Christa’s Soap Box – Why I Quilt My Own Quilts

March 9, 2015March 7, 201519 Comments

I’ve come a long way since I began my quilting journey so many years ago. My style has changed over the years, but my passion has not. In fact, it’s gotten stronger, the more quilts that I make! I was recently reflecting about why I do what I do and what drives me to do it! A large part of my personal quilting style is that I choose to quilt my own quilts. The reasons for it have changed over the years, and I feel like I’ve come a long way since I began.

WIP sneak peek #1 – gotta love all that texture! I used Aurifil 50 wt cotton – my favorite!

I first started off quilting my own quilts because I didn’t know any better. I just thought that’s what you did. Of course, my first couple of finished quilts were actually tied but I loved them just the same.

When I began quilting in earnest around 1994-95, most award winning quilts were still hand quilted and longarms were just coming onto the scene in a big way. I knew people who owned one and came so close to purchasing one. A friend was selling hers cheap and I thought about buying it. When I mentioned it to my mom, she agreed to loan me the money, but by the time I got back to my friend, she had already sold it to someone else.

WIP sneak peak #2 – I free-motion quilted the spiral with the help of a stencil.

So I just continued to quilt my quilts because that was my only option. I will admit that I did go through a period of quilt snobbery where I thought it was cheating if you didn’t quilt your own quilt. But then I was enlightened when I realized not everyone enjoyed that process. Just as I don’t like to sew clothing or accessories and will gladly pay someone for those services, I’ve realized that many quilters are perfectly content to do the piecing while others are perfectly happy to just quilt. What a great match!

At one time I took orders for custom quilts and even gave professional quilting a try on my domestic machine, but that was really way too stressful. I am still a recovering perfectionist so I’m much happier to make mistakes on my own quilts rather than the quilts of others. Over the years I’ve tried longarm quilting, but it’s just not for me, and I’m totally cool with that.

WIP sneak peek #3. I enjoy quilting straight lines, and my machingers gloves are a must!

After making quite a few quilts in a short period of time last year, I finally realized that the reason I quilt my own quilts is for the sheer pleasure of it. Instead of feeling stressed and overwhelmed that I had to a tight deadline to meet, I enjoyed every minute of it! In fact, I had a little bit of a letdown when I had finished my quilting obligations!

Wip sneak peek #4 – the pieced back is as much fun as the front! The final reveal will be shown in a future issue of Make Modern magazine. Be sure to subscribe so you don’t miss it!

For now, I will continue to enjoy the journey I’m on and share my methods with others if they want to learn. And if they decide it’s not their thing, at least they tried, right? (I can’t tell you how many things I have tried that are not for me… but that’s another post for another day!)

Christa’s Soap Box – My Thoughts about Modern Quilting Post QuiltCon

March 4, 2015March 3, 201518 Comments

I’m throwing in some more random QuiltCon pics while I wax philosophically below. 🙂 Click here to see most of the quilts from the show, courtesy of Sew Mama Sew.

It’s no secret that in the last few years my quiltmaking style has definitely changed. I’ve enjoyed making quilts for 20 years now, but only discovered the modern quilting style back in 2012 when I first heard about the movement in a traditional quilting magazine. I was instantly stopped in my tracks when I realized this is what I had been searching for, but didn’t know it!

I loved Casey York’s lecture on finding modern inspiration in art! Quilt by Debbie Grifka.

I also love it that people are so passionate about their opinions! I’m not one to stir up debate, but I love reading the emphatic appeals from quiltmakers on one hand who don’t want to be labeled and those on the other hand that do! Isn’t it so awesome that within the larger quilting community, there’s room for all styles and tastes?

I picked up some great tips from Jacquie Gering on being a better teacher. We also had some great conversation about modern quilts and what a wonderfully unique show QuiltCon is!

Going to QuiltCon in 2013 put me on a career path that inspired me to publish patterns, write a book and return to teaching quilting after a long absence. Attending QuiltCon again in 2015 solidified my desire to want to make and share even more!

Lee Heinrich and I stealing a few moments to chat on the show floor. Be sure to read Lee’s QuiltCon comments here. I think she’s right on the money!

Although I do consider myself a “modern” quilter, I’m pleased as punch to be friends with those who don’t share my zeal and enthusiasm for the aesthetic. During and after my trip from QuiltCon I heard from several quilters who realized that maybe “modern” is not their thing, and that’s totally OK!! Because you know what – it certainly is my thing! 🙂

Getting some great tips from Cristy Fincher from Purple Daisies about submitting a class proposal to Craftsy. She’ll be launching her first class soon – stay tuned for details!

