What Some of My Quilty Friends are Doing…

It’s fun to support my fellow quilty friends in the industry, especially when they do amazing things I wouldn’t even dream of. So today I want to tell you about 2 fun things to check out!

Thing 1: I Love Notions Podcast

The first is from my friend Carolina Moore of Always Expect Moore. She’s “multi-craftsual” which means she dabbles in lots of fun crafty things in addition to quilting. Her latest venture is a podcast called “I love Notions” in which she chats with sewing industry peeps about their fave notions.

I was honored when she invited me to be a guest on her inaugural season. Of course we chatted about my quilting notions and sewing table in addition to some fun quilty chit chat. She has a great radio voice and is really interesting to listen to. I’ve been binge-listening episodes while I sew and I’m sure you’ll enjoy them too!

Thing 2: A Quilting Cozy Mystery & Giveaway!

The second thing is that another friend of mine, Kathryn Mykel, has released the 5th book in her Quilting Cozy Mystery series. It’s called “Stitching Concerns” and she include a cameo of one of my quilts in the volume, so that was fun!! If you love mystery novels AND you love quilting, this will be right up your alley!!

Click here to get the full Quilting Cozy Mystery series.

Kathryn has generously offered a giveaway of her books. One lucky winner will get access to the Kindle ebook #5 – the latest in the series. Another winner will get books 1-3 shown above. To enter leave a comment letting me know if you’ve ever read quilt fiction before, and if so, feel free to leave a recommendation. I’m always looking for more fun things to read! I’ll leave the giveaway open through the end of September 2023 and then Kathryn will notify the winners via email.

Happy listening and reading!!

New Video: Learn to Quilt Diagonal Wavy Lines on my Churn Dash Slide Quilt

Now that my college age kids have gone back to school, I’m excited to have more time to create and share weekly tutorial videos with you all. They will focus mainly on domestic machine quilting with a few bonus tips thrown in for fun. This week, I’m showing how to stitch diagonal wavy lines on my Churn Dash Slide quilt. Click the image below to watch:

Grab the Churn Dash Slide Quilt Pattern in Print or PDF

I originally released my quilt patterns as paper hardcopies, but as demand picked up I started offering them as PD downloads, too. It’s been a pleasant surprise with how many people enjoy having the digital versions of my patterns. I guess you just can’t beat the convenience and instant gratification! I’ll still offer both versions of all of my patterns since folks seem to love both!

Stitchy Fabric and Kits Available for a Limited Time!

My Stitchy fabric line has been my best selling collection so far and it makes me so happy that it’s staying in print a little longer than usual. With that said, it won’t last forever, so if you are interested in getting any of the 25 prints, you can ask for them at your local quilt shop, or get them from my online website here.

I’ve created a limited number of Churn Dash Slide quilt kits using all 25 Stitchy fabrics shown in my version of the quilt. You can arrange the blocks like I did, or mix things up however you please!

Click here to grab the Churn Dash Slide Quilt Kit, for a limited time.

Here are a couple of closeups that really show off the fabric and quilting. Remember, you can mix and match my quilting patterns, quilting plans, and fabrics for even more variety! I love cheering you on in your efforts and hope you’ll have as much fun making this one as I did!

Wavy lines are my go-to quilting design when I’m in a hurry and need a quick finish!

Below is a collection of quilts I’ve made from Stitchy. Stay tuned for new video each week!

Reminder – Join me for Finishing Fest this Week!

I invite you to join me for Quilt Finishing Fest, this Thursday, September 7, 2023 for a full day live event brought to you by C&T publishing. Click here to register for $20 off the regular price!

Now the good news is that if you can’t make it live you can still purchase the workshop package and then view it any time in the future at your convenience.

So what is quilt finishing fest?

Quilt Finishing Techniques Made Simple!

Quilt Finishing Fest is a live, virtual event of quilting and quilt finishing techniques taught by expert instructors. You’ll learn finishing techniques like quilting and binding from a dozen different quilting experts. We’re excited to share our pro tips, tricks, and techniques with you. I’ll be the opening keynote speaker, followed by additional 40-minute workshops sessions.

