Teaching at John C. Campbell Folkschool in March

December 4, 2014December 4, 201411 Comments

One of my goals I stated for 2015 was to seek out new teaching venues. I am excited that my first national teaching event of the year will be a week-long class at the John C. Campbell Folkschool in Brasstown, North Carolina. Click here to register and come join the fun!

The accommodations at the Folkschool are just lovely!

From March 8-14, 2015, I will be teaching “How to Make a Modern Quilt” featuring my Modern Logs pattern and I couldn’t be more thrilled! In this intimate setting, I’m going to walk you through the entire process of making a quilt from start to finish, including cutting, piecing, basting, machine quilting and binding. How fun will it be to get away for a week, enjoy some beautiful mountain views, and come back with a finished project?

How to Make a Modern Quilt featuring Modern Logs

I have to honestly say that I’d never heard of the Folkschool until they contacted me earlier in the year inviting me to teach. When I took at look at their website, read through their rich history (the school has been around since 1925!), and checked out their accommodations, it was easy to yes!

In addition to year-round classes with different instructors every week, the Folkschool features community events, craft auctions and a number of different festivals. It really is a community unto itself!

Arts & crafts, music and dancing are all to be had at the Folkschool!

So here is the deal with registration: sign up for the week long class and pay your deposit which will hold your seat in class. Then select your choice of lodging and meal packages to fit your budget. For example, my class runs the entire week with orientation beginning on Sunday evening, 5 full days of instruction (Mon-Fri), and a show ‘n tell presentation on Saturday before everyone leaves.

It is a big chunk of change since it’s a week-long event, but compared to the daily rate of other venues I’ve attended it’s quite a bargain. The total instructional time with me is 30 hours and the class sizes are very limited so it’s going to be quite the experience! It makes me giddy thinking how awesome it will be to make new friends and spend an entire week with them focusing on nothing but quilting. I’m also looking forward to evening strolls and early morning walks before class!

I can’t wait to experience those views!!

So if you are even thinking about it, I encourage you to sign up now. Tell your loved ones you’ve been good this year and that this would make the perfect holiday gift. 🙂

Craftsy Discount: Save 50% on Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design

November 24, 2014November 24, 20146 Comments

Do you have a quilter’s crush? I do, and my crush is on Jacquie Gering. Seriously, I love everything this woman does! After viewing her class Creative Quilting With Your Walking Foot, I knew I wanted to go back and watch her first class, Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design.

Thanks to my friends at Craftsy, you can enroll in Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design for 50% off the regular price, making it only $19.99 for this class. What a bargain! Just be sure you click through this link for the discount to apply. (It’s a special discount I got just for my blog readers because I asked super nicely!!) But here’s the catch – it’s valid for one week only (expires 12/1/14 at 11:59 pm MST) so be sure to sign up quickly.

I love bold “irregular” quilts and I’m warming up to improvisational piecing, which I had never tried before I discovered the modern movement. In fact, here’s a sneak peak of some “crazy pieced” yardage I made for a quilt in my upcoming book.

Some of my Improv Piecing using Kona Solids

If you’ve ever met Jacquie or taken a class with her before, I’m sure you’ll agree that she’s a natural speaker! For those of you who have yet to get to know Jacquie, let me tell you – she’s as genuine as they come! She has a background in teaching so she’s very comfortable explaining her methods and techniques. Her presentation style is very calm and and she puts you at ease right away. She’s sincere and affable and you can’t help wanting to be her best friend. 🙂

In this class, you will learn fun methods such as Jacquie’s signature “slice and insert” technique, her take on stitch-n-flip triangles, and a modern version of crazy piecing.

Detail of Jacquie’s Swirling Stars Piecing, Using the Flip and Stitch Method

Here’s an overview of the class outline: (I’ve included the time for each segment in minutes so you can see how easy it is to watch this class on your own schedule, at your convenience.)

