Tag: Craftsy

Craftsy Class Review: Next Steps with Your Walking Foot

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I was so excited to get the opportunity to review Jacquie Gering’s new Craftsy Class: Next Steps with your Walking Foot. This is a followup class to her earlier class, Creative Quilting with Your Walking Foot, which I previously reviewed here

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Although Next Steps with your Walking Foot is meant to follow the earlier class and Jacquie references it quite a bit, I think there’s so much good information in this class that it can stand on its own, even if you haven’t taken the first class yet.

The entire class runs for approximately 3 hours, and I had a great time watching it, coincidentally while doing my own walking-foot quilting for an upcoming quilt along!

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Decorative stitches are so quick and easy to do – here’s my current WIP using them!

The class is broken down into 8 segments running anywhere from 15 minutes to 30 minutes in length. I love watching a video this way because there are plenty of good stopping points. Jacquie is very thorough in this class, including many supplemental class materials which are a  handy reference as you are going through the class.

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Twigs – one of the designs Jacquie teaches using reverse quilting. So clever!

Here are the basics of what you will learn in Next Steps with your Walking Foot including what I enjoyed most about each section:

  • Lesson 1 – Walking Foot Basics
    Jacquie explains the anatomy of a walking foot along with how you can adjust your foot to work best for you. IDF (integrated dual feed) works basically the same as a walking foot. This is what I use on my BERNINA and I like that she affirms that what I’m doing is correct!
  • Lesson 2 – New Linear Designs
    Jacquie goes beyond straight line quilting by adding decorative elements to her straight lines to “fancy” them up a bit. It’s all about the amazing texture!
  • Lesson 3 – Decorative Stitches
    Jacquie explores many of the decorative stitches built into her machine. She also keeps a stitch journal with detailed notes on which stitches to use and what the settings are. I thought it was very clever of her to use something as simple as a blind hem stitch in a new way!
  • Lesson 4 – Concentric Shapes
    This was my favorite lesson of all! I loved learning Jacquie’s trick for quilting concentric geometric shapes by traveling in the ditch. I already have several great ideas brewing for how to incorporate these ideas into my quilts!
  • Lesson 5 – Spirals
    She shares her magic formula for marking guidelines when quilting geometric spirals like squares and octagons. She also shows how mistakes can often turn into happy accidents!
  • Lesson 6 – Designs with Reverse Stitching
    Jacquie shows how to combine reverse stitching with regular stitching for some really unique quilting effects. I have played around a bit with this myself and it was great to get validation that yes, this is an okay thing to do!
  • Lesson 7 – New Curved Designs
    With a bit of marking and planning, she shows how to come up with some really cool curved effects, building off of ideas she has taught in her previous class. Although I’m not one to mark much, this section gave me some ideas to branch off from. 🙂
  • Lesson 8 – Curved Remixes
    Clamshells, flowers, and circles, oh my! By the time you get to the last lesson you will be blown away by the sheer number of ideas of how to quilt with your walking foot!

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I love Jacquie’s approach to teaching geometric spirals – it make so much sense!

Special Discount – Just for You!

For a limited time, my friends at Craftsy are allowing me to share this class with you at up to 50% off the regular price. It expires in exactly one week, at the end of the day on March, 30, 2016 so if you are thinking about it, don’t wait – enroll now. Trust me, you’ll be glad you did. 🙂

Click here to preview Next Steps with your Walking Foot by Jacquie Gering.

 

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Craftsy Class Review – Disappearing Blocks with Precuts

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My friend Angela Pingel recently released her first Craftsy Class and I just love it! It’s called Simple to Stunning: Disappearing Blocks with Pre-cuts.

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You all know I’m a huge fan of working with precuts, so this class is right up my alley! You’ve heard of disappearing 9 patch blocks right? Angela’s class explores that concept in great detail with many other starter blocks besides the simple nine patch.

The class runs just over 100 minutes so it’s a little on the shorter side compared to some of the other Craftsy classes, but it was the perfect length of time for me. I often get excited about a new class, then lose a little steam and don’t make it through the entire thing. Well, that didn’t happen with Angela’s class. She had me engaged from start to finish!

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I watched Angela’s class while working on a secret quilting project. So fun!!

