Weekend Workshops

October 22, 2012March 19, 201310 Comments

On Friday and Saturday several guild members and I took two fabulous classes from award-winning quilter Deb Karasik. From choosing fabrics to improving my paper piecing and binding skills, the entire weekend was a blast. The best part about it was no traveling!

Friday morning I headed off to class with these two stacks of fabric in tow, an assortment of Fossil Ferns from my stash and a stack of Kona Solid fat quarters, along with some grey.

For the first quilt, I finished 4 triangle segments which will form the quilt center.

I tried to mix in grey with the Fossil Ferns, but as you can see, they just didn’t work well together.

I’m going to take the grey out and swap it for either black or white.

Or I may remake these blocks with the Kona Solids and grey.

What do you think?

For the next quilt, I was feeling more confidant because it didn’t require the use of any backgrounds – just lots of great contrast.

I was originally going to use my solid fat quarters but I stuck with the fossil ferns instead.

I really wanted to modernize these quilts but I’m not sure the block designs have the right “look” for a modern quilt.

That’s ok – it was still a great learning experience anyway!

As you can see, we didn’t get a ton of blocks done, but I did learn that starch is my friend and I’m not afraid of paper piecing.

Deb even did a excellent demo about applying binding with glue first before sewing it down. You can see a wonderful binding tutorial on her website.

Below is a photo of some fellow quilt guild members with a finished block from Friday’s class. They are standing in front of Deb Karasik’s class sample for the day.

And here is a picture from Saturday’s class. I’m the shortest and I get the least done in class, but I still think I have the most fun!! There were about 20 students in each class each day and a few of us took both classes. It will be fun to see everyone’s finished quilts!

A couple of gals laid their blocks down next to each other just for fun. Don’t they look great?

This pattern looks amazing in any colors. Thanks for the great weekend, Deb!

A Visit with Deb Karasik

October 19, 2012March 19, 20133 Comments

Last night, Deb Karasik visited my local quilting guild (Desert Quilters of Nevada) for a lecture and trunk show. Her work is absolutely amazing, and she was the most entertaining quilt speaker I’ve ever seen. She told us stories of her rise to quilt fame, with a smile on her face and the funniest stories I’ve ever heard. I can’t even begin to rephrase them!

Click on these photos for a larger view to see the look on her face.

She was so priceless!

Of course, she showed us many award-winning beautiful quilts, and with the assistance of her husband, “Mr. Deb” we got to see them all.

Deb is staying in town for the weekend offering two classes, today and tomorrow. I am taking both of them. Today’s class is called “Look Ma, No Curves!” Saturday’s class is called, “Batik Wheels.”

Deb Karasik – Look Ma, No Curves

Deb designs her original quilts using Electric Quilt software, and she uses paper piecing techniques to create her beautiful one-of-a-kind creations. You can see more of her lovely work on her website as well as find products that make the process easier.

Deb Karasik – Batik Wheels

I am excited to take Deb’s classes and will be sure to post an update with pictures from my fun-filled weekend!

Christa’s Quilt Along 3.1 – Charming Chevrons Supply List

October 18, 2012August 13, 201528 Comments

Free Quilt Pattern

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Charming Chevrons

I am so excited to start my next quilt along! I’m having a blast designing new quilt patterns and breaking them down into easy to follow step-by-step tutorials.

To purchase a PDF download of this pattern, click here.

What do you get when you combine a couple of charm packs with a fun geometric design made from triangles? The answer is Charming Chevrons (48″ x 56″), shown below:

I designed my quilt using Kona Cotton charm packs in their new classic palette.

I have put together quilt kits using the exact fabrics shown above, plus a couple of variations using these Moda charm packs shown below.

American Jane School Days

Chez Moi Coquette

Supply List

Important! If you’d like to pick your own charms, make sure that each pack contains at least 42 – 5 inch squares. Be sure to purchase or cut extra charms if needed.

Fabric

2 of the same charm packs in darks or prints – 84 charms total (Kona colors above)
2 of the same charm packs in lights or neutral solids – 84 charms total (Grey above)
1/2 yard for the binding (can be same as the background or something else)
3 yards for backing split into 2 equal pieces if using all the same fabric. If you prefer a scrappy backing like I do, collect assorted chunks and scraps to total this amount.
Batting piece measuring at least 54″ x 62″ – (why not piece together some leftovers?)

