Christa’s Giveaway – Win a Copy of EQ7 for the Mac (or PC)

May 1, 2014April 23, 2014584 Comments

I knew it wouldn’t be long before I was able to offer another fabulous giveaway! This one is sponsored by my friends (really they are!) over at Electric Quilt. To celebrate the release of EQ7 for the Mac, they’ve generously decided to give away a copy to one of you – whoo hoo!

20140425_eq7_mac

Don’t worry, this giveaway is actually open to everyone – if the winner is a PC owner, you can select the original version instead of the Mac version. No need to go buy a brand new computer just to run the software on (though that’s exactly what I did, LOL)! And if you prefer to have a downloadable version rather than a physical copy, that’s available, too!

Because I’m an existing EQ7 user, I only needed to get the migration kit to switch from a PC to a Mac. However, for those of you Mac users who have been patiently waiting for the stand-alone Mac version to be released, the time is now!

Here’s how to enter:

Just leave a comment below telling me if you’ve ever designed your own quilt before. Or if not, what you’d love to design if you could. This will be a short giveaway timerame, running through Monday, May 5th at 6PM Pacific time. I’ll email the winner and make an announcement on my blog next Tuesday, May 6th.

Good luck!

How To Make Quilting Your Business #9 – Entering Quilt Shows

April 30, 2014April 30, 201413 Comments

Thank you for continuing with me on my journey exploring different ways to make quilting your business. Quilting is such a vibrant industry with an incredibly supportive community surrounding it. Some people quilt for business and others for pleasure, ensuring that this highly addictive hobby will continue to thrive!

Quilting for Show by Karen McTavish is a wonderful resource!

Quilting for Show

Today I’d like to address the topic of quilting for show. Can you really make money entering your quilts in shows? Yes, you can – but it can be a lot of work, with no guarantee of success. Whereas in most other areas of the quilting industry you can earn guaranteed income by working hard and following one of several paths to success, winning monetary awards by entering your quilts into shows can sometimes be pretty arbitrary.

I’ve won numerous awards for my quilts in shows, just not much money!

Don’t get me wrong – I think anyone who ever wins an award for their quilt is well deserved! But whether or not your entry wins can often times depend on who’s doing the judging, what the category structure is, and how the competition stacks up in any given show. As someone once said, “It’s all a big crap-shoot anyhoo!” Moreover, not all shows hand out monetary awards, and some shows only offer cash prizes for the overall winners.

Monetary Prizes

That being said, there’s a lot at stake if you decide to pursue the show-quilting route. Large companies (such as AQS and Quilts, Inc. etc.) put up huge rewards for their winners. Best of Show winners at some of the larger venues can earn upwards of $10K to $20 or more per win. Many of these larger value awards are purchase awards which means that if you win, the company gets to keep the quilt and put it on display in their museum. So you may need to balance the desire to win with the willingness to give up your quilt.

However, there are quite a few awards up for grabs at shows all around the country, and most of them do allow you to keep the quilt. Most of these shows are put on annually, so multiply that by the sheer volume of major shows out there and that’s nothing to sneeze at. Most shows allow you to enter your quilt within 2 years of completion, even if it has won awards at other shows.

Superstar quilt by Marilyn Badger. Photo taken by Christa Watson at Road to CA 2012.

One way to look at it is this: if you are pursuing a full time job, you can calculate your hourly rate. Most major award winning quilts can take hundreds of hours to complete. This is a significant amount of time to spend, but it can pay off with just a few “wins.” For example, the beautiful quilt above by Marilyn Badger has won more than a dozen awards at various shows. Not bad for a day job, right?

String of Pearls, Honorable Mention, MQX Portland 2013

String of Pearls by Christa Watson, Honorable Mention, MQX Portland 2013

Don’t overlook the value of placement awards either. Because I just started entering my quilts in national shows last year, I never really paid much attention to the monetary prizes given out for 1st, 2nd or 3rd place finishes. I was super excited when my String of Pearls quilt won an honorable mention along with a $50 check at MQX in 2013. That pretty much covered the cost of shipping there and back, so in a sense I “broke even.”

