Skillbuilder BOM – January Blocks Quilted

March 5, 2013March 19, 201337 Comments

I am excited to share a WIP/block finish with you today! I am participating in Pile O’Fabric’s Skillbuilder Block of the Month series where we sew and quilt two blocks a month using quilt-as-you go techniques. I’ve never made a quilt like this before, and it’s “sew” fun!

Here are my finished blocks from January, called Magnum and Sound Wave. Click each picture to enlarge so that you can see closeups of the quilting detail.

I chose fat quarters of Kona Cotton Solids in shades of red, orange and yellow, with a complement of turquoise thrown in, just for fun. I used cotton threads (Aurifil and Superior) to match all the colors of the fabrics with thin grey polyester thread for the background.

I stitched in the ditch through all of the seams first to stabilize them, then filled in each color with a fun design, changing thread colors as I went. I used a quarter to mark the circles.

Here are the backs of the blocks. I love how the thread colors stand out!

Now I’m off to catch up on February’s Blocks!

Christa’s Soapbox – Faster Doesn’t Always Mean Better

March 4, 2013March 19, 201328 Comments

Since attending QuiltCon last month, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to quality versus quantity. As a shop owner, I feel a certain drive to sell as much fabric as possible, as quickly as possible, to support my family.

Busy Hands Quilting

This means attendingallthestradehows and makingallthequiltkits and meetingnewdesigners and findingasmanyfunnewpatterns as I can.

This can lead to quite a hectic life at a frenetic pace, with not as much time for personal fulfillment.

My hands are so busy with so many things, that, as a quilter, there’s a part of me that needs to slow…..things….. down!

I have been contemplating what I feel is turning into the fast-food-ization of quilting. We all love to sew and complete a project, but how much of the creative process is being lost in the rush to get things finished?

Yes, I know there’s a time and a place for the last minute baby shower quilt or Christmas present.

But the rest of the year, why don’t we focus on making quality quilts, whether or not they can be completed in a day?

The workmanship at QuiltCon, Road to California, and other top-notch shows inspires me to make good quality work and to hopefully share more of that with you.

Hugs ‘N Kisses

If you have followed along with any of my Quilt Alongs from the beginning, you will notice that I have started adding more tutorials over a longer period of time.

This is a project I have committed to doing on a long-term basis so that I can inspire you to make a quilt from start to finish. My joy is full when I see more of you completing your own quilts!

Although I will still be offering quilt kits for many of them as a convenience, starting this week you will begin to notice more customization and tips on how to truly make it your own.

Going forward, Jason and I have big plans to not only expand our store, but to get back to the roots of what attracted me to quilting in the first place: making a unique hand-crafted work of art!

Christa Quilts!

Christa’s Quilt Links – QuiltCon Edition

March 2, 2013February 11, 20153 Comments

This is my last post about QuiltCon for the week. I think I blogged about it more days than I was there, LOL!

For today’s list of blog links to check out, I am going to share with you links to a few of the bloggers I met at QuiltCon. It was quite the fun friendship frenzy with everyone meeting up (many for the first time in person), swapping business cards and chatting. Enjoy the ride:

Carolyn Friedlander and Ellen Rushman

Carolyn Friedlander is a fabric designer for Robert Kaufman. Her project, The Local Quilt was one of the QuiltCon award winners. (I really need to get Architextures!)

Ellen Rushman presented the findings of her research study into Modern Quilting for her college thesis. She basically confirmed what everyone has been saying – Modern Quilting is part aesthetics/part attitude.

Both of these creative women were a joy to meet!

Latifah Saafir

Latifah Saafir is one of the board members of the Modern Quilt Guild.

She also moderated a lecture/panel discussion on how to get one’s work into magazines.

The info I gained in that one lecture was worth the entire trip to QuiltCon!

Heather Jones

Heather Jones presented a lecture on Everyday Inspiration in Modern Quilts at QuiltCon. It was the first lecture I attended upon arriving and it really set the tone for the weekend.

She showed numerous beautiful examples of how she took pictures of the world around her and interpreted them into breathtaking graphic quilts.

I wish I had taken more pictures of her work, but fortunately her lecture and several others from the show are available for free on Craftsy – so check it out!

Vicki Anderson, Christa Watson, Amy Gibson

Here I am, standing in between two lovely people, Vicki Anderson, CEO of Meander Publishing, and Amy Gibson from Stitchery Dickory Dock.

Vicki was part of a panel that talked about Publishing Your First Book, and Amy did the wonderful free Craftsy 2012 Block of the Month series.

I am surrounded by awesomeness!

