Great News – Sewing Machines to be Provided at NQA

April 28, 20151 Comment

I just got great news that sewing machines will now be provided for all classes at the National Quilting Association show this June. Since I will be teaching 3 hands on classes, this will be so much easier on the students!

If you are thinking of attending, be sure to register for classes now as the deadline for workshop registration is May 1st.

Just to recap, here are the 3 classes I will be teaching. I’d love to see you there!

Modern Logs This class is quickly become a student favorite. It’s fun to teach the same workshop in multiple venues and I love to see how everyone makes it in their own way! My quilt measures 48″ x 54″ and it’s super easy to make it larger – just add more blocks!

Class Date: Thursday, June 18th, All Day
Cost: $80 for nonmembers, $70 for members (plus pattern fee)
Click here to register for this class

Modern Machine Quilting Enjoy the satisfaction that comes with learning to quilt your own quilts! In class, I’ll teach a plethora of walking foot wonders and free-motion favorites that are accomplished with little to no marking. Let go of perfection and enjoy the rich textural effects of modern quilting!

Class Date: Friday, June 19th, All Day
Cost $80 for nonmembers, $70 for members (plus class notes fee)
Click here to register for this class

Charming Chevrons The one that started it all, this design was my entry into the world of modern quilting. It’s quick and easy to make from your favorite collection of charm squares, whether they are solids, prints, or a mix of both!

Class Date: Saturday, June 20th, Morning Sessionn
Cost $65 for nonmembers, $55 for members (plus pattern fee)
Click here to register for this class

My Week at the Folkschool – How to Make a Modern Quilt

March 16, 2015March 14, 20158 Comments

Last week I embarked on an exciting adventure that I want to share with you. I spent 5 full days teaching a full group of students How to Make a Modern Quilt at the John C. Campbell Folkschool. Although it’s hard to capture such a full week in one blog post, here’s a little recap:

The fiber arts building housed both the weaving studio and the quilting studio in separate halves of this beautiful structure, complete with a barn block!

Day 0 – Arrival and check in. This wasn’t a full day of teaching, but as soon as I got off the airplane (in Atlanta) I took a beautiful scenic drive through the woods of Georgia to the mountains of North Carolina. The Folkschool is located in a quaint little town called Brasstown and it was a beautiful place where time literally seemed to stand still. As soon as I was out of the car, it was time to check-in for teacher orientation, enjoy a wonderful southern dinner (the first of many delicious meals), and then meet the students.

Fortunately many of my students had been there before, and knew their way around, so they were able to lead me to the quilting studio, a huge space that was fully equipped for some serious sewing (though most of my students brought their own machines).

There was enough space for all 12 students to each have their own table, design wall and cutting area, plus plenty of ironing boards. We even had room for full-size basting tables!

Day 1-2 Cutting and sewing. Once the students had settled in and organized their supplies, it was time to cut fabrics and learn some modern quilting basics (letting go of perfection, embracing asymmetry, discovering improvisational piecing.) Throughout the week it was fun getting to know the quilters and their various styles. As a teacher, I love to share my methods but I am so happy for each student to settle into her own process and find a comfortable work-flow.

Some of the Modern Logs blocks starting to emerge. I love all the fabric choices!

Day 3 – More block sewing and piecing the backs. Throughout the class I encouraged the students to work at their own pace. Some decided to make bigger quilts, others took their time with the process, and they all seemed to embrace the design possibilities in their backing.

Isn’t this a great pieced backing?

A few of the students even made me smile by throwing in a few random pops of color to their wonky blocks. They agreed that they were channeling their inner Jacquie Gering. 🙂

Day 4 – Basting and machine quilting. This was the day that many had been waiting for, a chance to learn how to quilt their own quilts! They all agreed that they preferred spray basting hands-down to pin-basting and were pleased to learn some of my tips and tricks: such as smoothing each layer with a long ruler, applying spray to the top and backing (not the batting) and ironing the whole thing to set the glue. Each time a quilter finished her backing, several others came together to get it basted in mere minutes. It was quite the efficient process!

This combination of modern fabrics and nearly solids makes my heart sing!

Our week just happened to coincide with Southern Appalachian Modern Quilt Guild meeting, so several of the students and I were able to attend. We got to see inspiring show ‘n tell, eat yummy treats and watch a wonderful slideshow recap of QuiltCon highlights. I even picked up a couple of great ideas to share with my local modern quilt guild (LVMQG).

