Fabric Friday – The Precut Store is now on Instagram! (And Some Sale News)

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We are starting to do a little bit of rebranding for our online store which we lovingly call “The Precut Store.” Right now everything is still under our company name of  Christa Quilts but we will slowly be changing that over to reflect more about what the store is really about – Precuts!!

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I’m happy to say that as of today, we have a lot more than just 1 Instagram follower!!

As part of the changes, the first thing we did was set up an Instagram account @theprecutstore. Be sure to follow us there as that’s where will share daily eye candy pics of the latest and greatest items we get in each and every day. I say “we” because the precut store has recently become Jason’s main focus in our business, allowing me do the “fun” stuff like making quilts and writing books!

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Jason and I recently defined our roles in our business – and we have the badges to prove it!

I’m also hoping to start sharing more pictures of what you all make using our precuts. Feel free to use the hashtag #precutstore on Instagram to let us know what you are making, and how you like your goodies!!

Jason’s really got things down to a science. He knows exactly how many of each precut to buy, how often to restock the ones that are selling well, and when to discount those that aren’t doing so great.

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One of Jason’s recent acquisitions – Hoffman Batiks that will be heading our way soon!

For example, we were super excited when Michael Miller began offering precuts, then were really disappointed when they decided to bag the whole thing. So our loss is your gain – all of the Michael Miller precuts are on clearance now at 50% off the original prices. One thing we’ve learned in reatail – you’ve got to either sell it quick, or get rid of it. The rule of thumb in retail is to never let an item celebrate an anniversary in your shop!

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The Michael Miller clearance precuts won’t last long – grab yours now!

Another group of fabrics that we have on sale are the Cotton and Steel precuts. As much as I love them, they’ve stuck around a little too long (mostly because I don’t think enough people know about them yet). So be sure to add them to your stash before they go out of print (OOP).

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All Cotton and Steel Precuts are on sale, too!

Here are two links for you to follow and save: @theprecutstore and theprecutstore.com

As always, thanks for your support!

My MQG Fabric Challenge Quilt and Why It’s Important to go Out of Your Comfort Zone

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I recently finished “Fractured Puzzle” which was my Modern Quilt Guild fabric challenge entry. All contestants were given samples of Michael Miller Glitz fabrics and we could add in additional Michael Miller fabrics as desired. My quilt is based on my Puzzle Box quilt design that’s a free download for newsletter subscribers.

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Fractured Puzzle by Christa Watson, 56″ x 60″

This quilt was way, way out of my comfort zone for so many reasons! At first, I thought I would play it safe, and sew together the blocks in a standard, traditional grid format, shown below:

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I really like the graphic quality of this layout, and the Glitz fabrics really play off of each other. Next, I thought it would be fun to add a pop of color with a red Cotton Couture solid:

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By now, I’m really, really starting to like how this is turning out. I shared these pics in social media on instagram and facebook and received a lot of very positive feedback. But then a crazy idea popped into my head, and I couldn’t get rid of it:

What  would happen if if I slashed up the quilt top and then sewed it back together??

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Getting ready to take the first cut – this was so scary!!

Going this route scared me so much because I thought people would really think I’d gone off the deep end. But something in me said I had to try, and that was truly exciting. After all, this WAS a quilt challenge. It’s not for publication, nor is it for a class sample, and I really didn’t need anyone else’s approval to do this. I finally decided to just dive in and  see what happened. What a liberating feeling!!

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Wanna go crazy? Slash up your quilt!!

After making the first cut, things got a little easier. Now I’m liking the fractured look and for a time, I considered adding white strips in between each of the sections, “slash-and-insert” style. I still may explore this idea in a future quilt. But with this one, I decided to sew the sections back together, creating a really fractured, disjointed look.

At this point I’m not quite sure if it’s a modern quilt, or really more of an art quilt, but I don’t care, as I’m truly loving the process!!

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Fractured Puzzle quilt top – a more dynamic design, don’t you think?

The hardest part was figuring how to sew the pieces back together. I felt like I was sewing a puzzle, joining sections back together to create larger units. I knew that I’d lose quite a bit around the edges once I squared it up, but that was totally okay with me.

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After the top came together, I had a really great vision for the quilting, even though I knew it would be a TON of work! With my new BERNINA 770  I quilted tons of straight lines, about 1/4″ apart in each of the fractured sections, following a different angle.

This meant lots of loose threads to tie off at the end, but it was important for me to go with what the quilt “wanted” rather than what was easy. After all, I realized this quilt was more about the process and the journey, rather than the finished product.

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Quilting Detail – it’s all about the angular texture!

