machine quilting

Machine quilting................ from Exuberant Color

The table runner made with Marcia Derse fabric has been nagging me to get finished. Finally last night I chose this Invisafil thread and changed my bobbin thread and got busy.

I chose the easiest block to ditch quilt first. Can't see the quilting? That's the point with ditch quilting. Of course you can find a couple places where I wandered a little out of the ditch.

The last block was the hardest to find a continuous line of stitching. I had to do a few stops and tie offs to get the whole block finished. I have ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 3 months, 4 weeks ago. under machine quilting , marcia derse fabric , tablerunner

99 Designs Episode #48 – Straight Lines & Decorative Stitches from Christa Quilts

Want to level up your walking foot quilting game? Try combining straight lines and decorative stitches to create unique motifs that are super easy to do! Click below to watch my latest video tutorial and be sure to leave a comment letting me know what you think!

Get My Book – The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting

In the second book I ever wrote – The Ultimate Guide to Machine Quilting – I first explored this idea of combining straight lines and decorative stitches. The book itself includes 10 patterns and 20 quilts (each pattern is made 2 different ways). It was fun ...

added by Christa 4 months ago. under christa's quilts , diy , fabric , handmade , machine quilting , quilt patterns , quilting , sewing (Comments)

New Year – New Pattern – New Quilt Along for 2026! from Christa Quilts

Let’s kick off the new year right with a new pattern and Quilt Along! Check out Daisy Chain, a super fun pieced pattern shown in 2 colorways, with multiple sizes.

It’s been awhile since I’ve made a quilt completely from solids, and I chose to work with Riley Blake Confetti Cotton solids for both colorways. It really shows off the quilting and I’m thrilled with how they turned out.

I thought it would be fun to host a quilt along to make this quilt completely from start to finish. The quilt along will kick off right ...

added by Christa 4 months ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt alongs , quilt patterns (Comments)

99 Designs Episode #47 – Free Motion Quilting Square and Triangle Spirals from Christa Quilts

For this week’s tutorial, we have two geometric spiral designs: Square and Triangle Spirals. These two free-motion designs can be used separately, or you can combine them in the same quilting plan to give lots of texture to your quilt. If you want to check out this video, click the link below:

Piece and Quilt with Precuts

The quilt I feature in this week’s video is called Starstruck. I used both Triangle and Square spirals on this quilt, but you can choose any designs from this series, as the busy pattern for this quilt and fabric choice can ...

added by Christa 4 months ago. under christa's quilts , diy , fabric , handmade , machine quilting , quilt patterns , quilting , sewing (Comments)

Quilting a Round Spiral with Decorative Stitching – 99 Designs Episode #46 from Christa Quilts

We’re back to walking-foot quilting this week with another decorative stitch design! This time, I’ll teach you how to quilt a round spiral. If you need a refresher on how to stitch the straight-line version, refer all the way back to episode 24. It will go over all the steps needed to start a spiral on your domestic machine. If you want to learn more, click on the video below:

Optical Illusion Quilt Pattern

This week’s featured quilt is called Optical Illusion. The pattern is inspired by a real life parallel line optical illusion. Yes, that’s ...

added by Christa 4 months, 2 weeks ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

A very good day...................... from Exuberant Color

My son came over yesterday morning to fix my 8 ft. burned out lights at the bottom of the basement stairs. He removed the ballast and then rewired it and now it takes the skinny LED 8 foot bulbs. He ended up staying another 2 hours helping with other things I can't do. I didn't eat lunch until 2:30 and didn't get around the the quilting on this plaid baby quilt until evening. The quilting is finished but I didn't want to go down to the basement to do the trimming or choose binding late ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 4 months, 2 weeks ago. under baby quilts , machine quilting , plaids

Basting and quilting...................... from Exuberant Color

After wrapping the Christmas gifts for the family party, I started basting this plaid baby quilt.

When I got home from the party at 8:30 last night I finished the basting and started the machine quilting on my Pfaff. I think I can get the rest of the quilting done today and trim and bind it.

They are predicting 57 degrees on Sunday and rain. It's just for one day before the frigid air gets here again.