Sew and Tell – Meet Lisa Sipes

March 1, 2013March 1, 20137 Comments

For show and tell today, I want to introduce you to my new friend and amazing machine quilter, Lisa Sipes.

I was first introduced to Lisa’s work when I attended Road to California last year. Her quilt, BeDazzled really dazzled me. The bright solid colors really spoke to me and this was even before I started using them in my own quilts.

Bedazzled by Lisa Sipes

Fast forward to QuiltCon this year and who won best of show? Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Lisa Sipes with their quilt, Double Edged love. I mean can you see all the detail in that quilting? This gorgeous quilt is a fantastic modern interpretation of the classic double wedding ring quilt pattern.

Double Edged Love by Victoria Findlay Wolfe and Lisa Sipes

And guess who took Viewer’s Choice at QuiltCon? Again, it was Lisa’s amazing quilting along with Alison Glass’ impeccable applique in “Overgrown” that stole the show.

OverGrown – Detail of quilting by Lisa Sipes

I believe it’s amazing quilting like this that is becoming one of the hallmarks of the modern quilting movement. I recently had a chat with Lisa to talk about her inspirational work.

Lisa began quilting near the end of 2008 when her mother suggested she take up long arm quilting as a new career direction (after dabbling in such varied occupations as accounting and bartending).

Lisa Sipes

Lisa does all of her quilting on a Gamill long arm machine. She is a Gamill quilting artist which means she gets to travel with them showing off what these machines are capable of. Her work has been seen in such magazines as American Patchwork and Quilting, Generation Q, and Modern Quilts Unlimited.

She does mostly quilting these days and her friends help with the piecing. Like any good artist, she always has several designs in her head that just HAVE to get made someday (I can relate!) as therapy to soothe the soul.

It takes her anywhere from a few day to a couple of weeks of focused effort to achieve such impeccable results. She doesn’t quilt just for the sake of quilting, but instead likes to have conversations with the quilters to determine how the quilt would best be quilted.

Sometimes she bases the quilting on the name of the quilt or why it was made or for whom. Other times, her inspiration comes from the design of the quilt or fabric. In all cases, she tries to make the quilting tell a story, such as her collaberation with Thomas Knauer for In Defense of Handmade:

In Defense of Handmade by Thomas Knauer and Lisa Sipes

This quilt is the actual barcode representation of a celebrity designed quilt that was mass marketed and sold through department stores. According to the quilt’s artistic statement, “the… bar code becomes a place for color and play… in lieu of the homogeneity of the factory-made.” Lisa’s painstaking quilting, tied off at every single straight line start and stop embodies the meaning of this quilt. It is beautiful hand-crafted work, indeed.

I applaud Lisa for bringing the art of machine quilting to a higher-level. Whether you quilt on a long-arm like she does, or use a domestic machine like I do, I hope you appreciate the artistry and vision that quilting can bring to a quilt.

Celebrity Quilter Sightings

February 28, 2013March 4, 20136 Comments

As most of you know, I attended QuiltCon last week, the modern quilting show and conference. You can see pictures of the quilts here and read about my adventures here.

Today I thought it would be fun to share with you a few pictures of many of the “quilting celebrities” I met. These are such wonderful women and I want to be just like all of them when I grow up. As you look through the pictures, you can realize just how short I am!

Christa with Angela Walters

Here’s me with modern machine quilting goddess Angela Walters. She scrunched down to make me not feel so short. Nice of my BFF to do that, LOL! (Read this post to get that!)

Quite by accident I ran into Mary Fons, while talking to her publisher, and the next day I met her mom Marianne checking out quilts at the show. I told Marianne she was the one who helped start me on my quilting journey. Fons & Porter’s Quilter’s Complete Guide was the first book I ever bought, over 18 years ago! (Too bad I didn’t have it on me for an autograph!)

Mary Fons, Christa, Kristy Loeffelholz (publisher)

Marianne Fons, Christa

I was able to listen to a wonderful lecture of Anna Maria’s journey from artist to fabric and afterwards she posed with me and a couple of my buddies (Becca and Deirdre from the skill-builder BOM). She’s due now with baby #7 – whoo- hoo!

Anna Maria with Groupies

I was pleased to meet Alissa Haight Carlton in person. I advertise on her modern quilting blog and I was able to tell her what a wonderful job she and the QuiltCon committee did! (And I was excited to finally see a successful quilter about my height, LOL!!)

Christa, Alissa Haight Carlton

They say tall people are more successful – well, I’ve never had a problem with my size and what I lack in height I make up for in feisty-ness!

