How are your Bling quilt blocks coming along? Be sure to see the end of this post for links to the introductory post and QAL schedule if you are just getting started!
I love a stack of freshly pressed blocks!!
If you are following along and arranging the blocks as shown on the pattern cover, you’ll want to sew your sets of bling blocks into 4’s like my pics below.
In the Bling quilt pattern, I’ve given 4 more layout ideas for you to explore if you wish. There are plenty more iterations you can try depending on how much you rotate each block!
Sewing “Homework”
Your homework this week is to finish your blocks and sew them into larger groupings of 2’s or 4’s, then sew those into rows. If you get that far and are feeling gung ho – go ahead and finish up your “flimsy” (aka unquilted top).
In the versions above and below, I’ve sewn my blocks into random groups of four according to the orientation on the front pattern cover. I’m using my design wall to lay out the larger blocks into a pleasing arrangement.
Bonus Tips!
I try to speed things up as efficiently as I can. I’ll chain piece by sewing pairs of blocks together without clipping threads in between, and I give myself plenty of room to work. I’ll also take a pic of my final layout with my phone so I can refer to it as I sew each row.
I’m enjoying see the progress of those who share on instagram (#blingquilt) and in my ChristaQuilts facebook group!
Nothing makes my day more than seeing what you all are making with my fabrics! And I love seeing when you’ve used one of my patterns for your latest project. With so many options, it’s an honor to see these beautiful quilts and works in progress “in the wild!” 🙂
So today I thought it would be fun to do a little roundup of what you all have been making with my designer products. It makes my day to see these pop up on social media 🙂
This gorgeous photo shows Kathleen Hetzler Riordan with quilts on her beautiful white fence. She says, “My street had a pop-up quilt show today and four of us who are quilters put our quilts out on our picket fence, and neighbors walked, drove and golf carted by to see them! It was very impromptu but lots of fun! Christa’s Puzzle Box is on the far left!”
I love this outdoor image—it shouts “Summertime!” Kathleen lives in Virginia and the quilt show took place on May 24, 2020. I’m sure it was a source of joy for many people during the pandemic.
Sally J. is currently working on a baby quilt with my Color Weave pattern and Abstract Garden prints. This design is great for 2.5 strips—maybe you have a favorite sitting around just waiting to be used?! Or maybe you’d like to treat yourself to one of my colorful modern strip sets!
Megan G. used purple for her Optical Illusion quilt and I love it! This design works in so many great combinations. Pay attention to the instructions for the values of each fabric so that your illusion shows up nicely.
Here are links to all of the steps in the Optical Illusion Quilt Along that we recently wrapped up! My QAL blog posts stay up indefinitely so you can sew on your own timeline.
And I see Good Vibes fabrics in her stacks of Flying Geese. I wonder where this is going? I’m sure it will look amazing when finished!
How about this scrappy house quilt? Judy A. posted it in my Christa Quilts Facebook group and had this to say about it:
This is my “Village” (Miss Rosie’s Quilt Co). Mostly Christa’s fabrics plus some Patrick Lose, Allison Glass, and my stash. I can honestly say that working on this made me SO happy.
I sure love it when I see my fabrics playing so nicely with others!!
Sandi S. in Australia is making this bright and happy number with Geo Pop fat quarters and half-square triangles. That’s some gorgeous eye candy, isn’t it?!
Good news for those wanting to purchase my Aurifil Thread collections: They are back in stock at shop.ChristaQuilts.com for just $99 plus shipping. This includes my new Variegated Collection as well as my Piece and Quilt Collections in Colors and Neutrals. Here’s what’s included in each:
2425 Bright Pink
2250 Red
4020 Fuchsia
2520 Violet
2130 Medium Butter
1133 Bright Orange
2920 Light Brass
2884 Green Yellow
2886 Light Avocado
1148 Light Jade
2725 Light Wedgewood
2783 Medium Delft Blue
Piece and Quilt Collection Neutrals
PIECE AND QUILT NEUTRALS INCLUDE:
2311 Muslin
5021 Bamboo
1246 Dark Grey
5007 Light Grey Blue
2326 Sand
2372 Dark Antique Gold (Brown)
2315 Pale Flesh
2405 Oyster
2024 White
2615 Aluminium
2605 Grey
4241 Very Dark Grey
Each collection includes 12 spools of 100% cotton, 50 weight, 2 ply threads with 1422 yards each They work perfectly for everything I do: piecing, quilting, machine, applique and binding.
Today I’m thrilled to be reintroducing 2 of my most popular patterns ever – Modern Logs and Charming Chevrons. These were 2 of the first patterns I ever released and I always knew I’d remake them once I had my own fabric lines.
