Sew Well Maide, has stitched together a very crafty Christmas garland created from felt.

She’s also hosting TGIFF (Thank Goodness is Finished Friday) this week so pop on over to her blog and you will be treated to loads of inspiration!

After browsing through all these awesome Christmas craft ideas, there is still more sewing fun to look forward to in the new year! Did you like my beginning paper piecing tutorial I finished last week?

If so and you are ready for more paper piecing goodness, you are in luck!

Kristy from Quiet Play will be launching a fantastic sewing-themed block of the month starting in January.

There will be prizes for those who participate and each pattern presented will be free for that month!

Her adorable “Sewing Room” block caught my eye some weeks ago and now I can’t wait for more!

Laurel Burch Fabric Giveaway Winners

December 17, 2012March 19, 201370 Comments

I’m continuing my giveaway frenzy through the end of the month! It started at the end of November when I found out about all these great blogs hosting fun giveaway blog hops. The last one ended last week and I was sort of going through withdrawals so I decided to host 2 more through the end of the year.

Today’s giveaway will go through next Monday, Christmas Eve, and then I’ll do a final one through the end of the year. It will be a fun Christmas gift for whoever wins. 🙂

To celebrate the arrival of Laurel Burch’s brand new Fabulous Felines I will give 2 lucky blog followers one of her Fabulous Feline Panels!

They come in two colorways – bright or blue. When I first started quilting I wasn’t quite sure what to do with panels, but they are some of my best sellers because of their convenience and versatility.

Here’s how to enter: leave a comment on this post giving me some more ideas about what you like to make with panels, or any other Laurel Burch fabric for that matter.

I will be accepting comments until December 24th at 9 PM Pacific Time (Midnight Eastern). I will randomly pick a winner at that time and post the name here on this blog post.

And just so no one feels left out, everyone can use the special coupon code below to save 10% on ANY Laurel Burch fabric order from my store, good through 12/31/2012.

Enter code LAUREL12 in the coupon box at checkout for this one-time discount.

I love to see and read about everyone’s creativity!! (In fact if you email me pics of any project you make using Laurel Burch fabrics or any other fabric you got from me, I’ll probably want to share it for show and tell on my blog!)

Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

Updated 12/24/2012 10:30 PM

Thank you for all of your wonderful comments. It was so great to read all of your ideas and suggestions on what to do with these lovely panels. My mind is now full of ideas!!

We have our 2 panel winners!

Congratulations to Beulah who said,

“I’ve honestly never used a panel for a panel…they always end up cut apart. These panels would be used cut apart as well…many possibilities. 1 image would most certainly adorn the back of a denim jacket! Other options: book jackets or journal covers, travel pillows, tea cozy, placemats, reading buddies, wall hangings, gift bags, wall hangings, infinity scarves, art smocks…..”

and also to Barb N. who had this great idea,

“Oh goodness, I’d make a really bright lap quilt using each panel section as the focal fabric with coordinating bright colors all around. It would be a quilt to make you happy! Lots of possibilities with Laurel Burch.”

I will contact both of you immediately via email. I sure hope you make something fun and email me a finished picture of your project!

Christa’s Quilt Links – FMQ, Block of the Month, Free Patterns

December 15, 2012March 19, 2013Leave a comment

I’ve been doing a lot of machine quilting lately, finishing up a few quilts in time to enter them into some shows. That got me thinking about all of the wonderful quilting tutorials, blocks of the month and free pattern ideas there are out there.

I can only begin to post a few, but here are some of my favorites I ran across this week.

Elizabeth Hartman from Oh Fransson shows how to do easy some easy free-motion quilting with her Dogwood Quilting tutorial. This one is definitely on my list to try!

Elizabeth is also offering a wonderful (FREE!!) Craftsy class called Creative Quilt Backs. I love “back art” so this is definitely the class for me! I just ordered it (FOR FREE!!) and can’t wait to have some time to watch….

Angela Walters has a wonderful new book out and she has loads of FMQ inspiration and tips on her blog.

I’ve signed up to take one of her classes at QuiltCon and have viewed her machine quilting class on Craftsy, too. She is my FMQ muse right now 🙂

I found a super cute Block of the Month hosted by Jeni of In Color Order.

All of Jeni’s blocks feature half-square triangles (one of my favorites!) in a striking combo of Citron and Aqua.

She just posted the final block in December and you can visit her blog for the entire group. She included some setting instructions, too, along with her finished quilt. It’s gorgeous!

