Mentions: christaquilts

Quilt As Desired Article 1: Modern Machine Quilting

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Last week I shared an article that Jacquie Gering and I had written for the National Quilting Association which dissolved last year after 46 years as an organization. Now that a period of time has passed and the rights have reverted back to me, I thought it would be an appropriate time to share with you the series of articles I wrote for them about Machine Quilting. There’s a total of 5 articles (2 of which were never published) and I plan to share them with you approximately once a week. Hopefully you’ll pick up a tip or two. Happy reading friends!

Note: The following article was written as a sample of my writing style and helped me land the free-lance writing gig. NQA asked if I wanted to go ahead and use it for my first column, but I chose to write on a different topic which I’ll share next time. So this is the first time this article is being shared in public.

Modern Machine Quilting

 Whether you prefer to quilt by hand or machine, or send your quilts off to a professional for finishing, I’m here to share my expertise and offer advice on how to enhance your quilt’s overall appearance with appropriate quilting choices. This will be a regular feature in each issue of the Quilting Quarterly. We hope you enjoy it!

I love to make modern quilts and explore how to quilt them. Functional modern quilts are meant to be used and washed and they often include vast expanses of negative space. For bed quilts, the quilting should provide enough texture and interest to fit into a modern décor, without being so excessive that the quilt becomes scratchy, stiff and unusable.

I will illustrate an example of functional, modern machine quilting on a quilt I designed named Abacus. It’s made from circular blocks that are machine appliqued. It is sewn together in rows with increasing lengths of grey strips forming the background.

illustration_1_abacus_design

The first thing I do when considering how to quilt a quilt is take a picture of the actual quilt top or the quilt pattern, and print it off in color on a piece of 8 ½” x 11” paper. I will then sketch different quilting ideas until I come up with something I like.

The pen marks indicate the quilting lines, but not necessarily the color of the thread. I will quilt Abacus with a series of gently waving lines, using my walking foot on my home machine and slightly turning the quilt to form the waves as I stitch. This can also be accomplished by using a decorative stitch and maxing out the length and width. (Be sure try out different stitches to find one you like!)

illustration_2_abacus_sketch

Next, I will practice on a smaller sample piece with the same fabrics, thread, and batting I plan to use for the quilt. I think grey is a nice neutral thread choice, and I will use the seam lines between the rows to give me a relatively straight guideline to follow. Spending time on these steps now helps prevents disappointment down the road when a quilt doesn’t turn out like I envision it in my head.

illustration_3_abacus_quilting

Finally, I will quilt the real quilt, starting in the middle of the quilt and quilting the wavy lines from top to bottom, moving halfway across the quilt. When I get to the edge, I will turn the quilt around and quilt the other half.

machine_quilting_abacus

If you are using a long-arm machine to quilt this quilt, just load it from the side and quilt the wavy lines back and forth horizontally across the quilt, advancing the quilt as you go.

abacus_detail_sm

Click here to purchase a PDF version of my Abacus quilt pattern.

cwatson_abacus_full

Abacus 32″ x 32″, designed pieced and quilted by Christa Watson

We’re Celebrating a Birthday This Week! (But It’s not What you Think)

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It’s time for a birthday celebration, even though it’s not technically my birthday. Although my daughter did make me this lovely cake when it was my birthday last month.

cake

My favorite cake – German Chocolate with Coconut icing. The strawberries were a nice touch.

Happy Book-Birthday!

What I’m excited to celebrate is that it’s my first book’s first birthday, this Thursday, September 8th! (The fact that I published another one less than 9 months later makes them almost like twins right??)

But anyway… I can’t believe it was just a year ago that I released Machine Quilting with Style, with the help of my friends at Martingale/That Patchwork Place. Now, some might call this an “anniversary” celebration, but writing a book really did take as much time and effort as having a child, so I think “birthday” is an appropriate word. 🙂 And what a fabulous year it has been!

MachineQuiltingwithStyle_coverClick the image above to see each of the quilts in the book, plus an alternate version.

I have to thank so many loyal friends and followers for helping this book be so successful! It really does mean a lot to me when you guys cheer me on. 🙂 In the last year, I’ve met so many fabulous people, while Machine Quilting with Style has reached some milestones, too.

