Button, Button – Who’s got my button? Giveaway will award 2 winners!

March 19, 2013March 19, 201337 Comments

Grab a Quilt Along Button and Enter to Win My Giveaway!

<div align="center"><a href="http://christasquiltalong.com" title="Christa's Quilt Along" target="_blank"><img src="https://christaquilts.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/christas-quilt-along-175-2.png" alt="Christa's Quilt Along" style="border:none;" /></a></div>

Here’s how to enter:

Add my Christa’s Quilt Along button to your blog. Copy the button link above.
Leave me a comment with your blog address so I (and others) can check out your blog.

To make this giveaway extra special – I’m sweetening the pot. Since I know that bribery goes a long way, I will award 2 winners at random this week.

Each will receive a $15 gift certificate good for anything in my store.

If you don’t have a blog, that’s ok – you can still enter. Save the picture and add it to your photostream on flickr to help spread the word about my quilt along. Then leave me a comment with your flickr id so I can check out your other pictures.

Or, if you don’t use flickr (please do – it’s really easy and fun!), you can instead email at least one friend and tell them about the quilt along.

Remember, sharing is caring… and winning!

So good luck and happy blogging and flickering! (Is that a word……??)

Click here to visit Christa’s Quilt Along flickr group.

Click here for the start of my current quilt along: Hugs ‘n Kisses.

Hugs ‘n Kisses Quilt Along

Giveaway will run through Tuesday, March 26th at 9 PM Eastern (6 PM Pacific). The winner will be announced on my quilt along post the next day, Wednesday March 27th.

Celebrate National Quilting Month with a Giveaway, Free Fabric, and a Sale!

March 8, 2013March 19, 2013261 Comments

To celebrate National Quilting Month, I thought I would combine a few different promotions into one huge fabric fest!

First of all, I invite you to beat the Winter Blues by joining the Quilter’s Blog Hop Party hosted by Michele at The Quilting Gallery.

For a chance to win a $20 gift certificate to my store, either follow my blog, sign up for my shop email newsletter, or join my flickr group. For a bonus entry, do all 3!

Then come back here and leave a message for me on THIS blog post saying you did, and maybe a kind word or two to make my day. 🙂

This contest is open to friends and fabric lovers all over the world. I offer free US shipping on all orders with no minimum purchase, with discounted international rates, too.

I will select one winner at random and post their name here on my blog. I’ll also notify them via email. Contest ends Thursday, March 14th at 9 PM Eastern Time (6 PM Pacific).

When visiting my store, take advantage of my fabric clearance sale up to 50% off. Then use code NQD13 at checkout to save an extra 10% off your entire order now through National Quilting Day, March 17th.

Plus, when you spend $25 or more, be sure to add a free Christa’s Candy fat quarter to your cart. (My choice of fabrics.)

Give yourself an excuse to sew or quilt all month!

Updated 3/14 7:10 PM

Thank you for your entries! We have a winner. Congratulations to Susan G. from Pennsylvania who has won a $20 gift certificate to my store. Susan – I will email you directly. Happy shopping!

Christa’s Quilt Links – QuiltCon Sneak Peek

February 16, 2013March 19, 201313 Comments

I’ve put together a little Sneak Peek of a few quilts going to QuiltCon. I do a LOT of blog surfing for inspiration and by chance have come across quite a a few blogs whose quilts have been accepted into this show.

Think of this as a mini show for those of you that cannot attend in person. I think this is only natural since the whole Modern quilting movement essentially started online. It only makes sense that we should all share.

This post is long, but I wanted to show a large enough of picture of each quilt so you can enjoy their beauty. All pictures are re-posted with permission of each quiltmaker.

Leanne from She Can Quilt:

Shattered

Noise

Lee, from Freshly Pieced:

Modern Mirage

Shattered Spectrum

Lifesavers

Faith from Fresh Lemons:

Off Centered Improv

Belle Wave

Kati From The Blue Chair:

Unraveled, Broken Diamonds, NY Beauty Mini

(Unraveled was featured in the latest issue of Modern Quilting Unlimited – Yay Kati!)

Melissa from Happy Quilting:

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Melissa has a tutorial on how to make this pretty quilt here.