Finally, I got to share a moment with Jacquie Gering during the show. She brought everyone to tears discussing her own personal quilting journeys and inspiration. She talked about being a “Maker” and that really resonated with me!

Christa, Jacquie Gering

Her book, Quilting Modern (that she co-authored with Katie Pedersen) was the very first book I read about modern quilting, less than a year ago. You can read about that here.

If I can follow in any of these ladies’ footsteps, I will consider myself blessed!

Christa’s Quilt Along 5.1 – Hugs ‘n Kisses Supply List

February 27, 2013August 13, 201543 Comments

Free Quilt Pattern

New to my blog? Be sure to sign up for my email newsletter to get a free pattern!

Time for another fun quilt-along! My Hugs ‘n Kisses design is based on a quilt I made several years ago. If you look closely, it’s similar to the quilt shown on my blog’s header. Over the years I’ve had several requests for this quilt pattern, so I finally decided to make one!

Hugs ‘n Kisses

About This Quilt – Finished Size 48″ x 64″

I designed this quilt using EQ7 so that it will work with Jelly Rolls or precut strips. Although I am making this quilt in the size stated above, you can easily double the yardage requirements, purchase additional kits, or add borders to make it bigger.

Kissing Booth Jelly Roll

Kona Snow Roll Up

Kona Solids Brick

Fabric Requirements (Hugs and Kisses Quilt Kits are available for a limited time.)

1 Jelly Roll of print fabric. You may use any jelly roll or set of precut strips you like as long as you have at least 38 – 2.5″ strips.
2/3 Jelly Roll of solid or background fabric, or 24 – 2.5″ strips. If you prefer to purchase yardage and cut the strips yourself, you will need 1.75 yards.
1/2 yard fabric for the binding in a coordinating color – I prefer to use solid 2.25″ strips. Purchase a little more if you like wider strips.
At least 52″ x 68″ piece of batting; my favorites are high quality cotton or wool.
3 yards of non-directional fabric the backing, or scraps and fat quarters to total about 3.5 yards if you prefer to make it scrappy like I do.

Machingers Gloves

Supreme Slider

Superior Needles

Supplies Needed

Sewing machine with walking foot (darning foot for optional free-motion quilting)
Brand new sewing machine needles
Rotary cutting equipment (rotary cutter, cutting mat, acrylic rulers)
Basic sewing supplies (pins, scissors, seam ripper, etc.)
Machingers quilting gloves
Basting pins
Thread to match your fabrics
Optional – bobbin washers for smoother thread delivery
Optional – Supreme Slider for FMQ

If you have any questions please be sure to join my flickr discussion or email me directly at christa@christaquilts.com.

Quilt Along Schedule – Links will go to each active post when published.

5.1 – 2/27/13 Supply List
5.2 – 3/6/13 Choosing Fabrics and Alternate Layouts
5.3 – 3/13/13 Cutting and Sewing the Bow Tie Blocks
5.4 – 3/20/13 Sewing the X and O Blocks (or alternates)
5.5 – 3/27/13 Finishing the Quilt Top and Pieced Borders
5.6 – 4/3/13 Piecing the Backing
5.7 – 4/10/13 Pin Basting
5.8 – 4/17/13 Stitching in the Ditch
5.9 – 4/24/13 Decorative FMQ
5.10 – 5/1/13 Additional Quilting
5.11 – 5/8/13 Binding – It’s Finished!

Sharing is Caring

Please share your work in progress in my facebook group: Quilt With Christa . 🙂

What I Learned from QuiltCon 2013

February 26, 2013February 14, 201814 Comments

My head is still reeling from all of the QuiltCon awesomeness over the weekend. I hope you are not tired of me blogging about it yet! You can read about many the awesome quilts here.

When I arrived at the Austin Airport, I knew I was for a treat. In fact, I met a couple of gals on the plane headed to QuiltCon who were so friendly, even though we had just met. This was just the beginning of a weekend full of fun and friendship. Most everyone who attended was meeting people for the first time, and I felt like we all finally found an excuse in this world to be nice to each other. If all the world quilted, it would be a peaceful world indeed!

Austin, Texas Airport

The first day there, I started running into people that I had only met online before. Here are Faith from Fresh Lemons and Katie from Swim, Bike, Quilt. They were so sweet and fun to hang out with. In turn, they introduced me to several of their other blogger friends and we all had a wonderful dinner together Thursday night. When I asked how they all knew each other, they all responded the same, “from blogging, of course!” I knew right then and there that these were my peeps!

