If you’ve been following along with the Machine Quilting with Style Blog Hop… you made it! We are one of the last stops on this incredibly inspiring quilting journey and we couldn’t be more thrilled. We’ve been oogling all of the featured quilts, checking out interviews, and reading reviews from the amazing bloggers and just feel so honored to be a small part of the action.
It was about 10 months ago that I first connected with Christa. She was well on her way with this book and impressed me immediately. She’d been introduced to Pellon® Batting by a friend and knew right away that she wanted to work with a few different varieties for the book. I love that she went straight for what I call our ‘specialty battings’ — the Soy Blend and the Wool. Both battings are simply terrific — completely different and both magnificent to work with.
Little did I know when we first spoke just how amazing this book would be. I’ll admit it… I’m not a quilter. Thus far, I’ve only made simple throw quilts. I’ve only recently started small things like table runners and have just cracked the surface on making my own binding. I have a free-motion foot, but I’ve never actually used it. Christa’s book makes me feel like so much more is possible. She does a wonderful job of breaking down all of the steps — which batting to use, how to select the right thread, how to lay everything out on your home machine, how to use the walking foot, how to free motion quilt… the list goes on. She even explains different types of stitches and techniques and when to use them. This book is such a must-have for beginners (like me!) and experienced quilters alike.
Today’s feature quilt on the Blog Tour is Focal Point. It is one of my favorites, which is fabulous since it’s one of the quilts that uses our Soy Blend batting. See below for Christa’s stunning work and make sure to visit Amy Garro over at 13spools.com for more quilty goodness.
THE INSPIRATION
Focal Point from Machine Quilting with Style by Christa Watson (Martingale) — Image by Brent Kane
Lightning from Machine Quilting with Style by Christa Watson (Martingale) — Image by Brent Kane
Pearl Gray from Machine Quilting with Style by Christa Watson (Martingale) — Image by Brent Kane
THE BOOK
After all the hype, I’m sure you’re ready to snag your own copy? Machine Quilting with Style is now available via Martingale and Amazon. Go ahead — be inspired!
THE QUILT ALONG
Christa will be doing a quilt along in January and YOU get to vote for your favorite quilt. Whichever quilt receives the most votes is the quilt along she’ll do. Won’t that be fun??
Click here to voice your opinion and join in on the fun!
THE GIVEAWAY
We couldn’t resist a giveaway to go along with all of the book raves! Christa used our Legacy by Pellon® Soy Blend Batting on both Focal Point and Lightning and our Legacy by Pellon® 100% Wool Batting for Pearl Gray. To celebrate, we’d like to gift one Throw-Sized package of each to one lucky winner. Even better? Christa has graciously offered up an e-copy of her book as well. Simply leave a comment below letting us know what you love most about the art of quilting!
Giveaway is open until 11:59pmEST on Thursday, Oct. 1. We’ll draw a winner and announce on Friday, Oct. 2. This giveaway is open to US & Canada only.
THIS GIVEAWAY IS NOW CLOSED — Congratulations to Claudia, #112:) — We’ve emailed you to coordinate the shipping of your prize!
THE SCHEDULE
This amazing blog hop kicked off on 9/14. We’d highly recommend checking out some of the posts below. Some showcase quilts from the book, some offer thoughts and reflections, and many offer some fabulous giveaways. So grab a cup of coffee (or tea!), a light snack and settle in for a serious dose of inspiration!
These stops all feature quilts from the book:
- 9/14 Christa Quilts – Where it all begins!
- 9/14 Color Crystals – Vicki Reubel from Orchid Owl Quilts
- 9/14 Technicolor Backing – Ida Ewing from Ida Rather Be Quilting
- 9/15 Pearl Gray – Alyce Blyth from Blossom Heart Quilts
- 9/16 Broken V – Sharon McConnell from Color Girl Quilts
- 9/17 Candy Pop – Linda Hungerford from Flourishing Palms
- 9/18 Ripples – Melissa Corry from Happy Quilting
- 9/19 Little Man’s Fancy – Tina Guthmann from Mod Geometry
- 9/21 Square in a Square – Stacy Cooper from Farm Road Quilts
- 9/22 Static – Lee Heinrich from Freshly Pieced
- 9/23 Rain – Cheryl Brickey from Meadow Mist Designs
- 9/24 Lightning – Leanne Chahley from She Can Quilt
- 9/25 Facets – Kristy Daum from St. Louis Folk Victorian
- 9/26 Focal Point – Amy Garro from 13 Spools
Additional stops on the hop are available from the awesome people listed below (we’re last!!) We’re all sharing our insights including book reviews, interviews, sample blocks, and other interesting content (and giveaways!) you won’t want to miss.