Whether you’re looking for new skills and techniques, technologies to explore, or inspiration for your next project, there is something for every quilter at this event to elevate your projects. Here’s a list of everyone teaching below:

Let’s break down the breakout rooms:

You’ll get 6 1/2 hours of content in four hours using the magic of technology. Quilt Finishing Fest will have ten 40-minute breakout rooms. You’ll pick three you want to see LIVE and choose your own learning adventure with just a click. Recordings of the other rooms will be available to watch on replay after the live event has finished, and you’ll have access to all of the content to watch over and over as much as you’d like!

Click here to register for Quilt Finishing Fest. You’ll be glad you did!

New Video: Machine Quilting Pinwheel Tessellation 3 Ways!

As promised, I’m back with another fun machine quilting video for you. This week I wrap up my series showing how I quilted all 9 quilts from my book, How Do I Quilt It. Check out 3 versions of my Pinwheel Tessellation quilt below. The complete pattern is included in the book so you can make it from start to finish!

Get My Books in Print or PDF

Click here for the physical printed versions of my books.
Click here for the instant PDF downloads of my books.

3 of my books are still available in print, while all 5 of them are available as PDF downloads. Of course I recommend getting the complete set, but any of them will definitely help improve your machine quilting skills!

One Pattern, 3 Different Quilting Plans

It’s so fun to see how quilting makes the quilt! In my book, How Do I Quilt It? you can mix and match quilting plans between the different projects, or you can apply the techniques to any quilt in your UFO pile. Once you understand how to break down the techniques and design your own quilting plan, the sky’s the limit when it comes to quilting your own quilts!

My Christa Cabinet Is On Sale!

Since my namesake Christa table from Arrow debuted last year, I’m loving how much everyone is loving it! I have good news to share for the Month of September, 2023. It’s on sale for just $1499 + tax which includes assembly, delivery, one set of quilt block bumpers, and a custom insert to fit your sewing machine. I created a video a few months back that you can watch. Just click the image below:

Click here for Christa Cabinet dimensions & specifications.

My cabinet can ship to about 95% of the US, so be sure to check with me directly before placing your order to ensure delivery. Also, you’ll want to measure your machine to ensure it will fit. All but the largest machines fit securely in the cabinet. As long as your machine is less than 24″ wide by 12″ deep you are in good shape. This includes ALL Bernina domestic machines as well as most major brands.

Each set of bumpbers includes 2 boards which you can attach wherever you need a raised edge to prevent the quilt from falling off of your table!

This cabinet has been a game changer for me and I know it will be for you as well. If you already have a nice sewing setup but want to purchase a pair of the bumpers to attach to your existing table, you can do that as well. It will fit tables up to 1″ thick that have an edge to attach the clamps to. Just be sure to measure the width of your table and include a note if it’s more than 5/8″ thick so I know to order the larger clamps. If you have any questions at all be sure to leave me a comment or email me directly: christa@christaquilts.com!

My quilt blocks on display at International quilt festival last year. They’ve been a huge hit!

Learn to Quilt the Same Pattern 3 Ways: Walking Foot, Free Motion or Both!

I love making the same quilt more than once to show off different quilting possibilities and fabric choices. In my latest YouTube video (part 2 of 3), I’m sharing my methods and ideas showing how to quilt my Loose Weave Quilt 3 different ways. This is one of the patterns included in my book, How Do I Quilt It?

Click the image below to watch. The final video in this series will be shared next week, so stay tuned!

(Click here for the first video in this series).

I love showing different quilting plans for the same quilt. The techniques are so versatile that you can apply them to any quilt in your UFO pile. For more quilting inspiration and ideas, be sure to grab your signed copy of my book, How Do I Quilt It?

Weekly Machine Quilting Videos Coming Your Way!

After what feels like playing catch up all year, I finally feel organized enough to start sharing the videos I’ve been taking while making my quilts. So starting this week, I’ll have loads of tutorials geared towards helping you gain the confidence to quilt your own quilts. To kick things off, I’ll revisit a video I created last year, showing how to quilt the Daisy Chain quilt from my book, How Do I Quilt It?