Lesson 1 – Meet Jacquie (2:45)
Lesson 2 – Stitch and Flip Technique (18:30)
Lesson 3 – Love Knots, a Scrappy Quilt Demo (20:08)
Lesson 4 – Swirling Stars with Stitch and Flip (15:40)
Lesson 5 – Slice and Insert Improv (16:58)
Lesson 6 – The Unparalleled Quilt (19:39)
Lesson 7 – Crosscut Quilt with Slice and Insert (16:51)
Lesson 8 – Crazy Piecing (15:49)
Lesson 9 – To the Point with Monochromatic Crazy Piecing (24:16)

In additional to the lessons presented above, the class includes materials lists and instructions to make 5 of the quilts, plus direct access to Jacquie via the class platform. (In fact that’s one of my all-time favorite perks about Craftsy classes – being able to interact with the instructors by asking them questions which they are usually pretty quick to answer.)

Lime Ice Quilt, made by student Lisa H. and shared in the class gallery.

Although Jacquie is best known for making Modern quilts, you can still apply her techniques to fit your style of quiltmaking. So be sure to check out Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design. I highly recommend it!

This post was sponsored by Craftsy. 🙂

How To Make a Modern Quilt – Class Registration is Now Open!

July 8, 2014July 7, 20149 Comments

I would love to invite you to register for my week-long class on How to Make a Modern Quilt at the John C. Campbell Folkschool in Brasstown, North Carolina March 8-14, 2015.

Students will spend a full week with me as they learn how to make a complete modern quilt from start to finish using my Modern Logs quilt pattern.

Page from the Course Catalog for 2015

Come spend the week with me in a retreat-like setting in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina! Class time will run for 6 hours a day from Monday-Friday with a break for lunch and plenty of time in the mornings and evenings for exploring your surroundings and enjoying extra activities (or additional studio time). Orientation is on Sunday evening when you arrive with a final show and tell on Friday evening before you depart on Saturday morning.

I can’t wait to explore all of the beautiful nature trails when I arrive!

Here are the important details:

When: March 8-14, 2015
Where: John C. Campbell Folkschool in Brasstown, NC
Cost: Tuition – $594 for the week, plus room and board (approx. $300-$700 depending on your choice of accommodations).
Travel to and from the Folk school is up to you.

The folkschool craft shop features work made by local and regional artisans.

Here are some helpful links to learn more about the school and how to register:

Click here to read my class description and/or register for my class.

Click here for “what to expect” in a typical week (my class is 6 nights).

Click here for information on Lodging and Meals.

Click here to download the complete Course Catalog.

Example of one of the housing locations at the Folk School – Isn’t it perfectly charming??

A supply list will be sent to you upon registration. You can choose to bring your own sewing machine or use of of the classroom machines. Class size is limited, so register early for a guaranteed spot! I can’t wait to see you there!

Christa’s Soap Box – I Love Teaching Quilting!

June 16, 2014June 16, 20149 Comments

I love teaching quilting. I mean, I really, really love it! I just wrapped up a couple of modern quilting classes last week at Quiltique and I am feeling such a sense of satisfaction that teaching is a regular part of my life once again.

A couple of my samples were on display during class preview day at Quiltique.

I first began teaching quilting about 17 years ago when my oldest was just 7 months old! My mom, whom I taught to quilt, had walked into a local shop at the time (which is now out of business) and the owner asked her if she had any suggestions for quilting teachers. Mom recommended me and the rest as they say is history. 🙂

Like mother, like daughter – we both love to sew!

The fact that I could get paid for sharing something that I would gladly do for free was just icing on the cake! I developed a series of beginner’s basics classes and outlined methods for teaching how to make an entire quilt from start to finish. As the local shop was beginning to go out of business, I moved my teaching to a nearby Joann’s where I quickly developed a loyal following.

I would get a new set of students each summer and most of them would take classes from me all year long until I cycled through my entire curriculum. It was such fun to see them not only grow as quilters, but to watch as they developed friendships with other students in the class. They were with me through the births of my last 2 children and we would joke about how I liked to sew barefoot (and pregnant).

My daughter’s baby quilt, made by former students in 2003. She still uses it!

I had just started my online fabric shop in 2003 right before I had my daughter (who is now nearly 11) and I knew then that I would have to take a break from regular weekly teaching. On the last night of class, my students surprised with an impromptu baby shower complete with a quilt for my daughter. I was so touched it made me cry. No one had ever made me a quilt before!