But far be it from me to ever demand any of my friends or fans to follow in my footsteps. Instead, I’ll continue to explore the modern aesthetic and will seek to educate myself (and others) about it whenever I get the chance. Because what I love most about the quilting community are the many friendships I’ve made while pursing this passion.

Delicious crepes for brunch with fellow bloggers. The food and conversation were delicious! Visit Elizabeth’s blog at OP Quilt to see a much better picture of the group than the one I had!

I loved the quilts of QuiltCon because you could really see the heart and soul that went into each of them. I enjoyed viewing so may original compositions and appreciate that there was such an emphasis on aesthetics and design. I’ve also been exploring how to incorporate many of the principles of modernism (negative space, minimalism, asymmetry, clean lines, abstract design and even improvisation) into my machine quilting and it’s been a fun ride!

Yes, I totally admit to stalking my quilts! It was so exciting to see people admire my work!

I’ll leave you with one of the first things I said to members of my local MQG when I recently took over as president:

Just because you enjoy modern quilts doesn’t mean you have to BE a modern quilter. And just because you consider yourself part of the movement doesn’t mean you have to make exclusively modern quilts. 🙂

Best of show – i Quilt by Kathy York. When I saw it in person, I didn’t see the larger “I” at first. Then I realized it has so much meaning in the message!

Now, who wants to go make a quilt?

The Pillow Collective – Amy Ellis’ Think Big Edition

February 27, 2015February 27, 20158 Comments

Amy Ellis has just released her 4th (yes 4th!) book with Martingale. 🙂 It’s called Think Big and to celebrate she’s hosting the Pillow Collective – Think Big Edition.

Check out last year’s Pillow Collective here.

For the blog hop, 15 different bloggers (including me) got a chance to read the book and make a pillow from one of the designs. Let me tell you right now, I have not made a quilted pillow since the early ’90s (I resist 3-D sewing) but boy did I have fun with this one.

I chose Amy’s Downtown block and tweaked it a little by using solids for all of the rectangle pieces to create an interesting abstract design. I really like the look of it and definitely need to work more modern design into my decor!

For the quilting design, I went to town stitching a whole bunch of random straight lines, using painter’s tape to help establish a straight angle. I quilted on either side of the tape, then used the edge of my presser foot as a guide to add additional random parallel lines.

The best tip I picked up from Amy’s book was how to finish the pillow. There are excellent step-by-step instructions on how to assemble the pillow front and back together, creating an opening in which to stuff a pillow form.

From the book I also learned that you can bind a pillow the same way you would for a regular quilt. I love the pop of color it adds! Now I’m not scared of pillows anymore and may just make another!

The pillow is currently sitting pretty in a corner of my very yellow dining room! If I get bored of using it as a pillow, it also makes a cute mini. 🙂

Think Big includes a beautiful assortment of ten 18″ finished blocks, each with projects in five different sizes! I love how graphic and modern they are, and I’m sure you will, too!

Because Amy is so sweet as well as extremely generous, she’s also hosting a giveaway of several fabric bundles and a quilt featuring her Modern Neutrals fabric line!! To enter, simply pin a pillow to pinterest (say that 5 times fast) using the hashtags #ThinkBigBook and #PillowCollective. Click here for Amy’s Pillow Collective Pin Board.

Today is the last day of the blog hop, so be sure to check out all of the previous stops to see all of the other beautiful pillows. I’ve linked to each blogger’s pillow post below:

Amy’s Creative Side
Mary on Lake Pulaski
Diary of a Quilter by Amy Smart
Pat Sloan
April Rosenthal
Ruby Blue Quilting Studio by Rebecca Silbaugh
Sometimes Crafter by Christina Lane
Patchwork Posse / Becky Jorgensen
Elizabeth Evans of Simple Simon Co.
Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt
Maureen Cracknell Handmade
Debbie Grifka of Esch House Quilts
Happy Quilting Melissa
Heather Valentine from The Sewing Loft

Now, who’s in the mood to make a pillow?

More Quilts From QuiltCon 2015

February 23, 2015February 22, 201512 Comments

I can express more in pictures than I can in words, so here are a few more fabulous quilts from QuiltCon:

(Click here for my previous QuiltCon 2015 post)

Above, 11 of the 12 modern quilts of the month from 2014 were on display including Modern X, which was my pattern for March. The PDF quilt patterns are available for free to all Modern Quilt Guild members on the community site in the members-only forum.

