How to Free-Motion Bricks – 99 Designs Episode #44

For this week’s episode of 99 Designs, I have a very dense motif that works well to make a quilt more modern. As the design is rows and rows of little bricks, it could also work well to add realistic texture to a landscape or art quilt. To learn how to quilt this design, check out the video below:

Interlinked Quilt Pattern

The sample quilt used in the video is called Interlinked. It’s one of the quilts I’ve made several different variations of, from one that uses a monochromatic color scheme to one that uses a vibrant and saturated palette. Any choice of fabric will work! I also quilted it using a different but related design to Bricks, so even though it’s not exactly what’s shown in this week’s tutorial, the techniques used are the same. If you want to try out this quilt for yourself, be sure to grab my quilt pattern!

Here’s a detail shot showing off the custom quilting of the colorful version of Interlinked. And since I’m using gray thread on busy gray fabric, you can see how it blends in and you can hardly notice any mistakes. Instead, you can only see the delicious texture!

Bonus Video – How to Machine Quilt a King Sized Quilt

In addition to the pattern, I’ve provided a longer tutorial that teaches you how to quilt Interlinked. It’s a great in-depth guide that really breaks everything down step by step, in case you need some extra tips. You can do a quilt this large with just your domestic machine. Also, if you want to quilt a different design from what is shown in the video, you can chose any design from this series to incorporate into the quilting plan. What will you quilt?

How to Quilt Decorative Stitch Shattered Lines – 99 Designs Episode 43

If you remember shattered lines all the way back in episode 7? We’re bringing it back this week and teaching you how to do a version with decorative stitching! Like all decorative stitch designs, you can change which settings you use for endless combinations and variety. Check out the video below to learn more:

Shattered Lines on Little Man’s Fancy

In the video I showed you how I quilted regular shattered lines on Little Man’s Fancy. This quilt actually comes from the first book I ever wrote, Machine Quilting With Style. It’s also the first time I quilted shattered lines on a full-sized quilt! If you want to learn how to make this quilt, check out the link below to get the PDF for Machine Quilting With Style:

Click Here to Grab the Machine Quilting With Style PDF

Here’s a closeup of the quilting. You can use decorative stitch shattered lines or any of the variants of this design on this quilt.

Bonus Video – How to Machine Quilt Shattered Lines on Bling

Another quilt I’ve stitched this design on is Bling. Like Little Man’s Fancy, you can replace the regular shattered lines with decorative stitching ones to give it a more elegant and traditional look. I’ve provided a tutorial below that gives an in-depth explanation on how I made this quilt from start to finish:

Grab the Bling Quilt Kit

Want to try making this quilt yourself? You can pick up a kit of the latest version of this quilt on my shop. Let me know how you chose to quilt it!

I hope you enjoyed this week’s video! Join us next week for another machine quilting tutorial!

How to Free-Motion Quilt Rainbows & Crescents – 99 Designs Episode #42

In this week’s tutorial, I’m continuing with more densely textured free motion quilting designs: Rainbows and Crescents. If you like last week’s tutorial, these two designs use the same concept. They are also very similar, so try quilting them together as part of the same motif. Check it out below!

The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

The quilt featured in this tutorial is Quattrefoil, from my book The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting. Both Rainbows and Crescents are featured in this quilt, as I made to be a “sampler” quilt with many different designs. If you want to practice these designs on a real quilt, and learn how to make Quattrefoil or any of the other ten quilt patterns featured in this book, check out the link below

Click Here to Grab The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting PDF

In this detail shot, you can see where I quilted Rainbows (plus a few other designs from the rest of my 99 Videos series). On my Quattrefoil quilt, instead of using contrasting thread, I’m using a pink thread on dark pink fabric, which causes the stitches to blend in more and mistakes aren’t as noticeable. I think it shows off more of the wonderful texture of the quilting!

Bonus Video – Setting Yourself Up for Machine Quilting Success

Getting into this series a little bit later? If you missed the first few episodes, make sure to check out this introductory video I made at the beginning of the series that goes over preparing your samples and setting up your machine for both walking foot and free motion quilting.

If you have any questions for me, always feel free to leave a comment or what you think of the series so far!

99 Machine Quilting Designs #41 – FMQ Hears and Geometrics

We’re back to free-motion quilting this week with two dense designs that will add lots of texture to a full-sized quilt: Echoed Hearts and Geometrics. If you want to learn more about these designs, click on the video below.

Try these designs on Surplus Strips!

Want to try one or both of these designs on a real quilt? Check out Surplus Strips, a beginner-friendly design made from just one Jelly Roll and background fabric. You can get the kit (while supplies last) or pattern below. You can also take a look at all my Jelly Rolls to assemble your own custom kit.

Here’s a detail shot of two different quilting designs used on this quilt. I love making different iterations of my quilts, as I’ve actually made Surplus Strips four times! There are endless opportunities to vary this quilt from fabric choice to what designs you quilt on it.

Bonus Video – Free Motion Quilting on Surplus Strips

This is a how-to video on how I quilted different dense FMQ designs on Surplus Strips. If you want a deep dive into making the quilting plan for this quilt, check out the video below.

I hope you’re enjoying this series! Leave a comment to let me know what you think!

99 Machine Quilting Designs #40 – Decorative Stitch Grids

This week we are practicing more decorative stitches with our walking foot. Any traditional “straight line” design be modified for this technique. Watch and learn below:

Quilt This Design on a Real Quilt!

