Christa’s Quilts – Woven Ribbons

19 Comments

Woven Ribbons and is quickly and easily made from just two Kona Solids Skinny Strips. I used the 2014 Kona Colors and Black, but it would look fantastic in your favorite solids or prints.

woven ribbons

 

Woven Ribbons by Christa Watson, 45″ x 63″

I created Woven Ribbons to go along with my profile feature in Issue 9 of Make Modern Magazine. I wanted to create a modern design with a very minimalist, graphic feel that was easy to make from precuts.

photo3

I quilted wavy lines (seaweed) with switchbacks. These are two free-motion designs from my book Machine Quilting With Style. It’s fun to combine designs together in other quilts!

Although I love to quilt the heck out of my quilts, I prefer to choose designs that are simple to execute, don’t need marking, and do NOT require perfection to look great!

wavy lines quilting

Tip for quilting with bright colorful fabrics – use a variegated thread!

I quilt all of my quilts with Aurifil cotton thread and chose 50 weight black #2962 and 50 weight Marrekesh #3817 for this quilt. These colors allowed the design to shine, without overpowering the quilt. I used a cotton/poly batting in black since it’s such a dark quilt.

woven ribbons

I love how the black background causes the other colors to pop!

Woven Ribbons Stats

  • Made by Christa Watson; designed in EQ7
  • Finished size 45″ x 64″; completed November 2015
  • Pieced and quilted on my BERNINA 770
  • Materials: Kona Skinny Strips – 2014 Colors and Black; Hobbs 80/20 black batting
  • Aurifil Thread: 50 weight #3817 Marrekesh and #4241 Very Dark Grey
  • Quilting design – Seaweed (wavy lines) and Switchbacks (back and forth curves)
  • Received 3rd place ribbon in Modern, Small category at DQN 2016 Quilt Show.

3rd place modern

You can find Woven Ribbons, along with 14 other fabulous projects in the current issue of Make Modern Magazine. It’s a digital download which means you can save it on your computer forever!

issue9_cover

This is my second pattern with Make Modern, and I’m sure it won’t be my last!

The Upcycled T-Shirt Blog Tour (and your chance to save the planet)

3 Comments

I first heard Jenelle Montilone of (TrashN2Tees) speak on episode 5 of the Crafty Planner podcast. I was intrigued when I learned that she was into re-purposing T-shirts to keep them out of landfills. Then I really wanted to become her BFF (Best Fabric Friend) when I met her in person at the BERNINA ambassador reunion last month. Her passion and energy are contagious, and her talent for making cool stuff from T-Shirts really knocked my socks off.

HiRes_BookCover-page-001

 

Jenelle recently wrote her first book, The Upcycled T-Shirt where she covers tips and techniques for creative ways to re-imagine unwanted or worn out t-shirts.

Check out a few of these fun and unique ideas, all made from T-shirts:

summer_dress

 

 

 

A scrappy summer dress would be so fun to make!

earrings

 

I would totally wear these earrings!

circlepillow

Who knew you could update your decor with old T-shirts??

yarn

 

Create T-shirt yarn and knit it into other projects like throws and seat cushions!

Speaking of T-shirt yarn, Jenelle is going to try and set the world record for making the largest ball of t-shirt yarn, and she needs your help! To participate, simply follow the directions shared in the video below to cut your T-shirts into yarn:

yarn_ball

 

Balls of T-shirt yarn just ready to be made into something fun!

Then, mail your length of yarn with your name written on it by October 1, 2016 to:

Jenelle Montilone
T-shirt Yarn Ball Record
PO Box 754 Bloomsbury, NJ 08804

Later in 2016 a group of volunteers are going to wrap the t-shirt ball in a public & celebrated event where it will be judged by the Guinness Book of World Records. The World Record will be held by everyone who participates.

worldrecord

 

After the world record is obtained, the largest Ball of T-shirt Yarn will go on a book tour with Jenelle and will then be displayed publicly. Finally, she will host a second challenge to anyone who signs up to participate- returning large balls of t-shirt yarn to bloggers, school clubs, and organizations to see what they will make or come up with. Doesn’t that sound like fun??

To find out more about Jenelle’s fabulous book, be sure to follow all of these stops on the tour:

January 4 Jenelle Montilone // trashn2tees.com
January 5 Amy Johnson // makermama.com
January 5 Christa Watson // christaquilts.com  (You are Here!)
January 6 Sandi Hazelwood // craftyplanner.com
January 6 Mandy Leins // mandalei.com
January 7 Julia Vidile // titesmains.com
January 8 Christopher Thompson // thetattooedquilter.com
January 8  Andrea Davis // sewtofit.com

Be sure to pick up your copy of The Upcycled T-Shirt today!