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 4 months, 2 weeks ago. under baby quilts , machine quilting

How to Free Motion Quilt Squished Spirals (a.k.a. Woodgrain) – 99 Designs Episode 45 from Christa Quilts

In this week’s episode of 99 Machine Quilting Designs, we’re bringing back swirls with a modified, or “squished” spiral that resembles a woodgrain texture. Refer back to episode 25 for how to quilt a basic swirl design. This might be a helpful refresher, since squished spirals is basically just a variation on this design. It’s a great way to add realistic texture to your quilt, so check out the video below if you want to learn more:

Get the Swanky Spirals Quilt Pattern

This week’s featured quilt is a fun, modern improv quilt called Swanky Spirals ...

added by Christa 4 months, 2 weeks ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

Merry Christmas................. from Exuberant Color

No white Christmas this year, and I'm thankful for that. We had our white right after Thanksgiving instead this year.

In yesterday's mail there was a Christmas card from my talented friend, Linda Swanekamp. She not only makes quilts, she also paints. I love the warm glow behind the tree.

I got the basting done on this little quilt late yesterday afternoon and started the quilting last night. I quilted in the ditch crosswise on the quilt and am quilting a presser foot width away from the seams in the other direction.

Both packages of treats reached my ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 4 months, 2 weeks ago. under christmas , flannel quilts , machine quilting

Quilting finished................ from Exuberant Color

I wasn't sure this one was going to bloom. It was a bud for more than 3 weeks. This pot is on my kitchen windowsill, west exposure.

Since I am only a little over 5' I am looking across at this pot when I'm standing at the sink. I kept thinking this pot had 4 pieces that had broken off my pale pink cactus plant, but when I looked closer it is just 2 pieces.

I did have one more thing to bake yesterday and then PT in the afternoon. Last night I finished the quilting on this ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 4 months, 3 weeks ago. under baby quilts , flannel quilts , knitting , machine quilting , nature

Baking first, sewing last...................... from Exuberant Color

I started the day yesterday baking the other Kringlas, different than the ones I baked last week. The dough was refrigerated overnight.

Next I baked the pink Spritz. It was a relief to have my oven fixed to bake these. I did the previous batch that were for my son's customers last week in the little countertop electric oven and it was tricky getting them out before they got too dark.

A little later in the day I baked the chocolate spritz. After that I made one more batch of fudge. Now I have enough of everything to mail ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 4 months, 3 weeks ago. under baby quilts , flannel quilts , food , machine quilting

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

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 ...

added by Christa 4 months, 3 weeks ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

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

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 ...

added by Christa 5 months ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

Join Me for AQS Seam Retreat in 2026! from Christa Quilts

Want to go on a quilting retreat with me? I’m excited to announce this amazing event that will take place October 13-18, 2026 in Paducah, KY, hosted by the American Quilters’ Society (AQS). In a nutshell you are going to quilt a real, full sized quilt me in under a week! Here’s a quick video teaser I put together:

If you’d like more information about it, AQS is hosting a webinar about it on Tuesday, December 9, 2026 at 6 PM Central Time. Click here to register for the free webinar.

You’ll be with me for ...

added by Christa 5 months ago. under machine quilting (Comments)

Quilting started..................... from Exuberant Color

I finished the basting yesterday morning and last night started the quilting on this small quilt I call Game Board. This post shows the whole top. I got the ditch quilting done in the 3 outer borders and then quilted the flying geese border. I'll probably do the bow ties next and then proceed to the center.

I have tweezers handy when I am quilting. No matter how many threads I pull out of the seams before I start, I always find more while quilting. Sometimes as in this case, only about 1/4" of thread is showing and ...

added by Exuberantcolor/Wanda S Hanson 5 months, 1 week ago. under kaffe fabric , machine quilting , quilts made with triangles

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

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 ...

added by Christa 5 months, 1 week ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

99 Machine Quilting Designs #41 – FMQ Hears and Geometrics from Christa Quilts

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 ...

added by Christa 5 months, 2 weeks ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

99 Machine Quilting Designs #40 – Decorative Stitch Grids from Christa Quilts

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 ...

added by Christa 5 months, 3 weeks ago. under christa's quilts , fabric , machine quilting , quilt patterns (Comments)

Walking Foot Quilting with Decorative Stitches – Machine Quilting Tutorial #39 from Christa Quilts

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 ...

added by Christa 6 months ago. under fabric , machine quilting , miscellaneous (Comments)

Garden Tea Party Quilt... from May Your Bobbin Always Be Full

Time to get a binding on this quilt...