Katie from Swim, Bike Quilt:

Desert Stars, Dear Stella Challenge

Amy from The Cute Life:

Birthstones, Madrona Road Challenge Winner to be Displayed in Michael Miller’s Booth

Be sure to visit each of these quilters’ blogs for some fantastic inspiration and and to learn a little bit more about each quilt. To think that my quilt will be hung with these lovelies is a humbling thought. I couldn’t ask for better company.

I am also super excited about all of the classes and lectures being offered at QuiltCon. I will be taking Angela Walters’ machine quilting class and I look forward to translating her long-arm quilting techniques into domestic machine quilting on my Bernina.

There are two lectures that I am most eager to attend; one is on preparing a book proposal and the other is discussing how to get one’s work into magazines. Since these are listed as part of my professional quilting goals, I will be all ears!

Every time I turn around, one of the awesome modern bloggers I follow has gotten one of her patterns published in a magazine or is writing her next book. If that’s not inspiration and encouragement I don’t know what is. 🙂

By the way, if any of you are going, here’s a link to my QuiltCon intro post with my picture. I’m pretty short (but feisty) so you can come on up to me in the halls or on the show floor and I’ll be glad to meet ya!

Christa’s Quilt Links – Valentine’s Edition

February 9, 2013March 19, 20132 Comments

Since Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, I thought I’d share a few links showing adorable valentine’s themed quilt projects and tutorials. All links and pictures are re-posted with permission. 🙂

First we’ll start off with Connie from Free Motion by the River with her wonderful Twisting Heart Tutorial.

She made her design into a mini-quilt with lots of gorgeous quilting texture. She says it could easily be made into a pillow as well.

I love it!

Next, the lovely Jennifer from Ellison Lane Quilts has this adorable drawstring pouch tutorial complete with an appliqued heart on it.

By the way, Ellison Lane Quilts is sponsoring SewSouth – a modern sewing retreat in the south. Too bad that I am too far away in the west for this one. 😦

Megan from Canoe Ridge Creations has created a patchwork heart block to share with you.

It’s made from 2 1/2 inch scrap squares in a variety of pretty pinks and reds.

I can see this as the center piece of a larger quilt, but it’s cute enough to stand on its own, too!

For those of you that would like to add a touch of Valentine’s Day home decor, here’s a sophisticated, yet easy to make reverse applique heart pillow tutorial by Kati From The Blue Chair.

I love the subtle piecing and the linen background.

Finally, I will share the Love with you as I complete my Love Table Runner this weekend. This is part of a 3-step tutorial series that I started last month. My final reveal will be posted on Monday so be sure to watch for it!

Here’s hoping you can spread the (quilty) love next week and all year long!

ChristaQuilts Giveaway – Win a $20 Gift Certificate to My Store

February 4, 2013February 5, 20133 Comments

It’s time for another giveaway! But this one is a little different. I am still awarding the prizewinner, but the actual giveaway is being hosted by Lucy from Charm About You.

To enter, visit her blog and leave your comment there. She will randomly pick the winner from all comments at the end of the week. This gives you a chance to visit my store, and her blog. So good luck and thanks for stopping by!

You may leave comments for me here, but only comments submitted to Charm About You will count for the giveaway.

Updated February 5th – More Chances to Win!!

I almost forgot (well I did forget until now)! Faith over at Fresh Lemons is also hosting a giveaway with prizes from 10 different shops and of course one of them is mine. So here’s another chance to score another $20 gift certificate to my shop. Again, to be entered to win, you must leave a comment on her blog.

Good luck again and happy blog hopping!!

Christa’s Quilt Links, QuiltCon Intro and More

February 2, 2013March 19, 201315 Comments

I’m linking up to a couple of different posts today. Then I’ll tell you about more fun linkups at the end! Warning: this post is heavy on words and light on pictures! 🙂

The Modern Quilt Guild is hosting a linky party for those of us attending QuiltCon in just a couple of weeks. It’s a fun way for us to share pictures of ourselves so we can recognize each other when we meet in person. I’m also introducing myself for the Thinky Thursday linky party. Here are 5 things you may not know about me:

Here’s Christa!