It’s consistently stayed in the top 100 for patchwork books on Amazon, and it’s been one of my publisher’s Top 20 bestsellers. Seven of the quilts have been in local and national quilt shows, and three have won ribbons. All of this furthers my goal of reaching a wider audience and helping people understand that it’s okay to make “perfectly imperfect” quilts!

Quilts ON Display from Machine Quilting with Style:

quilt_collage

In order above: Facets won 2nd at AQS Paducah, Candy Pop and String of Pearls won ribbons at my local show, Rain and Focal point hung at QuiltCon, Lightning and Square in a Square were juried into Road to California. The rest are: Little Man’s Fancy, Static, Ripples, Color Crystals, and Broken V.

If you haven’t yet seen the book, take a look at this awesome video review from the folks at Chatterbox Quilts. Honestly, it made me tear up a little. I mean, you love what you create, but when other people do, too, it can be quite a humbling experience!

Let’s Celebrate!

To celebrate this huge milestone, I thought it would be fun to re-color each of the quilts in EQ7 (the software I originally used to design the quilts), and then showcase them side by side along with the original quilt so you can compare the two. I’ll share one new colorway each week, starting this Thursday. After all, sometimes a quilt can look completely different just by changing up the fabrics.

And of course, no birthday celebration would be complete without gifts! So along with helping you imagine what the designs would look like in different fabrics, I’ll be hosting 12 weeks of giveaways, one for each quilt. Won’t that be fun??

machine_quilting_detail

I love all of the detailed photography in the book, shot by the talented Brent Kane for Martingale.

Sharing is Caring

As I re-share the quilts each week, I hope you’ll also share your versions of them in my Facebook Group: Quilt with Christa. This will provide loads of inspiration for those just starting out on their quilt-making journey. Many times, I end up liking my friends’ versions even better than the originals!

facebookgroupClick the image above to join my facebook group and share your quilts, finished or not!

Where to Buy

So I’ll meet you back here on Thursday to get this party started!! In the meantime, you can purchase Machine Quilting with Style from your favorite local quilt shop, or these locations:

Signed Copy from Me
Amazon (lowest price)
Martingale/That Patchwork Place (free e-copy with purchase)

MQWS_signed

The very first copy I received is the most special because it was signed by all those who helped produce this book. It really does take a village to write a book!

The Skull Quilt Mini and a Fun Quilt Swap

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My local modern quilt guild, Las Vegas MQG recently teamed up with the Orlando MQG to do a modern member mini quilt swap. It was So. Much. Fun! Each team leader from both guilds assigned us someone to make a quilt for and we were given an interest sheet about what our partner liked and didn’t. We made a mini quilt for one person, but then received a mini from a different partner (scroll to the end to see the awesome quilt I received from Rene’!)

skullduggery_finished

Skullduggery by Christa Watson, 15″ x 17″

So here’s the quilt I made for Frank Palmer of Full Frontal Quilt and Dyeworks, who thinks “Black is fabooshalicious and red is a neutral.” He also loves “odd and unusual things and skulls and tattoos.” (As a side note, Frank was a guest on the Crafty Planner Podcast earlier this year so I knew I needed to make him something that would fit his fun personality!)

sitd

I stitched in the ditch using the BERNINA dual feed, which acts much like a walking foot.

I pieced the quilt from solid black and red squares, so that it would retain the pixelated look. Then I stitched in the ditch around the major skull sections to outline the design and anchor the quilt for additional free-motion quilting.

wavy_flames

Free-motion quilting wtih the BSR, using matching Aurifil thread – #2250 Red.

Next, I free-motion quilted a wavy flame design in all of the red areas. I thought the look of the flames matched the feel of the design quite nicely! I used a matching Aurifil 50 cotton weight thread in red. I quilted it using the BERNINA stitch regulator which helps my stitches stay nice and even. Though truth be told, I can quilt just as easily with or without the regulator. I love using the open toe so I can see my quilting stitches easier.

pebble_quilting

Finally, I quilted the background with a dense pebble texture, using one of my favorite neutrals – Aurifil #4241 Very Dark Gray. It’s not quite black so it actually shows up on black fabrics better than straight black does.

Skullduggery EQ7

Like all of my quilts, I created this design using EQ7 software so that I knew exactly how to put it together before starting. As an added bonus for my fellow EQ7 users, I’ve made the file available for you if you want to make your own version (just be sure to credit me as the designer if you do).

