Welcome to anyone visiting from the bloggers’ quilt festival this spring! My name is Christa and I’m excited to be a part of this fantastic shin-dig! 🙂
I am entering my quilt, Charming Chevrons, into the home machine quilted category and I would love to have your vote! (You can see my other entry here.)
Charming Chevrons 46″ x 54″
Machine pieced and quilted by Christa Watson
It measures 46″ x 54″ and was pieced and quilted by me on my Bernina 1630. I used a double batting of wool and cotton which helps it hang straight and adds a lot of body to the quilt (though it was a little tough to quilt through!)
Marking the Straight Lines
Quilted Chevron Block
Charming Chevrons was my first “crossover quilt” which got me knee-deep into modern quilting and designing less than a year ago (although I have been a quilter for nearly 18 years).
When I started Charming Chevrons I’d just barely heard of the modern quilt movement and was wanting to go a little bolder with my quilts. I had just designed this quilt for one of my quilt alongs and it has led to some really great things.
Machine Quilting
Since finishing, Charming Chevrons was juried into QuiltCon, received a 2nd place ribbon at my local quild’s quilt show, and inspired me to submit a design idea to a quilting magazine. I’m also going to teach a class on it for my guild’s retreat this fall. I love this little throw!
It took me 5 hours to quilt all of the straight lines in this quilt and nearly 23 more hours to quilt all the pebbles. But you know what – I loved every single minute of it! For me, machine quilting is my zen. I can discard the cares of the world and really get into the rhythm of the stitching, creating wonderful texture on fabric with just thread and the machine.
Charming Chevrons Back
I especially like the back of the quilt. I love how the expansive negative space really showcases all of the colorful quilting. I even considered entering the back side as the main part of the quilt, LOL!
No matter what happens with my sewing in the future, I know that modern quilting will now be a huge part of it!
Charming Chevrons
Desert Quilts of Nevada Quilt Show
Blogger’s Quilt Festival hosted by Amy Ellis
May 17 – 24 – Linkys Open & Nominate for Viewer’s Choice
May 24 – 30 – Vote for favorites in each of the categories
May 31 – Winners announced
Christa Quilts 
Just saw a picture of this lovely quilt in Martha Stewart Living, July/August ’13 page 4. Just a small photo, no description, but still, it’s MARTHA STEWART! Congratulations!
Congratulations on the festival viewers choice award. This quilt really opened a lot of new doors for you.
Love your quilt. Congratulations!!!
Congrats on being one of the winners of the viewer’s choice. It is well deserved!
Congratulations Christa, I am glad to see your quilt won! I love its simplicity – the neutral background tying all the colors together, the different quilting.
Just found out my quilt won a Viewer’s Choice award – whoo hoo! Thanks to all those that voted for it 🙂
Christa, you have done it again Girl! It’s wonderful. Best of luck
amazing quilting Christa, and such a bright and fun quilt
Congrats on a master piece. I love the use of solids and how the quilting gives them a texture
What an amazing design! I love it, I love the use of solids and really love the quilting! Congrats on a masterpiece!
Wow, I Love has it looks on the back!
wow! the quilting really makes this quilt pop!
Really love the simplicity of it and what your awesome quilting does — perfect to highlight each section! The pebbles remind me of bubbles – love it!
I have loved this quilt since I first saw it on your blog.
Yours truly is the most beautiful of the bunch so you surely will win. I cast my vote. Good Luck.
Love Love Love your Chevron quilt My Favorite! I can’t quite figure how to vote for it but I will when I get it figured out! I guess it’s too late 12:07 am here, maybe I”ll do it in the monring over coffee..Best of luck to you!
What a beautiful quilt Christa and I love, love the quilting you did on it!
Beautiful quilt Christa and beautifully pieced and quilted.
Beautiful quilt and quilting.
I wish I lived closer so you could teach me to quilt like this. It’s really spectacular
Thanks! You are in luck. Just go to my quilt along page on my blog and there you will find all of the tutorials to make this quilt!
Beautiful! I love the two different quilting styles. Even the back looks fantastic!
Fantastic quilt and you are right that the back is just as spectacular as the front! Congratulations on your success with it. I’m sure there are more ribbons to come. Thanks for sharing!
I pinned (repinned, I guess) this quilt when you originally posted it, but didn’t see that you have a Bernina 1630. Me, too! It was “born” when I was a senior in HS. Ha ha. 🙂 I got it on Ebay a few years ago.
Your quilting really stands out in this beauty! I agree with others that the back is phenomenal as well!
The front looks great with the bubbling chevrons, but the back looks awesome with the multicoloured threads!
Such a great quilt! I must say, I really love the back and how it shows up the quilting! I haven’t tried using double layers of battling yet, great idea! Thanks for sharing 🙂
The quilting on this is fabulous and so cool!
I’ve never layered cotton with wool. I actually am currently hand quilting my first wool quilt. It very much reminds me of the puffiness of poly. I’m not sure I could quilt through an extra batting, but yours, by machine, turned out lovely!
Christa, the quilting on this is amazing – love the colour changes…!
Gorgeous quilting! Your design is full of interest and really done well. Definitely earned your ribbons 🙂
Beautiful Quilting! Good luck in the festival!!!
What a beautiful quilt…you must be VERY proud. You did such fantastic job on the quilting too.
WOW this way wonderful. I love the front and the back.
What kind of pen did you use?
Does it wash out or iron out?
I am just starting FMQ and have not gotten a pen yet.
Thanks for the help
I used a washout blue pen. Those are my favorite because they washout easily and you can see them on most fabrics.
Your quilt is fabulous. Great job on all those pebbles!
Your quilt is just amazing. It is so perfectly pieced and perfectly quilted.I really enjoyed this post and all the pictures.Good luck!
I love this quilt and best of luck in the festival!