Both quilts use an equal number of light/dark fabrics, so when I designed Good Vibes with its saturated/low volume combo, they were very much top of mind! Both quilt patterns come in multiple sizes, and they are conveniently made from precuts so it’s easy to get the fun, scrappy look I like without breaking the bank.
Charming Chevrons – made from 5″ or 10″ squares
The biggest change with my Charming Chevrons remake is that you can now make them from charm packs OR layer cakes! There are a few different layouts to choose from, and 4 different sizes.
The pattern even includes machine quilting diagrams and detailed pics for BOTH layouts!! I dislike it when a pattern says “quilt as desired” so I will always include machine quilting suggestions in my patterns. After all, I want you to actually finish your quilt! 🙂
Modern Logs – made from Fat Quarters
I updated Modern Logs pattern so that it works perfectly with a 20 fat quarters where half are light and half are dark, and leftovers are used for the binding.
For the throw size below, I used 2 Good Vibes fat quarter bundles.My improv technique works best with actual fat quarters, rather than 1/2 yard cuts. This means you can go as scrappy as you like and it will look fabulous!!
After teaching this pattern for many years, I updated the instructions and images so that you can make use of any leftover odd bits in your blocks. I call these blocks – “super” improv. Can you spot a few of them above?
I also include a simple stippling diagram and quilting details so you can get this quilt finished in a flash!
Here’s How to Buy 2 – Get 1 Free
I offer both of these patterns either as printed patterns that I can mail, or PDFs that you can download instantly. When you add both to your cart and select a third pattern, you’ll get that one for free!
It’s Bling quilt along time – whoo hoo!! This quilt is so fun and fast to make you’ll want to sew more than 1! We will move through this quilt along quickly – but just remember, these posts will stay up indefinitely, so you can refer back to them anytime.
Bling on display in my Geo Pop quilt market booth a few seasons ago.
Whether you want to follow along and make this quilt IRL (in real life) or just virtually in your head, I’m excited to share tips and tricks over the next 5 weeks that will help you make better quilts, no matter which quilt pattern you are sewing. So let’s get started!!!
Bling Cutting Options
Above is all of the cut units for Bling made from Geo Pop with Tiny Hex black background.
Start by cutting your fat quarters into subunits as listed in the Bling quilt pattern on page 2. I’m making the twin size, but follow along by cutting the number of units as indicate for your size (lap, twin, queen).
You can use all of the same background fabric as shown in my pictures above, or you can go scrappy if you wish (see other color ideas here). Just remember to cut out the correct number of total pieces as listed in the pattern for your size.
For example, if you want a scrappy background version shown above, you can cut out each block background from a different low volume print. In my example, I used half yard bundles of Good Vibes in low volume and saturated prints to get this look, but you could use up lots of scraps this way, too.
Be sure to pair up the “legs” of your block units if you want them to match (but they certainly don’t have to). You can even mix up the backgrounds within each block to go “super” scrappy, too. Just remember – the choice is up to you because you are the boss of your quilt!
Thread Options
I prefer to sew with a shorter stitch length (2.0 instead of 2.5) and press ALL seams open so my blocks lie nice and flat. Sewing with a shorter stitch also prevents the seams from splitting open, and it makes it harder to see the thread in between the seams.
I used up lots of leftover thread in making these quilts. I prefer to piece and quilt with Aurifil 50 weight cotton, and I used up lots of leftover bobbins since this was such a colorful quilt!
I used lighter colored piecing threads for the version with the white background, and darker threads for the version with the black background.
Whenever I’m making a scrappy, colorful quilt, I’l try to use up as many spools as possible that just have a little bit of thread left on them. Who says you have to use the same exact color of thread throughout? I love finishing up a spool of thread – don’t you??
Block Sewing Options
Follow the pattern instructions on pages 2-3 to create the basic Bling block below. I recommend sewing one block first, to make sure it turns out correctly, then chain piecing a whole bunch of units at once for speed and efficiency.
The fun part about making this block is mixing up the different fabric combinations. There’s no right or wrong way to pair them up. Just go for it and don’t over think it!!
Below is the back side of one of my blocks with those nice flat seams. This will make quilting sooooooo much easier, because the quilt top will be smooth and flat in the end.
If you’d like to be a bit adventurous, here are a couple of bonus ideas on how you can sew your block units:
In the option below, I’ve rotated the position of the rectangle units.
Here’s what the blocks above will look like (in the white version) if you repeat this option throughout the entire quilt. The math and number of blocks is all the same, but what a huge variation one small change will create!!