2015 in Review and Looking Forward to a Quilty New Year

11 Comments

As the old year ends and the new one is just beginning, it’s always fun to reflect about what was accomplished while looking forward to new goals. Although quilting is my full-time job, it’s just as much my hobby as my business. I thought I would share important milestones from 2015 month by month along with a few peeks into my goals for the upcoming year.

January

I hired Lindsie to update my branding and logos, and create professionally looking graphic design and layout for my patterns. This was something I had wanted to do for a long time, and it ended up being the best decision I made all year! The biggest lesson I learned is that it’s actually cheaper and more efficient to pay someone to do something that would take me ten times longer to do and wouldn’t look half as good. I plan to use her skills much more in 2016.

Christa Quilts banner

February

I attended QuiltCon for the second time and affirmed my love for modern quilting. It was my goal after the original QuiltCon to one day return as a teacher and I’m thrilled to be able to do that in 2016 (and beyond). I also represented the Las Vegas MQG as president, and helped grow our guild from just 5 members to over 40. I can’t wait to see what our new president, Vicki Ruebel of Orchid Owl Quilts has in store for us this year.

OpticalIllusion_quiltcon_me

Illusions at QuiltCon – look for this pattern in the spring issue of Modern Quilts Unlimited.

March

After teaching quilting classes only locally, I traveled to my first national teaching engagement at The John C. Campbell Folkschool. It was such a success that I’ve been invited to teach again next year (July 31-Aug 6), and I can’t wait. I think I have just as much fun teaching as my students do while learning. 🙂

modernlogs

 

Students working on Modern Logs – one of my favorite designs to teach!

April

My first advertisement as an EQ artist was published in an issue of American Patchwork and Quilting. When it came out, I received more engagement from that ad than I have had in any prior magazine publications. Talk about reach! I’m looking forward to representing EQ more next year, and can’t wait to teach my 3-Day class on Getting Started With EQ7 at EQ University next April.

ElectricQuilt

May

I successfully launched my first set of 4 print patterns.  The key was to get them into the hands of the major pattern distributors (Checker, United Notions, Brewer) so that quilt shops can find them. They’ve been well received so far and I can’t wait to do more in 2016.

4collage_patterns

 

June

I taught at my first international quilt show for the National Quilting Association. Sadly, the NQA is no longer in existence but the show confirmed my desire to teach and travel more. It is so fulfilling to get out there, meet new people, and share my love of machine quilting! I look forward to a nice mix of teaching next year – a couple of quilt shows, a few guilds, and some local classes.

mmq_samplesExamples of student work from my Modern Machine Quilting class at NQA

July

I spent the entire month at my sewing machine, wrapping up work on my second book which releases in April. Of course it took longer than a month to create all the quilts for this book! But I look back on this month with fondness as it was the only month of the year where I didn’t travel, didn’t have too many family responsibilities and could just quilt to my heart’s content!

machine_quilting_practiceHere’s a sneak peek of what’s to come in 2016 – more machine quilting!

August

I decided to jump on the free-pattern bandwagon with the release of Puzzle Box. I enjoy listening to business podcasts about how to increase your marketing reach and the number one suggestion was to offer a “freemium” so I did! Current and brand new readers can get this free pattern by subscribing to Friendly Threads, my weekly email newsletter. My email list has grown by leaps and bounds since then, and I couldn’t be more pleased to be making so many new friends!

Puzzle Box PatternPuzzle Box is made from just 2 Jelly Rolls!

September

My debut book, Machine Quilting With Style was published. This was a dream come true for me, 20 years in the making. Writing this book was pure joy from start to finish. I discovered that I enjoy writing about quilting so much, that I’m currently working on book 3! I plan to continue writing quilting books, as long as my publisher is willing to produce them. 🙂

Quilt_montageMy book includes patterns for 12 quilts, plus how to quilt them!

October

My curated collection of Kona Solids – the Christa Watson designer palette was released by Robert Kaufman fabrics. Now to be clear, I’m not an official fabric designer for them, but this one-time collaboration occurred by being in the right place at the right time.  Curating this colorful palette has whet my appetite to become a real fabric designer, so one of my goals for the year will be to learn as much as I can about fabric design.

Christa Watson Designer Palette

 

My palette comes in rollups, ten squares, fat quarters and charm packs. I love precuts!

