Christen Phillips

My Favorite Quilting Classes On Bluprint

Have you heard of Bluprint?! It is an amazing online hub of classes for everything crafty you could imagine… I’m going to share my favorite quilting classes that you can find on Blueprint today! (plus links where you can own the class too)

Seriously, if you are prone to getting lost down the rabbit holes of the internet and you have somewhere to be in an hour, do yourself a favor… bookmark this post and come back to it when you have time to look around. You’ll thank me later 😉

Bluprint by far has the best selection of crafting classes/education on the internet – You might remember a few years ago, it was called Craftsy. (I wrote a review about it here)

While I have learned many skills since the day I wrote that post about Craftsy, I still stand by the fact that Bluprint is one of my go-to learning destinations!

Ok, I also like YouTube too. I usually will do a quick search on YouTube when I want to learn something quickly or I’m having a hard time with a particular skill… but YouTubers are sometimes like a box of chocolates… you never know what you’re going to get, right?!

**I say that so nicely and with a lot of love because I have a YouTube Channel where I share tips and tutorials too… and that job is not an easy one!**

Still, if you’re looking for more quilting education and more quilting classes, check out the ones I suggest below.

How does Bluprint work?

The good news is that once you buy a class on Bluprint, it is yours forever!

But there is another option too… you can be a monthly member to their site and have access to TONS of classes that are included with your membership. It is really an amazing opportunity to soak in so much knowledge! (more on that down below)

As if the courses weren’t enough… there are also kits and supplies that you can purchase from Bluprint at members-only discount prices as well.

*heart eyes for the embroidery kits! They are to die for!*

OK, but that’s for another day because I promised that I was going to share my favorite classes on blueprint!

My favorite Quilting Classes on Bluprint

Rainbow Bias Tape Appliqué Quilt

This one is so fast and so fun! I love a good happy rainbow. And it’s Applique, so you have fewer worries of the seams matching up and wondering if you’re at the right skill level etc… YOU ARE! This Rainbow Applique Quilt is for everyone and this quilt is beautiful every single time.

You can find it here.

Here’s How to Pick the Perfect Quilting Thread Color Every Single Time

This is a free read! Yay! It has some really good tips to read over! No purchase required… just knowledge.

Read it here.

Your Perfect Project: Starry Path Quilt

Hi, I’m Christen. If you didn’t know, I’m obsessed with stars… 🙂 haha I really love this quilt design and the beautiful endless options for fabric that it lends itself to!

You can check out The Starry Path Quilt Here.

28 Days to Better Free Motion Quilting

Angela Walters… I love this girl. She has no idea I exist, but I know we could be fast friends – I tell you this, not to make this weird…er? but because I know you’ll love learning from her too!

Check out the video course here.

The Scrappy Market Tote

It is a scrap project!!! Looking for a fun way to use up those little scraps? I adore this one! How about fun Christmas presents? – unique gifts? – talk of the local farmers market? — uh huh, thats you, babe. 😉

Check out the class for The Scrappy Market Tote here:

Quilted Tree Skirt

This Quilting class is actually really easy, but super enjoyable! I love my tree skirt! Every single time I’ve made one I think that it will be my ‘last one’ and it will be a tradition to put it out every year, but soon I find myself looking at all the beautiful fabric out there and… I get a spark for another tree skirt!

Quilted Tree Skirt Class

English Paper Piecing – Beyond The Basics

This class opened my eyes so much to the possibilities of this wonderful fabric craft.

I see inspiration everywhere now and I want to EPP forever! (well, as much as I want to quilt forever too lol)

Click here for The English Paper Piecing Class.

So, is it worth it to become a member?

Ok… I hear you… the cost of quilting classes can add up!

The good thing about buying these courses is that they are yours to own forever after you purchase them.

You can find some classes and materials on sale. – Check out the Deals of the Week sale section here.

My favorite way to do Bluprint is the membership option. It makes learning almost too easy… actually, who am I kidding… it is SO easy!

With their membership program, you have access to OVER 1300 classes! Boom. Just like that. Instant access, to become a master at just about anything craft related.

Decide that embroidery isn’t for you? no big deal… move on to beading! or knitting! or… decorate a cake to wow your family!

My honest opinions on Bluprint

I highly recommend Bluprint to anyone who enjoys a little bit of everything and to someone who wants to become an absolute MASTER at just one thing.

All the training that you need is right at the tip of your fingers on your computer screen, whenever you want it. No need to drive or wait for a class to visit your local shop. You can start today.

Also, I am a huge fan of things I can do while wearing my pajamas – This is definitely one of them! (don’t worry… I always wear cute ones haha)

Are you a member of Bluprint? Or are you thinking about it? Tell me your opinions on it in the comment section. I would love to hear your thoughts!
My Trip to QuiltCon 2020

I spent last weekend in Austin, TX at QuiltCon 2020! I had a wonderful time and loved every minute of it!

