New Work in Progress – Feathered Chevrons

July 29, 2015July 25, 201510 Comments

I’m super excited to start working with my Kona Cotton designer palette from Robert Kaufman. I’m revisiting my Charming Chevrons design in a new way, something that has been on my to-do list for awhile.

Christa Watson designer palette plus Kona solids in Coal

I’m going to turn the precuts above into the quilt below and I can’t wait to get started! I’m using 4 charm packs of my designer palette along with 4 charm packs of Kona Coal to make a nice throw-sized quilt measuring 64″ x 80″.

Feathered Chevrons Layout from my Charming Chevrons Pattern.

I just love how the bright citrus colors pop against the dark grey background – don’t you? My designer palette will be available this October in quilt shops everywhere. 🙂

Introducing My Very Own Kona Designer Palette

July 24, 2015July 24, 201529 Comments

I have exciting news to share today! I’ve been working with Robert Kaufman to curate my very own Kona Cotton designer palette in my favorite shades of red, orange, yellow and green.

Christa Watson Designer Palette – Kona Solid Precuts Coming Soon!

I chose these fabrics for the Facets quilt from my book Machine Quilting With Style. You can see a sneak peek of the quilt in the photo above.

I never thought I would see my name on precuts – such a dream come true!!

My precut palette will include 5″ charm squares, 10″ ten squares, 2 1/2″ wide roll ups and a 28 piece fat quarter bundle. They will be available for purchase in quilt shops everywhere this fall, including my precut store.

Probably one of the best things about having my own precut bundle is being able to explore the possibilities. I already have two additional quilts I will be making, and I will share my progress with you – so stay tuned!

Christa’s Soapbox – Do the Work

July 22, 2015July 22, 201517 Comments

So back at the end of 2012 I set some pretty lofty goals for my business. That summer I discovered the modern aesthetic and decided it was time to go pro with my quilting. It’s been 3 years of hard, but enjoyable work and I’m finally starting to see the fruits of my labor. This had me reflecting on the idea of how there’s really no such thing as overnight success. It takes dedication, organization and WORK to get to where you want or need to be.

I listen to a lot of craft business/entrepreneurial type podcasts and enjoy reading trade magazines and attending industry events where I get to talk shop with other makers and business owners. One theme that continually comes up is “Do the Work.” You can set all the goals in the world, make up pretty charts, keep a business journal and go to conferences for inspiration. However, unless you actually buckle down and do the work, it’s not going to happen.

Just a few of the behind-the-scenes projects I am working on….

I feel like I’ve finally reached a turning point with my business over the last year. In that time, I’ve (1) finalized my book, (2) been accepted to teach at QuiltCon, (3) created my first set of professional looking quilt patterns and (4) curated a selection of precuts that successfully sell.

But what has led up to that point is a lot of HARD WORK behind the scenes: (1) It took months of researching and brainstorming to come up with a really good proposal. (2) It took years of teaching experience to craft a good set of class offerings (not to mention determination to try again when I wasn’t accepted the previous year). (3) It took nearly a decade to decide how to produce my patterns and get some help making that happen. (4) It took a leap of faith to completely change our retail business model.

In this world of instantaneous communication, it’s often hard to work on long-term projects behind the scenes that can’t be shared until much later. But I made a promise to myself that no matter how busy things get, I would still take time to stop and reflect. So I write this post today not only to encourage others to do the work to make things happen, but also as a reminder to myself to keep doing the hard work that eventually pays off.

What goals are you working towards? I’d love to know!

Things to Read While I’m Hiding out in my Studio

July 20, 2015July 19, 20151 Comment

When I’m busily working behind the scenes without much to show, it’s a great time for me to share a little bit about what my blogging friends and colleagues are up to. So in no particular order, here are a few things you might be interested in:

Check out some great tips on blogging from Yvonne at Quilting JetGirl, as part of the 2015 New Quilt Bloggers blog hop. I love how she dissects several Pain Points when it comes to blogging and how to overcome them!

The always lovely Pat Sloan is hosting a sew along for one of the patterns in her new book Teach Me to Applique. To join, just buy a copy of her book and head on over to her blog and facebook group for all the fun!

Abby Glassenberg from While She Naps is running a feature on her blog this summer entitled, “The Pattern That Changed My Life” and it’s a very inpsiring series. She hosted it last year and it was so successful that she’s repeating again this year. In fact, she’s invited me to be one of the contributors in August and I can’t wait to share that story with you!

20150720_patternthatchangedmylife

I think good thing come in threes so I hope you enjoy those recommendations. If you are an avid blog reader like me – what other interesting things have you been reading? I’d love to know!

Christa’s Soap Box – Take a Break and Have Some Fun (Memories of Hawaii)

July 15, 201513 Comments

I hope you are having a great summer! I find myself knee-deep in deadlines this summer, but it’s all in good fun! I did get a chance to travel with my family to Hawaii last month so I thought I would share highlights of that with you. This was my third trip and I have to say, it is my favorite place to go. (So if any of you out there want me to come teach a quilting class in Hawaii – the answer is YES!)