Over the last 11 years I’ve kept up my teaching skills by sharing with friends, developing tutorials online, and offering occasional classes through my guild and at retreats. However, I’ve missed the interaction that regularly scheduled classes affords. Now that I’m back, it feels like old times! 🙂

A former student of mine, Ofelia with her first quilt – a traditional log cabin!

A highlight of my most recent class is that one of my original students (whom I hadn’t seen in about 14 years) came to join us. When she heard I was teaching again, she quickly signed up for my Modern Logs class. Just for fun, she brought in her first quilt that I had taught her to make all those years ago. And guess what – it was a log cabin. 🙂

Sara is showing off her fussy cut centers – aren’t they just adorable?

Although my methods have changed over the years along with my style, what hasn’t changed is the sense of satisfaction I get from interacting with my students. Seeing the smiles on their faces, and feeling their pride with a job well done is just priceless.

I don’t plan to take a break from teaching anytime soon. In fact, I’m expanding my reach and have already started booking traveling gigs for next year. It’s just too much fun to pass up! (And for those of you that are interested, I do sell my Modern Logs pattern here.)

Barb is excited to baste and quilt her version of Modern Logs.

What’s the most fun class you’ve ever taken?

Sew and Tell – A Class with J. Michelle Watts

June 6, 2014June 5, 20143 Comments

A few weeks ago, my traditional guild brought in guest speaker J. Michelle Watts to lecture and present a series of classes. I was fortunate enough to take a super fun day-long applique class with her.

Quilting students watching J. Michelle Watts’ machine applique demo.

Michelle’s focus is on machine applique with a southwest theme and it was very interesting to me how many Southwest designs have a little bit of a geometric modern vibe to them.

Some of Michelle’s beautiful class samples.

As any well prepared teacher would do, Michelle offered kits available for our class and many of the students took her up on that offer. The medallion piece was a great exercise to practice stitching angular shapes, sharp points, and tight curves.

My friend Cory stitched her practice sample on a striking black background.

Of course, I had to go my own way and try something completely different! 🙂 I may not actually do anything with this piece, but it was fun to try out the teacher’s methods and pick up a few tips and tricks along the way.

My version – it’s such fun to play!

No matter how much I think I know about a particular subject, I always learn something new whenever I take a class. The best tip I picked up from Michelle’s class was to use a dotted outline when tracing shapes for fusible applique. It’s much quicker than drawing the whole line!

Drawing dotted lines rather than a full outline of the shape is much faster!

Thanks, Michelle, for a great day – and a fun class!

Modern Logs Quilt Finish

May 2, 2014May 4, 201453 Comments

Presenting my latest finish: Modern Logs!

Modern Logs by Christa Watson, 48″ x 54″

Modern Logs was one of my fastest finishes ever! From picking out the fabrics, to stitching down the binding, I finished in just under a week. The folks at Quiltique were kind enough to order the Petal Pinwheels line from Michael Miller for this quilt. It’s the same fabric being used in the Modern Quilt Guild’s fabric challenge. I chose coordinating solids and I was off and running (or should I say sewing)!

Probably the hardest part of the whole quilt was deciding on which fabrics to put together, but of course, that’s also the most rewarding part when it all comes together. I made test blocks, wrote copious pattern notes, and practiced quilting on a sample block so that I could test the thread and batting.

I prefer natural batting when quilting on my home machine – it doesn’t pucker!

I went with Aurifil Dove grey 50Wt. cotton for the quilting (in both top and bobbin) with Quilter’s Dream Cotton in the select loft thickness. I used an elongated ziz-zag stitch – #16 on my Bernina model 710. I adjusted the length and width of the stitch until I was happy with the result.

This is the fourth quilt I’ve made using 505 basting spray and I’m just in love with it! It sticks every square inch of the top to every square inch of the batting and backing – so important to keep things from shifting and bunching while quilting!

This time I put a sheet under my layers as I sprayed and did it indoors with the windows open. My room is large and well ventilated so fumes were not a problem. I sprayed the backing and top, rather than the batting. I also ironed the whole thing when finished to set the adhesive, a tip I learned from machine quilter extraordinaire Ann Petersen.

I created the backing on my design wall by covering up the top with yardage and leftover scraps. I kept going until the backing was big enough. I love fun pieced backs, don’t you?