Pam’s SAMQG show ‘n tell – her original woven fabrics pieced into a table runner.

Pam Howard is the Resident Weaver at the Folkschool and a member of the SAMQG. She was in my class and we became fast friends. She’s experimenting with incorporating her hand-loomed fabrics into her quilts. Isn’t that a cool idea?

Day 5 – The finish and closing ceremony. I am so proud of my students! After a full week of nearly-non stop quilting, smiles were aplenty as everyone got to display their work for the entire school to see. From basketry to woodworking, to tin-smithing, photography, soapmaking, beadwork and more, just about every craft you could think of was well-represented.

Several of the arts and crafts on display at the Folkschool Closing ceremony.

If you’ve never been to the Folkschool, I highly encourage you to visit. They run week-long classes year ’round and I can’t wait to return!

For those of you near the Little Rock, Arkansas area, I will be teaching a shorter version of Modern Logs at the NQA 46th annual quilt show June 18-20, 2015 along with a few other classes. Click here for details.

I just made some new BQF’s (best quilting friends) and I’d love to meet some more!

QuiltCon Swag Winner and a Quick Update

March 7, 2015March 7, 20156 Comments

I owe you guys some winners! Congratulations to Karen W. who won the copy of QuiltCon Magazine and to Elizabeth B. who won the Charm Pack.

I’ve had a busy catch up week! After getting home and settled from QuiltCon it was time to quickly finish a quilt for an upcoming magazine deadline, and then pack and get ready for my week-long class at the Folkschool coming up. What a fun kind of busy right?

Sneak peek of what’s been keeping me so busy this week!

I love teaching so much that I’ve been booking more workshops for the spring and summer (see my updated teaching schedule here). I’ve even had a few inquiries for next year, so that’s pretty cool, too. I’m not ashamed to admit that I still like getting asked out. 🙂

I got some fun new “quilty” luggage just for the trip!

I’ll be posting plenty of real-time Instagram updates (follow me @christaquilts) and I’ll try to sneak in a blog update or two while I’m gone. Part of my workflow involves getting my weekly newsletters ready ahead of time, so be sure sign up for my email list so you don’t miss a thing!

I will leave you with a little bit of novelty eye candy, newly arrived precuts from our store….

Diary of a Wimpy Kid Fat Quarters – aren’t these fun??

Star Wars bundle – you know you want it!!

Spiderman – need I say more??

Thank goodness Jason and the kids can hold down the fort while I’m away!

NQA Quilt Show Wants More Modern Quilts – Enter Yours Today!

February 25, 2015February 24, 20154 Comments

I’m super excited to be working with the National Quilting Association to not only spread the love of quilting, but to educate more people about modern quilts, too!

The NQA Annual Quilt Show is coming up in June and it’s going to include a fabulous judged show of around 400 quilts. The exciting thing is that it’s a non-juried show, which means that everyone gets in on a first-come first served basis. The even more exciting thing is that they will be offering cash prizes for Best of Show, Special Awards, and First Place in each category.

This is only the second time that NQA is has included a modern category in their mix, and I know they would love to see that genre well represented. I’m excited for the workshops I’ll be teaching (details here) and I would love to see quilts hanging in the show made by people I know – in any category!

Click here for online quilt show entry. The deadline for entry is April 1, 2015.

Are you in??

Come Take a Class with me at the NQA Quilt Show!

January 21, 2015January 20, 20152 Comments

I will be teaching this summer at the 46th annual quilt show hosted by the National Quilting Association and I’d love for you to join me! Hosting a show for 46 years is quite impressive and I’m so pleased to join the other amazing instructors. The show runs from Thursday-Saturday, June 18-20 in Little Rock, Arkansas. Click here for class preview.

Here’s what I will be teaching:

I recently found out this quilt won an honorable mention in the Modern category at Road to California, so I’m glad the judges liked it as much as my students do. 🙂

Modern Logs by Christa Watson, 48″ x 54″

Class Date: Thursday, June 18th, All Day
Cost: $80 for nonmembers, $70 for members (plus pattern fee)
Click here to register for this class

Modern Machine Quilting Samples by Christa Watson

Class Date: Friday, June 19th, All Day
Cost $80 for nonmembers, $70 for members (plus class notes fee)
Click here to register for this class

Charming (Colorful) Chevrons 64″ x 80″

Class Date: Saturday, June 20th, Morning Sessionn
Cost $65 for nonmembers, $55 for members (plus pattern fee)
Click here to register for this class

If you’d like to be a part of the show, you can enter your quilts here. NQA is a non-juried show which means they will accept the first 400 entries. The show includes a modern category as well, and I can’t wait to see all the gorgeous quilts in person!