Supplies

Basic sewing equipment in good working order
Rotary cutting mat and equipment
Iron and/or pressing tool
A variety of acrylic plastic ruler sizes including a 6 inch square up ruler (or larger)
Brand new sewing machine needles (I always start with a fresh needle on a new project!)
Frixion marking pen for drawing straight piecing lines (or your favorite marking pen)
Neutral cotton thread for piecing
Decorative thread to match fabrics for quilting
Walking foot for straight line quilting
Optional – darning foot for free-motion quilting (FMQ)
Optional – design wall or large space to lay out your design
Optional – blue water soluble marking pen for marking quilting lines
Optional – pinmoors and pins for easy basting
Optional – supreme slider, machingers gloves, bobbin washers for smooth FMQ

Sewing Schedule (All links will be active once each step has been completed.)

Week 1 – Supply List and Introduction (today’s blog post above)
Week 2 – Marking and Sewing the Charms
Week 3 – Cutting and Trimming the Triangle Squares
Week 4 – Sewing the Chevrons
Week 5 – Assembling the Quilt Top
Week 6 – Marking and Basting
Week 7 – Machine Quilting Straight Lines
Week 8 – Free Motion Pebble Quilting
Week 9 – Binding and Finishing Your Quilt

Based on past tutorials, I am allowing plenty of time to sew the quilt together so no one feels rushed. You are always welcome to work ahead or slow it down. That’s the beauty of this quilt along – you can sew and quilt at your own pace!

Sharing is Caring

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

Christa’s Quilt Along 2.8 – Blocking and Labeling Baby Bricks

October 17, 2012August 13, 2015Leave a comment

Free Quilt Pattern

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

I have finally finished two Baby Bricks quilts, my Pretty Pink Version and my Boy Blue version. I am very pleased with both and wanted to share a little bit about blocking and labeling in this last tutorial. My next series, Charming Chevrons, will start tomorrow.

Here are the last steps I took to completely finish my quilts:

Step 1 – Spray Blocking

The blue quilt turned out pretty straight and flat so it did not need to be blocked. However, the pink/green version had a little ruffle in the borders.

I got all the edges wet with a spray bottle, patted them into place, then let them dry.

I laid the quilt out on my basting tables so it could dry flat. You can also pin your quilts in place using a large piece of foam core board. I will try that method sometime in the future.

Here is a link to a previous post where I used rulers to make sure everything was straight.

Step 2 – Adding the Label

I must say, I really dislike adding labels to my quilts. Usually it’s because I’m in a rush to finish and I don’t want to think about that step. But I decided I really want to document my quilts better and include important information like what materials and techniques I used.

I Using a scrap from the quilt top, I ironed a small piece of freezer paper to the back side of the fabric. (I used the wrong side of the fabric as the front because it was lighter.)

Cut the paper 1/4 inch smaller than the label fabric. Press the edges of fabric over the paper to make a crisp edge around the label. Flip the label over and add your text with a permanent marker. Be sure to remove the paper before attaching to the quilt.

I pin basted the labels to the back corner of the quilt. Because my backings were pieced from scraps, this helped the labels to blend in a little better with the backing. I think I will try to print my label info on fabric for next time since my handwriting is not very pretty!

Attach the label to the back of the quilt by hand using a matching thread.

This is the same stitching I used to finish the binding by hand.

It only took 10 minutes of sewing so I guess I will quilt complaining about what a hassle labels are.

Yay – both of my Baby Bricks quilts are finished. Now, onto the next quilt!

In case you missed it, or have just discovered this blog post, here is the complete schedule of tutorial posts for my Baby Bricks do-it-yourself quilt along:

Week 1 – Supply List & Intro
Week 2 – Cutting Your Fabric
Week 3 – Sewing the Quilt Top
Week 4 – Marking and Basting
Week 5 – Machine Quilting Option 1 – Straight Stitching
Week 6 – Machine Quilting Option 2 – Free Motion Quilting
Week 7 – Binding by Hand
Week 8 Bonus – Blocking and Labeling (today’s blog post above)

Sharing is Caring

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

Wounded Warrior Quilts

October 15, 20128 Comments

My friend Suzanne’s parents are currently serving as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As part of their service, they are collecting Americana themed quilts for Wounded Warriors in California. Each of the Wounded Warriors comes to the hospital without any personal belongings and are given a minimal amount of clothing, personal items and a handmade quilt.

Suzanne was able to share this project locally with a me and a bunch our our friends from church here in Las Vegas last weekend. We joined forces and quickly pieced a bunch of rail-fence blocks in red, white and blue. We literally made a quilt in a day!

My friends pitched in to get this project done in a hurry. Brooke and Emily (left) joined me for the morning sewing shift. Tamara, Suzanne, and her daughter came over for the afternoon shift. Later that evening, we got a larger crowd together for tying.

It was such a fun way for a bunch of us (who are a little younger than the traditional quilting bee crowd) to get together for good food, company, and fun!