Here’s a breakdown of the six lessons that are included in the class:

  1. Precuts and Disappearing Blocks – Angela introduces you to a variety of pre-cuts. You’ll also get started on your first block and practice cutting and sub-cutting techniques.
  2. Disappearing Blocks with Charms – Create three beautiful blocks: a disappearing nine-patch, a disappearing four-patch and a disappearing diagonal four-patch.
  3. Disappearing Blocks with 10 Inch Squares – Cut triangles, then find out how to sew gorgeous pinwheels and hourglass blocks that look complex but come together quickly.
  4. Disappearing Blocks with Rolls – Learn Angela’s method for accurate strip-piecing as you make a disappearing strips block and a disappearing strip triangles design.
  5. Double Disappearing Blocks – Learn how the addition of more fabric and cutting can transform 5″ squares into incredible, dimensional nine-patch and whirligig blocks.
  6. Designing Your Own Blocks – Angela shows you how to turn your new skills into inspiration for future projects and how to customize pre-cut color palettes.

Here are just  three of the fun blocks that Angela shows you how to make in class:

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Disappearing Strip Triangles

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Disappearing Strip Diamonds

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Disappearing 4-Patch Block

During each teaching session, Angela includes illustrations of what each block would look like when set into an entire quilt. There are some pretty cool combinations that I’m itching to try!

Just like each and every Craftsy class, there are additional class materials to use when making your own blocks, plus tons of teacher support. You can ask questions during class and Angela is very prompt about answering. One of my favorite things in any class is reading through the comments during each lesson. I highly recommend this class and will definitely watch it again!

Click here to purchase Disappearing Blocks with Precuts

Click here to stock up on your favorite precuts! (And thanks for your support!)

Craftsy Recommendation: Start Foundation Paper Piecing

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Because paper piecing is on my mind with the launch of my paper piecing Quilt Along, I thought it would be the perfect time for me to recommend a fabulous Craftsy class from Elizabeth Dackson: Start Foundation Paper Piecing.

startfoundationppI’ve been a fan of Elizabeth’s no-nonsense, thorough teaching style and I’ve several occasions to interact with her through the  Modern Quilt Guild. Let me tell you – Elizabeth is prepared and knows her stuff!

I’m currently watching Start Foundation Paper Piecing not only to support  a friend (and someone I look up to), but also to perfect my own paper piecing skills. I always say it’s a great idea to take classes on the same subject from a variety of different sources to gain a better understanding of the material!

Here’s a quick rundown of the class topics:

  • Introduction (7 min) – supply list and general overview
  • Block Planning (25 min) – tips on color choices, cutting, and reversing templates
  • Sunray Block (41 min) – learn the basic paper piecing method step-by-step
  • Vortex Block (34 min) – practice chain piecing, acute angles, combining units
  • Starflower Block (19 min) – working with directional prints and irregular templates
  • Monarch Block (16 min) – combining multiple templates
  • Pictorial Blocks (27 min) – it’s as fun as it sounds!
  • Lesson Bonus (10 min) – looking for your next project and shopping for templates

Doesn’t that sound fun? And here’s the best part – all Quilting Classes are on sale for Mother’s Day. Yes – ALL classes. So while you are checking out Start Foundation Paper Piecing, you can load up your virtual cart with other classes you’ve had your eye on.

Recommended Sewing Machine Features for Free-Motion Machine Quilting

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In my latest Craftsy blog post, I’ve made a list of 6 things to look for when considering purchasing a domestic sewing machine for machine quilting. My favorite feature is the extra wide throat space my Bernina has, which makes it much easier to “squish and smoosh” my quilts as I go.

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Closeup of my String of Pearls Quilt in progress

Click here to read the rest of my recommendations!

Craftsy Class Review: Free-Motion Quilting with Lines, Curves and Loops

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I have a confession to make: one of the perks of being a Craftsy writer is getting to view some of their top classes so I can review them and tell others what I enjoy. I think I need a sign that says “will work for quilting classes!” 🙂

It’s even more exciting when I get to take my friend’s classes, too! I first met the fabulous Debby Brown when I took a feather quilting class from her at Road to California in 2014. Let me tell you – she can rock a feather like no other! I was immediately drawn to her warm, friendly teaching style and this gal really knows her stuff. So without further ado, let me tell you all about Free-Motion Quilting with Lines, Curves and Loops.

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Class Overview

The class is broken down into 7 different video lessons, each under 1/2 hour so they are presented in easily digestible chunks of information. And the best part is – you can watch them in any order! (Tip – I like to watch a session before I begin my day’s sewing to really get me in the mood!)

Debby includes great tips like setting up your home sewing machine and how to control the tension. She even shows starting and stopping in detail plus how to easily create temporary guidelines to help balance the motifs.

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Debby’s fireworks sample – this would look fantastic on a modern quilt!