See ya there!!

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. 🙂

Quiltique Fall Teaching Schedule – More Modern Classes Coming Up!

September 3, 2014August 27, 20145 Comments

I’m excited to announce my fall teaching schedule at Quiltique in Las Vegas. Based on the the popular response from last trimester, I will once again be teaching Modern Logs and Modern Machine Quilting. Check out the pictures below from last season’s classes – my students had a great time and made some gorgeous modern quilts!

Modern Logs looks great in blues and purples with a pop of green!

Here are the dates and times if you’d like to learn with me:

Modern Logs – Saturday October 4, 11, 18 from 2-5 PM
Modern Machine Quilting – Thursday, December 4, & 11 from 6-9 PM

Yes, you can quilt it yourself, and I’ll teach you how!

If you are in or near the Local Las Vegas area, I invite you to stop by to Quiltique’s Back to School Carnival on September 5th from 5-8 PM to check out the projects and sign up for classes! You can also sign up online after Sept 6th.

For even more variety – you can fussy cut your centers!

Hope to see you there!

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 Soapbox – More Thoughts About Teaching

July 7, 2014July 5, 20146 Comments

So a few months ago I shared the fun news that I had been nominated as one of 9 finalists for Teacher of the Year presented by the Professional Quilter. It pleases me to no end that the lovely and talented Jacquie Gering was selected – she is amazing and is one of my modern quilting heroes, for sure! The rest of the nominees are some pretty outstanding women as well: Susan Brittingham, Lisa Calle, Amy Gibson, Pam Holland, Bonnie Hunter Liz Kettle, and Vikki Pignatelli.

It’s so fun to see my name on the cover in company with other fabulous quilt teachers!

The way the process works is that each year, students can nominate their favorite teachers in the quilting industry on the Professional Quilter’s wesbite. (Thanks to whoever it was out there that took the time to write about me – it’s much appreciated!)

In turn, the teachers answer a series of questions about their teaching style, what influences them and why they love to do what they do. As Bonnie Hunter mentioned on her blog recently, she said it was sort of akin to writing a term paper. She was right on the money about that, LOL!! But since I love to write or talk about quilting whenever I’m given the chance, I was eager to respond.

Each of us was given a small summary in the magazine, so I thought it would be fun to share just a few of my answers with you….

How do you encourage creativity in your students?

I encourage creativity by allowing students to make their own choices when it comes to choosing fabrics and try to offer a variety of techniques in the same class. I love it when students come up with a different way of doing things other than how I have chosen to teach it. After all, we all have something to share and can always learn from each other.

What accomplishments of your students make you proudest?

I am most proud of my students when they finish their own quilts. My favorite class to teach is a start-to-finish quilting class where the students learn every step of the quilt-making process from cutting to binding. Nothing beats the look of joy on a student’s face when he or she proudly proclaims, “I made it myself!”

How do you encourage students’ further growth in quilting, beyond the formal class?

I encourage my students to seek out independent study beyond class. I love to suggest books and magazines they can read, guilds and organizations they can join, and blogs and websites they can follow to keep up the inspiration outside of class. I also encourage them to make friends with each other during my classes. Over the years it has given me a sense of satisfaction to see students who met in my classes go on to be lifelong friends, encouraging each other and learning more about quilting together.

What do you feel is your greatest contribution to the field of quilting?

I feel that my greatest contribution to quilting is fostering and encouraging a “can-do” attitude. I’ve seen so many students achieve growth personally, and with their quilting, when they finally believe that they can do anything they put their minds to!

Why do you teach?

I teach because it gives me a sense of personal fulfillment when another person becomes as passionate about quilting as I am. I want my students to feel the same joy I feel when creating a functional work of art with their own hands. I love it when their faces light up with that spark of excitement when considering the endless creative possibilities!

There were about a dozen more Q&A’s which would be a little too lengthy to share here, but I hope you enjoyed reading just a few of the highlights. 🙂 As I begin my newest adventures in quilting by traveling to teach starting next year, hopefully I’ll be able to meet many of you in person!

Click here to see my current teaching schedule and feel free to email me if you are interested in scheduling me to come teach or lecture for your group or event!

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.)