The next day I took a machine quilting class with Angela Walters. Angela is probably the most fun and enthusiastic quilting teacher I’ve ever met. I took lots of notes, not only on how to be a better machine quilter, but how to be a better quilt teacher, too! I asked her if she’d be my BFF and she said, yes!! (I think she says yes to everyone – but hey, I don’t care. I quilt-around, and I am not ashamed to admit it!)

Here’s Lee (from Freshly Pieced) and I next to the long-arm machines. While I prefer to quilt on my Bernina, the class was wonderful because Angela taught us techniques and design ideas that we could apply to any quilt. She gave me permission to share some of the designs in my quilts – so watch for that in my next quilt-along!

Friday night, I met up with a bunch of gals from Pile O’Fabric’s Skillbuilder Block of the Month. We talked quilting, discussed our BOM progress and had a pincushion swap. This is the one I received from Deirdre – isn’t it the cutest?? Thanks to Alyssa for putting this on!

In between socializing and viewing all of the lovely Quilts, I attended several of the informative lectures. I learned more about how to get my work published into books and magazines (keep doing what I’m doing, but save a few original ideas to debut professionally in print, not on the blog – sorry gals!)

Bill Gardner, Editor-in-Chief of Quilters Newsletter
Vicki Anderson, CEO & Publisher, Modern Quilts Unlimited

I also learned more about the history of modern quilting, and that we women are emotional and can cry at the drop of the hat when overcome by quilting awesomeness!

I learned what “alternate grid” design means. Instead of laying things out neatly in columns and rows, an alternate grid structure is used to create more randomness and I think, a more interesting aesthetic appeal.

Regular Grid Quilt

Alternate Grid Quilt

Modern quilting is definitely not art quilting; yet it is not constrained by traditional design.

It’s somewhere in between. In her lecture, Heather Grant said, “Art quilting is to fine art, as Modern quilting is to graphic art.” I also learned that making a quilt from “modern” fabric does not make it modern! (Well, I already thought that, but now it was confirmed.)

Ellen Rushman, Lecture on Modern Quilting Research

Some new areas of modern quilting that I would like to explore are making a low volume quilt (think lots of neutrals), and making quilts on an exaggerated scale (think pixelization but with clearer images). I also want to teach my own modern version of applique.

How will this all of this new knowledge influence me in the future? I now feel a little more focused in the direction that I want to take with my quilting, both personally and professionally. While my next quilt-along is set to launch tomorrow, the one after that will definitely be more modern!

Free Bag from Kaufman

Michael Miller Fabric Reps

I also have a better understanding for the kinds of modern fabrics I want to add to my store. I will definitely be adding more Kona Cotton Solids, and I will constantly be on the lookout for more cool collections (from Michael Miller and others!)

Watch for my next post on Celebrity Quilter encounters at QuiltCon, later in the week!

Additional Posts I wrote About QuiltCon 2013

More Amazing Quilts from QuiltCon 2013

February 25, 2013March 19, 201316 Comments

QuiltCon was the most amazing quilting event I’ve ever been to in my life! You can see pictures of all of the Award Winning Quilts by clicking on these links below:

My head is so full of inspiration right now that I feel like it’s going to burst! I think I will spend most of this week blogging, and getting my ideas organized and written down.

Every quilt that was entered received a participation button that looked like a mini-ribbon, so it’s like my own personal keepsake.

I can’t thank the organizers enough for all their hard work! I am already anticipating the next QuiltCon in 2015.

Here are more beautiful quilts from the show that really touched me in some way:

Touch This Quilt by Elizabeth Hartman, Hillsboro, Oregon

QuiltCon Block Challenge by Members of the Modern Quilt Guild
Assembled and Quilted by Elizabeth Hartman

Spin Dr. by Angela Walters, Kearney, Missouri

In Defense of Handmade (Bar Code) by Thomas Knauer
Quilted by Lisa Sipes, Utica, New York

Texas by Dana Michaelsen, Quilted by Angela Walters
Los Angeles, California

Pointless by Laura Bisagna, Winchester, California

Stella! by Susan Strong, Quilted by Ardelle Kerr
Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada

Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild Charity Quilt 2011
By Members of the Las Vegas Modern Quilt Guild and Kansas City Modern Quilt Guild

Concerto by Alyssa Lichner, Gilbert, Arizona

Charming Chevrons by Christa Watson, Las Vegas, Nevada

It was such a pleasure to be a part of this experience! If you like my Charming Chevrons quilt above, you can follow my free tutorial series on how to make it.