It was fun to get a picture of myself standing next to Optical Illusion to show the scale of the design. It was fun to see people standing back to get a better look!

I loved meeting so many of my online friends in person including Michelle Wilkie, and our quilts got to be “neighbors” in the show! Abacus was my solid quilt and Neighborhood was hers. They both hung in the “small quilts” category.

I loved this small piece, titled “Oh the Places You’ll Go” by my friend and roommate, Cheryl Brickey of Meadow Mist designs. It reminds me of the art quilts that Michael James made in the 90’s, way back before I was ready for modern and contemporary designs!

I took so many pictures that I can’t possibly share them all in one post, so I invite you to follow me on instagram (or click here: @christaquilts) to see more! You can also search the hashtag #quiltcon to see thousands more images from the show. It truly was a social media event!

Now I can’t wait for QuiltCon 2016 in California. 🙂

My Experiences From QuiltCon 2015

February 21, 2015February 14, 201820 Comments

QuiltCon 2015 has been the most amazing event! It feels like a grand reunion of online friends who’ve never met! The quilts, lectures and social encounters are unlike any other show I’ve ever attended. I’ve seen the most beautiful quilts, I’ve met the most inspiring people, and I’ve had the most amazing experiences!

The Quilts

The picture below shows a small montage of some of the ribbon winners. Click here for pictures and names of all the QuiltCon 2015 winners.

QuiltCon is the largest display of modern quilts in the world!

The People

I met and reconnected with many of my online friends from blogging and instagram, just a few of which I managed to photograph below:

Cheryl Brickey (my roommate) and Amy Garro; Kristy Daum, Gemma Jackson, (me), Yvonne Fuchs, Malka Dubrawsky (Moda designer), Andres Rosales and Cristy Fincher; Daryl from Andover with Chris, The Tattooed Quilter, Leanne from She Can Quilt and me; Jacquie Gering, and Krista Hennebury.

The Experiences

A Show like QuiltCon is more than about just quilts. Making connections and experiencing new things are all part of the fun!

Coming full circle with Marianne Fons, from whom I bought my very first quilting book, and her daughter Mary Fons who published my very first quilt pattern in her magazine 20 years later!
QuiltCon Pin Trading – such a fun way to remember everyone I met!
Getting temporarily tattooed from Sarah Watts of Cotton and Steel. (Permanent tattooing was also a thing – just not my thing!)
Being interviewed to talk about Spiraling Out of Control by the Quilt Alliance project.
Sharing Modern X as part of the special exhibits tour with Bill Volckening.
Being asked to autograph a copy of QuiltCon Magazine in which 2 of my quilts from the show were featured – such a surreal moment!

And many more amazing moments that will live in my memory for a long time! I always say I’ve never met a quilt or quilter I didn’t like. But coming to QuiltCon feels like I’ve found my tribe, and for that I am truly grateful. 🙂

A Visit With Tula Pink – I Learned a Thing or Two!

February 18, 2015February 16, 201512 Comments

For Valentine’s Day, I got to spend the afternoon with Tula Pink, who came to town to lecture and promote her new Berning sewing machine at Quiltique in Las Vegas.

Tula and me – she’s much taller than I am, but so is everyone, LOL!!

Let me tell you – this gal is amazing, and not just because of her fabrics! She has incredible business acumen, is very clever and articulate, and has a great sense of self-confidence. Although she’s a big name in the industry, she’s very straightforward and down-to-earth, and she took the time to answer everyone’s questions and pose for pictures.

Here are some interesting tidbits:

Yes, Tula Pink is her real name. 🙂
Tula was originally a fabric designer for Moda, then left the company to design for Free-Spirit fabrics when Moda wasn’t ready for her out-of-the box wild colors and splashy offbeat artwork. There’s no drama there though, and she has nothing but great things to say about both companies.
She started off in the record industry, creating album cover art for many famous musicians. She was happy to give up goth and skull drawings so she could focus instead on creating pink bunnies, teal horses and purple owls.
She draws all of her artwork by hand, working in shades of grey with pencil on graph paper. She designs to scale and thinks in repeat so as to create seamless scenery. To make the most of her “drawing economy,” she’ll only draw half images, if the design is to be a mirror image.
She’s incredibly focused – it can take up to 6 weeks just to get the coloring right on her drawings, after she’s spent an incredible amount of time working out the drawing details.
She’s a history buff and loves to read all she can about famous women in history – Marie Antionette, Queen Elizabeth, etc. These ladies have inspired some of her most well-known fabric lines.
Tula describes her style as “modernitional” – part modern, part traditional. She doesn’t want to be put in a box and simply wants to create what she loves, hoping her art will resonate with her audience.