Here are more quilts that some of the other wards (congregations) in our area made:

This quilt below was made by a bunch of 8-11 year old girls from Suzanne’s parents ward in San Diego. I think it’s so great to get them started sewing so young!

And finally, Suzanne’s dad is delivering a stack of quilts to the Armed Services YMCA at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego, California (near where her parents are serving).

If you are interested in making a Wounded Warrior quilt, you can check to see if there is a group in your area. Or you can email Judi Pett (Suzanne’s mom) if you would like to donate a quilt. She can be reached at Judipett@gmail.com.

Sew and Tell Friday – Holiday Jelly Roll Quilts

October 12, 2012October 12, 20121 Comment

Linda M. and Martha A. both participated in my first ever quilt-along tutorial and have finished two jelly roll quilts just in time for the holidays! Don’t they look great? I love the stippling they added – it gives the quilts lots of texture.

Linda completed her Meadow Friends quilt and Martha finished her Trick or Treat quilt just in time for Halloween. (Martha has one more quilt to finish, in time for Christmas.)

All three of their quilt tops are shown below.

These two quilting friends love to participate in “strip clubs” and enjoy working with jelly rolls. Nice job ladies!

As my way of saying thanks for sharing a completed project using fabric purchased from me, each of them will receive a $5 gift certificate to my store. They can put that toward their next jelly roll purchase or anything else that suits their fancy!

Christa’s Quilt Along 2.7 – Binding Baby Bricks

October 11, 2012August 15, 20134 Comments

To finish off both the girl and boy versions of Baby Bricks, I am finishing my bindings by hand. I’m always needing a hand project that I can stitch while watching TV with the family!

A limited number of Baby Bricks Quilt Kits are available, using these exact fabrics shown.

My quilts are trimmed and ready for binding. I think that binding by hand gives a tidy finish which helps the quilt to lie flat and straight; very important when being hung in a show!

Step 1 – Securing the Binding to the Front of the Quilt by Machine

Please review my Jolly Jelly Roll quilt tutorial for step-by-step photos of this process. I show how to sew continuous binding strips using my favorite method called double fold, French binding. I also demonstrate how to complete it by machine, for a faster finish.

Step 2 – Pin Basting and Preparing Needles and Thread

I enjoy binding by hand if I am not rushed and everything is prepared ahead of time. I chose a heavier weight cotton thread that matches the binding. I like to thread several needles onto my spool so I can cut off a new length of thread and not have to worry about re-threading so many needles.

Next, I use pins and Pinmoors to secure the edges while sewing. I usually pin one large section at a time (enough for one length of sewing thread). Then I repin and move onto the next section as I go.

Step 3 – Sewing by Hand

Cut off about 18 inches of thread and knot it on one end. Then slip the needle between the backing fabric and the binding. The knot will be hidden under the binding.

Make one stitch at a time, backtracking slightly as you enter the needle for each new stitch.

This is very similar to hand applique or a blind hem stitch.

Be sure to stitch the corners closed on front and back.

You can click on any of the smaller photos to see more detailed closeups of the sewing.

It takes longer to sew by hand, but it’s a very relaxing and enjoyable process!

Smaller needles make a tiny stitch.

When I get near the end of my thread, I simply make a knot, take a last stitch and pop the knot into the binding. Then I start the process again until the entire binding is finished.

I will finish up the binding on both of my quilts, then post photos of the finished quilts next week. I have decided to add on a bonus week to this project so that I can talk about blocking and labeling your quilt.

Here is the complete tutorial schedule below:

Week 1 – Supply List & Intro
Week 2 – Cutting Your Fabric
Week 3 – Sewing the Quilt Top
Week 4 – Marking and Basting
Week 5 – Machine Quilting Option 1 – Straight Stitching
Week 6 – Machine Quilting Option 2 – Free Motion Quilting
Week 7 – Binding by Hand (today’s blog post above)
Week 8 Bonus – Blocking and Labeling

If you enjoyed these tutorials, please join me when I begin the next quilt-along series, called Charming Chevrons! I will post the supply list next week. Here’s a hint: it’s made from charm packs! (4 charm packs total – 2 of the same light/background and 2 of the same dark/print)

Mini Quilt Market Shopping Spree

October 9, 2012October 9, 20123 Comments

Today Jason and I went to a local fabric trade show, sort of like a mini “quilt market” (as opposed to a mini-quilt market, LOL!!)

Anyway, we got to meet with many of our fabric vendors to preview the upcoming fall lines and order oodles of fabric! Here I am with one of my favorite sales people, Katie M. from Quilting Treasures.

