Tag: The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting – Cornered

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Click here to get your autographed copy of The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting.
Click here to see all of the quilts from the book, as they are added each week!
All photography courtesy of Brent Kane and Martingale.

Take a look at Cornered – a simple yet striking design that can be used as a table topper, baby quilt, or wall decor. Although Angela and I chose to use solids for our versions, it would look equally beautiful in your favorite prints!

Corned quilt by Christa Watson

Christa’s Version – Pretty in Pink.

I often like to color code my quilts, where each fabric showcases a different quilting design.

Free Motion Quilting Detail

Free-motion quilting detail showing one of my favorite combinations – Swirls and Pearls.

Cornered by Angela Walters

In Angela’s version, she shows you several different ways to quilt the same block!

For the record, Angela Walters quilts on a Handi-Quilter Long arm and I quilt on a domestic sit-down machine, a BERNINA 770 QE. But no matter which machine you choose, our goal is to help get you comfortable with the machine quilting process!

Christa Watson Books

Click here to purchase my machine quilting books and let me be your cheerleader as I guide you to machine quilting success! After all, that’s my favorite part of making a quilt!!

The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting – Plumb Lines

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Today I get to share with you my personal favorite quilt pattern from The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting – Plumb Lines. This quilt was designed by Angela Walters, and I love how modern it is!  Thanks to the beautiful photography by Brent Kane and Martingale, I’m excited to share these quilts with you each week!

Plumb Lines Quilt

Above is my version of Plumb Lines, created in a trendy color scheme of gray and yellow. Both Angela and I used solids for a majority of the quilts in this book, so the machine quilting really shows up. However, I wanted to incorporate a few of Angela’s prints here and there. Below is a detail showing a very subtle yellow plaid, from one of Angela’s earlier fabric lines.

modern machine quilting

This quilt is a great example of modern geometric free motion designs!

Below is Angela’s version of Plumb Lines in a striking combo of teal and peach. We wanted to share as many quilting motifs as possible in our book, to really get your creative juices flowing!

Plumb Lines Quilt

Don’t you just love Angela’s gorgeous filler motifs? They are so fun and easy to do!

Click here to get your autographed copy of The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting.

Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting – Swirling Butterflies Quilt

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Each week I’m sharing a different quilt design from my new book The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting. Now, although I really prefer modern designs, sometimes it’s fun to mix it up and try something different. This week, meet Swirling Butterflies, a totally doable wholecloth quilt.

Note: all photography credit goes to Brent Kane and Martingale.

Swirling Butterflies Wholecloth Quilt

My version of Swirling Butterflies – just divide and conquer to get the job done!

Although the design looks very complex, it’s easier once you break it down. I only marked the medallion and border. The rest of the background was filled in with what I like to call “improv machine quilting.” For this quilt, I did something I rarely do: used a contrasting Aurifil thread. I tell you, it was scary while I was quilting it, but I’m pleased with the end result.

Detail free-motion_quilting

Detail of free-motion quilting on Swirling Butterflies

I chose to make a black wholecloth version with highly contrasting thread while Angela made her beautiful version more traditional on white fabric with more of a blending thread. Look closely for a few other differences in the details.

Swirling Butterflies Angela Walters

Angela Walters’ version of Swirling Butterflies – isn’t it just stunning?

Click here to purchase an autographed copy of Machine Quilting with Style, signed by us both.

Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

It’s Release Day for The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting!

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The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting ships today and I am so excited!!! When you purchase it from me or Angela Walters you will get an autographed copy with both of our signatures!

Ultimate_Guide_Cover

All book photography beautifully taken by Brent Kane for Martingale/That Patchwork Place.

I thought it would be fun to share each of the 10 projects from the book, once a week over the next 10 weeks. The concept is simple: Angela and I each made our own versions of the same quilt, with our own choice of fabrics and quilting designs.

I counted, and there are over 50 different machine quilting motifs for you to choose from! Whether you quilt on a sit-down or a domestic, a stand-up long arm, or even if you quilt by check, our book is packed full of machine quilting ideas, plus 10 complete pieced patterns!

Choosing Colors by Christa Watson

My version of Choosing Colors – I love the rainbow colors and textural quilting.

It’s kind of funny, but I was reading through some reviews of my first book recently and one reader said this after going on about how much she loved it, “my only complaint is – I want more patterns and more designs!” Well, that lucky reader’s wish has now been granted with publication of The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting!!

Choosing Colors made by Angela Walters

Angela’s version – she used her whole “quilting toolbox” of motifs and added a scrappy binding!