Here’s a nice angled shot where you can really see the quilting:

Zig zag quilting was super easy and fast to do!

And the back:

I think quilt backs should be as interesting as the fronts!

Modern Logs finishes at 48″ x 54″ and took a total of 24 hours to complete, including binding by hand. Not bad for a week’s work, and much faster than my last MQG challenge!

Modern Logs – designed, pieced and quilted by Christa Watson, 2014

For those of you outside the local area, I will be teaching this quilt as a week-long retreat class at the John C. Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina, March 8-14, 2015.

I’ll update my teaching schedule when Folk School registration opens later this spring.

How to Get the Most out of Your Craftsy Classes

April 17, 2014April 16, 201411 Comments

As many quilters do, I love to learn new techniques and keep up with the latest quilting trends. I’m willing to travel far and wide to attend national quilt shows and meet my favorite quilting personalities. However, there’s a part of me that’s a self-proclaimed homebody, so I love the fact that Craftsy makes it possible for me to take amazing quilting classes from the comfort of my own home.

Quilt Design from Craftsy’s Free 2014 BOM

I recently had a chance to interview a few of my favorite Craftsy instructors. They had many interesting things to say in regards to teaching and interacting with students via the Craftsy platform:

Domestic quilting expert Leah Day explains the difference between the free content on her blog and her online Craftsy classes that you register and pay for. Says Leah, “My paid content is usually longer, more in-depth, and definitely more step-by-step. I’m willing to hold your hand and take you through every question I know you’re going to ask.

“Craftsy is also worlds different from YouTube because of the interactive platform which allows you to ask questions, post photos, chat with other students, and bookmark sections of the video to go back to.”

Image courtesy of LeahDay.com

I am a very visual learner. When someone tells me something or tries to explain a concept to me, I usually nod politely while I’m thinking about my next quilt. But once they show me hands-on – that really grabs me and engages my attention! That’s why I’ve signed up for so many classes myself – so I can have access to them at anytime of day or night and watch them literally on demand.

Angela Walters began adding online classes to her roster when she discovered that it allowed her to reach even more quilters. At well over 10,000 students for her first class alone, she says, “I am so humbled and thrilled that I get to connect with so many quilters. I love seeing their pictures and engaging with them on their platform.”

Christa and Angela at QuiltCon – she truly is one of my heroes!

Camille Roskelley enjoys the online learning format, both as a student and as an online instructor. Camille focuses on the convenience of piecing with precuts in her classes.

As a busy mom of young boys, Camille says, “I’m always trying to figure out ways to fit quilting into everyday life, so I have to make the most of the time I have. In class, I show how to cut, press, and piece in a way that you can walk away from it, and come back right where you left off, while always making the most of your time… even if you have as many distractions as I do!”

Photo courtesy of Craftsy

Remember that video teachers are like regular teachers and that they are real people, too. They each have their preferences, methods, and unique quilting habits. So take what you want, leave the rest, and learn something from everyone. 🙂

Remember the saying, “Do what you love?” These fabulous instructors are doing it! Here are their suggestions on how to make the most of your online experience:

From Leah Day: “Be open minded. Don’t be rigid in thinking there’s only one way that a certain technique can be done, or only THAT material can be used for THAT technique.” (In other words – ignore the quilt police!)
From Angela Walters: “Engage on the website. Not only by asking the instructor questions, but also by sharing pictures and talking to other students. It makes the class more like a community!”
From Camille Roskelley: “I have found I get the most out of a class if I watch a lesson closely once and sew along with it the second time around. I also suggest you take as many classes as you can to see other quilters’ techniques because we all do things differently!”

Leah Day filming her Craftsy class. Photo courtesy of Leah and Craftsy.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I’m a cheerleader for all things quilting. These amazing instructors not only make that job easier, they also inspire me to try things I never would have dreamed of before!

Sew and Tell – A Visit with Cindy Needham

January 20, 2014January 18, 201415 Comments

This past weekend I had the great pleasure of meeting quilting diva Cindy Needham and taking a fabulous machine quilting class from her, on how to quilt heirloom feathers and backgrounds. All photographs were taken by me and shared with Cindy’s permission.