Click here to get the Skullduggery EQ7 file download.
Note, this link will only work if you have EQ7 installed on your computer.

If you make a version of this quilt or any of my other patterns, please be sure and share it in my Facebook Group: Quilt with Christa. 🙂

orlando_swap

This is the quilt I received in the swap. I love solids and black and white so this suits me to a T!

Facets Quilt Along Week 4 – Complete The Quilt Top

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This week’s assignment is super easy and will allow any newcomers a chance to catch up!

Simply follow the quilt assembly diagram on page 94 of Machine Quilting With Style and lay your blocks in a pleasing arrangement. Then sew them together – easy peasy. Be sure to take a “victory lap” around the quilt top when finished – sew around the perimeter 1/8″ in from the edge to secure the side seams.

EQ Facets

Take a look at my EQ7 drawing of Facets and see how closely it resembles my actual quilt.

Facets_Kona

Finished Facets quilt, Made from my Kona Designer Series Precut Palette

I love seeing how different and unique this quilt can look. Be sure to pop on over to my Facebook Group at Quilt With Christa to share your progress and see the other fabulous versions! You can also share on instagram – just hashtag #facetsqal and tag me @christaquilts so I can see!

Here’s just a sampling of the beautiful quilts being made by others who are following along:

G-teal

G has made more of my quilt patterns than anyone I know! Follow her on IG @blingnailsbyg

michelle

Michelle is G’s sister and it’s so fun to see them make it a family affair. Her scraps are so pretty!

AnnP

Ann is reversing her layout – with mostly plain blocks and a pieced focal row. I love it!

jocelyn

It’s been so fun watching Jocelyn’s version come together!

Remember – everyone who participates will win a prize  at the end. Click on the starting Facets QAL post for complete details, and to find links to all of the QAL posts.

Christa’s Soapbox – Please don’t steal my artwork

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You all know I am NOT one who ruffles feathers, but I simply must speak out. I have the cutest artwork that a friend of mine made for my business and I use for my logos. Simply put, people are stealing it and that’s not cool. My only real recourse is to use my social media reach to try and put a stop to it.

Christa at magic sewing machine

Artwork #1

Here’s the backstory – years ago I commissioned a friend to make this first piece of artwork for me and I paid her for it. At the time I did NOT own the EXCLUSIVE rights to this image – only the original drawing and an agreement that I would use it for my website, etc. That meant that she could sell prints of this image to other people. She sold a few, no problem.

Once I began to gain a larger following, I noticed that though my friend had sold a very limited number of print copies of this first image, it began popping up in other people’s websites, newsletters, instagram avatars, and even as a large sign a physical store. NONE of these people, I repeat NONE of the people who were using the image had purchased it from my friend (I checked into it.) They were simply “borrowing it” because they found it “somewhere on the internet.”

Christa Quilts

Artwork #2

Due to people using this first image without permission, I decided I needed a new image. So I commissioned my friend to create a slightly different version that better fit my brand (a quilt under the sewing machine instead of just fabric).  This time I was upfront about wanting to buy exclusive rights to the image so she wouldn’t sell it to anyone else. It was a friendly deal, I paid her for the rights and all was good. Because she knew I was using the second image as my branding, she actually agreed on her own to stop selling the original image, just because she’s my friend and she’s nice that way. Like I said, she had only sold a few anyway.

So I know you all are thinking – why didn’t I watermark it? First and foremost because that would have distracted from the images. Yes, I can probably go back and add something to the images now, but that won’t solve the problem of the original ones that are floating around there now. Also, when I’ve shared the original artwork on my site, it has the artist’s initials on it. People are simply cropping that out. As a matter of fact, I’m working on some more branding now and my graphic designer is incorporating my name right into the artwork to try and prevent this in the future.

 

working

Some current rebranding in process – see the @christaquilts my graphic designer added?

Yes, I could hire a lawyer to send out cease and desist orders, but really that’s very time consuming AND expensive. Not to mention the fact, that most of the time people are notified of the infringement, they do take it down and always cite ignorance.

So it all boils down to you. Many of you have been so fabulous to let me know when you see someone else out there using my images. In fact, in all cases of copyright infringement, it has ALWAYS been a follower who sees them. I’m blissfully ignorant of it ever occurring. Thank you so much for being my eyes and ears out there!