The Watsons do Hawaii

And as to why I labeled this one of my soapbox posts – I implore you to take a break every now and then and have some fun – no excuses!!

We did the obligatory ziplining through the jungle and it was SO much fun! Of course, since I was the one taking most of the pictures, I’m not actually in many of them. 🙂

I love this shot of my daughter and my husband – everything is so GREEN!

We are a pretty active family, so we like to do fun outdoorsy things like hiking, kayaking and exploring. For this trip, we stayed on the island of Kauai which is definitely my favorite of all the islands we have visited so far.

The view from our hike along the Napoli Coast. Looks like something from a movie, right?

We just couldn’t get over how green the trees were and how crystal blue the water was. Just looking at these pictures makes me long to go back.

Hawaiian Shave Ice – an island tradition!

By far, our favorite treat was Hawaiian Shave Ice, which we got nearly every day. We learned that it’s called “shave ice” not “shaved ice.” And it was pretty delicious, with a scoop of ice cream in the mix.

We had such a great time that we are already discussing when we can go again. It really is as beautiful place as it looks and I can’t wait to return.

What’s your favorite vacation spot?

Paper Pieced Quilt Along #8 – Spray Basting Tutorial

July 9, 201511 Comments

I have been a quilter for over 20 years, but I’ve only been using basting spray on my quilts for about the last 2 years and it’s now my favorite go-to method. Although there are a few drawbacks: it’s more expensive, you need to do it outside or in a well-ventilated area, the convenience of not having to remove pins while machine quilting more than makes up for it!

Be sure to share your progress in my facebook group: Quilt With Christa!

I can usually baste about 2-3 throw sized quilts from one can of basting spray.

Tips before starting

My spray basting method works best for quilt batting that is mostly or all cotton.
I use 2 large plastic tables that fold up and out of the way for storage. You can also use just one table for this method.
Make sure your batting is at least 2″ all around all four sides of the top (4″ larger than the finished measurement).
Make sure your backing is at least 3″ bigger all around (6″ larger than the finished quilt top).
If using a lot of black like I did, consider using a black batting (I used an 80/20 blend).
Grab a helper and a long acrylic ruler to help smooth things out.
If the quilt top or backing sticks to itself, you can easily pull it apart to reposition as needed.

Step 1

Press all 3 layers – quilt top, quilt backing and batting with a dry iron. This works best for 100% cotton or a cotton blend, but yes, you can iron your quilt batting. If you are worried about the batting sticking to your iron, put a piece of clean fabric on top of the batting and iron on top of that. If you have stubborn wrinkles, lightly spray the batting with water before pressing.

Step 2

Cover your table or work surface with a clean bed sheet or cardboard to protect the table from overspray. If it’s not windy outside, you can place pieces of white paper around the edges of the fabric and then remove them easily once the top and backing have been sprayed.

Spray outside to let the fumes dissipate. I used sheets of paper to catch the overspray.

Lay out the quilt top, wrong side up on a large table outside. Gently and evenly spray the entire top with 505 basting spray. (This is the brand I recommend.) I will usually spray in sections, following the pieced design of the quilt. Set aside the quilt top.

You want the adhesive to completely cover the back side of the quilt top – just don’t overdo it.

Step 3

Lay out the quilt backing wrong side up and repeat the process to spray the entire backing. If the backing hangs over the edges, spray the center first and then the sides. Remove the bed sheet or papers and leave the backing on the table.

By using paper to catch the overspray, it’s easy to remove and leave the backing in place.
Dead summer grass and dirty concrete patio optional!! 🙂

Step 4

With a helper, lay the batting on top of the quilt backing. It may help to fold the backing in half and then in quarters first. Lay it on the corner of the backing and then unfold it and smooth it out as you go.

With a long acrylic ruler, smooth the batting across the backing, working out any lumps and bumps.

Step 5

With a helper, lay the sticky top right side up on top of the batting and backing piece. Again, smooth it out with a long ruler if needed. Flip the quilt sandwich over to ensure there are no wrinkles on the back and that the entire top has batting and backing underneath. Trim the excess batting and backing with batting shears leaving only an inch or two all around.

Smooth the layers out the best you can with your hands and a ruler.

Step 6

Bring all 3 layers inside and iron it from the back of your quilt to set the glue. If you have an oversized board that fits on top of your regular ironing board, this comes in really handy! Once the backing is smooth, flip the quilt over and iron it again from the front side.

If spray basting isn’t your thing, here’s a link another quilt along with my pin-basting tutorial. 🙂

You are now ready to quilt! Start choosing your thread colors and meet me back here August 26th to begin the quilting. Or get a jump start on it now if you can’t wait!

Click here for all of the Paper Pieced Quilt Along Tutorials

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WorldWide Kindness Anthem – Vote for My Friend!

