99 Designs Episodes 17 & 18 – Free Motion & Walking Foot Designs

2 Comments

Today I’m playing catchup with 2 new videos from my 99 Machine Quilting Designs series. These are free videos I’m sharing each and every week, from my book of the same name. I like to teach a variety of walking foot AND free motion designs to make the best use of your home sewing machine! First, check out this fun pebbles variation called Cobblestones:

This is a dense design that I would use sparingly, and it looks great as a background fill surrounding other, less dense designs.

Walking Foot Wonders

If walking foot quilting is more your thing, be sure to catch Episode 18 where I show how to turn simple straight lines into a stunning grid. You can be precise or random with it, and both variations are fun to do! Watch and learn below:

New Quilt Kits Galore!

I’ve recently added lots of new quilt kits to my shop, all made from fabrics I’ve designed. You can grab the Color Weave quilt kit featured in the video above as well as many others all made from fabrics I’ve designed.

Click here to see all quilt kits using my fabrics!

Bonus Videos for Your Viewing Pleasure

Here’s a bonus video to go along with my Color Weave quilt:

Click here to grab the Color Weave PDF quilt pattern

If you are a new follower of my machine quilting videos, be sure to watch this bonus video showing how I set up my machine and prepare for domestic machine quilting. It serves as the introduction to my 99 Machine Quilting video series and is like the cliff notes version of my in-person workshops!

Get My Designer Fabrics for Less than $8 Per Yard!

Leave a comment

We are making some changes around here (all good I promise) so I really need to clear out some of my older fabric lines, like ASAP! I’ve just reduced all clearance fabrics by the yard to just $7.95!! This is a great time to stock your stash with borders, backings and lots of gorgeous color. Hurry though, because these are all out or print, so once they are gone they’re gone forever!

Click Here to Shop My Clearance Sale and Save!

But Wait, There’s More…

In addition to my sale fabric by the yard, I also have a few too many bolts of this fun rainbow fabric, so when you purchase them in 5 yard increments for $35, you’ll save even more!

Click Here to Shop My Clearance Sale and Save!

Most of My Precuts are on Sale, Too!

Stock up on 10 inch Layer Cakes, 2 1/2″ precut jelly roll strips, or 5″ charm packs. This includes everything from my oldest fabric lines, while they last!!

Click Here to Shop My Clearance Sale and Save!

The Fine Print…

Multiple yards of the same print will be cut continuously. Sale prices not valid on prior purchases. Flat rate shipping via USPS to the US. International shipping is available and recipient pays all customs fees.

99 Designs Episode 16 – Pebbles Variations

Leave a comment

My latest episode of 99 Machine Quilting Designs covers three variations of one of my staple designs: Pebbles. This is one of my favorite designs to use in my quilts, as it’s easy to quilt once you get the hang of it and endlessly versatile. Check out the video below if you want to give it a try:

Featured Quilt: Beaded Lanterns

This week’s featured quilt comes from one of my free quilt patterns, titled “Beaded Lanterns.” I originally made it in solid fabrics to really show off my free motion quilting. I quilted pebbles in the background which really gave this piece so much texture!

Click here to download my free Beaded Lanterns quit pattern.

I’ve updated the pattern to feature my newest fabric, Dazzle Dots 2. And the best part is, it includes the step-by-step quilting plan showing how you can combine pebbles with loopy L’s for amazing results!

While supplies last, I’m offering 3 variations of this kit with 3 different background fabrics. Which background do you prefer – Tan, White, or Ice?

Click here to get the Beaded Lanterns Quilt Kit – In 3 Different Colorways

Please let me know how you are liking this free video series. I’ll keep making them as long as you are loving them!!

99 Designs Episode 15 – 3 Ways to do Straight Line Quilting with a Walking Foot

Leave a comment

Tired of stitching in the ditch? Try out these three variations of straight line quilting from my youtube series, 99 Machine Quilting Designs! Don’t be deceived by their simplicity–these designs are easy to stitch with a Walking Foot but they add a lot of complexity to your quilt. Check out how to do it below:

Featured Quilt: Rain

The quilt behind me in the video is titled “Rain, from my first book, Machine Quilting With Style. This book includes 12 quilt patterns as well as how-to instructions on how to quilt them! You can purchase the PDF version or a physical copy from my online store.