Charming Chevrons by Christa Watson; 3rd Place – Modern; AQS Paducah 2014

But then I was blown away when I learned how much my ribbon for Colorful Chevrons at Paducah earned me. I got a whopping $750 for a 3rd place finish! That definitely covers the cost of shipping for many shows to come, plus maybe even a little travel. I never set out to be a “show” quilter, but that kind of money certainly gives me food for thought. 🙂

I found it kind of hard to find out the individual amount of monetary awards offered by many of the big name shows. Most of them will mention on their websites how much total prize money is up for grabs (which is pretty generous), but they don’t all list details of specific award amounts per category. However, just for comparison here are a few that I was able to find:

My local guild show – $300 each for Best Large Quilt and Best Small Quilt
QuiltCon – $5000 Best of Show; $500 – $1000 for 13 specific category prizes
Road to CA – $5000 Best of Show; $500 – $1500 for specific awards; $50 – $250 each for placement awards (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
AQS – $10k-$20k Best of Show; $3k-$12k for specific prizes; $750 – $1500 placement

As you can see, there are a wide range of prizes given out and I can see why people would pursue show quilting as a serious business!

Cory Allender with her collaboration quilt LilyPad.

My friend Cory (shown above) has collaborated numerous times with her sewing partner(s) to rack up the awards at several venues. Lilypad shown above, won a 2nd place at Road to California in 2013 plus a judges choice ribbon at the Pacific International Quilt show in 2013. She also scored an individual win at the same show for her Lotus Blossom quilt, shown below.

Lotus Blossom by Cory Allender also won judge’s choice at our local show in 2013.

Cory told me that she and her collaboration partner decide ahead of time who will ship the quilt, who will pay the entry fee, and how they will split their winnings. She’s given me a few quilting tips for making award winning quilts, including using a double batting to give the quilt more stability when it hangs. In the near future, she’s going to teach me how she blocks her quilts so that the corners are are nice and square and the quilt hangs flat.

Although I’ll continue to put my quilts in shows here and there, I don’t plan to pursue it as a full-time career. In fact, I was very touched by one of my reader’s comments on my post last week about receiving recognition at Paducah. She said, “thanks for being more wrapped up in your love of quilting than awards.” That thought truly means more to me than any award. 🙂

Click here for the start of this series.

Project Linus Charity Drive and Free Quilt Tutorials

April 29, 2014April 28, 20149 Comments

I’d like to help spread the word about the the Project Linus Charity Drive being coordinated by Fave Quilts and Leisure Arts. They are requesting quilts and blankets to be donated to the Chicago, Illinois chapter of Project Linus.

If you are able to send in a quilt or blanket, they are giving away some pretty nice prize packs sponsored by Leisure Arts books. The drive runs through June 23rd, 2014. For complete details and where to send, please click here.

Fave Quilts has been very supportive of my efforts to share my love of quilting with as many people as possible. They routinely feature my free quilt alongs on their website, along with hundreds (possibly thousands) of other free patterns and tutorials. You can check out my profile here and literally spend hours on their site, combing through all the inspiration!

Baby Bricks Quilts by Christa Watson

For the charity drive, I’m sending them the Baby Boy Blue version of my Baby Bricks quilts shown above. I made two versions of Baby Bricks to illustrate how different a pattern can look, depending on the fabrics. I knew I wanted to donate them both, and I was able to give away the pink version to a brand new mom earlier this year. However, I held onto the blue one until just the right opportunity came along. Now I’m glad it’s going to the right place! 🙂

Here’s a full shot of just the blue version:

As you can see, I added more straight line quilting to the original quilt. Here’s a closeup so that you can see that straight lines don’t need to be perfectly straight or evenly spaced! The trick is to add enough lines so that your eye takes in the overall effect of the added texture.

When I quilted this quilt, I marked all of the original straight lines, about 2″ apart. Then I filled in the rows of quilting between the lines using the edge of my foot as a guide. It’s totally not perfect, but I love it and hope it will go to a good home. 🙂

Click here to get the free tutorials for Baby Bricks and whip up your own version for someone you love, or for someone in need!

And remember, pieced quilt backs are a great place to use up all those leftovers, whether they match perfectly or not. 🙂

I love the yummy crinkly texture all that straight line quilting provides!

Christa’s Soap Box – Running to Clear My Head

April 28, 2014April 27, 201418 Comments

What do you do when things get hectic and it’s all you can do to keep up with the pace of life? I go for a run!

I’ve always enjoyed exercise as a way to clear my head and think about my daily tasks at hand. I do it first thing in the morning, before things get too busy, and it always gives me an extra boost of energy for the day.

Run, Christa, run!

Over the years I’ve dabbled in different types of running – short distances, long distances, road running and trail running. I’ve competed in the occasional triathlon and have even completed a couple of marathons (when I was in slightly better shape)! Lately though, I’ve really enjoyed getting out in nature and running with Jason out in the desert behind our house. We don’t worry too much about speed or distance, and it’s been very freeing just to run for the sake of running.

