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While I’m away teaching at the AQS show Paducah, KY this week, I thought it would be fun to reminisce about one of my early “modern” quilts I made several years ago. It’s called Facets, and it’s extra special because it got a 2nd place ribbon at the show back in 2016.

This was shortly after they first introduced the modern category to the show, AND this was the first quilt I designed and made for the first book I ever wrote called Machine Quilting with Style. (The Facets pattern begins on page 90).

Although this book ...

One of my favorite things about being a designer is getting to be a spokesperson or ambassador for many different companies in the quilting industry. I love telling folks about things that I use in my sewing room every day. Probably one of the most important supplies I use in *all* of my quilts is my collection of Aurifil threads.

Click here to see all of the colors included in each box of my Aurifil threads.

I curated my favorite grouping of colors, neutrals, and variegated threads I use for both piecing AND quilting. They are all size 50 weight ...

Later this month I’m stoked to be heading out to teach at AQS quilt week in Paducah Kentucky. As of this writing, 2 of my workshops have sold out, but there are still a few spots left in my 3 workshops below along with my lecture. If you haven’t yet registered, it’s not too late.

Click here for AQS workshop descriptions, supply lists and registration info.

This has been a bucket list event for me, ever since I won a ribbon at the show for my quilt Facets way back in 2016!

This was the first quilt ...

My latest YouTube video is a 2-fer! In this week’s video I’m sharing 2 fun techniques: foundation paper piecing and free motion quilting. I’ve made 2 different versions of my Party Time quilt in 2 different colorways of Dazzle Dots fabrics. I think you’ll love them both. Click the image below to watch!

This is one of those quilt patterns that has evolved and improved over the years. It now includes 4 different sizes and like all of my current patterns is available in print or PDF format. Click below to grab one or the other ...

I made my Swanky Spirals quilt a few months ago to promote the launch of my Dazzle Dots fabric, and I took lots of videos and pics as I made it, so I could share them with you! Take a look at my newest machine quilting tutorial by clicking the video below:

Click here to grab the Swanky Spirals quilt pattern.

I created what I call a “free-motion mashup,” quilting lots and lots of different free motion motifs all over the quilt. After all, why quilt just one design, when you can do them all, right?? I’ve highlighted just ...

I’m excited to revisit a quilt that I designed and made many years ago called Positive Direction. I plan to share updates about this quilt in real time, so there’s no telling how many posts it will take until I finish! But I’ll share my progress and answer any questions you have, each step of the way! My original version is shown below, made from fun fabrics that I chose before I became a fabric designer:

The Positive Direction quilt pattern is still available as a pdf download and it includes instructions in multiple sizes. The version ...

I’m thrilled with how the Turquoise version of my Ticker Tape quilt turned out.

Click here to get the Ticker Tape quilt pattern.

I really enjoyed quilting it densely with combination of designs that are easy to do with a walking foot: decorative stitches combined with wavy lines. Don’t you love all this yummy texture?

To see how I accomplished this, plus a completely different design that I did on the navy version, click below to watch my latest video tutorial over on my Christa Quilts YouTube channel:

I still have a few quilt kits available made from ...

A recent social media prompt had me thinking about all of the fun pieced backings I’ve made over the years. Whether for thrift or artistry, I find it a really fun thing to do. I thought I’d gather up a few of the images and match them up to their fronts. Don’t tell anyone – but sometimes I like the backing as much (or more) as the fronts!

Swanky Spirals Back & Front

I made Swanky Spirals from fat quarters + the dark grey backround of my Dazzle Dots fabric. Although the focus was meant to be the front of ...

I’m excited to announce that I’ll be teaching at PIQF this summer in northern California. This is one of those shows that I’ve had my eyes on for quite awhile. They’ve invited me to come teach several times in the past when the show used to be held in the fall, but the timing never worked out. Now that it’s being held at a new time in the summer, the stars magically aligned and I’m excited to attend!

Click here to register for any of my workshops at PIQF

Click play below to watch ...

This past weekend I was able to take a really fun trip to California and hang out with Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims for a day! They invited me to be a guest on The Quilt Show – an internet TV show they’ve been producing since 2007. Full disclosure: I was a guest on an earlier episode back in 2018 so it was fun to return!

I thought it would be fun to share a few behind the scenes pics that we took while filming. I shared some of my best tips and tricks for domestic machine quilting. It’s ...