QuiltCon – Award Winning Quilts Part 3 – Updated with Viewer’s Choice

February 24, 2013February 27, 201324 Comments

Today I am posting the rest of the QuiltCon winners. This show was so filled with inspiration that I’m going home excited, ready to start my next big quilting project. You can see the rest of the show winners in these blog posts: Part 1 and Part 2.

The viewer’s choice winner has been announced: Overgrown by Alison Glass & Lisa Sipes:

Viewer’s Choice – Overgrown, by Alison Glass of Norfolk, Virginia
Quilted by Lisa Sipes

Minimalist Design, Large 1st Place – Untitled by Lindsay Stead
Toronto, Ontario Canada

Minimalist Design, Large 2nd Place – 2+2 by Collen Wooton
Clinton, Washington

Minimalist Design, Large 3rd Place – Don’t Box Me In by Tammy Vasser
Olathe, Kansas

Minimalist Design, Small 1st Place – Pa Kua by Donna Morales-Oemig
Stow, Massachusetts

Minimalist Design, Small Honorable Mention – Helix by Nicole Neblett
Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Use of Negative Space, Large 1st Place – Trajectory #2 by Megan Dye
Portland, Oregon

Use of Negative Space, Large 2nd Place – Broken Diamonds by Kati Spencer
Taylorsville, Utah

Use of Negative Space, Large 3rd Place – Rhythm & Blues by Ann Deister
Louisville, Colorado

Use of Negative Space, Small 1st Place – Mobile by Elizabeth Brandt
Holland Michigan

Use of Negative Space, Small Honorable Mention – Shattered by Leanne Chahley
Edmonton, Alberta Canada

Handwork, Large 1st Place – Log Cabin Improv by Sherri Lynn Wood
Oakland, California

Handwork, Large 2nd Place and Judges Choice – Untitled by Lindsay Stead
Toronto, Ontario, Canada

Handwork, Large 3rd Place – Dark Star by Maura Ambrose
Quilted by Juliet Gamarci, Austin Texas

Handwork, Small 1st Place – Modern Mini by Carolyn Braun
Lanoka Harbor, New Jersey

Handwork, Small Honorable Mention – Bohemian Confetti by Felicity Ronaghan
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Modern Traditionalism, Large 1st Place – New Star Rising by Ben Darby
Huntsville, Alabama

Modern Traditionalism, Large 2nd Place – Doppelganger by Thomas Knauer
Quilted by Lisa Sipes, Utica, New York

Modern Traditionalism, Large 3rd Place – Hannah by Kaite Sciarrano
Quilted by Susan Sciarrano, Portland Oregon

Modern Traditionalism, Small 1st Place – Lifesavers by Lee Heinrich
Mequon, Wisconsin

The next QuiltCon show will be in 2015 and I can hardly wait!

QuiltCon – Award Winning Quilts Part 2

February 23, 2013February 26, 201313 Comments

I just finished my second day at QuiltCon and I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing it is. I have enough pictures and notes that I could literally write a book about it, LOL!!

Today, I will share with you more amazing award-winning quilts. You can see Part 1 here, and Part 3 here.

Improvisation, Large 1st Place – Pantone Circles by Elizabeth Brandt
Holland, Michigan

Improvisation, Large 2nd Place – Unraveled by Kati Spencer
Taylorsville, Utah

Improvisation, Large 3rd Place – Love Will Tear Us Apart by Denise Gonzalez-Walker
Austin, Texas

Improvisation, Small 1st Place – Red Concentrate by Lavialle Campbell
Studio City, California

Improvisation, Small Honorable Mention – Sea Glass on Sand by Felicity Ronaghan
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Miniature 1st Place – Modern Challenge by Catherine Redford
Naperville, Illinois

Miniature 2nd Place – Analysis of Variance by Charlotte Newland
London, United Kingdom

Miniature 3rd Place – Shirts by Carolyn Friedlander
Lake Wells, Florida

Piecing, Large 1st Place – RonQuilt: The Ron Swanson Quilt by Monica Solorio-Snow
Astoria Oregon

Piecing, Large 2nd Place – Autumn Jewels by Krista Fleckenstein
Anchorage, Alaska

Piecing, Large 3rd Place – Don’t Blink by Caro Sheridan
Everett Massachusetts

Piecing, Small 1st Place – Flock of Starlings by Terri Carpenter
Moraga, California

Piecing Honorable Mention Piecing, Small Honorable Mention – Frost Bank by Claire Jain
Austin, Texas

I must say, I am quite impressed that most of the quilts here were quilted by the makers themselves. My favorite part of quilt-making is machine quilting, so I appreciate it when quilters are reaching beyond what is comfortable to quilt their own works.