Here’s another option to try: go super scrappy by using 3 prints in each block, rather than 2. Again, there’s not much thinking involved in this change.
Sew all of the rectangle units first (see the Bling pattern, page 2) and then decide if you want to make coordinating or super scrappy blocks. Or maybe a mix of both!
You can also try the other extreme: using all of the same print for the main part of the block!
Isn’t it fun to have choices????
Whichever way you choose to sew your blocks – they will look fabulous!
Homework: Sew all of the Bling Blocks
Quilty “homework” is the best kind of homework!! Now that you have several options to try, work on sewing all of your Bling blocks this week. Don’t worry if you fall behind – just work on a few blocks a day, and you’ll have them done in no time!
Remember, I’m here to help and cheer you on – even after the quilt along is over. Check out the resources below to help enhance your quilt along experience:
I always recommend finding my fabrics at your favorite independent quilt shop first. With lots of fabric and stores out there, the best way to get your favorite shop to carry my fabrics is to ask them to do so – they LOVE listening to their customers!
But if you aren’t able to visit your favorite shop during this crazy time, I do also sell all of my fabrics in my online shop too – and I’m happy to ship anywhere in the world.
Of course my personal favorite precut to work with is the fat quarter bundle. I love working with fat quarters because I think they are the most versatile. I can cut them down into any size or shape and it’s usually enough fabric of each print for most of the quilts I like to make.
I used 2 fat quarter bundles to make my newest Modern Logs quilt – more info about that coming soon!!
Jelly rolls, strip-pies, roll ups, or whatever you call them are a definite favorite among quilters. There are so many great patterns out there for them, including my free Puzzle box pattern that is made from 2 of these beauties! The best thing I love about colorful precut strips is using the leftovers to make a scrappy binding. I love it when nothing goes to waste!
My fabric company likes to call these 10x10s because that’s exactly what they are. They include the exact same fabrics as the charm pack shown below, but in a larger size. I love the 10″ squares because they can be cut into 2 1/2″ strips or 5″ squares and the math places nicely with the other precuts. I’m excited to be remaking my Charming Chevrons pattern using these squares. It’s a larger quilt, with less work!
You can make a baby quilt in a day by sewing one set of charm squares in a 6×7 layout. If you’d like to make a larger quilt, be sure to check out my Charming Chevrons pattern in the lap or throw size. It’s a match made in heaven!
I’m thrilled that these fabrics are now out in the world and getting a good reception. If you make something using them, please let me know. You can use the hashtag #goodvibesfabric so I can see what you are working on. It’ll definitely make my day!!!
It’s time for another quilt along – whoo hoo! Be sure to head over to my Quilt Along page for links to any of the quilt alongs you may have missed in the past! Who’s ready to make Bling with me???
You can make this fun colorful quilt using 20 fat quarters + 4 yards of background fabric. Make it with a rich black background as shown above, or a crisp white as shown below. For other fun color combos – check out my Bling Color Inspiration post.
All you need to join this quilt along is a copy of the quilt pattern and a can-do attitude! I will be showing how to make the Twin size in this quilt along, but you can make any of the sizes listed in the quilt pattern.
The links below will go live as each part is posted. Bookmark this page and refer back to the schedule anytime in the future to work on this quilt at your own pace. The first part – cutting will begin next week on Monday, July 20th, so gather your supplies and get ready to sew!
If you’d like to share your progress, and get extra help from me and other quilt along enthusiasts, be sure to join my ChristaQuilts Facebook Group. It’s a great way to stay motivated! In fact, once you gather your supplies, be sure to share pics of the fabrics you’ll be working with. The best part of any quilt along is seeing how varied all of the quilts turn out to be!
So who’s in??? All you have to do is follow right here on the blog each week as I post the next step. I’ve even got a few videos of the machine quilting when we get to that part – I can’t wait!
During this crazy long stretch where I’ve been working from home and not traveling, I came up with the hair-brained idea that we needed a backyard pool! We are in Vegas. We are hot. We need to cool down. But mostly I’ll be home over the next few months so I can stay on top of getting it done! Here’s a digital rendering of what our pool should look like when it’s done:
We actually made a few slight tweaks to the design after these drawings were made, but it’s pretty similar to what’s shown here and we are super excited about it!!
The start of an Idea
If you live in Las Vegas, chances are you either have a backyard pool or know someone who does. Shortly after we moved into our new home last year, our next door neighbors put in a pool in their yard. They’ve been super generous in allowing us to use it, but after the pandemic hit, I began thinking what our yard would like like if we had one built, too.