Practice quilting decorative stitches on Ticker Tape! I have several colorways of this kit available (while supplies last). It’s made from one jelly roll of Dazzle Dots with a colorful background.

Click Here to view all Quilt Kits
Click Here to grab the Ticker Tape Quilt Pattern – PDF Download

I even used decorative stitches on the binding, too! It’s a fast way to finish and the binding stitches become part of the overall quilting design. I love paring decorative stitches with other walking foot designs like wavy lines.

Bonus Video – Watch Me Quilt 2 Versions of Ticker Tape

I put together a video showing how I quilted two different colorways of Ticker Tape. I will usually make the same quilt more than once, just to try out different machine quilting ideas.

Here’s my recoloring of Ticker Tape in 4 different colorways. Which is your fave??
Click here to grab the Ticker Tape Quilt Kit – while Supplies last!

Walking Foot Quilting with Decorative Stitches – Machine Quilting Tutorial #39

99 Designs Episode 39 – Decorative Stitches

Did you know that any walking foot design can be quilted with decorative stitches? It’s a great way to add incredible texture to your quilts! Check out my latest free video tutorial below and give it a try! 

After practicing on smaller samples, it’s time to try these designs on real quilts! Below are two bonus videos to watch for free. First, try out those decorative stitches I’ve shown above on my Bling quilt made from Stitchy fabrics:

While supplies last, you can grab the kit to make Bling from either my Stitchy fabrics as shown in the first and second videos above, or Dazzle Dots, shown in the bonus video below.

Click here to grab the Bling Quilt Kit, While Supplies last
Click here to grab the Bling Quilt Pattern

Here’s another bonus video, showing how I quilted Bling using other walking foot quilting designs I’ve shared in previous tutorials. And don’t forget to checkout my playlist showing how I quilted these designs on real, full sized quilts!

Click here to see all “How I Quilted It” video tutorials. They are free to watch as many times as you want!

99 Designs Episode #38 – Quilting Wavy Chevrons!

Did you know that one of the easiest ways to change up your free-motion quilting is to stitch the design with wavy lines? That’s what I’m showing in my latest video. Watch and learn below:

If you are looking for fun quilt patterns to practice your quilting skills, check out my printed patterns. They are all on sale now for way less than the regular price.

Click here to view all quilt patterns on sale.

Let me know how your free-motion practice is coming along. I still have many more videos to share! I’ve you want to see them all, be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel. It’s totally free to watch! Then catch up on my 99 Machine Quilting Designs play list while you are there!

99 Machine Quilting Designs

How to Free-Motion Quilt Ribbon Candy Variations – 99 Designs Episodes 35 & 36

I have two videos to share with you this week, covering 4 designs that are all closely related! These are fantastic for quilting strip quilts, or other linear areas of your quilt like borders and sashing. First take a look at my quilting tutorial for Cursive L’s and Double L’s below:

I used the Cursive L’s design when quilting an earlier version of my Beaded Lanterns quilt. The free pattern includes a step by step quilting plan which breaks down how to quilt it, step by step.

If you’d like to stitch out a more intricate design, take a look at Ribbon Candy and Crazy 8’s. All of these designs require a little more thinking and planning to execute, but once you have them down, they’ll really punch up your quilts! Watch and learn even more below:

If you haven’t already grabbed a copy of my book, 99 Machine Quilting Designs, it’s a great companion to my free YouTube series. I promise, if you quilt out just one practice sandwich a day, you’ll vastly improve your domestic machine quilting skills in no time!

Be sure to subscribe to my YouTube channel for easy access to these videos, and check out my 99 Designs Machine Quilting Playlist to catch up on previous tutorials. They’ll stay up indefinitely so you can refer back to them any time you wish!

99 Machine Quilting Designs

Free-Motion Quilting Tutorial: Geometric Shapes, 99 Designs Episode 33

In this week’s episode of 99 Machine Quilting Designs, practice free motion quilting more “shapes on a stick” like Balloon Shapes and Shish Kebabs. Click below to watch and learn:

Quilt These Designs on Block Chain

I made this quilt before I started making video tutorials, but it’s a great one to practice these designs! The Block Chain quilt pattern includes a quilting plan showing you how and it’s perfect for your favorite charm packs!

Block Chain by Christa Watson

Huge Fabric Clearance

Right now, my Gridwork charm packs shown in the quilt above are on sale for way below the retail price. I’ve also reduced the price of many of my earlier fabric lines, and they are only available while supplies last!

Gridwork Charmpack

Sharing is Caring!

As you practice your machine quilting designs on samples, or real quilts, be sure to share what you’ve made over in my Christa Quilts Group on Facebook. Fellow members and I would love to cheer you on!!

99 Designs Episode 31 – 3 FMQ Chain Designs

In this week’s episode of 99 Machine Quilting Designs learn to quilt 3 versions of Geometric Chains, or what I lovingly refer to as “Shapes on a Stick.” Click play below to watch:

The featured quilt on the wall behind me is called Plumb Lines and the pattern can be found in my book with Angela Walters called, the Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting. I was so pleased when I entered it into a machine quilting show and it won a ribbon!

Click here to get the PDF download of our book, The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting.

Are you continuing to practice these designs? We are more than half-way through the series, and I can’t wait to show you more!