November

I began work on a new quilt which won’t be published until 2017. It’s part of a book collaboration that will really knock your socks off! My biggest a-ha moment of the year was realizing that I can reach a larger audience when I collaborate with companies I adore, full of great people to work with.

fabric_piecesThis fabric is Zen Chic’s newest line for Moda Fabrics.

December

I attended the BERNINA ambassador reunion, another long-term goal of mine. I couldn’t be more thrilled to be part of such a wonderful group and am excited to collaborate more with them next year. Be sure to follow We All Sew, BERNINA’s blog for a brand new quilt along from me, coming next spring!

2015ambassadors

 

Just a few of the BERNINA ambassadors – what a great group!

2016 Goals

My 2016 goals for my business are very straightforward: I plan to continue writing, teaching, designing and quilting. I feel like my work flow is under control and I have enough ideas in various stages of completion to keep me busy all year long.

What are your quilty goals for 2016?

My Word of the Year for 2016 – Relax!

15 Comments

2016 will be the third year in a row that I’ve chosen a word of the year for myself. I first read about this idea from my friend (and adopted mentor) Pat Sloan’s website. She in turn, learned the idea from Ali Edward’s yearly “one little word” workshop.

My word for 2016 is going to be RELAX. I know it sounds counter-intuitive now that I’ve built up a successful yet busy quilting career for myself. But, that is precisely the point. I’ve been working like CRAZY the last few years to set things in motion that are starting to pay off.  So although I’m sure I’ll be working lots of hours in 2016, I think those hours are going to be more meaningful and productive, which will allow my downtime to be more enjoyable.

sedona_kids

We recently took the kids on a fun vacation to Sedona, Arizona and decided we need to make time for more family trips like this in 2016. It was beautiful and relaxing!

In order to relax (and not work all the time), I’ve started to say no some things, and yes to other things. No to being gone teaching more than once a month. No to guilt that says I should write every day. No to excess social media that sucks precious work and family time. No to opportunities that are really good but that don’t align with my business.

2015_beach

I missed the family beach trip this year due to work commitments, but not next year!!

I know my family will appreciate this word because often times, they want to hang out with me when I’d rather be quilting. I look forward to RELAXing more this year so I can continue to find joy in the things I love to do!

Click here to read about my 2015 and 2014 Words of the Year.

What sums up your word for next near?

Christa’s Soapbox – I’m a quilter who blogs, not a blogger who quilts.

29 Comments

I recently had one of those light bulb moments when I realized I’m a quilter who blogs, not a blogger who quilts.

Don’t get me wrong. I love blogging about my quilting. Like so many others, my blog is a journal where I can document my process of making and hopefully inspire many of you. However, I find it very freeing not to be beholden to any one else’s agenda or timetable when it comes to what I want to share. On occasion I like to support my friends and other business associates by promoting their things, too, but it’s so nice to do it on my terms.

2015quiltstack

Many of the quilts I’ve been able to make by spending more time sewing. 🙂

Just like in my quilting, it’s very freeing not to have to conform to someone else’s rules of what I should or shouldn’t write about, or how often that needs to be. Longtime blog readers will most likely notice that I’ve gone from writing about 5-6 times per week to 2-3 times per week. As my professional schedule has gotten busier, the lighter blogging load has allowed me to maintain balance while still being able to occasionally share what’s important.

And I love not having to stress over whether or not I’ve captured the perfect image. In fact, confession time here, I absolutely loathe photography. There’s something about setting up a shot, tweaking the lighting, or taking the time to make sure things are straight and even that drives me crazy. That’s one of the main reasons I like to create patterns for books and magazines – most publishers will do that part for me! 🙂

Being able to take pics on my phone has made social media doable for me. I still try to take the best picture I can, but honestly, all I do is crop them and lighten them up a bit and I’m good to go. Jason is really helpful, too. He’s certainly no skilled photographer either, but he will help me set up shots (with the real camera) when I need to take pattern covers or do photography for quilt show submissions.

binding

A current magazine project that I can’t wait to show you next spring!

So realizing that I don’t have to make sure every word is optimized or every picture is perfect has allowed me the mental capacity to just go make stuff – and that makes me happy!

The Beehive Quilt Blocks – Update

3 Comments

I just wanted to give you all a quick update on the Beehive quilt blocks. This is a series started by my good friend Alyce from Blossom Heart Quilts. She invited 12 designer friends to each submit a free block of the month tutorial and she did 12 herself. So over the course of this year, she shared 24 different block patterns, all for free!

beehiveblocks

Just some of the beautiful blocks. Check instagram #doublestarblock for each maker’s credit.