I was pleased that I was able to use Electric Quilt Design software (EQ8) to come up with the rough sketch shown below. But even before that that I spent several days chatting with my husband Jason about what we would want in our pool.
We both really like to swim for exercise, but knew that our yard wasn’t big enough for a lap pool. So after a bit of research, we discovered this device called a “fast lane” by Endless Pools. It basically creates a current in the pool, allowing you to swim in place continuously. We knew that we had to include that if we were going to make this pool idea become a reality.
Next, I started asking a bunch of friends which pool companies they used, and I was referred to BYOP (Build Your Own Pool) of Nevada. (FYI this is NOT an affiliate post – I just want to share about my experience as it happens). The clincher was when I asked them if they were familiar with they fast lane idea and they said yes they had installed those before.
So just like I tweak my quilt designs over and over to get them just right, we worked with BYOP to perfect our pool design, That included figuring out how to incorporate the fast lane device and preserve a pretty pool aesthetic. It will be recessed as shown below and covered with pool decking so that it doesn’t stick out into the pool itself.
It’s gonna take awhile!
So the hardest part about the whole experience is that it will take a total of 3-4 months to install. I jokingly say it will be done just in time for winter, LOL!! But we did opt for a heating unit AND a spa – so it will be functional year round. Christmas day swimming anyone??
First we had to submit our plans to not 1, but 2 neighborhood HOA’s. Then we had to secure permits for the construction. Fortunately that all got approved relatively quickly, so now we can begin excavation soon. That’s where they basically destroy our current backyard and dig a big hole in the ground.
Once the design was finalized, the pool company came over and marked up the yard so that when the excavators come, they’ll knno exactly where to dig.
As we were finalizing the design, I used bricks from the yard and empty fabric bolts to visualize how big the areas of the pool would be. It was actually pretty fun to see my idea begin to take shape!
Below are the construction lines for our “wet deck” – a trend that I’ve seen in newer pools. It’s like a suntan ledge where you can put a chair and umbrella in the water or dangle your legs into the pool while sitting in just a few inches of water. It will be a great play area for future grandchildren, too (not that there any on the way anytime soon, but I’m just sayin’ it’s good to be prepared…)!
The Start of Something Good
Because we decided to cover the entire non-pool area with the same tile and decking, the first big project was to dismantle our covered patio so that they could remove the concrete that’s already there. The cover will be reassembled once the pool is in place. Here’s the before shot:
Below is our poor house with no more backyard shade. So sad, but at least we know it’s only temporary!! It’s kinda crazy how small our yard is, but in the future we will just refer to it as “swimming pool” room, LOL!!
So, in the meantime while I wait for work to begin, I will cool off the best way I know how – with a portable pool and some lounge chairs in the shade. I’ll post another update in a few weeks, when things really start happening. After all, it’s been a great distraction, and something to keep me occupied in between sewing sessions.
I’m always excited when I can host a quilt along featuring easy to choose fabrics. For my Bling quilt, all you need is 20 fat quarters and 4 yards of contrasting background fabric. Today I’m excited to share with you lots of different color options in order to prepare for our next quilt along which begins on Monday, July 20!
Original Bling
My first version of Bling made from Fandanglewon a ribbon at a local quilt show!
The key to a successful color combo seen in all the quilts I’m sharing today lies in the variation between the colorful prints in the blocks and the contrasting background fabrics. Be sure to take note of which colorings you like and choose similar fabrics, or grab a kit or fabric bundle to make any of the options shown here.
Geo Pop Bling
When my Geo Pop fabric line came out, I knew I wanted to offer Bling quilt kits to show how well these fabrics would pop wether you paired them up with bright white or dark black.
Whenever I release a new line of fabric, it’s always fun to recolor my patterns digitally to give lots more color options. Here are some other colorways I would love to make whenever I get the chance:
And of course I couldn’t wait to recolor bling in my newest fabric line, Good Vibes. This one was a fun challenge since the collection features an equal amount of lights and darks. But thank goodness for EQ8 so that changing colors only took a few clicks!!
In the color option above, I’ve paired a Good Vibes fat quarter bundle with 4 yards of Hourglass Gray from Gridwork. In this example, the gray background works better than black or white because of the variation of light and dark prints in the Good Vibes collection. I also love it when I can use the leftovers to make a scrappy binding!
You’ll have about a yard leftover if you choose the scrappy option, but you can always throw that on the back of your quilt, or save your scraps for another project.
When the quilting is finished on your Optical Illusion quilt, or whatever quilt you happen to be making, just the final step of binding is left. I’d like to show you in words, pictures and videos how to bind a quilt. Let’s dive right in.