Due to popular request, Tula will be offering a line of large scale, wide-backings soon!

She definitely resonated with me and I look forward to seeing more of her work in the future. Tula Pink’s fabric and threads are always a hot commodity in my precut store and I’m in the process now of designing a new pattern using her fabrics.

Christa’s Soapbox – QuiltCon’s a Comin’!

February 16, 2015February 16, 20154 Comments

This week, I leave for QuiltCon, the the modern quilt show and conference. I’m excited to meet so many of my online friends there, and share my trip virtually with those of you who won’t be attending. I’ll be sure to write up a blog post or two while I’m there, and I’ll have day-by-day action (more like hour-by-hour) live on Instagram @christaquilts.

For those of you who have never gone, be sure to check out my QuiltCon post on Craftsy, for a sneak peek of what to expect. You can also go back and read my original posts from 2013 below. I’ve listed them in reverse chronological order.

Celebrity Encounters from QuiltCon 2013

What I learned from QuiltCon 2013

More Amazing Quiltcon Quilts of 2013

2013 Winning Quilts Part 3

2013 Winning Quilts Part 2

2013 Winning Quilts Part 1

QuiltCon 2013 Sneak Peek

If you will be at QuiltCon, be sure to come say hi and grab a button! Due to a color printing error I actually have twice as many as I originally ordered, so there’s plenty to share!

These are the first batch in turquoise – I also have them in teal!

PS: If you enjoy my blog and would like to read about more quilting content, be sure to sign up for Friendly Threads, my weekly email newsletter!

My Blog is a Finalist in the Craftsy Blogger Awards!

January 26, 2015January 24, 201521 Comments

I got some super fun news over the weekend. My blog was selected as one of four finalists for Best Quilting Tutorials in the Craftsy Blogger Awards. Thanks to those of you who nominated me – I really appreciate it!

The other three bloggers are pretty amazing and a couple of them are definitely more well-known that I am, so my chances of winning are pretty slim. But, what an honor just to make the final cut! With the hundreds of quilting blogs out there, being one of the top four makes all the work I do very validating.

Of course, I’d love your vote, but be sure to look through all the categories and vote for your favorites. 🙂 Just in case you are new to my blog, you can check out all of my free quilt along tutorials here.

Voting runs through Wednesday, January 28th. May the best bloggers win!

Las Vegas Modern Friends – Come Join Me!

January 13, 20151 Comment

This is an invitation to my local Las Vegas friends and those in the surrounding area, to come join the local modern guild! The Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild has been around for a few years, but they made a New Year’s resolution to become an official affiliate group of the national Modern Quilt Guild!

Isn’t that exciting? I’m helping out by getting all the paperwork together and recruiting a few of my friends. Be sure to check out details about upcoming meetings on the LVMQG blog and join the fun. 🙂

Check out Me Being Crafty Podcast and Listen to My Interview

December 17, 2014December 17, 20142 Comments

Hey guys, have you heard of this great new creative podcast? It’s called Me Being Crafty and it’s hosted by Tsoniki Crazy Bull. When Tsoniki reached out to me and invited me to be on the show, I immediately listened to all the past episodes to get a feel for her audience and presentation style. After just a few minutes of listening, I quickly said yes!

Tsoniki encourages you to find your creativity every day, no matter what you do. She interviews fun people like quilters, sewists, lifestyle bloggers, and all sorts of creative folks. On the podcast, Tsoniki shares her passion for creativity along with snippets of her life as a mom and military wife currently living in France, along with a touch of her Native American culture.

Click here to listen to my interview. There’s a player at the top of the page. Just click play to listen on your computer.

You can also subscribe to the podcast via Itunes or Stitcher.

Tsoniki and I chatted about modern quilting, the importance of quality tools, why I love teaching, and a little bit about my journey as a quilter.

She publishes podcasts twice a week on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with one guest per episode. Each podcast runs about 20-30 minutes. They are fun to listen to while sewing!

Click here for my publicity page to check out my other interviews and features. 🙂