More giveaways: The Creative Grids 10 degree ruler!

This has been a great week! I got to send off two copies of my book Wedge Quilt Workshop to lucky winners.  On Thursday I'll be sharing my book, the quilts and the rulers at my home guild, the Portland Modern Quilt Guild.  and now I've got more great rulers to give away along with book copies! I just want you all trying wedges so much I can't stop giving the book away. Well, I can, I guess, because I'm probably gonna run out of books on Thursday! I'll make sure to set these two aside.

That blue quilt at the top of this post? It's so easy to make! The book includes a full size pattern for the wedge shape. Even better than using the paper pattern would be if you have this awesome new 10 degree ruler from Creative Grids! You know that great grippy texture on the bottom of their rulers? I've never appreciated it more than I have on this ruler. Wedge rulers tend to twist as you cut due to their shape, the grip texture stops all that. What I also appreciate about this ruler is that it goes narrower than most other wedge rulers, so it has a lot of design potential if you want to try some of the other ideas in the book your own way.

Because Creative Grids generously gave me two of this ruler I'm giving away one on Instagram, and one on Facebook. Head on over to like and follow me to get your chance! Happy stitching!

Giveaways going on now!

Would you like to win a signed copy of my new book? And how about a fancy new wedge ruler? I guess I'm not quite done going to the post office, because I can't wait to send these prizes to my two winners!

That's right: TWO! I have two Wedge Quilt Workshop giveaways going on right now: one on Instagram and one on Facebook!

These giveaways are co-hosted by Phillips Fiber Art. Each giveaway includes a Ten Degree Wedge Tool. These quilting rulers are designed by fellow wedge lover Cheryl Phillips, who has taught me so much about working with wedges and been incredibly supportive of my drive to share more about how to work with this versatile shape. If you're looking for a wedge to make the 10 degree quilts in my book, Cheryl's tools will do the trick!

Entries for the giveaways will be open until Monday. Enter for yourself (or a friend, if you already have a copy!) by clicking on over to Instagram and/or Facebook. Entry is super simple: follow me and like the post. That's it!

If you're thinking you might be interested in playing with wedges but not feeling certain about which wedge ruler to get, I'll have some posts coming up with my thoughts on that in the next week or two. For now, enter the giveaways and maybe luck will pick your wedge ruler for you!

Wedge Quilt Workshop is here!

It's here! Wedge Quilt Workshop is shipping to happy quilters everywhere!

Those who preordered from the USA should get it in the mail today if you haven't already!

I'm delighted that more quilters who like this shape can start using it. Did I already mention you don't have to have a wedge ruler? I made sure to mention it in my "trailer": here's that video including quilts you haven't seen yet...

And you can see a flip-through of the book over on my Instagram or Facebook page! To celebrate I have some wedge ruler giveaways coming THIS WEEK and you'll want to follow me on those channels to participate! 

Those of you who have seen the book, I can't wait to hear what you think. For all the encouraging words sent my way already, thank you! I'm getting a little better about this process of publishing, about trusting that I've done my work and it deserves to be out in the world. But it always feels a bit tender and vulnerable to release something so big and so personal for public consumption, so finding a joyful reception for this new project is quite comforting.

Thanks to Brenda who asked below about e-books for this book. The ebook is available now at C & T Publishing's website and I think it will also be available on Amazon on the "release" date of January 7th!

Happy new year and happy stitching everyone! 

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Free-Motion Quilting Weekend in Portland

I'm thrilled to share a new local class offering I have. And for those of you who aren't local, it would be a great reason to take a trip to Portland, if I do say so myself! I've scheduled a two-day beginner's free-motion quilting workshop in January at my local quilt shop, Modern Domestic.

This class is exactly the way I love to teach free-motion quilting: small class size (we limit to 12), and only 3 hours of class a day so no one gets exhausted. Everyone comes back the next day fresh and full of energy and with the added benefit of having had a night of sleep, which research reveals helps us learn complex tasks; tasks like free-motion quilting!

The staff at Modern Domestic are happy to make recommendations for nearby places to stay if you're thinking of traveling to Portland for the weekend. And I'm happy to advise on local restaurants and sightseeing. It's always fun to have visitors!

If you're looking for a more advanced class, I also have another grid quilting class on the calendar. 

And I'd love to hear what you think of the two-day class idea. I feel like I often see my student's energy flagging around hour 5 in an all day class. Have you ever gotten burned out in a 6 hour quilting class?

Quilting Spirals with the Walking Foot

Today I get to share another quilting segment of mine from the TV show Fresh Quilting! This is from episode 203 "Mix It Up" which you can see anytime at www.freshquilting.com.

You know I've been playing with my walking foot more these days, and getting a really even, smooth quilted spiral is definitely a job for a walking foot! See my little trick for getting started on the episode...

Preorders open for Wedge Quilt Workshop!

Good things are happening! My first book on the wonders of patchwork, specifically, WEDGE patchwork, is about to fly out into the world on the magical hooves of reindeer and the scent of peppermint. We're so close. So so close. Can you smell the minty freshness? 

And here I am to show you a few pretty pictures (like the quilt above, "Hello Gorgeous") and get you thinking about some of the cool things you can do with wedge shapes. Do you have a wedge ruler? If so, great! If not, no worries, the book has all the patterns and instructions for using them with your trusty old quilting ruler. 

I love the way the diamonds float on the one above. And how about the full view of that cover quilt below? Does it make your eyes go buggy? The circles flash when I look at it!

So I know plenty of you will buy it on Amazon (And probably even leave a review! Thanks!) and many of you will buy it at your local quilt shop (Shopping local, right on!) and some of you will say "But Christina, can't we preorder a copy from you?" And I, intoxicated by reindeer magic and peppermint fumes, will temporarily set aside my impulse to avoid the post office and I will say Why Yes! Yes you can.

And, you may ask, "Can that copy be signed?" Oh ever so much Yes Again!

For you, my fellow wedge lovers, I am taking preorders. Just until the book comes out. And then I will make a single, joyful, and slightly sweaty trip to the post office and then, then...then the spell will be broken, for I will have remembered that I Do Not Like That Place. After that you can still Amazon or Buy Local it and I will be so delighted that you wanted to read my book.

So are you getting in on this not-to-be-repeated post office trip? Are you one of my signed copy preorder tribe? Fabulous! Click this little button below and you'll be ushered over to Paypal  Preorders are in the mail!! No longer taking preorders but please see your local quilt shop or Amazon for the book! 

I'll be sure to show more pictures from the book when it's officially released! I still haven't shown you some of my favorites!

Are you Gridding?!

Just a mostly eye candy post to remind you to use your half-off Craftsy discount link on my new class Quilting the Grid, before it's done tomorrow. That discount is expired. 

I can't wait to see what you do with it!