I found this totally modern quilt block tutorial called “Getting Ziggy With It” from Kelly at Live Love Create. Isn’t it cool? I’ve never seen anything like it before!

Speaking of fun projects, the Art Gallery fat quarter gang has a fantastic Pillow Cover tutorial on their blog. Hmm, I wonder how you become part of the “gang”??? That sounds fun!

I’ve been checking out Andover‘s blog a lot lately, considering I’m expecting Lizzy House‘s Pearl Bracelets to arrive any day now.

In fact, Andover has have a super funky free quilt pattern to go along with Pearl Bracelets, aptly titled, “Pearls.” Lizzy designed it herself and it features large applique circles in a rainbow of colors.

If applique is not your style, how about this awesome free pattern from Lee at Freshly Pieced?

It’s called Kissing Fish and is available as a free pattern download. Nice share, Lee!

By the way, that’s Lee who hosts the WIP linkup every Wednesday on her blog. But I warn you – it’s quite addicting and can take hours to view and read about all of the lovely quilts each week!

Wow, there’s so much to check out that I could spend all of my free time blog-surfing rather than quilting. What a tough balance!

Blog Hop Party Giveaway! Now Through December 15

December 9, 2012March 19, 2013209 Comments

It’s time again for another fun blog hop party, hosted by Michelle from The Quilting Gallery.

Visit hundreds of blogs and enter for your chance to win.

Just click on the image at right or this link to join the fun!

One lucky winner will receive a $20 gift certificate to my quilt shop, ChristaQuilts.com to spend on anything you wish!

It’s easy to enter: simply leave a comment telling me what you’d buy if you won! While you are visiting, you can also sign up for my website newsletter and be one of the first to find out about my Daily Deals, Weekly Specials, and more.

This contest is open to friends and fabric lovers all over the world. I offer free US shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase, and a flat international rate of just $10, no matter how much you buy!

I will select one winner at random and post their name here on my blog. I’ll also notify them via email. Contest ends Saturday, December 15th at Midnight Eastern Time (9 PM Pacific).

Good luck and happy blog hopping!

Updated December 15 – We Have a Winner!!!!!!!

Congratulations to Lisa McGriff who has won a $20 Gift Certificate to my store!

On what she would buy if she won, her comment (chosen at random) was, “Probably the Hex n More Ruler!”

Great choice Lisa 🙂

Thanks to all of you who participated. It was fun to read all of your comments and participate in this hop!!

Giveaway Day Blog Hop – Win a Charm Pack of Your Choice

December 3, 2012March 19, 2013569 Comments

Giveaway Day December is turning out to be a great month for giveaways!

I just gave away 2 pairs of Machingers gloves last week. Now I am participating in Sew Mama Sew’s Giveaway Day which actually lasts all week long! (Plus there’s another giveaway fest sponsored by the Quilting Gallery starting next week on December 10th.)

Here’s my giveaway: I am offering one free charm pack of your choice to 2 lucky readers! To enter, leave a comment on this post stating which charm pack you’d love to get your hands on. Here are just a few samples out of all the charms I offer:

Sew Stitchy Charm Pack

Farmers Market Charm Pack

Mod Century Charm Pack Bella Solids Charm Pack

You can visit my web store at www.ChristaQuilts.com to see which charms I have in stock. What’s more – if you don’t want to wait to win the contest, you can fill your stash with your favorite charm packs because they are on sale at 20% off all during the contest!

While you are visiting, be sure to sign up for my email newsletter and blog so you can stay informed of all the latest and greatest “quilty” stuff!

The contest runs through Friday, December 7th at 5 PM PST and two winners will be chosen at random from all comments received (one comment per person, please). I will post the winning names here on this post at that time and will also contact them via email.

My giveaway is open to everyone, both in the US and across the world.

Good luck and happy hopping!

Updated 7:15 PM, Friday December 7th – We Have Our Winners!!

Thank you everyone who commented. This was a fantastic giveaway and this is the most comments I’ve ever received on a single post so that was exciting, too. By far the most popularly requested charm pack was “Sew Stitchy” – I love that one, too!

Congratulations to these 2 winners below, chosen at random. I will be emailing you directly on how to claim your charm pack from my store at http://www.ChristaQuilts.com.

Sara from thedomina.blogspot.com who said, “Love the Domestic Bliss charm pack!”

Terry from aquiltingblog.com who commented, “Would love Pat Sloan Eat Your Fruits and Veggies Charm Pack…thanks for the chance!”

Thanks for participating – this contest is now closed.