Check out my tips and tricks for quilting the same project using a walking foot, free motion, or both. Click the image below below to watch:

Stay tuned as I make my way through the rest of the patterns in the book, plus some recent quilt finishes. If you’ve made any of the quilts from my recent book, please let me know. Bonus points if you’d like to share pics!!!

All 5 of My Books are Now Available in PDF

I’m thrilled to say that at long last, all 5 of my machine quilting books are now available an instant PDF downloads in my Etsy shop. 4 of them were originally published through Martingale, who sadly closed their doors earlier this year. As of this writing, only 2 of them are still in print: Machine Quilting with Style, and 99 Machine Quilting designs.

Click here to get any of my machine quilting books as a PDF download.

My most recent book, How Do I Quilt It? was published by C&T/Stash in 2021 and is still in print.

View My Trunk Show of Quilts from My Books!

I put together a 20 minute video sharing all of the projects from my books along with some fun behind the scenes stories of how these books came to be. Click here (or the image below) to watch on my YouTube channel:

So do you have any of these in your library? If so, which are your faves?
If you are missing any, you can now complete your collection and have access to them anytime on your computer. Click here to get the ebook versions of these from my Etsy shop. You’ll be glad you did!

Watch my Keynote at Quilt Finishing Fest – Online September 7, 2023!

I’m excited to be a part of this fun virtual event brought to you by C&T publishing and BERNINA. It features a fabulous lineup of instructors teaching a variety of finishing techniques including basting, free motion quilting, walking foot quilting, thread painting, binding, and more!

Click here to enter code fest1christa and save $20 off your registration fee!

You’ll get lifetime access to the entire event which includes Ten 40 minute workshops plus my opening presentation. All sessions are presented live but recorded so you’ll be able to watch them all again and again! Check out the full schedule below:

From innovative techniques to expert tips, all of the instructors are ready to help you elevate your quilting skills to new heights and finish faster, so you can finish up that UFO pile! The event also includes a virtual swag bag of goodies from all the instructors, plus plenty of giveaways. You won’t want to miss it!

Click here to see the full lineup of instructors, and remember to use code fest1christa at checkout to save $20. It’s going to be great!!

Click here to register for Quilt Finishing Fest. Remember to enter code fest1christa at checkout for lifetime access for just $29.99! It’s the next best thing to taking a class from me in person. 🙂

Please me know if you plan to attend. It’s the only virtual event I’m doing all year!

Save the Date: QuiltCon 2024 Registration Opens Aug 15, 2023!

I’m excited to return to QuiltCon in Raleigh, NC, February 22-25, 2024 for more fun teaching! So far I’ve been to every show, and I’ve taught there in person 4 times (2016, 2017, 2019, 2022) plus once virtually (QuiltCon Together 2021).

I’ve also been on the QuiltCon jury, loved volunteering and was even a vendor at this year’s show. I’ve also had my quilts shown as a part of every show (either hung in the exhibit, special events, or part of a vendor booth). Pretty much the ONLY thing I haven’t done is judge the show, but that’s on my “one day” bucket list, too, LOL!

So to say that I LOVE QuiltCon is quite the understatement. I don’t teach every year because they like to keep the faculty roster fresh, and also because I enjoy going sometimes as an attendee with no obligations. But I’m ready to teach there again next year and I’m excited for a full lineup of lectures and workshops.

Me in my booth at this year’s show. Honestly, vending was waaaaay more work than teaching, LOL! But it allowed me to the chance to talk with many more people at the show. Fun times!!!

My QuiltCon 2024 Schedule

Click each of the links below for a full description of my events:

Scenes from my workshops at QuiltCon 2022. I love fun, enthusiastic students!!

QuiltCon registration opens to members on August 15 and to non-members on Sept 12. But most workshops tend to sell out on opening day, so if you aren’t already a member of The MQG and plan to attend QuiltCon, go ahead and become a member. It’s changed my life for the better and I highly recommend it!!