I was recently skimming instagram #doublestarblock which was the block I shared back in April. I was blown away by the variety of beautiful quilt blocks that have been made! When I see amazing work like this, it validates what I do as a designer.

Here’s my original block design below. Click here for my Double Star Block Tutorial.

doublestar_finished

I really have a thing for black, white and grey!

My Christmas gift to you is sharing Alyce’s link to all of the blocks so those of you new to my blog can rediscover this amazing series.

Click here for the Beehive Block Tutorials

Why don’t you put this on your agenda to make for next year?

Coming up in January – Feature and Pattern in Make Modern

4 Comments

I wanted to give a quick shout-out to what I think is one of the best magazines out there for modern quilting. Make Modern is a digital magazine created by Australian quilters Jane Kelly, Kristy Lea and Lara Motta. It’s packed full of interesting articles, great patterns, and fun giveaways.

One of the coolest things of it being an online magazine is that it includes hot links embedded within the text. So if you want to learn more about a particular pattern designer, all you have to do is click their name and it will take you to their website. How cool is that?

Issue 9

How fun to have my name on the cover. I may print it out and frame it!!

In issue 9, coming out in January, includes a profile of me, plus an original pattern I’ve designed using precuts. I can’t wait to share it with you! To ensure you don’t miss it, be sure to subscribe to Make Modern.  You can purchase single issues, or a 6 month or year-long subscription. Back issues are also available. Click here to see my previous quilt from issue 5.

Another perk of subscribing digitally? You can save it forever with no paper to waste!

Snuggle Saturday – Cuddle Cakes and Kits from Shannon Fabrics

8 Comments

At the most recent quilt market, Jason and I decided to take the plunge and expand our offerings. We met with the wonderful folks from Shannon Fabrics and bought two of all their Cuddle Kits and precuts. If it sells well – we’ll stock more!

elephant_quilt

I love this quilt kit – it comes in pink and blue!

Cuddle cloth, is Shannon Fabrics’ brand name for minky fabrics. These are super soft and plush fabrics that are softer and thicker than fleece, and they make the most adorable baby quilts and blankies!!

lamb_ziggy

All of Shannon Cuddle Kits are simply adorable!!

Right now, you can purchase Cuddle Cakes (10″ squares), Cuddle Charms (5″ squares), Scarf kits, and the most adorable baby quilt kits I’ve seen. The charms and squares come in sets of 20 and the kits include fabrics for the quilt top, applique and binding.

cuddle_cakes

When we first got these, my kids begged me to make them some quilts because they are so soft and cozy!! The nice thing about the charms and cakes is that you can easily mix and match them to make a bigger project (though one set of Cuddle Cakes will make a nice sized-patchwork throw).

cuddle_charms

The cuddle is easy enough to sew through, especially with a walking foot and you can add some basic quilting on top with no problems. In fact, depending on how bulky or lightweight you want your project to be, you can even skip the batting if desired!

Click here to see our entire line of Cuddle precuts.

I’m curious – have you ever sewn with minky before?

My Quilt Show Entries and List of Quilt Show Venues

6 Comments

Should you enter you quilt into a quilt show? Yes!! I’ve written a few times before about entering quilts shows. You can read those here and here.

2015-12-16 21.43.16

These 5 quilts above will be seen at 3 different national quilt shows over the next few months (Square in a Square and Lightning – Road to California; Facets – AQS Phoenix; Rain and Focal Point – QuiltCon.) These are all from my book Machine Quilting With Style.

Many people have requested a list of some national quilt shows that have modern categories, so here you go. Be sure to click the link for each venue to find out more about their entry deadlines:

Also, don’t forget your local shows, put on by local quilt guilds, county fairs etc. If you have other suggestions, please leave them in the comments so we can all share more information!

Don’t be scared – take the plunge and enter your quilts (modern or not) into quilt shows. It’s a fun experience and a great way to share your beautiful work!

Pattern Writing Blog Series

3 Comments

My friend Cheryl from Meadow Mist Designs is creating a blog series on pattern writing which launches next January. She will walk you step-by-step through the pattern writing process, which can be approached a number of different ways.

pattern_writing_series

Topics to be covered will include: design, pattern basics, text, math, illustrations, testing, and finishing. Cheryl has asked several of her pattern writing friends (myself included) to join her in this journey and share a little bit more of our pattern writing process. I’m game!!

Click here for Cheryl’s Pattern Writing Blog Series landing page, and be sure to follow her blog so you don’t miss any of this important information!