I enjoyed every step of making each of the quilts in the book, and I hope you will, too. Maybe you’ll take an idea from one project and combine it with another to make it your own. As you work through the projects in this book, or even if you apply the quilting motifs to completely different patterns, I’d love to see them! Be sure to share your progress with me in my Facebook group: Quilt with Christa or on instagram @christaquilts and #quiltwithchrista

Stay tuned next week when I share the next pair of quilts from the book, or you can skip the wait, and pick up your signed copy of The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting right now!

Christa Watson and Angela Walters

Angela and I first met at QuiltCon in 2013. We instantly bonded over Machine Quilting.

Angela and I thank you for your patronage from the bottom of our hearts. We couldn’t do what we do without the support of friends like you!!

Binding Class – Next Saturday at The Christmas Goose in Las Vegas

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If you will be in or near the Las Vegas area, next Saturday, April 9th, from 2-5 PM, I will be teaching Binding A to Z at The Christmas Goose Quilt Shop, located at 2988 South Durango, Las Vegas, NV. The cost is only $25 and you will be binding on a real quilt! Call (702) 877-1158 to register, and I hope to see you there!

binding

Learn to bind on an actual quilt! You supply the quilt, I’ll teach you how!

The Christmas Goose is owned by mother-daughter team Jeanette and Andrea, and they’ve been in business for over 20 years – almost as long as I’ve been quilting!! It’s been fun getting to know them over the years and they have always been supportive of my work.

Mother and Daughter at The Christmas Goose

In fact, if you come to my class on April 9th, you’ll be able to pick up a copy of either of my books at the store, and I’ll be glad to sign them for you, on the spot!

book-covers2

The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting and Machine Quilting with Style are both available for purchase from The Christmas Goose.

If you can’t make it to this weekend’s class, you can keep up with my teaching schedule here. Jut think – I may be coming to a city near you!!

binding

The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting Available for Preorder

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Good news! Signed copies of my next book, The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting are now available for preorder! I’ve been hinting about this new book for awhile but wasn’t ready to pre-sell it until now – I wanted to make sure I had all of my ducks in a row first.

Ultimate_Guide_Cover

My fabulous co-author Angela Walters and I were pondering how we could both sell signed copies of the book directly to our fans, since we won’t be at any public events together until QuiltCon 2017 (and that’s too long for most of you to wait). Jennifer Keltner from Martingale was kind enough to send us labels which we both signed and will add to each of the copies that we sell ourselves.  And of course I’m happy to include a personalized message or add your name upon request when you order. 🙂

Here’s another bonus when you buy directly from us – you’ll get the book first! The official release date is April 5th but Amazon’s release date isn’t until April 19th. Now don’t worry – I’m not offended in the least if you’d prefer to buy it somewhere else – do what works for you!! I’m just thrilled that this book was able to follow so quickly on the heels of my first one.

As it gets closer to publication date, I’ll start telling your more about The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting, how the concept came to be, and of course I’ll share projects from the book. For now, pop on over to the Martingale site for sneak peeks of what’s inside!

As always – thanks for your support!!

MQWS Blog Hop Wrap Up and Winners

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What a great blog hop this has been! Thanks to all of you who participated by leaving comments and voting for your favorite quilt. Also – huge hugs to those who participated on my blog hop and helped spread the word about my debut book, Machine Quilting With Style. And now, the results of the most popular quilt that will be my selected for my quilt along is January is…….

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The Quilt Along Winner Is….

Facets! With Rain and Color Crystals coming in at 2nd and 3rd place. Be sure to stay tuned as I announce more details with the exact quilt along dates a little bit later. Now that I know the winner, I’ll start planning the quilt along.

Don’t forget to grab your copy of Machine Quilting With Style so you can join us in January!

MQWS_facetsFacets – Quilt Along coming in January 2016!

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner…..

And now I owe you a couple of winners! Congratulations go to Debra R. from Kentucky who won the box of Aurifil Thread and Denise W. from Pennsylania who won my Fat Quarter designer bundle! Both of you have been emailed. Those of you who won ebooks will be notified by the publisher in the next week or so. Those than won additional sponsored prizes will be contacted by the bloggers directly for your prizes!

A few of the giveaways are still open – be sure to check the individual hop stops for details.

giveaway prizes

A Bit More…

And now for some exciting news – I’ve just finished writing my second book, with a very special co-author. I’m not going to say too much about it yet because I don’t want to overshadow the first one. But if you are so inclined, you can pop on over to Amazon for a sneak peek of the cover and place your pre-order. It’s due to be released in April of 2016.

Again, a huge thanks to all of you amazing readers for your continued support in this fun journey. Now – it’s onto the next quilt!