Debby then goes onto show you how incorporating simple letter shapes can make for better free-motion quilting. I use a lot of e’s and o’s to create circles in my personal work, but I never really though about i’s (lines), c’s (curves), j’s (curls) and s’s (swirls)!! Yes, she really does walk you through how to turn letters your brain already recognizes into useable (and pretty) free-motion quilting textures! Within each of these basic shapes, Debby includes several easy-to-quilt free-motion textures to try.

My favorite tip that Debby shares is one that I teach my own students: draw first, then quilt! That helps your brain recognize the stitching path and makes it much easier to know where to move when it’s time to quilt. She also includes a few bonus tips and tricks like using free-motion quilting to mimic the look of machine applique, plus trapunto techniques and bobbin work.

Debby rounds out the class by teaching you how to combine motifs to create amazing custom textures. I love it! Complete supply lists are included in the class materials and you can ask questions for Debby at any time via the Craftsy platform.

My Favorites

My all-time favorite motif I learned from Debby is how to quilt swirly feathers. I’m really not much of a feathers gal, but I love this one! It’s so funky and fun and actually pretty easy to stitch.

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 My practice sample when I took Debby’s class last year.

I also really like her in-depth section on quilting linear motifs with free-motion. When you know how to do that, the sky really is the limit when it comes to fun free-motion quilting.

Of course, the best part about this class is that you can watch it anytime, on your schedule. Debby is such an amazingly talented instructor that she can’t possibly give enough in-person classes for everyone who wants to learn from her. So I’m extremely grateful that I can watch her class at my convenience, day or nite! In fact, for several of the motifs I found myself using the Craftsy 30-second repeat option so I could watch her form the stitches over and over again.

On Sale Now!

As I was watching and reviewing Free-Motion Quilting with Lines, Curves and Loops, I got the heads up that it is on sale now, along with dozens of other courses, this weekend only. So be sure to sign up while you are thinking about it!

In fact, be sure to click here for all Craftsy classes on sale. Then be a good student and engage with your fellow classmates and share pictures of your work!

 

I Love Writing about Free-Motion Quilting!

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In my latest Quilt as Desired column for the National Quilting Association, I was able to explore how background fills can add depth and texture to your quilts. I love quilting textural designs that add a lot to the quilt with little to no marking.

nqaqad_fillerExcerpt from Quilting Quarterly by the National Quilting Association, Spring 2015 Issue

Speaking of NQA, you still have until April 10th to enter your quilts (especially your modern ones) into their show that will occur June 18-20 of this year. I will be teaching Modern Machine Quilting, along with two other classes and can’t wait to encourage others to give it a try.

I’ve also written a series of articles for Craftsy including tips to get you started free-motion quilting and 5 ways to trouble shoot your fmq.

As I get out there more in the world of quilting, it’s been fun to share my knowledge in different venues. Sometimes I worry that I may repeat a little bit of what I have to say. But then, it makes my day when a kind reader emails me to say, “If it wasn’t for ___ (insert name of venue or website), I never would have found you. Thanks for the tips!”

That’s truly what keeps me going! 🙂

My Blog is a Finalist in the Craftsy Blogger Awards!

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I got some super fun news over the weekend. My blog was selected as one of four finalists for Best Quilting Tutorials in the Craftsy Blogger Awards. Thanks to those of you who nominated me – I really appreciate it!

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The other three bloggers are pretty amazing and a couple of them are definitely more well-known that I am, so my chances of winning are pretty slim. But, what an honor just to make the final cut! With the hundreds of quilting blogs out there, being one of the top four makes all the work I do very validating.

CraftsyVoteformeOf course, I’d love your vote, but be sure to look through all the categories and vote for your favorites. 🙂 Just in case you are new to my blog, you can check out all of my free quilt along tutorials here.

Voting runs through Wednesday, January 28th. May the best bloggers win!

Some Craftsy Love and an Awesome Quilting Resource

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In addition to sharing tips and tricks here on my own blog (and the occasional 15 second video tutorial on instagram), I’m also a freelance writer for the Craftsy blog. The cool thing about that is that I can reach a wider audience and participate in roundups of fun topics.

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Recently on the Craftsy blog, one of the other authors has put together an incredible quilting resource: 135 Trick, Tips and Tutorials for quilting. It includes many of my tutorials as well as plenty of other bloggers and instructors you’ll recognize. Pretty much anything you want to know is in this resource and it’s almost like having an entire book’s worth of content at your fingertips, so check it out when you get the chance.

In other Craftsy news, they’ve announced their second Craftsy Blogger Awards, so that should be fun to follow. You can nominate your favorite blogs in 15 different categories, including of course quilting and sewing.