I compare running a lot to quilting. Some days I’m on and other days I’m not. At times, the task at hand may seem like it takes forever to complete. Sometimes I feel like one hurdle overcome is just a drop in the bucket compared to what I want to achieve. But when I step back and look at the larger picture to see how far I’ve come (with both quilting and running), I get a deep sense of satisfaction with a job well done. 🙂

The Las Vegas skyline off in the distance – what a view!

Sometimes I’ll listen to books or music while I run; other times I’ll tune into quilting podcasts, or have an impromptu business meeting with Jason while we run. Many of the ideas we have put into place have come about through nice long chats while we cover the terrain!

Many times while I run, I’ll come up with blog topics I want to explore. Ideas come to me when my head is clear, and it is very therapeutic to write down my thoughts into words and share them with so many of you. As I continue to grow my blog and expand my presence in the quilting community, I’ll keep reminding myself to keep things in perspective. There will be many things I’ll continue to share, and a few projects that will have to wait until the proper time to be revealed.

Jason often leads the way on our runs. He’s a good man to follow!

Blogging for me is like a journal, chronicling my quilting life with a bit of personal narration thrown in from time to time. I enjoy it so much, that it has become part of my almost daily routine. I’ve made a promise to myself that no matter how busy I get, that’s one area that I don’t want to neglect. I’m just so grateful that so many of you are along for the ride!

My Teaching Schedule – Modern Quilting Classes at Quiltique

April 25, 2014April 23, 201417 Comments

I’m super excited to announce that I will be teaching a few quilting classes this summer at Quiltique, my favorite local quilt shop!

If you are near the Las Vegas area, I invite you to sign up for one of my three classes:

Modern Machine Quilting – Wed. June 4 & 11, 6pm – 9pm

In this 2 part class, learn to take your quilts to the next level by exploring modern machine quilting designs that will add depth and dimension to your quilts. The secret is learning to let go of perfection by quilting asymmetrical textures that require little to no marking!

You’ll learn how to create modern free-motion quilting motifs as well as some of my favorite “walking foot wonders!” This class is taught using a domestic machine.

Click here to register for my Modern Machine Quilting class at Quiltique.

Colorful Chevrons – Tuesday May 20 & 27, 10am – 1 pm

Make this charming chevron quilt top from your favorite colorful prints or solids. Colorful Chevrons was on the cover of Quilty magazine and most recently, it won a ribbon at the AQS Quilt show in Paducah, KY.

I’ll teach you my favorite method for making half-square triangles so you can create your own show-worthy quilt! This class runs for 2 sessions during the day, so take time off work, or grab a babysitter if needed, and meet me for some fun sewing therapy!

Click here to register for my Colorful Chevrons class at Quiltique.

Modern Log Cabin – Thurs. May 29, June 5 & 12, 6 – 9pm

Learn how to make a modern quilt from start to finish in this 3 week class! Fun “homework” will be given out as you create your own interpretation of this classic design. Along the way, you’ll learn a little bit of modern quilting history along with what I think makes a “modern” quilt.

I’m working on my version now, and I can’t wait for the big reveal here on my blog!

Click here to register for my Modern Log Cabin class at Quiltique.

Test driving my new machine at the shop – it was love at first stitch!

I first got to know the wonderful folks at Quiltique when I bought my new Bernina from them last summer. Later, I had the chance to interview one of the owners for my series on Making Quilting Your Business. One thing led to another, and now they’ve invited me to join their fabulous team of instructors, which I’m truly excited about. I love teaching others to quilt almost as much as I love doing it myself. 🙂

One of the reasons I’m so thrilled to be part of the Quiltique team is that they know how to create “the buzz” for their excellent classes and exciting events! In addition to amazing local teachers, they bring in “big-name” quilters all the time.

Quiltique quilt shop in Henderson, Nevada

Recently, Quiltique has included special events and classes from names like Natalia Bonner, Camille Roskelley and Me & My Sister Designs. Coming up this summer they will be featuring embroidery classes from Sarah Vedeler, art quilt classes with Katie Pasquini Masopust, and a special Sew-apalooza event with Kay England. So – yeah, I think I’m in great company!

Click here for the current Quiltique newsletter and class schedule. Even if you don’t live in town, a summer road trip to Vegas may be just the thing to inspire your creativity!

For my complete teaching schedule, or to inquire about having me come to your group or guild, please click here.

