I am over the moon about this. I am a cover girl. Well, really my quilt is, and it looks much better closely cropped than I do. 🙂 My Chevrons quilt is on the cover of the Nov./Dec. 2013 issue of Quilty Magazine.
I was beside myself when the folks at Quilty accepted my submission many months ago. I set to work diligently cutting and piecing this labor of love and giving little hints whenever I could. I was thrilled that someone wanted to publish it. Not that I don’t take pride in my work. It’s just that seeing it in print is somehow a validation of everything I work for.
I pieced it on my older Bernina 1630 and quilted it on my brand new Bernina 710 . (Buying a new machine mid-deadline can be a pretty stressful experience, LOL!)
I practiced on a bunch of scrap pieces before I was happy with the quilt design. I basted my quilt with lots of pins and anchored the rows by stitching in the ditch. I quilted straight lines about 1/4 away from the seams, using painter’s tape to help keep them straight.
Here’s a closeup of the back after all the rows were quilted. This is technically enough quilting for this quilt, but since I tend to go a little crazy when it comes to machine quilting, I decided to add quite a bit more.
I filled in all the Chevrons with straight lines using a blending thread. I added pebbles and echoed lines in the background, leaving some un-quilted areas to create a textural “relief”.
I was unsure how this would turn out, but once I flipped the quilt over to the back side, I was happy with how the texture was looking.
I’m still learning how to photograph my quilts so that the quilting can show, but it’s a work in progress. For some reason, I get better details when the quilt is flat on a table rather than a straight shot. I know it has something to do with the lighting.
The down side is that since I can’t get a straight on shot, you get to see my messy sewing room with ugly chairs, plastic bins, and cords sticking out everywhere, LOL!
Chevrons Front
It took me several years to get the quilting part down. It may be several more before my photography skills catch up to my quilting skills. Be sure to pick up your copy of Quilty so you can see it professionally patterned, styled, and photographed. 🙂
I almost forgot – I owe a huge thanks to the folks over at Micheal Miller who supplied their gorgeous Cotton Couture Solids to me to make this quilt. I simply adore solids!
Chevrons Back
Here’s a shot of the back. I’ve written up a separate tutorial on how to make your own colorful strippy backing here.
Christa Quilts 
So did you use the same blending thread on all the different colored fabrics as well as the blue background? You didn’t change colors? I am at that point now and trying to decide what to do.
it is a great quilt i loved it very much well done
I love your quilt !! Congratulation. Could you tell me how many colors you used in the quilt. My Husband said 6, I said 8, not counting the backing, I sure hope I am right.
Try 14 🙂 I used a few different shades of reds, blues, yellows, oranges, greens, etc.
I’m glad you like it!
Is this pattern available for purchase in your store?
You can order it online from heyquilty.com
Congrats! Your quilt is beautiful and it really makes the cover of Quilty look good!
Love the quilt. I have a question. Did you quilt the straight lines with a walking foot, or was it all free motion?
Great question! I used my walking foot for all the straight lines.
Congratulations!!! I would be over the moon too. I have to add that I love chevrons and the unique way you have quilted this one. 🙂
Love this quilt and the quilting. I loved it on the cover of Quily too (before I saw your blog).
Thanks so much!
Your quilts are FABULOUS!!! Just like you—full of joy and color and design! Lynnie
This quilt is so amazing! It has such depth as if the fabric is going up and down. The quilting is so gorgeous. Wow, and congrats to the cover of the magazine! What an inspiration!
This is just stunning! I love your use of solids (something I keep telling myself to work on in my piecing, but I just keep buying prints). And the quilting is gorgeous! I hope that some day I can make something this lovely (with lots of practice on my part)!!
Christa – I love how “3D” it looks in pictures! You are awesome! 🙂
Congratulations Christa! It is a beautiful quilt and a fun quilt-along. Keep up the good work.
The texture is amazing. What a fabulous quilt! Congrats!
Christa, that is an amazing quilt!! I can’t wait to get my very own copy of the magazine so I can see the pattern. Whoop whoop for an amazing reveal!!
Wow that is so beautiful..front and back! wow wow wow!
Wow! Amazing quilt! Great work and congrats on the magazine. It is definitely cover worthy.
Christa, this is wonderful! What a gorgeous quilt!
Congrats on making the cover of Quilty! The front is gorgeous, but I really love the back as well!
Your quilting is just awesome. The last couple of pictures definitely dh ows it off. Congratulations again!
Absolutely adore this quilt. Congratulations on getting yourself on the cover of Quilty.
May it be the first of many cover-quilts.
So beautiful! I love the quilting! Congrats!
The texture int hat quilt is AMAZING! well done on being a cover girl 😉 thanks for linking up 🙂
Congrats! well deserved 🙂
Congrats on the magazine and big kuddos for approaching them. I am a chicken when it comes to putting myself “out there”. The quilt is great and I love the quilting.
Oooo…I have a subscription to Quilty and can’t wait to see your design up close….all the way over here in the south of England!! You’re international!!
AWESOME!!!!! Congratulations!
great great great work.
Ilove solids and yours is perfekt!! thanks for sharing. claudia
love it, and congratulations! love your pattern, color and quilting… a complete package of modernity and beauty. well done!
Such a stunning quilt! Congrats on the cover! I love how you used the clover clips. I just purchased some and I am very excited to use them.
Wow! I love your quilting! It’s so gorgeous, and I can’t decide if it looks cooler on the front or on the back! How do you establish what a “blending thread” is, or do you have one that you always go to?
Great question! I always try a few different threads. I unwrap several inches off the spool and lay them on top of the quilt. Whichever one is hardest to see is the one I use. It’s harder for multi-colors like my chevrons so I stick with a thin cotton (like Aurifil) and usually go for some kind of taupe or light brown or grey. That seems to work 🙂
Oh wow! Congratulations