Cindy Needham and Christa Watson at DQN Guild Meeting

Cindy’s specialty is turning vintage heirloom linens into beautifully quilted masterpieces! She is my hero because she find joys in extensively quilting her quilts and encourages others to conquer their fear of free-motion quilting. I love this quote from Cindy, shared on the back of one of her beauties:

It reads, “Take the time to quilt something beautiful. Your work will speak to generations to come about your passion for quilting, and give your quilt a voice to speak to those who choose to listen…” Isn’t that lovely?

Click on each of the pictures shared below to enlarge and appreciate the details!

Heirloom quilting by Cindy Needham.

Although Cindy’s quilting style is beautifully vintage, with heirloom quality stitches machine quilted on a breathtakingly small scale, I was able to learn so much from her and contemplate how I might apply her techniques to my modern quilts.

Cindy’s quilt sample. Imagine what a beautiful, modern wholecloth this would make!

In fact, during class I kept laughing to myself whenever she would show samples of her “larger scale” designs. I mentioned that her large scale is my small scale. 🙂 I think that a good way to describe the differences in motif size could be called be “Heirloom Scale” and “Modern Scale” – both equally beautiful and appropriate for their quilting styles.

Cindy’s Feathers

Cindy reminded us that it was okay to be “consistently inconsistent” and that perfection in quilting is over-rated. Words to live by. The sample below is one of my favorites. I love her nod to asymmetry in this piece! I think it’s a touch modern, don’t you?

Quilting Sample by Cindy Needham

If you ever get a chance to take a class from Cindy, or listen to one of her lectures, I highly recommend it! She also has a couple of machine quilting classes on Craftsy, one of which I reviewed previously on my blog. Now I’m off to doodle… and dream sweet machine quilting dreams….

Free BOM and Craftsy Flash Sale

January 18, 2014January 18, 20146 Comments

Now that I’m going to be blogging for Craftsy on a regular basis (thanks to so many of you for reading my first Craftsy post), I thought it’s only fair to spread the Craftsy love whenever I think they are doing cool stuff. And don’t worry, I’m not going to slack around here – I still have plenty to say on my own blog, LOL!!

So anyway, I love the fact that Craftsy offers so much free content on their site, including this year’s free block of the month series. The 2014 BOM is all about applying color theory to your quilts for dynamic results. I know that picking colors and choosing fabrics is my hardest part of making a quilt, so I’m excited to pick up a few tricks of the trade as I follow along with instructors Amy Walsh and Janine Burke.

I mean, doesn’t this look simply scrumptious?? And if such loud colors aren’t your thing, you can always go back and sign up for the BOM for 2013 or 2012 here. They are still available online for free! (I love free – don’t you?)

If you do get that itch to sign up for more classes, Craftsy is having a “flash sale” through the end of the day tomorrow, 1/19/14. There are a nice selection of quilting classes, most of which I signed up for during the last sale. 🙂 Here are a couple couple of quick recommendations if you’d like to check them out:

Click here to view all classes on sale this weekend and get started on something crafty!

New Block of the Month for 2014 – For the Love of Sewing

December 10, 2013December 5, 201310 Comments

Since I’m not planning any new quilt alongs for 2014, I thought it would be fun to share what my friends are doing instead! Alyssa from Pile O’ Fabric is hosting a fabulous new quilt along, “For the Love of Sewing” consisting of 15 blocks, finishing at 52″ x 56″.

I participated in Alyssa’s 2013 skillbuilder quilt along which was just fantastic! She covered many of the basics including piecing and quilting and it was a great chance to practice piecing modern blocks. Here are some of the blocks I made for the 2013 BOM:

And here are a couple of my quilted blocks from earlier in the year. Doesn’t this look fun?

Alyssa’s BOM’s are incredibly thorough and detailed. She’ll walk you through step by step on how to piece and quilt each block using quilt-as-you-go methods. New for this year, she’s set up an online “sewing room” platform consisting of video tutorials, downloadable PDFs and all the instruction you need to make this fabulous quilt.

She’s charging a nominal fee of $25 for the entire year which means you’ll have exclusive access to each monthly step! It’s quite a deal if I may say so myself. 🙂