Click Here to Purchase Machine Quilting With Style

PDF Version

Pick Up the Geese in the Garden Quilt Pattern!

I also feature “Geese in the Garden,” a versatile quilt that can be done in a variety of sizes and colors. You get the pattern on my Etsy shop as a PDF or a physical copy on my online store. Try making and quilting this quilt with straight lines, or any of the 99 Designs we’ve gone over in the series so far. The possibilities are endless!!

99 Designs Episode 14 – How to Free-Motion Quilt Leaves

Leave a comment

This week for 99 Machine Quilting Designs I’m showing how to free-motion quilt a dense design called Leaves. Take a look by clicking below:

Watch the Entire Series over on My YouTube Channel!

Each week when I share a new video tutorial, it gets added to my playlist. As you can see, I’ve shared 14 videos so far, and there will be 60 of them in all. Click below to start at the beginning and watch them all in order. The videos will stay up indefinitely so you can watch the over and over again, as much as you want!

Get all My Books as PDF Downloads in My Etsy Shop!!

Quilt A Real Quilt with Me at Empty Spools Retreat!!

2 Comments

I’m so excited to check something off of my bucket list! I’ve been wanting to teach at Empty Spools Seminars in Asilomar, CA for as long as I’ve been a quilter and 2026 will finally be the year, whoo hoo!!

Normally when I travel and teach I give a one hour lecture and 1-2 days of machine quilting workshops. I love it, but all we have time for in that short period of time is to quilt out a bunch of practice samples. I also discuss how students can apply what they’ve learned to an actual quilt but of course, they’ll need to go home and do that on their own time.

Well, I’m bursting with excitement to let you know that my week long workshop at Empty Spools takes it to the next level. In this class, you’ll get to bring in a real, basted quilt (or 2) and learn how to actually quilt it all week in class! We will go through a series of exercises to get you comfortable with the process and then I’ll guide you step-by-step to quilt and finish your own quilt. Won’t that be fun??

Take a look below at the schedule for the week. Click on the image to enlarge it if needed:

I will be teaching this in-depth workshop, called “Quilt That Quilt!” during Session 1 which runs from Sunday, March 1 through Friday, March 6 of 2026. This gives you plenty of time to gather supplies and make arrangements for your visit. Registration includes alls meals and you can either stay on campus, or make your own accommodations.

Click the image below to enlarge for details on costs:

This workshop/retreat is a chance for you to go through the entire process of making a quilt from start to finish. Once you sign up, I’ll be in touch with students so that they can prepare a quilt of their choice so it’s all ready to quilt once they arrive to class next year. I can’t wait to see what quilts students choose to make, and I’m so excited to help them experience the joy of making their own quilts.

This is a big event and commitment but I promise its worth it to set aside the time and money to attend. Do you have any questions? Please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer them ASAP!

Free-Motion Quilting Boxes, Triangles, and Flower Spirals on Surplus Strips Quilt

Leave a comment

Want to see how I actually apply my quilting designs to a “real” quilt? Check out this week’s bonus video, tutorial, where I show you how I quilt two different designs on two different versions on the same quilt:

Get the Surplus Strips Quilt Kit!

Interested in making these quilts yourself? You can grab quilt kits with either the light or dark background. This quilt is made from my Dazzle Dots 2 fabric, which is also available in my online shop in both precuts and yardage.

Click Here for My Surplus Strips Quilt Kit

Already have fabric? Click here to purchase the pattern for Surplus Strips! A PDF version is also available!

And just in case you’d like to make something completely different from Dazzle Dots 2, here’s a little eye candy for you. The soft pastels are perfect for a spring-time quilt!

Dazzle Dots 2 fabric

99 Designs Episode 13 – Free-Motion Quilting Broken Feathers & Echo Paisley

Leave a comment

Looking for a free-motion quilting design that can add dense texture to your quilt? Check out the latest from this week’s episode of my “Year of Machine Quilting,” where we will be learning to quilt Broken Feathers and Echoed Paisleys, two designs from my book, 99 Machine Quilting Designs:

Quatrefoil Quilt From The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

I used both of these designs on “Quatrefoil,” a quilt from my second book, The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting. This book was a collaboration with Angela Walters, featuring 10 quilt patterns with instructions to quilt them using either a longarm or domestic sewing machine. If you want to learn a variety of versatile approaches to quilting entire quilts, then this is the book for you!