- 9/15 Andover Fabrics
- 9/16 Amy’s Free Motion Quilting Adventures and Leah Day’s Free Motion Quilting Project
- 9/17 Do You EQ? from Electric Quilt and Darlene from Quilt Shop Gal
- 9/18 Jacquelynne Steves’ The Art of Home and Scott Hansen from Blue Nickel Studios
- 9/19 Moda Fabrics – The Cutting Table
- 9/21 Katy Cameron from The Littlest Thistle
- 9/22 Debbie Grifka of Esch House Quilts and Generation Q Magazine
- 9/23 Rebecca Bryan of Bryan House Quilts
- 9/24 Stitch This – The Martingale Blog and Riley Blake Fabrics
- 9/25 Michele Foster of The Quilting Gallery and Teri Lucas from TerifiCreations
- 9/26 Pellon Projects and Amy Ellis from Amy’s Creative Side
Thanks again to Christa for including us!
I love everything I’ve seen in Christa’s book! I’d love to win this prize, thanks for the chance!
I’ve only been quilting for a year and so far,I love everything about it!
The thing I like most about quilting is the creative freedom to make something totall unique.
This art takes a lot of time and love-from picking out fabrics to patterns to actually sewing and piecing it all together. It is awesome to see how one pattern is used yet each quilt has its own uniqueness. It has been so much fun blog hopping and seeing all the techniques and colors! N.snaer at gmail dot com
I’m just getting into quilting. But what I like best is surrounding myself with all of the neat, bright colors and the modern geometric patterns I can come up with.
I enjoy the entire creative process of making a quilt and afterwards I love seeing and using it.
I love quilting because it never gets boring. All the different colors,patterns,and shapes. I love all the quilters who are there to help when ever we need it. Thanks for the give a way!
My daughter and myself share the love of quilting and it was all started by my mother and her mother. So my daughter is at least a fourth generation quilter. Right now my mom and I are working on a quilt together–a snowball and nine patch–and it’s been so fun–stressful at times too–to learn from her and just spend time with her as she is in her 80s and time is precious. kthurn(at)bektel(dot)com
What I like most about quilting is the great people who are always more than happy to help us obtain the best we can be with ideas, color, combinations and ingredients. Yes, this can be a solitary effort, but only if we want it to be. Thank you all for the help in whatever way: books, products, fabric designs, and most of all moral support.
Thank you for the opportunity to learn about Pellon batting.
What I love most about quilting is that there are always new skills to learn. I’ll never feel like I’ve maxed out the hobby. And the improvement in my skills over time is so tangible and rewarding!
I love how colors and patterns move me!
Quilting makes me happy! I love the creativity, the feel of the fabric and the joy at making something for someone else.
Love to quilt because you end up with the most amazing quilt to cover with, and you have had so much fun touching each piece of gorgeous fabric and lovingly sewn it together.
Thanks for the giveaway and I am so thrilled with your book.
I like creating, trying new-to-me things, dreaming up possibilities. Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the freedom to get creative when making quilts. There are guidelines, sure, but no rules when it comes to creating. Thanks for the giveaway!
I love the free motion quilting from designing the motifs to use on pieced and appliqued tops to the quilting.
What I like best about quilting is only feeling like I have to please myself.
I love playing with color to create handmade gifts for people I care about. Thanks for the chance!
I love that I can create something beautiful, unique, and useful, and have such satisfaction in the process.
I love the process of picking out the fabrics and determining the layout
The endless possibilities and creative techniques.
Wht I love about the art of quilting is learning from everyone. At many shows I’ve looked at a quilt and thought “Wow, I didn’t know that could be done.” Or maybe “Wow, How did the artist even think that up? It is so beautiful and original.”