She’s showing me all the cool Loralie fabric that’s coming out along with the latest Peanuts collections.

The hardest thing about attending Market is having to wait for the fabrics to actually arrive. For example, I ordered Charlie Brown’s “The Great Pumpkin” line, but it’s not even coming out until next Spring! At least that will be in plenty time for next Halloween. In the meantime I’m expecting a delivery of more Happiness is Peanuts & Project Linus fabric any day now…

So what else did we order today?

I’ve been dying to get my hands on some Pearl Bracelets ever since I saw one of the prints in a Modern quilting book. Lizzy House is releasing her brand-new 26 piece line in November, so I bought it all!

Along with fabulous shopping, I got a sneak peak of some upcoming Batik Charm Packs, Layer Cakes, and Jelly Rolls. Hoffman calls them Bali Snaps, Crackers, and Pops. Too cute!

Favorite Tools #9 Supreme Slider

October 8, 2012March 19, 20132 Comments

I am in love with free-motion quilting. To me, it’s the best part of making a quilt! I find myself hurrying through the piecing process just so I can get to the quilting. So of course I love tools that make the job even easier. I first heard about the Supreme Slider when I attended a lecture on free-motion quilting from Joanie Zeier Poole nearly 2 years ago. Leah Day from The Free Motion Quilting Project highly recommends them, too!

It took me about a year to finally buy my first Supreme Slider, but I have been using it ever since for all of my free-motion quilting. It’s a piece of slick teflon plastic that rests on the bed of my sewing machine. Because it is so slick, the quilt glides over the surface of my sewing table and there is less resistance and drag on the quilt. That means less tension issues for both me and the sewing machine!

I started with the regular size slider which measures 8″ x 11.5″.

This size has worked well and was a good size to start with to see if I liked it.

Once I became hooked, I upgraded to the larger 11.5″ x 17″ Queen size. This covers more surface area and is perfect for use on my drop-in table. You can see a comparison of the two sizes shown with my sewing machine below.

I only use the Supreme Slider when I am doing free-motion quilting. It covers the feed-dogs so I can either drop them or leave them up, depending on the type of thread I’m using and how my machine is sewing on any particular day. However, I remove it when stitching in the ditch since the feed dogs are engaged and I don’t need to slide the quilt around as much.

When the bottom (pink side) of the Supreme Slider gets dusty (usually while waiting for me to use it again), I just rinse it off underneath the sink and pat it down dry. Then it adheres again easily to the bed of my machine.

Here’s one word of caution – be sure the slider is completely “stuck” down before you begin FMQ so it doesn’t move around while quilting. I accidentally stitched through my smaller version right after I got it. It still works but it now has a permanent “scar!”

Christa’s Quilt Along 2.6 – Baby Bricks Option 2 FMQ

October 4, 2012August 15, 20139 Comments

I love adding free-motion quilting to my quilts whenever I can. That is why I chose to enhance my girl version of Baby Bricks with some decorative double loops.

Step 1 – Securing the Blocks

Before getting to the fun part, the quilt needs to be secured with a little stitching in the ditch between all of the rows. This anchors the piece for more decorative quilting later.

When stitching to the end of a row, pivot and sew along the side to get to the start of the next row. I used my walking foot with an “open” toe so that I could clearly see where I was quilting.

Step 2 – Quilting the Loops

I quilted all of the white “negative space” with random double loops. To do this design, first quilt a row of single loops. I changed the direction of each loop for interest – think of stitching e’s & o’s in an alternating fashion.

When I reached the end of the row, without stopping, I went back the other direction, echoing the flowing lines between the loops and filling the inside of the circles with another loop. This created a ribbon look which I really like.

For the FMQ, I used Isacord polyester thread in a Vanilla color which I bought from Leah Day. This was the first time trying that thread and I really like it. I need to get more colors!

Step 3 – Quilting the Blocks

At first I had planned on adding more free-motion quilting to the rectangular blocks, but then decided the quilt needed some geometric looking quilting instead. So I got out my ruler and washable marking pen and added registration marks, crisscrossing the blocks.

Had I planned this out more, I would have marked the quilt before I basted and probably quilted the straight lines first. But it just goes to show it’s ok to change your plans during quilting and it will still turn out great!

With my walking foot and pink thread, I quilted lines 1/4″ away from either side of the marked lines. Then I spritzed the lines with water. (I will completely soak the quilt later.)

I marked an “x” design going in both directions on the center row of the quilt. Then each of the rows to the left and right accentuated the direction of the straight line quilting.

I pieced the back using some pink and green scraps from my stash. I like how much the quilting shows up on the back. (I used wool batting to give the quilting some body.)