Pick up a Copy The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting in My Etsy Shop!!

Are you enjoying watching my new machine quilting videos each week? I’ll be sharing a total of 60 when all is said and done. You can watch them as much as you like and go back and bookmark your faves. To catch up on any prior episodes you have missed, be sure to watch the playlist for the entire series. Start by clicking play below to catch them all:

Save the Date: I’ll be Teaching at Quilt Festival in Houston October 7-11, 2025

Leave a comment

I’m pleased to announce that I’ll be teaching at Quilt Festival in Houston, TX this fall! This will be the third time I’ve taught at Festival, so I’m really excited to be returning again this year!

Click here for the full catalog and registration info.

Class Registration begins in June. Classes usually fill up fairly quickly, so I’m going to share the schedule of which classes I’ll be teaching and when, so you can be ready once registration opens:

Sketch It, Then Quilt It
Tuesday, October 7: 2-5 PM

Learn how to create a quilting plan for your quilt! This hands-on workshop will allow students to create their own original designs using printed images of their quilts as well as how to create specific plans for a variety of different quilts.

Walking Foot Bootcamp
Wednesday, October 8th: 9AM-5PM

In this full day session, students will learn how to quilt a variety of walking foot quilting designs on their domestic sewing machine. I’ll also go over how you would apply these designs to actual, full sized quilts. Whether you are a beginner or want to learn a few extra tips and tricks, this is the class for you!

Improv Free Motion Quilting
Thursday, October 9: 9-Noon

This jam-packed class will teach how to combine and design two or more filler motifs into something entirely new. Students will practice drawing the designs on paper, then apply what they’ve learned to sample swatches or orphan blocks.

Modern Machine Quilting Lecture
Thursday October 9: 12:45-1:45 PM

This informative lecture demonstrates how the modern aesthetic applies to the machine quilting process. Learn how negative space, minimalism, graphic geometry, improvisation and other hallmarks of the modern aesthetic can be incorporated into your machine quilting work.

Free Motion Bootcamp
Friday, October 10: 9AM-5PM

In this full day class, learn the basics of free-motion quilting! We’ll explore a wide range of motifs that will look good on any quilt from modern to traditional. You’ll leave class armed with the confidence that yes, you can quilt your own quilts!

Modern Free Motion Feathers
Saturday, October 11: 9AM-12PM

This is a brand new class that I’m so excited to debut at Festival! Students will learn basic feather plume shapes, then build upon those shapes to create entirely new designs. They’ll explore a variety of options such as echo feathers, swirl feathers, “broken” feathers, and many more!

Perfectly Imperfect Free-Motion Swirls
Saturday, October 11: 2-5PM

In this class, students will learn how to form the basic swirl shape, then branch off in many different directions as they discover their own signature swirl! Ideas to explore include the wonky swirl, the flower swirl, the elongated swirl, the packed swirl, and many more.

I sure hope I’ll be able to see you at the show. If you can’t catch me in Houston, here’s a link to my traveling and teaching schedule! I love traveling and teaching all over the world and would love to come to a location near you!

99 Designs Episode 12 – FMQ Landscape Lines and Partial Waves

Leave a comment

Want to practice your free-motion quilting this week? Join me for the latest video of my “Year of Machine Quilting” tutorial series, where we will be quilting two designs from 99 Machine Quilting Designs: Landscape Lines and Partial Waves.

Featured Book: Piece and Quilt with Precuts

The quilt showcased in this week’s video is called Spools, which comes from my book Piece and Quilt with Precuts. This book features 11 quilt patterns as well as step-by step instructions on how to quilt them all! I used Partial Waves on Spools to separate the colorful parts of the quilt from the background, but this book will show you all different kinds of quilting plans and strategies for both walking foot quilting and free-motion!

Click here for the PDF version of the book on my Etsy Shop!

Piece and Quilt with Precuts by Christa Watson

Bonus Video: Setting Yourself up for Machine Quilting Success

Want to learn more about how to setup you machine for walking foot and free-motion quilting? Check out the series intro, where I give the best tips and tricks for setting yourself up for sewing success!

How Will You Use These Designs?

There are endless possibilities for Landscape Lines and Partial Waves. Try echoing them, combining them together, or experiment with other designs for different textures. Let me know how you are using them in your quilts! You can even share pics of your progress over in my Facebook group. Until next time, Happy Quilting!!