I get to play with all the beautiful colors, and pet the fabric, and create something while I’m doing so.
I would love to try the soy blend batting. Thanks for coming up with this product. Innovation is what ai like most about quilting.
What I like most about quilting is the creativity of the process of making a quilt and then the feeling of satisfaction from knowing that I made a useful and beautiful quilt.
The best thing about the art of quilting?? It’s the ability to express my personality through my projects, and every other quilter through theirs. I love creating something and I can say “I made this!”
I like that when you get bored with one part of it, you can jump into another part of the process. You can look through books, magazines for ideas, go shopping for fabric, cut out and piece, or go to a quilt show, etc. There is always something to look forward to. And if you are like me, you have several projects going in different levels of the process, so you can jump in anywhere.
I love the feeling of accomplishment that comes from a finished quilt. So far I am loving the whole process from start to finish.
Machine quilting is my favorite part of the quilting process. iT seems Tom make the pattern, the colors, the whole quilt to come alive!
I love the creating and thinking of new and unusual ways to do things.
Congratulations Claudia!!! You are our big winner:). I’ll send you an email to coordinate the shipping of your prize:).
What I love most about quilting the piecing and making everything unique. Sure, I use someone else’s blocks and design/pattern, but the colors are my choices and every project is different. There is just so much room for creativity!
What I love most about quilting used to be FABRIC – FABRIC – FABRIC! but now it’s the incredible variety of styles, techniques, tools and resources available to today’s quilters. I’ve been quilting for over 30 years and I never tire of seeing the wonderful quilts being made by quilters young and old, online, in magazines and books, in quilt shows and quilt shops. I’m eager to get Christa’s book and try her techniques. Would love to try the soy blend batting! Thank you and happy quilting to all!
I love playing with the pretty fabrics and making different colour ways.
I love that quilting is yet another step in the design process of a quilt, and can be so much fun!
I love thinking outside the box. I don’t believe there are rules when it comes to quilting, at least I don’t follow many of them. Improv quilting especially lets me explore my creativity! I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have quilting in my life!!
For quilting, I love being able to create something beautiful that is also useful. If I was just hanging on a wall (and I do have a couple for Christmas hanging), I would be limited in number but for curling up on the couch in the winter or staying warm at night while gracing the bed, I can just keep going on and on.
The spiral quilting looks great on the focal point quilt. I’d love to try it. Thanks for the giveaway.
The thing I love most about quilting: no matter how much thought, planning and preparation goes into each project the completed quilt is always such a delightful ‘surprise’! From concept to reality is rather miraculous….
I love being able to make projects mine. Thankfully creating helps to alleviate some of my worries with my health.
What i love about the art of quilting is that I don’t have to follow “the rules”! 😉
What I like most about quilting myself is that I think ones own personality is stamped onto the quilt where I can express myself and my feelings. Many thanks for a fab giveaway!
What I like about quilting (piecing) is that it satisfies my artistic side with all the colors and my analytical side by doing the puzzle of creating and combining blocks to make a quilt top.
I love the creative process of quilting.
What I love about the art of quilting is that there is always a variety of interpretations out there amongst us quilters. I am always amazed and surprised at all the different combinations of fabrics and colors. Shapes and designs. Machine quilting choices. It’s like snowflakes – no two quilts are exactly the same. I love that about quilting – all the variety and inspiration.
I love the endless variety of quilts. So much beautiful fabric and so many ways to put it together. I wish my FMQ skills could improve. I think I need this book.
I love designing all my quilts. The modern quilts peak my interest and I can’t wait to start one.
I love everything about making a quilt. To be honest, I get stressed and grumble during the cutting part but the stress of potentially cutting wrong is outweighed by the thought of sending the finished quilt to the recipient. Thanks for the awesome giveaway!
What I love most is how everything can be so custom, unique and personal. Ja21ke@yahoo.com
I love how color can change a quilt. But the best is when you give someone a quilt–their face!
What I love most about quilting is the creative outlet it provides me. Creating something beautiful for someone beautiful is the ultimate experience for me.