1. I signed up to go to QuiltCon all by myself with no roommate or traveling buddy. No, I’m not a loner. It’s just when I first heard about QuiltCon in August, I had never met or talked to any modern quilters before so I didn’t know a soul. I just knew I had to go to QuiltCon and make some modern quilts. In the few months since, I have met many online friends through their blogs, gotten one of my quilts juried into QuiltCon and now officially consider myself a modern quilter!

2. I’ve been quilting since I was 20, (a year after I got married) but sometimes feel like I’m still a beginner. It took me about 10 years to figure out stippling and another 10 to finally give starching a try. But this is the year I make up for lost time, LOL!!

3. I turn 40 this year. I had to put that in there because sometimes I feel a little “sandwiched” in between the younger modern crowd, and the more experienced ‘quiltie ladies’ from my guild as I call them, (some old enough to be friends with my grandmother). But I love them all!

4. My husband and I work full-time from home running our online quilt shop. We also homeschool our 3 kids. Yes, we get in each other’s way and step on toes quite a bit so it’s kind of a crazy lifestyle. But we are in charge, so we love it! (We both used to be accountants so we know that a hard day at home is better than a great day at the office!)

Hubby and Kids

5. I hated writing papers in college but I love to blog about quilting! Ok, that one is sort of cheesy but what it really means is that sometimes I can be a little long-winded. That’s the beauty of written thoughts. I can write pages and pages of blog thoughts and then edit them down to one or two simple posts. And yes, this is the shortened edited version, LOL!!

So now that I’ve shared where I’m linking up, I wanted to include the following linky parties that I have come across in my blog travels.

They are all sewing and quilting related, and I can spend hours browsing through them and finding tons of inspiration. Just click the images to go that blog and enjoy!

Monday Linkups:

Tuesday Linkups:

Wednesday Linkup:

Thursday Linkups

And Sew Thinky Thursday Hosted by Mommy’s Nap Time

Friday Linkups

And Finish It Up Friday Hosted by Crazy Mom Quilts

Weekend Linkups:

If you have any other fun quilt-related linkups you participate in, just let me know!

Modern Dresden Block – Paper Pieced Pattern

January 31, 2013October 13, 202393 Comments

Pattern Update

I have now turned this block tutorial into a full-fledged foundation paper pieced pattern called Party Time. It includes multiple sizes, the foundation pattern to photocopy & quilting suggestions.

Click here to purchase the Paper Pieced PDF Download.

Original Design Idea – Modern Dresden

This my contemporary interpretation of a Dresden Plate block.

I started with the idea of “plates” or “wedges” radiating out from a center. But instead of classic curves, I wanted to keep my design straight and angular. So I played around with lines and angles in EQ and this is what I came up with.

And just for the fun of it, here’s the same design in purple. It really sparkles by using lighter hues of the same color at the edges of the blocks.

Christa’s Quilt Links – Finish Your Quilts with these fun Sew-Alongs

January 19, 2013March 19, 20133 Comments

There are so many fun projects to work on that I could literally start a new project a day for an entire year. Since there’s no way I would have time for that, I will share a few fun project ideas and inspiration that I found on some blogs instead. Join the fun below:

SewBitterSweetDesigns is hosting A Lovely Year of Finishes.

The way it works is that you pick one project per month that you know you can finish. You check in at the beginning, middle, and end of each month to show your progress.

Prizes will given each month as well as year-end prizes for those who finish. Sounds like a great way to set some goals!

Speaking of setting goals to finish your sewing projects this year, Leanne from She Can Quilt is hosting her own Finish-Along. Each quarter, you will have a chance to show pictures of projects you want to finish over the next 3 months. Those that finish are eligible to win prizes, too! The opening for the first quarter has already passed, but you many want to follow along anyway, so you can secure your spot to join up in April for Q2!

If a weekly finish is more your thing, be sure to check out Project Quilting‘s Weekly Challenges, hosted by Persimon Dreams.

There will be loads of inspiration, prizes, and of course, fun!

Leah Day from the Free-Motion Quilting Project invites you to quilt-along with her Goddess Quilt series she is offering on her blog.