I truly enjoyed making this quilt from start to finish. It really pushed me out of my comfort zone and allowed me the freedom to explore the boundaries beyond traditional design.

I entered it into QuiltCon for 2016 and statistically the odds are slim that it will get in: there were over 1800 entries and only around 325 are accepted. But I’m an optimist and I’ll keep my fingers crossed. 🙂 Besides,  no matter what happens, this was a fabulous journey for me to complete, and I’m now emboldened to make other, “un-safe” choices when it comes to quilting!

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What’s the most interesting, unique, or non-traditional quilt you’ve ever made?
Let me know in the comments, or post pictures over on my Facebook Group: Quilt With Christa.

Fabric Friday – The Christa Watson Designer Palette

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My precuts are finally here! The Christa Watson Designer palette from Robert Kaufman comes in Fat Quarters, Ten Squares, Roll Ups and Charm packs.

Click here to purchase!

Christa Watson Designer Palette

Each bundle includes 28 shades of reds, orange, yellows, and greens. I chose these fresh citrus colors because they are warm and inviting. The pops of green cool it down a bit and the whole bundle sparks excitement (at least for me)!

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Click here for a list of the color names that are included in my precut bundles.

I originally chose these colors to make Facets, my favorite quilt from my book Machine Quilting With Style. Just one fat quarter bundle will be plenty of fabric to make the quilt top. You can throw in an accent color like I did, or make all of the blocks from crazy pieced fabric. I used Kona Snow for the background, and it really sets off the bright colors!

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Facets, from Machine Quilting With Style

Of course, I couldn’t just stop there! I really had an itch to tweak my Charming Chevrons pattern and see what it would look like with the new colors! All it takes is 4 charm packs (or one set of Ten-Squares) plus background fabric. This time I went darker with the background, opting for Kona Coal to make the colors pop.

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I’m calling this version Feathered Chevrons – it’s my current WIP!

Finally, I thought it would be fun to design a quilt using nothing but roll-ups. Puzzle Box is available as a free PDF download when you sign up for my email newsletter.  It uses just one roll-up of my designer palette, plus one roll up of background. Of course, it would look great in your favorite precuts, too!

Click here to join my newsletter list and get your free pattern!

Puzzle Box Pattern

Puzzle Box, a Free Pattern made from Roll Ups (Jelly Rolls)

When you purchase your precuts and start sewing with them, please share what you make in my Facebook Group: Quilt With Christa.  You can also hashtag your work in progress on Instagram, using #christawatsonpalette. I love to see what you are making!

BERNINA Love – and what it means to be a brand ambassador

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I’ve long been a fan of BERNINA sewing machines and purchased my first one, a used model 1630 back in in 1997. I pieced and machine quilted all of my quilts on it and really learned how to be a proficient machine quilter on it. I upgraded to my “dream” machine 16 years later in 2013 – a BERNINA 710. Now I’m excited to be using one of the latest models, the B770 QE (Quilter’s Edition). Thank goodness I didn’t have to wait nearly as long to get it!

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Test driving the B770 QE at Quilt Market

I was recently invited to be a BERNINA ambassador and couldn’t be more thrilled. I first heard about the idea of “brand ambassadors” about 10 years ago when I took a class from a national teacher who was one. So I put that idea on the back burner bucket list, hoping to one day be able to represent this fabulous company.

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So here’s what it means to be a brand ambassador: BERNINA sends me a machine to use on loan, for the duration of my ambassadorship. In exchange, I help promote their brand, create exclusive content for their We All Sew blog, and share my experiences with my machine. (Truth be told, I would have done all of this anyway, even without the new machine, but shhh! don’t tell them that!!)

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BERNINA ambassadors at the 2015 reunion.

I also get to travel to the BERNINA ambassador reunion where I get to meet with other ambassadors and BERNINA representatives. It’s held at BERNINA USA headquarters in Illinois each December. I love to learn all sorts nifty tips and tricks which I can then pass along to you guys! Oh, and about the all caps BERNINA – that’s how they officially spell their name. 🙂

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I’m sure you are all dying to know how this came about, so I’ll tell you. I first met a couple of BERNINA reps at Sewing Summit in 2013. They presented a lecture about blogging and branding which led me to realize the idea of being an ambassador could eventually be in reach. However, I knew at the time I wasn’t well known enough yet; I needed to grow my following and get published so that I could become an effective influencer.

Over the next two years I kept in touch with BERNINA, and I got to know my local dealer really well. I chatted with the national BERNINA reps each time I went to quilt market. I let them know when I purchased the 710 machine (and how much I loved it), and kept in touch while writing both my first and second books.