I love the whole process, picking or creating a design, picking the fabrics, piecing and quilting the quilt. And I love the reaction of the recipient for those quilts that get gifted and thinking back on the process when I pull out and use one of my own. And really, one can never have too many quilts, right?
The thing I love most about quilting is playing with colors and patterns. Thanks for the great giveaway! I’m not familiar with your Soy blend batting, and I’m going to have to try it!
It soothes the soul.
Not sure I have a “Favorite” part..but love the picking of pattern, fabrics, the cutting & piecing…& seeing it come together…my creation! No matter how simple or small…..or strange! lol…it comes for my Heart & I looove to give things I make, to those I love! Thanks for chance to win your give-a-way! 😀
What I like about the art of quilting is there is something for everyone from beginner to advance whether its traditional or modern. You don’t have to know every skill to produce beautiful quilts.
I love so many things about quilting—the colorful fabrics, the beautiful patterns, and the creativity. It is a wonderful feeling to be able to make a gift that will be cherished by family and friends.
Quilting has helped me see myself as creative and artistic while at the same time making things that make others feel loved–that’s why I love quilting!
I love the fact that I can make thing for my kids and grand kids
I enjoy many facets of quilting. I couldn’t be without my quilting friends and community. I love scheming about design and fabric choices. And my favorite part is the problem solving I get to do when I want to alter a pattern or design my own quilt.
I enjoy the entire process of quilting from beginning to end. Thanks for the giveaway.
What I love about quilting is the diversity! I love how so many people can make the same pattern and the different fabric choices can completely change how it looks.
I love the fabric and the creativity. Oh and the actual sewing, but not the cutting. 😉
I love that the creativity and diversity is ENDLESS! Always so much more I’m dying to try
I love fabric, and quilting allows me to play with fabric to my heart’s content! I have really enjoyed seeing all the beautiful creations in this bloghop.
I love the varied colors and textures, and oh so much more. Have a great day!
I love when I’m finished with a quilt and see a beautiful piece of work that I did by myself. I love fabric.
I think art quilts free you up from “rules”. I’m trying to learn how to go with the flow.
My favorite thing about quilting is all the beautiful fabric I am able to pick out and work with throughout the entire process!
What I love about quilting is that I can express my creativity!
I love the freedom and how vast the outcome can be- traditional to modern and everything in between! Would love to try the wool batting- so cozy!
I love the “art” part of the art of quilting. I love that I can try new things and combine ideas and colors and layouts and make something I am proud of. I am trying spirals on a quilt this week and loving how it looks. I would love to try new batting types.
I love choosing the perfect fabric and piecing the quilt top. I like to watch how the pieces of fabric come together to create something new and beautiful!
I love choosing fabrics and seeing a design come alive. I look forward to trying the soy/cotton batting. That it doesn’t hold creases would be a big plus for me.
quilting lets me share my passion with others, to date I have donated over 250 quilts to nursing homes, ill children, cancer patients and a abuse center. I am following in my Mom footsteps as she shared her quilting and knitting talents with those in need of a warm hug.
I love to create a design and to pass my quilts on to friends and family. I would love to try some of the bamboo batting and will.
I enjoy piecing the most but like quilting smaller projects with my walking foot. Would love to try these battings. Thanks for the chance to win.
joyecox@yahoo.com
I love the moment you pull a quilt out of the dryer and it is even better than you imagined it would be.
I love that a quilt is a functional piece of art. I don’t have any quilts made by family members so I began quilting as a way to make a tangible memory and family heirloom for my daughters. Thank you for the chance to win, I have been wanting to try wool batting!
I love the quilting process the most! It is fun to create something useful and beautiful with fabric and then enhance that beauty with quilting!!
My favorite part is making something useful and beautiful with fabric. I love finishing quilts and would love to try your products. 🙂
I love the creativity allowed by each pattern. How the the same pattern can look so different depending on the fabrics chosen by the makers. Also, how the quilting and layout can make a difference.
Quilting is what I do to relax, and I like all parts of the process. Thank you for the giveaway.
I find piecing and quilting very meditative….if it is going well! I learned long ago that the batting chosen is very important to the process. I have not tried the soy blend…it is now on my list to try.