This may continue to be an uphill battle, and l’m not quite as concerned with the original image that’s being “borrowed” as much as I am with the newer logos. But, please continue to inform me if you see someone out there using any of them. With a little social media pressure, we can hopefully keep the stealing borrowing to a minimum.

I will now return to my peppy, happy, non-feather-ruffling self 🙂 Thanks for reading!

 

Quilt Market is This Week! What I’m doing and Where I’ll be.

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International Quilt Market, the twice yearly industry trade show is this weekend in Houston, Texas, from Friday-Monday. I’ll be there of course, purchasing the latest and greatest for our precut store.

But perhaps even more exciting (and nerve-wracking) is that I’ll also be there on behalf of Martingale/That Patchwork Place, promoting my book Machine Quilting With Style. I’ll be participating in three promotional  events for my book, so if you are attending I invite you to come see me!

quilting_buttonsMeet me at Quilt Market and choose your favorite button!

Schoolhouse Schedule

On Friday, during the Schoolhouse Series, I’ll be giving a 30 minute presentation and showing the quilts from the book. The point of this presentation is to educate quilt shop owners on why they want to carry my book in their shops and how to sell it.

martingale_schedule

Why carry my book? – it’s the perfect machine quilting reference for 18 different designs, using both walking foot and free motion quilting techniques. Quilters always want to learn more tips and tricks on how to quilt their own quilts! It’s also great lesson manual for teaching how to make a complete quilt from start to finish.

How to sell it – bundle it up with a kit purchase, include it on the supply list for at least 15 different classes (12 piecing classes, 3 different machine quilting classes); for sewing machine dealers – offer it as a “freebie” with any sewing machine purchase.

Machine-Quilting-with-Style-demoDemos and Giveaways

Then on Saturday, I will be presenting two demos in the Martingale booth, one at 11 AM and then again at 3 PM. The purpose of these demos will be to show shop owners how they can create a fun customer experience around my book and how to encourage add-on sales. I’ll be showing how shop employees can demo improv piecing, how to use a few of my favorite rulers for precision cutting of the blocks, and how to get their students comfortable with quilting by practicing daily free-motion sketching.

It’s sure to be a whirlwind of a time and I plan to share tons of live play-by-plays on Instagram and Periscope so be sure to follow me there @christaquilts!

Christa’s Soapbox – The Tale of Two Hobbies

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For about the last year and a half I’ve been hustling – working like crazy to get my first book published (with more in the works), expanding my teaching schedule, getting my patterns into print and growing our precut store into a long-term sustainable income source. It’s been good, productive work that feels immensely satisfying. However, a couple of things have fallen by the wayside which I am to ready to remedy now that I can catch my breath again. They are (1) the state of my house and (2) my overall health and fitness.

Here’s the “before” picture of my sewing studio about 2 years ago just after I had cleaned and organized it, knowing I would be working in this space full-time each day. Ironically, the quilt on the design wall and those hanging over the rails haven’t even been basted yet, while the one the table has been finished and made it into my book. Deadlines are everything around here, LOL!!

sewingroomThe Before Picture

Here is the state of my studio today. I do have to say I just finished up a couple of big deadlines, and will get this cleaned up before moving onto the next project! I like to be a clean person and don’t thrive in creative chaos like some do, but sometimes it just can’t be avoided!!

sewingroom_messyThe after picture – but not for long!!

The biggest thing that has suffered during all this creative chaos has been my fitness. In addition to my obsession with quilting, I love to run! I have logged two marathons and several half-marathons  over the last 6 years simply because I love the feeling of being outside running for long stretches of time. I really do get that runner’s high that people talk about. However during the high-point of my busy-ness it was so, so easy to get up each day and NOT run, heading into the studio instead. I’m not one of those girly-girls who’s into looks and fashion and all that.

However, I do love the feeling of being healthy and having enough energy for everything I like to accomplish in a day. Right now I can barely run a mile, but I decided it was as good a time as any to hop back on the treadmill and start over. I’ll mostly be sharing my running journey over on instagram (@christaquilts) if you want to check that out. There’s even a hashtag #sweatnsew for other sewing/fitness enthusiasts!!

treadmill

The goal is to work my way back up to longer distances, one step at a time!