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For whatever reason, they skipped doing it in 2014, but in 2013 my blog was one of the four finalists chosen for quilting tutorials so that was pretty fun.

Check out details and nominate your favorite blogs here.

Finally, since I’m spreading the Craftsy love, I thought I’d share with you two of my current recommendations for classes. These are courses on my agenda to watch in my spare time. There’s nothing more motivating than be inspired by these fabulous teachers:

Start Foundation Paper Piecing With Elizabeth Dackson

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This is Elizabeth’s latest class which I just signed up for. I enjoyed her teaching style from her previous class Start Free-Motion Quilting so I’m excited to see more of the same thorough instruction with a different topic.

The Secrets of Free-Motion Quilting With Christina Cameli

20150110_fmq_secretsNo matter how much I teach machine quilting, it’s always fun to see how other instructors present the material, and I know I’ll pick up a new tip or two! I really enjoyed Christina’s first book, and I know I’ll enjoy her class just as much!

What’s on your quilty agenda?

Black Friday Craftsy Sale – All Classes $19.99 or Less!

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Pardon me for blogging about Craftsy twice in one week, but holy-heck-of-a sale, Batman! All classes are $19.99 or less through Monday (sale ends Monday at 11:59 PM).

Click here to view all Craftsy Quilting Classes.

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If you’ve had your eye on any of the classes I’ve reviewed in the last few weeks, now is the time to enroll! I wanted to keep this short and sweet. You may now return to your regularly scheduled shopping bonanza. 🙂 Affiliate links provided by Craftsy.

Craftsy Discount: Save 50% on Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design

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Do you have a quilter’s crush? I do, and my crush is on Jacquie Gering. Seriously, I love everything this woman does! After viewing her class Creative Quilting With Your Walking Foot, I knew I wanted to go back and watch her first class, Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design.

20141118_improv_piecingThanks to my friends at Craftsy, you can enroll in Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design for 50% off the regular price, making it only $19.99 for this class. What a bargain!  Just be sure you click through this link for the discount to apply. (It’s a special discount I got just for my blog readers because I asked super nicely!!) But here’s the catch – it’s valid for one week only (expires 12/1/14 at 11:59 pm MST) so be sure to sign up quickly.

I love bold “irregular” quilts and I’m warming up to improvisational piecing, which I had never tried before I discovered the modern movement. In fact, here’s a sneak peak of some “crazy pieced” yardage I made for a quilt in my upcoming book.

crazy pieced yardageSome of my Improv Piecing using Kona Solids

If you’ve ever met Jacquie or taken a class with her before, I’m sure you’ll agree that she’s a natural speaker! For those of you who have yet to get to know Jacquie, let me tell you – she’s as genuine as they come! She has a background in teaching so she’s very comfortable explaining her methods and techniques. Her presentation style is very calm and and she puts you at ease right away. She’s sincere and affable and you can’t help wanting to be her best friend. 🙂

In this class, you will learn fun methods such as Jacquie’s signature “slice and insert” technique, her take on stitch-n-flip triangles, and a modern version of crazy piecing.

20141118_jg_swirling_starsDetail of Jacquie’s Swirling Stars Piecing, Using the Flip and Stitch Method

Here’s an overview of the class outline: (I’ve included the time for each segment in minutes so you can see how easy it is to watch this class on your own schedule, at your convenience.)

  • Lesson 1 – Meet Jacquie (2:45)
  • Lesson 2 – Stitch and Flip Technique (18:30)
  • Lesson 3 – Love Knots, a Scrappy Quilt Demo (20:08)
  • Lesson 4 – Swirling Stars with Stitch and Flip (15:40)
  • Lesson 5 – Slice and Insert Improv (16:58)
  • Lesson 6 – The Unparalleled Quilt (19:39)
  • Lesson 7 – Crosscut Quilt with Slice and Insert (16:51)
  • Lesson 8 – Crazy Piecing (15:49)
  • Lesson 9 – To the Point with Monochromatic Crazy Piecing (24:16)

In additional to the lessons presented above, the class includes materials lists and instructions to make 5 of the quilts, plus direct access to Jacquie via the class platform. (In fact that’s one of my all-time favorite perks about Craftsy classes – being able to interact with the instructors by asking them questions which they are usually pretty quick to answer.)

20141118_lime_iceLime Ice Quilt, made by student Lisa H. and shared in the class gallery.

Although Jacquie is best known for making Modern quilts, you can still apply her techniques to fit your style of quiltmaking. So be sure to check out Improvisational Piecing, Modern Design. I highly recommend it!

This post was sponsored by Craftsy. 🙂