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Listening to BERNINA representatives at Sewing Summit in 2013

Finally, it was my time toward the end of 2015. The funny thing is that BERNINA wasn’t the only company that has offered to work with me. I got a really great request from another sewing machine company earlier this year. Although it’s a company full of fantastic people whom I admire, I truthfully told them that I was flattered, but my heart belongs to BERNINA.

I’m super excited for the future of BERNINA. Not only do they offer the highest quality machines (in my opinion), they are really forward thinking. They recently launched their line of long-arm machines, which are simply amazing. I always told myself I would never be interested in a long arm (either stand up OR sit down). But then I had a chance to try the Q20 sit-down machine and I instantly fell in love.

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Chatting with Philliip about my first book at Sewtopia – near the Q20 Sit-Down machine

I recently had the pleasure to meet Phillip Ueltschi who is the son of BERNINA’s owner and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Hanspeter Ueltschi. Phillip just happened to be at Sewtopia and it was fun to have a conversation with him. I could tell he was passionate about the company and he was really intent on listening to what I had to say about machine quilting.

When I get to know the good people behind the scenes who are running companies I support, it makes me happy knowing I made the right decision to align with them. Be on the lookout for more fun projects from me, all made on my BERNINA. 🙂

Happy Thanksgiving and a Blogiversary Sale!

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Happy Turkey Day everyone! I started my blog on Thanksgiving Day in 2010 and I have so much to be thankful for over the past 5 years. You can check out that first blog post here.

Christa Quilts Family Thanksgiving Race 2010

 

My first blog picture, from 2010. We’ve all gotten a bit older since then (and hopefully wiser.)

In celebration of this blog-i-versary and to ring in the official holiday shopping season, I’m offering free US shipping on signed copies of my book (with reduced int’l shipping) and 25% or more off of all PDF patterns. This sale will last through Monday, November 30th.

Machine Quilting With Style

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Thanks for your continued support!

Click here for more information about my patterns and books.

Fun News to Share – Quilt Show Quilts

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I’ve written extensively before about entering quilt shows, and I love discussing the topic with others. In a nutshell, I’m not a “show quilter” but rather consider myself a “quilt-show enterer.” I love entering modern categories of both local and national shows to help share my examples of the modern aesthetic.

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Facets (my favorite quilt from Machine Quilting With Style) will be at AQS-Phoenix

I was pleased with fun news this week: 2 of the quilts from my book will be heading to Road to California in January, and a third will be off to AQS-Phoenix in February. A fourth quilt from the book will be judged in QuiltCon since it was pre-qualified by being part of the MQG showcase at International Quilt Festival. I’ve entered additional quilts into QuiltCon, but won’t find out those results until a bit later (keeping my fingers crossed.)

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Square in a Square will be shown at Road to California in January.

Lightning

Lightning will also be shown at Road – entrants were allowed up to 2 modern quilts.

One of the hardest parts about making quilts ahead of time for my book was realizing they’d be out of commission for about a year. Most quilt shows give you 2 years from the time of completion to enter. Because of the writing deadlines, I have much less time to share my book quilts in shows, so I have to choose wisely on where they’ll go. The exception is QuiltCon which allows quilts up to 4 years old, so thank goodness for that!

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Rain is my second favorite book quilt and will be proudly on display at QuiltCon.

A good friend of mine says that entering quilt shows is like quilt-casino: you never know who the judges or competition will be. Every now and then I snag a ribbon, but most of the time I don’t and that’s okay. I’m just happy to share my quilts with a wider audience!

Will you be traveling to any quilt shows next year? If so, which ones?

Winners!! And Some More Exciting News!

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The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of giveaways and it’s been So. Much. Fun!

I’ve contacted everyone, but congratulations to Gloria C. who won a copy of Quilting Quarterly magazine, Michelle R. who won a copy of Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine, Dawn J. who won a copy of Amanda Murphy’s Free-Motion Idea book, and Debi J. who won a copy of Amanda Lein’s book, Wanderlust quilts.

With all of this new-book goodness out there, I have fun news to share. First, I recently found out that my debut book Machine Quilting With Style is one of my publisher’s top sellers (yay)!

Second, I’m excited announce my next book, The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting, co-authored with Angela Walters will be published in April of 2016.

Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

Click here to order your copies of my books and patterns.

I can’t thank you all enough for supporting me (and my friends) by purchasing our books and leaving such nice Amazon reviews. I can truthfully say, I love writing – and hearing such wonderful feedback just makes me want to keep doing it!