My Cup Runneth Over…

April 23, 2014April 22, 201470 Comments

I just found out two very exciting pieces of news today, and forgive me if I can’t help but put them out there for all the world to see!

Excitement #1 – Colorful Chevrons Takes 3rd at Paducah!

Thanks to my friend Linda H. for sending me this phone pic. She just happens to be there covering the story for AQ magazine and was able to show me the good news. The funny thing is, I couldn’t remember when QuiltWeek started and had my dates confused. I was thinking I wouldn’t hear anything about it until at least next week!

Colorful Chevrons won 3rd place in the Large Wall Quilts – Modern category.
Click here for a list of all the winners.

Excitement #2 – I’ve Been Nominated for Teacher of the Year!

I’ve been nominated for 2014 Teacher of The Year, presented by the International Association of Creative Arts Professionals. Although I didn’t win, I’m in total agreement with who was chosen. In fact, after reading the email announcing the 8 nominees and the winner, I’m completely awed and humbled to be among those who made the final list.

No, I’m not going to spill the beans and spoil any surprises yet. The winner and all of the finalists will be given coverage in the Spring Issue of The Professional Quilter, and it will be up to any of them if they want to announce it publicly first. 🙂

My cup truly runneth over….

Favorite Tools – Batting Shears

April 22, 2014April 21, 201411 Comments

It’s been awhile since I’ve shared some of my favorite tools (mostly because I’ve been using the same old stuff)! But recently, I splurged on a pair of batting scissors and I’m very pleased with my latest purchase.

Batting shears are pretty spendy but I think they are well worth the money.

I bought a pair of these funky looking scissors a few weeks ago and finally put them to the test while trimming the batting for my Herringbone quilt. I’m not exactly sure what the funky angle is for other then allowing you to cut through bulky battings with ease. The soy batting I used wasn’t really thick but it was still so much easier than using regular scissors.

So put a pair of these on your holiday or birthday wish list. Think of batting shears as one of those luxury quilting items that’s not necessary, but sure is nice to have!

I’ll leave you with a quilting tip of the day: write on a corner of your batting what the fiber content is so that you can keep track once you take it out of the packaging. My handwriting isn’t great, but this does say “Soy” even though it looks like “Joy.” Well, you know how much joy I get from quilting my quilts, so it’s all good. 🙂

Mark your batting pieces and leftover scraps so you know what’s what!

Free EQ7 Downloads – Including Many of My Designs

April 21, 2014April 19, 201415 Comments

One of the things I love about Electric Quilt software is being able to share some of my designs with others that use the program. Recently, I added two more of my designs to EQ’s Projects Download page.

Be sure to check out my Jolly Jelly Roll quilt (which was my first-ever quilt along):

and my Ultra Modern Dresden paper pieced block: (which I haven’t made… yet!)

For more free EQ7 downloads, click here. My projects are all listed most recently, but there are literally hundreds of free designs for you to try.

While you are there, be sure to check out the bio’s of all of the other EQ7 artists!

Fabric Friday – Get the “Skinny” on New Kona Roll Ups and Dots!

April 18, 2014April 17, 201412 Comments

For Fabric Friday, I’m happy to feature some colorful new precuts from Robert Kaufman. I adore working with solids and was pleased to see the addition of more solid colored Jelly Roll bundles (Kaufman calls them Roll-Ups) – 2.5″ strips of all one color!

Some of the new Kona Solid Roll-Ups. Aren’t they yummy?

I stock every new color they have: Parchment, Purple, Riviera, Bahama Blue, Blue Grass, Lipstick, and Coal. Along with basics (snow, white, black, etc.), this makes for a great base of colors from which to choose!

The new colors, along with many of the previous colorways are also available in precut skinny strips (1.5″ wide) and charm packs.

Get the “skinny” on these brand new Kona solid precuts!

Along with boxes and boxes of Kona solid precuts, I also got in the latest Kaufman geometrics – an awesome assortment of dots! They are “Spot On” scrumptious.

Spot On – Primary Perfection Colorway by Robert Kaufman

Spot On comes in 6 different colorways: Dress Up, Holiday Glitz, Prep School, Primary Perfection, Shadow Play, and Summer Lovin’. Click here to see them all! Personally, I love Shadow Play (below) because I never get tired of black, white and grey. 🙂

I love the fact that Robert Kaufman is working hard to bring more and more precuts to market. It’s my somewhat lofty goal to eventually carry every precut there is. So if you see a current bundle out there that I don’t have – please leave me a comment and I’ll try to pick it up!

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!