Now that I’ve been back from QuiltCon for over a week I’ve had time to process my thoughts, feelings and pics and vids from the show. I’ve compiled them into a 30 minute video below. Click the image to play the video and check out my fave 100 quilts from the show!

Although I’ve been to EVERY SINGLE QUILTCON, last year is the first year I started making a video log of my time at the show. Click here to see how my experiences compared year over year.

Now I’m curious – did you get a ...

Weather you are quilting along with me making your version of Ticker Tape, or any other quilt for that matter, basting is an important part of the machine quilting process. Take a look at the video below to see how I spray basted 2 of my earlier quilts, both made from my Black, White & Bright fabric from Benartex.

I used this same technique for my larger Ticker Tape quilt shown on my design wall below. Now it’s time to quilt it!

Here’s a bonus tip when basting: trim up the edges of the quilt, so there’s only ...

Hi everyone! I’m a little behind on posting due to my amazing trip to QuiltCon 2024 (more on that later)!! But I’m excited to share my latest video tutorial featuring my Fancy Gifts quilt. I’m showing how to combine 3 fun free-motion designs to create a new edge-to edge design that that goes with the theme of the quilt. Take a look by clicking play below to watch:

Lucky attendees of QuiltCon who received a swag bag got a copy of the quilt pattern + Dazzle Dots swatches to make this quilt. However, I want everyone to feel ...

Just a quick reminder for all of those making Ticker Tape along with me: remember to work at your own pace – you are never “behind” because the quilt along posts will stay up indefinitely! Here’s the reveal of my turquoise version – I love a good “quilt top drop!” Click the image below to play the short video:

So this week’s “homework” is to join all of the blocks into rows and assemble the quilt top. You’ll be using the leftover squares to make a fun pieced border which frames the design nicely.

If you are just joining ...

Will you be attending QuiltCon this year? It takes place in Raleigh, NC February 22-25. It’s my favorite show of the year! Although my workshops are completely full, you’ll be able to attend my lectures if you are there. I’m also doing a few meet ‘n greets with different vendors on the show floor.

To kick things off, I’ll be hanging out in BERNINA World of Sewing booth #211 just after the show opens on Thursday, from 10:30-11:30 am. These guys are also sponsoring the BERNINA room that I’ll be teaching in all ...

Have you ever wanted to add custom quilting texture to your quilts but were afraid to mess up your quilt? Well, with this week’s video I’m taking the fear out of free motion by breaking down my custom quilting process step by step. I’m featuring 2 different versions of Charming Chevrons, but you can apply these techniques to any quilt in your UFO pile! Click play below to watch:

Here’s my custom quilting process in an nutshell: first, stitch in the ditch in key areas of your quilt to anchor or secure the quilt. This is ...

Are you having fun quilting along? Even if you don’t make the Ticker Tape quilt, you can still follow along virtually. And the best part is, you can apply many of the tips and tricks I share to any quilt you plan to make!

Once your pieces are cut (click here for last week’s blog post), it’s time to sew them together into blocks. Be sure to follow the Ticker Tape quilt pattern instructions carefully for proper layout of the blocks. You can actually arrange the colors a few different ways. In the navy version, I used ...

For this week’s video, I’m demoing how to use my 5 sewing notions that will help you make amazing quilts! I use these in each step of the quilt-making process: cutting, piecing, basting, quilting AND binding. Take a look by clicking play below:

Click here to view my complete collection of notions for sewing and quilting.

You can grab the whole set, or just collect them one at a time. The large shears cut through thick batting like butter, and the gloves add extra grip while pushing bulky quilts through the machine, reducing hand fatigue.

The crease marker ...

By now you all have probably figured out that I love making more than one version of the same quilt. So during this fun quilt along, I’m going to share some “making-of” photos & videos of 2 different versions. I made a smaller version of Ticker Tape with a Navy background last fall, and I’m making the larger version with a Turquoise background now.

So for this week’s assignment, make sure you have a copy of the Ticker Tape quilt pattern and choose the size that you’ll be making – from Lap to Queen. Then gather the fabrics ...

The biggest hangup I see in my free-motion quilting workshops is students’ fear of not knowing where to go next. However, after getting comfortable with some warm up exercises, and with permission to just have fun, the vast majority come out of class loving free-motion quilting and that really makes me happy.

In a nutshell, practicing one design edge to edge over the entire quilt is the best thing you can do to improve your skills. So that’s what this week’s video focuses on. Take a look by clicking play below:

My other big tip is to practice ...