I plan to attack these two areas of improvement –  cleaning up and improving my fitness – with as much zeal and vigor as I’ve done with quilting. When I originally got into running, it was because I wasn’t quilting regularly and I needed a stress outlet. Once I got my sewing mojo back,  running began to take a back seat.  My hope is to now balance out both on a regular basis! Wish me luck. 🙂

I’m Off to Market – and Ready for a Giveaway!

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I’m headed off to the trade show, the International Quilt Market in Houston, Texas. Jason and I have a strategy for the show – he will be the planner, setting up appointments to meet with our vendors, organizing our budget for new precuts, and making sure we both eat and rest well.

amybutler_meIt’s fun to meet up with “Sew”-lebrities at Quilt Market!

I’ll get to do the “fun” stuff – rub shoulders with quilting celebrities, meet up with online friends, and attend presentations from some of the top designers in the industry. Jason told me he’s perfectly happy to stay out of the limelight while attending to business, so together we’ll make a great team!

I’m sure I’ll pick up a bunch of freebies while I’m there, so I thought for this week’s giveaway, I’ll offer up a mystery bag full of market SWAG!! Be sure to follow me on instagram @christaquilts starting on Friday for some sneak peeks!

20141020_market_pinTo enter, just leave a comment telling me what you would want to do if you attended market, or who’s new designer lines you’d love to see!

The giveaway will remain open through Monday, Oct. 27th at midnight Pacific Time. I’ll draw a winner’s name at random sometime Tuesday morning (after I’ve recovered from the trip) and will mention it on the blog later that day.

Have a happy quilting weekend!

A Stack of Finishes – What I did on my summer vacation.

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I have been busy all summer finishing this stack of quilts. It’s been such a pleasure to work on them! Although it will be quite a while before I am ready to reveal them in public, I can truly say I’ve grown as a quilter while creating them. It’s been a little tricky blogging and sharing on Instagram (@christaquilts) when there’s nothing to show, but I’ve been enjoying posting a few little sneaky peeks now and then.

20140827_quilt_stackWhat I did over summer vacation. Now it’s time to get busy on the design wall again!

 

Christa’s Soap Box – Community Vs. Content

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Today’s soap box was inspired by an earlier post from my friend Lee at Freshly Pieced. She very eloquently wrote a thought provoking essay entitled, “Are Blogs Dead?” referring to the idea that in some circles, Instagram my be supplanting blogs as quilters’ social media of choice.

Fortunately, her conclusion was that no, blogs are note dead – they are just different!

binding_clips1It’s been fun to use my blog to share tips, tricks and tutorials, like how to bind a quilt.

This got me to thinking about social media and why I am so attracted to it. I think it really is about the community and the content. I view my blog as my “Home Base” or my place to “be.” It’s where others can come find me, and see what I’m up to. It won’t change locations or format (unless WordPress does something very drastically different which I highly doubt). My blog is very reliable and I can choose to write as little or a much as I like.

I can be myself here, share the occasional peek into my personal life, and people can choose to read or not at their leisure. It’s also a place where I can store many of my ideas and thoughts as I quilt, along with tons of free content I’m happy to share. (You should see my WIP posts that have not been posted yet – they go on for pages and pages, LOL!!)

Running in Utah

I don’t mind sharing both my personal and professional life on my blog.

However, Lee did bring up a good point which I hadn’t thought of before. Blogs are becoming more of a one way content generator and less of a vehicle for two-way communication. I know from my stats that I get a lot of traffic and people reading my blog, even if they don’t comment as much as they read. Heck I do the same thing – I follow over 100 blogs on a regular basis but I read far more than I comment.

So that’s where other social media like facebook, instagram or flickr come in. I think people, including myself, like the instant gratification that a quick comment or “like” can generate.

For me personally, I just can’t get into facebook, and flickr has become really user unfriendly lately – but I love checking instagram on a daily basis (@christaquilts). It’s quick and easy to pop in for a few minutes to see what beautiful things others are making, and it’s fun to leave a quick message or get instant feedback on what I’m working on. I also think of it as a way to share real-time snaphsots of daily life, which I can then turn into a cohesive “story” later on my blog.

20140710_snippetsI love to share “snippets” of my life on instagram, – or the “in-between” posts.

So I agree with Lee – blogs are definitely not dead, but their use is evolving. Because I’m the type of person that likes to have everything neatly organized in it’s own little box, I love the idea of referencing blogs mainly for content, and using instagram for my daily dose of quilty socialization.

How about you – what are your favorite ways to utilize social media?