What I like the most about quilting is being able to make special gifts for my family and friends. I also love playing with all the beautiful fabrics.
Quilting is a creative outlet for me. Aside from having fun, quilt making lets me design and construct pretty and functional things which express my love and will last after I’m gone… my legacy, if you will.
I love using wool batting – even in AZ where I live – because it’s light weight and it breathes! I’m eager to try the Soy blend batting, too.
Oh, and I’d LOVE to have a copy of Christa’s new book!
I love playing with the colors when piecing, but my favorite part is the actual quilting. I’d enjoy trying some different battings. Thanks!
Simple ~ Everything! There is not a single step that I do not enjoy about creating a quilt. The process allows the mind to flow in so many different directions. Creativity, pleasure, therapy. I do not rush to finish a quilt but instead relax & allow it to reveal itself at its own pace.
Quilting is my time plus I love giving quilts to family and watch their smiles.
What I love most about quilting is the challenge. To put effort in something you love and the gratification you get when the receiver loves, and appreciates it just as much as you do.
What I love about quilting is the joy it brings to both the quilter and the recipient.
I like the way quilts feel compared to comforters.I like designing quilts to look any way i want.
My favorite thing about the art of quilting is the beginning, where you either have the perfect fabrics and want to create a design that will showcase them properly, or you have a great design/pattern in mind and you are looking for the fabrics/style to make it just right, it is just so exciting.
my email is: bestbelle2010@aol.com
Thanks!
I like all of the stages of quilting. Each one is unique in its own way. I also love the friends that I have made because of quilting
I love how many ways there are to quilt! Even though the medium is always fabric, there is such variety of style and effect. I’ve been amazed at how much quilting has changed in my lifetime!
Based on the time I spend doing it, I love shopping for the fabrics! 🙂 Next I love seeing the quilt come together – the piecing. I haven’t done much quilting on my machine, but with Christa’s book nearby, I’m planning to give it a try. I’ve also been stuck using one type of batting, so learning about the different types and when/why to use them is going to be very helpful. I already appreciate Christa’s book and her writing style so much. And, I’d be tickled to try out your batting on my quilts inspired by this book! Thanks for adding to the blog hop – it’s great to see so many participants that are outside the quilters’ group..
I have sewn my entire life but didn’t get into machine piecing and quilting quilts until about 8 years ago. I feel like a whole new me is emerging. I love, love, love to quilt. Everything about the process fills me up and makes me feel joyful. I feel free when I quilt and I love the feeling.
So much to love! Perhaps my favorite is discovering how many designs a single block can make when you vary the layouts. Thank you for the giveaway.
WhatI love the most about quilting is the diversity. There’s always more to learn.
I’m in love with every phase of quilt-making. The joy to me is feeling the textures made in the fabric, threads … The whole result. The puffs that show after washing the quilt…that is when the batting SHINES!
I want to use yours now!
Thank you.
i love everything about it from coming up with a design, to picking fabric, piecing, doing my own quilting and even the binding. Just getting to play with fabric and all the colors is so much fun.
I love quilting because I am able to make something and watch others enjoy it!
Quilting has so much to recommend it! It is the only thing I know that allows one to create something that is useful AND gorgeous AND treasured by others. Cutting takes concentration, piecing involves brain-work, joining and quilting demand strength and care. Each stage is different and involves a different part of the creator. It all is wonderful! 🙂
Allows me time to clear my head and sometimes it is time with friends you enjoy the same passion. And I get to make great thing to give to family and friends and charity.
The things I like most about the art of quilting is the peace quilting gives me as I’m in the process of making and the joy in watching each project through to completion. Not only that, every time I see the quilt brings that wonder and joy right back. Gifting adds another whole great layer to that joy! ktsquiltdreams ATgmail DOTcom
I love quilting because it is so relaxing!
I have only being quilting for about 2 years. I hadn’t touched my 1970’s sewing machine in decades. Then the quilting bug bit me. I don’t know how it got to me but now I am obsessed with it. I bought a new sewing machine and tons of beautiful fabric and started making quilts for my family members whether they wanted one or not. The reactions to my hard work keep me going and I admit I do love it. I love the whole process, except maybe the quilting part. Most make time to practice so I can love that part too.