This talented quilter has so many ways for you to make this outstanding piece of art: order a pre-printed panel, outline-stitch on your machine, or practice your applique techniques.

You can Express Your Love in so many ways with quilts!

If a quilt-along is too much for you, how about a Row-Along?

Lori Holt from Bee in my Bonnet has been hosting a lovely set of tutorials for making a row quilt.

She’s on row 9 right now but you can hop on over to her blog to join the fun. She has a flickr group, too!

And if you think all of the above is great, but you still want to add to your pile of ~~UFO’s~~ Finished Quilts, you can start on your own version of a scrappy Trip Around the World. Unless you’ve been under a rock, I’m sure you’ve heard of it by now. This is the beauty of social media – someone has a fantastic idea and it goes viral!

Check out Bonnie Hunter’s Scrappy Trip Along Tutorial at Quiltville!

Christa’s Quilt Links – New Projects for the New Year

January 5, 2013March 19, 20131 Comment

In addition to my ongoing Do-It-Yourself quilt-along, there are a host of exciting new quilt projects to participate in for the new year. The ones below are just a few that I’ve had my eye on or am going to participate in.

Kristy from Quiet Play is hosting a paper pieced block of the month for 2013.

She has included a tutorial on paper piecing and will be showcasing her original patterns each month.

Each block pattern will be free for the current month. And the best part is – there will be prizes each month for those who participate!

Alyssa from Pile of Fabrics is also hosting a fantastic year-long project she’s calling her Skillbuilder Block of the Month.

From January-October she will demonstrate 2 blocks per month utilizing quilt-as-you-go techniques.

Then in November-December she will show how to add the borders and put on the finishing touches. And it’s Free!

Linda from Buzz-N-Bumble is hosting a blog hop in January called, “In Your Words.”

Each hop participant will show an item made from fabric with words added that tells a little bit about that person.

It will be fun to hop around, find some inspiration, and maybe even win some fabulous prizes!

For the complete blog hop schedule, click here.

For another fun January blog hop, visit Christine’s Quilt Monster in My Closet blog.

She will be posting the blog hop schedule on Sunday and it promises to be loads of fun. Do you Dare to Dresden?

And finally, Monique at Open Gate Quilts is hosting a free Blogger Girls Block of the Month series.

The block patterns are very traditional yet they can be interpreted in numerous ways.

She has posted a schedule of other bloggers who will be joining with their versions so you will get to see the blocks in lots of different colorways.

If you love to blog and hop like me, feel free to send me links to more fun events. I try to post my favorite blog quilt links each week, and I’m always on the hunt for more!

Sat Dec 22 Christa’s Quilt Links – Holiday Projects and Beyond

December 22, 2012March 19, 20134 Comments

Ok, so maybe this post is a little late talking about holiday sewing projects with Christmas a few days away, but I couldn’t resist. I saw so many of them while blog hopping this week that I just had to share. You can file this under “get started right away for next year!”

Terry from A Quilting Blog has a tutorial for adorable snowman ornaments on her blog.

She used a super easy snowball block to make them (love that theme!) and they turned out so cute. You can follow her tutorial here.

Connie at Free Motion by the River has put together an excellent Christmas mug rug tutorial.

In fact, she has several posts about different mug rugs, mats and fun holiday ideas that I know you will want to check out on her blog so be sure to take your time reading and enjoy it!

Amy from During Quiet Time made some fun Christmas pillows from the song “12 Days of Christmas”.

She focused on the line about 2 Turtle Doves for her festive creation! I love it, don’t you?

Karen, blogging at BlondeDesign has decided to share this fantastic Patchwork Star Ornament tutorial.

I definitely feel the need have to make a few of these for next year!

Karen is talented enough to have been featured on Liberty of London’s blog. Way to go Karen!

Another talented Karen, from Sew Well Maide, has stitched together a very crafty Christmas garland created from felt.

She’s also hosting TGIFF (Thank Goodness is Finished Friday) this week so pop on over to her blog and you will be treated to loads of inspiration!

After browsing through all these awesome Christmas craft ideas, there is still more sewing fun to look forward to in the new year! Did you like my beginning paper piecing tutorial I finished last week?