July 6, 2015July 4, 20155 Comments

My friend Lacey Newbry is a talented musician, songwriter and budding quilter. She’s written a song titled “Along the Way” which she hopes will be selected as this year’s WorldWide Dance for Kindness anthem. If chosen, she will get to perform her song live in NYC Times Square and it will get played in 30 countries around the world.

Lacey is one of only eleven finalists and at last check, she’s been going back and forth between first and second place. There haven’t been a huge number of votes, so if you, my loyal blog readers would vote for her, it could put her over the top!

Click here to listen to Lacey’s song and cast your vote!

Here’s How to Vote:

Click vote
Create a new account
Click vote AGAIN!
You will get a confirmation that you voted.
The direct link is: http://www.lifevestinside.com/contestants/lacey-newbry/

Thanks so much! Voting runs through July 8th at 11:59 PM Eastern time.

Fabric Friday – The Patriotic Edition

July 3, 2015July 2, 20152 Comments

With all of the Independence Day celebrations this weekend, I thought it would be fun to showcase precuts in patriotic colors of red, white and blue!

Here’s a lovely grouping from Sandy Gervais called Red, White and Free. Don’t you just love the clever title? At last check I only had a couple of the fat quarter bundles left which includes one of each of the prints, plus the oversized panels (which would make a great quickie quilt!) I also have it in layer cakes and jelly rolls.

Red, White and Free bundle by Sandy Gervais for Moda

Fabri-Quilt’s version of Jelly Rolls are called Snack Packs. Isn’t that cute? Enjoy a high fiber-zero calorie “treat” when you try out this lovely color bundle below, aptly titled “Flags Forever.” I love the fact that the colors together are patriotic yet the individual fabric designs are very universal.

Flags Forever – Bella Casa Snack Pack from Fabri-Quilt.

Red is a great color any time of year, and Moda knows that! I love that they have put together several Bella Solids that are duplicates of the same solid color fabric. The gorgeous red below is 9900-16. Naturally the solids are also available in white and blue.

Bella solids in red from Moda

What are your holiday plans?

I’ll be sewing like crazy all weekend! Oh yeah, and shooting off some fireworks, too!

Paper Pieced Quilt Along #7 – Pieced Backing

July 1, 20153 Comments

I love a good pieced backing! There’s something about creating a secondary composition on the back that makes me giddy. Of course, you don’t have to make a pieced backing, but what follows are brief instructions for how I made my backing for the Paper Pieced Quilt Along:

The backing design is interesting to stand on it’s own as a quilt top, too!

This backing finishes at 68″ x 84″ which is exactly 4″ bigger all around than my quilt top. That’s cutting it close, so if you’d like a bigger backing, just add more rectangles or make them slightly bigger.

Yardage needed – 18 assorted fat quarters (18″ x 22″ each). Note: solids tend to be a slightly wider useable width so they are closer to a true 18″ x 22″. Print fat quarters may result in less useable yardage. To use up scraps, feel free to piece sections together to get the desired rectangle sizes.

Trim 14 of the fat quarters to 17 1/2″ x 21 1/2″. Trim the remaining 4 fat quarters to 17 1/2″ x 11″

Lay out the rectangles on a design wall or other large surface, into a pleasing color arrangement.

Sew 4 rectangles together on their short ends to make the first and third pieced columns. Sew 3 rectangles and two half-rectangles on either end to make the second and fourth pieced columns. To reduce bulk, press all seams open.

Join the columns to create the pieced backing. Once the quilt is basted, trim off some of the excess fabric and batting around the quilt top.

Pieced backing after it has been spray basted and trimmed.

It’s ok if the sides don’t look even at this point. Once the quilt has been quilted, it will be squared up.

Once your backing is finished, you are ready to baste your quilt in preparation for machine quilting. Have fun creating your own unique backing!

Click here for all of the Paper Pieced Quilt Along tutorials.

Paper Pieced Inspiration and Schedule Update

June 26, 2015June 23, 20154 Comments

I am constantly amazed with the creativity that is being shown during my paper pieced quilt along. I knew this design had potential, but it’s quite inspiring to see all the different variations that are being shared in my facebook group! For those who aren’t on facebook, here’s a small sample of the fabulous blocks, color combinations, and layouts that are being shared:

From left to right: Michele H., Chelsea M,. Julie G., and Lorraine A.

Many of you are worried that you won’t be able to keep up or catch up during this quilt along, and several of you have mentioned that you haven’t even started. Do not fret – this quilt along is free, the tutorials will stay up indefinitely, and you can work at your own pace!

In fact, I’m even including a longer delay myself than I had originally planned. I got an exciting opportunity to work on a big project right before the quilt along launched. At the time I thought I would be able work on both at the same time, but it turns out that was a little ambitious. Although my top is done, the quilting will need to wait until August for me to finish it.

I’ll throw in an extra tutorial for piecing the backing in July, and will include one for basting the following week. Then we’ll have a nice little summer break and I will begin the machine quilting at the end of August.

How does that sound?