I love the community and the meeting of new people we meet. Thanks for your participation.
What I most about the art of quilting is to be able to make a piece of art that will be loved and cherished for many years to come.
I love creating beautiful quilts for the people I love I have them in mind the entire process
I love the entire process, but my favorite is coming up with an original design and watching it come to life with color choices.
I love all the possibilities – seemingly endless color, print and layout options to make the perfect quilt for the occasion!
I love Christa’s new book. I have never tried the soy blend batting and I think it would be good to do…hope I win some 🙂 Thanks for the giveaway!
Vickie
What I love most about the art of quilting is being able to take a design and make it my own by my choices of color, fabric pattern, and of course the texture added in the the quilting.
Quilting is my time and be creative time.
Art quilting gives me energy as I never know what my mind will bring to the quilt and it is almost always a surprise.
First of all….shopping, finding all those luscious colors and prints and goodies and then using them to create a top I love and then knowing someone is going to love sleeping, snuggling under it or maybe just looking at it on their wall. I love the whole process even though there might be times in the middle when I flag a little.
I love that I can make it mine when I quilt. I typically create my own patterns so I can play to my hearts content.
It’s relaxing. Concentrating on the fabric being cut, sewn, ironed, it’s all very relaxing
I am a new quilter and so far I am loving this wonderful online community!
Ooh I’d love to try your specialty battings! What I love about the art of quilting is making beautiful quilts and gifting them to people I love.
What I love most about quilting? The quiet and the solitude and being in the “zone,” watching something I’ve created rolling out from under a machine. The world slows down and I get a time and space to think, unlike any other time. I also love running my fingers over the newly quilted quilt and knowing I brought something new and beautiful into the world!
The creative process, picking a pattern and fabric, watching your quilt idea come together.
I’m hooked on quilting but new to it. It allows me to combine creativity and end up with with a quilt that can give a hug when I’m not around. Sue
My favorite part of this hobby is making the quilt sandwich and sewing the layers together. I love how the stitches are enhanced by the batting and thread – how it all comes together! Looking forward to trying new batting and Christa’s book! Thanks for the chance!
I love the finished project! And I would love to use your batting. =)
I’m not sure if my last comment posted. What I love most about quilting is the sense of charitable community. I have undertaken making 60 quilts by next June for homeless kids with HIV/AIDS. I’m on Instagram as tubaville where you can see regular updates. I’d love to win the batting. It’d make a lot of difference!
I like being able to make a quilt completely on my own, from design stage to quilting to binding.
Is everything an answer? 😀 I love it all, from picking fabric, to the satisfaction of putting the last stitch on the binding!
I love how transferable and useful quilts are. I have undertaken a massive charitable quilting project to make quilts for 60 homeless kids with HIV/AIDS so winning this batting would make a big difference for me thank you for the opportunity.
I love the quilting part. I love how the quilting can just make the quilt sing, much as Christa’s circular quilting does on this one. So inspirational! Thanks for sponsoring her and doing a give away.
I would love to try some different battings. I am in a finish-it-up, decrease the UFO’s mode and batting is needed.
I get to play with color! And each quilt is totally unique!
I love the piecing part and all the different looks to create.
I love choosing fabrics. I really enjoy seeing the designs quilters come up with.
I love the flexibility – walking foot or FMQ? no right answer!
Thanks for being a stop on my blog tour – and for creating great products!
I love that by quilting, you can create something that can be passed down to future generations, and that it is an art form that embraces so many different styles: modern, traditional, bright, low-volume, geometric, free-form…something for everyone!
The creative process of quilting takes you away from the worries of the world and in the end you’ve produced something enjoyable and positive to share with others.
The information and instructions in Crista’s book are awesome. I love the fact that she has shown us that we can do beautiful work on our home machines and those of us that are intimidated with free motion can use our wonderful walking foot and get the same effect. thank you so much for all you shared.
i love the spiral quilting used on focal point. i hope to try it soon. thanks for the giveaway.
I guess what I like most about quilting are the colors, infinite and endless combinations.
Thanks for the chance to win.