 

Spiraling Out of Control Pattern Available in MQU Magazine

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Here’s some great news for those of you who have been patiently waiting for the pattern for my quilt Spiraling Out of Control. It’s now available in the current issue of Modern Quilts Unlimited magazine (Fall, 2015).

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Here’s a quick back-story of the quilt. I originally made it for the MQG/Riley Blake fabric challenge in 2014 and was thrilled when it was selected as one of the 10 finalists out of hundreds of quilts. It then went on to hang at AQS in July 2014 nd then at QuiltCon in 2015 where it caught the eye of the Modern Quilts Unlimited editors. (In fact, they also fell in love with another of my quilts at the show which will be patterned in a future issue, so be sure to subscribe!)

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I used EQ7 to design Spiraling Out of Control.

Jason jokingly refers to this issue as “my” issue because in addition to featuring the pattern, they’ve also given my book a nice review, and I’m in an EQ ad, too!

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Seeing reviews of my book in national magazines makes me giddy!

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Spiraling Out of Control is in the Fall Issue of MQU

Free-Motion Quilting Idea Blog Hop

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New to my website? Be sure to sign up for my email newsletter and get a free pattern!

You all know I’m a sucker for machine quilting and I love it when others helps spread the message, that yes, you CAN quilt your own quilts! 🙂 Prolific quilter and author Amanda Murphy has just released her latest project, The Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book.

coverIt’s chock full of ideas on how you can apply specific motifs to actual blocks. It includes over 150 step-by-step designs that are sure to jump start your creativity! Just take a look at these two ideas from the book:

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I love it that the book is organized so that you can look up the motifs by quilt element or design family. But what makes the book extra special is that you can apply these ideas to your quilts whether you are a stand up long arm quilter, or a sit-down machine quilter. Amanda started off as a domestic machine quilter (like me) and she’s now the spokesperson for the new BERNINA long arm, so of course I think she has great taste in machines!

Here’s Amanda, in her own words, describing why she wrote The Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book:

“I wanted to write an idea book to help people figure out how to quilt their quilts by breaking them down into a series of steps.  Each quilt element featured in the book has multiple designs but all are based on the same basic allover designs featured in the front of the book – so it is easy to create a cohesive look.  For instance, there are several designs for quilting flying geese, and they work well with other designs that feature the same families.  There are also coordinating borders, sashing, and stand alone designs.  There is a simple table runner design included to get you started.”

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As an added bonus, Amanda and her publisher have teamed up to offer a companion to The Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book. It’s called the Free-Motion Quilting Idea Sampler and is available as a PDF download which gives you loads of block patterns to piece and practice on!

FMQIdeaSampler_1318_SMSampler Quilt for Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book

Giveaway

Leave a comment telling me your favorite free-motion quilting motif. (Mine is swirls!) Contest is open to everyone through the end of the week. US winners will receive a hard copy of the book; international winners will receive an e-copy.

Blog Tour

Check out the rest of the stops on the hop for more inspiration, and your chance to win a copy of The Free-Motion Quilting Idea Book:

Book Recommendation – Sew Adorkable

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I get to wrap up this week by telling you about the adorable and hilariously funny Samarra Khaja who recently wrote the book Sew Adorkable. I mean, the tongue-in-cheek title really says it all!

Samarra first came to my notice when she became known as “The QuiltCon Artist” – photoshopping herself into other people’s QuiltCon pictures and then posting them on Instagram, when she couldn’t attend the event herself. (Just go to instagram and search #quiltconartist to see what I mean.)

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Now I normally don’t do 3-D sewing (clothes, bags, accessories, etc.) but if I did, I would for sure pick one of Samara’s projects to make. They are just so fun! Just check out some of these adorable (or adorkable) ideas (all photography courtesy of C&T). I think my favorite is the “Pencil Skirt” shown on the cover. Get it? (Get it??)

Masculine Tooth Fairy Pillows

stapler_pillowStapler Pillow

“Trawzers”

Typewriter Tissue Box – Everyone needs one of these!

Samarra also included some delightful quilt patterns in her book. Take a look at these:

odd_socksOdd Socks – That’s where they went to!!

8 bit birds8 Bit Birds

11114_007.tif_SK1Braille Alphabet Quilt

candy_dotsCandy Dots – Love those added illustrations!

One of the most delightful things about Sew Adorkable is Samarra’s illustrations which are included throughout the book, like in the photos above. Her sense of playfulness is really evident throughout the book.

So if you are looking for that unique gift this holiday season, pick up your copy of Sew Adorkable and stitch up one of 15 fun projects!

coloringbookBut Wait There’s More!

PS – if you like her illustration style, Samarra also has her very own coloring book! It’s called Off the Bookshelf and it just released this week!