Finished Optical Illusion Quilt, 67″ x 88″
If you’re still working on your Optical Illusion quilt, no worries! This will be here when you’re ready for it. You can scroll to the bottom for links to all of the steps.
The first thing to decide is whether you want to make the binding from just one fabric or you want to make it scrappy.
Which way you go is just a matter of personal preference, as there is not a right or wrong decision.
Step 1 – Calculate and cut your binding strips
A well-written quilt pattern will tell you how many binding strips to cut, but it’s handy to know how to figure it yourself. To determine the length of binding you’ll need, add up the length of the four sides (known as the perimeter) and then add 10″. The extra 10″ is for the seams and gives you a little insurance.
For example, Optical Illusion finishes at 67″ x 88″. This would be the math:
67+67+88+88+10 = 320″
You’ll need 320″ of binding. We use 40″ as the standard width of useable fabric from selvage to selvage, so from each cut across the fabric, we will get 40″ of binding. So we divide 320″ by 40″ to see how many strips to cut.
320″/40″= 8 strips
Just as a side note, if you ever divide by 40 and get something like 6.49, round up to get the number of strips. If you got 6.49, you’d round up to 7 because you’d need 7 strips.
How wide should your binding strips be cut? It’s a matter of personal preference. Most of my patterns, including Optical Illusion, give 2-1/4″ as the cut width for binding strips. But over the past few years, I often cut my strips 2″ wide and sew them to the quilt with a scant 1/4″ seam allowance. If you’re a beginner, it may be a little easier to cut binding strips at 2-1/4″ wide.
Step 2 – Sew the binding into a continuous length
To join the strips with mitered seams, place two strips right sides together at a 90 degree angle. Sew them together across the diagonal as shown. Join all of the binding strips into one long piece.
Trim the seam allowances to 1/4″ and press the seams open.
Trim one end of your binding at a 45 degree angle as shown above. This will be the starting end.
Step 3 – Press the binding
Press the binding wrong sides together along the entire length.
Step 4 – Trim the quilt and walk-around
Trim off the excess backing and batting before you attach your binding. I use a large square ruler for the corners, and a long straight ruler for the sides.
Quickly do a “walk-around” by running your binding along the perimeter of your quilt to ensure you won’t have any seams falling in the corners. If you do – move the binding up or down a few inches to avoid seams at the corners.
Step 5 – Attach the binding to the quilt
Please note: These instructions are for sewing binding to the front of the quilt and then sewing it by hand on the back to finish. If you prefer to bind completely by machine, see this video. Or:
Now back to Step 5: Attach the binding to the quilt
Starting at least 6″ – 8″ away from any corner, place your binding on the front side of the quilt and leave a tail of about 6″ – 8″. Line up the raw edges of binding with the raw edges of your quilt. The fold should be toward the quilt.
Attach a walking foot or even-feed foot or use a dual-feed setting on your machine. Starting at the pin as shown, stitch the binding onto the front of the quilt with a 1/4″ seam allowance.
As you come to a corner, stop stitching 1/4″ before you reach the corner and sew off the corner at a 45º angle.
It will look like this. In order to miter the corner, fold the binding up and away from yourself. Keep the raw edges of the binding in line with the raw edges of the quilt as shown.
Next, fold the binding back down toward yourself, creating a tuck of fabric underneath.
The fold will form a little triangle that stands up off the quilt.
The fold will form a little triangle that stands up off the quilt; later it will form the miter on the quilt front. Now the quilt goes back under the machine.
Starting from the edge of the quilt, stitch the next side of binding down until you reach the next corner. Repeat this process for all four corners until you approach your starting point. STOP when you’re about 8″ away from where you began.
Trim off the excess, leaving a few inches of overlap to work with. Open up the end of binding and place the beginning tail inside it.
Using the cut angled end as a guide, lightly mark a line right up next to it. Then cut 1/2″ away from this measurement to account for seam allowances on both ends.
Put the two tail ends right sides together, and sew with 1/4″ seam to complete the continuous loop of binding. Finger press the seam open.
Sew that last part of the binding to the quilt. Now the binding is attached all the way around the quilt.
Step 6: Sew the binding down
The next step is to fold the binding to the back of the quilt and sew it down by hand. I love using binding clips all round the edges to hold it down. Here’s the only picture I got of my binding Optical Illusion:
Geo Pop Bling blocks with Tiny Hex Black background
Kathleen Hetzler Riordan on Smith Mountain Lake, Virginia
Christa Quilts 