I promised that I would come back here and share my trip with you as well as what I brought home from the show and pictures of allllllll the beautiful quilts!

[Make sure you scroll down to see my videos!]

There were so many quilts. Like, so, so many it is overwhelming. I was blown away by the talent that was showcased and the friendliness of everyone at the show. I walked away with several new friends and even ran into a couple of old quilting friends too. ❤

Austin, Texas

I’m from Houston, Texas so Austin is pretty much in my backyard. I know, I got lucky this year! I went to school just a half-hour from Austin so I spent many nights back then playing around the city and enjoying all that it has to offer. Being back this trip brought back a lot of good memories.

Like… So SOOOOO much good food! My mouth is watering just thinking about it again right now…

Make sure you DO IT LIKE A LOCAL!

First of all, if you have to travel to a quilt show, you HAVE to sample the local cuisine. Get your sense of adventure on and try your hardest not to flock to your old habits and chain restaurants! Especially when you’re in an area known for their food!

That is kind of my rule of thumb for any type of travel, honestly… just enjoy the city like the locals do!

The Hotel

With QuiltCon being at the convention center… there were plenty of hotels to choose from in the downtown area. I always price check and compare for the best deals.

With the hotels right next door, you’re paying for convenience mostly. I made reservations for a hotel that was about a 15-minute walk from the convention center (you can always uber/taxi!) and saved several hundred dollars a night while still staying in a posh and fancy hotel PLUS that beautiful view of the river seen in the photo above. – So, make sure to broaden your search just a little to find a good deal!

? Money saved on hotel = more money to spend on fabric! ?

Even the carpet at my hotel had me feeling all the quilty vibes!

QuiltCon 2020 – The Show

I got there early to be close to the front of the line. 🙂

As you can see… this was no “little” show. There were LOTS of excited quilters ready for shopping and their dose of quilty inspiration!

Tips for Attending QuiltCon (and other quilt shows too!)

Check out my video for tips on visiting QuiltCon and other quilt shows – these tips really can apply to any quilt show you attend!

Shopping Tips at Quilt Shows

If you see something you like, especially if it is fabric… buy it right now. You can’t expect it to be there if you go check out another booth and plan to come back for it! Fabric (especially the ones on sale) can disappear quickly.

If you’re walking around with too much in your arms, Most larger quilt shows have a bag check area close to the registration desk where you can leave your bags in exchange for a claim ticket. Then you can shop with open arms!

I usually bring a big back or backpack with me when I go to the quilt show.

For more tips, you can check out this post that I wrote for the international Quilt Festival!
- INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL 2019 – A RECAP VIDEO!
- INTERNATIONAL QUILT FESTIVAL (PART 2) – MY FINDS & DEALS
What I brought home from QuiltCon 2020!!

I know you’re dying to see the goodies that I brought home so I made a video about that too!

I tried my hardest not to buy a ton of stuff because I don’t NEED a ton of stuff right now in my sewing room. I’m pretty well stocked, but that didn’t stop me from picking up a few little things along the way ?

The Quilts On Display at QuiltCon

In all seriousness, while I LOVE the shopping part and the botths and the venders and the PEOPLE… I really love to walk around a quietly look at all the quilts on display.

There were several where my jaw just didn’t have any choice but to drop to the floor, utterly in awe of the talent that I was surrounded by.

It was THAT level of amazing.

If you aren’t excited about the booths or anything else… I beg you to just go and look at the quilting work that other people have done.

Your inspiration level will be off the charts by the time you leave.

You’ll see new ideas and techniques that you haven’t thought of before.

You’ll have questions on how the artists did certain patterns and 100 things to google when you get home haha

So… last but not least, I want to share the quilts from the show with you!

I will admit that this is not ALL of the quilts. I tried my hardest to get a good representation of the quilts on display but there were some I couldn’t photograph because there were too many people in the way or their size was too massive to get in a good photo. — I guess next time you’ll just have to make the trip and see the quilts for yourself! ?

Did you go to QuiltCon 2020?

Tell me what your thoughts were on the show! I would love to hear from you… And also, hi again to the sweet friends I got to hug and the new ones I met while I was there! I love my quilting friends ?
Making a Jelly Roll Rug: The 5 Mistakes I Made

Since I’ve been showing you my progress on the Jelly Roll Rug Quilting project I have been working on, I thought it only fair that I show you the messy and struggle parts as well. Read on for the 5 Mistakes I made on my Jelly Roll Rug!

I like to call my “mistakes” my “learning moments”… as in “oh, I guess I had to learn the WRONG way to do it before I learned the right way to do it“. Uh-huh, I’m special. I have a lot of learning moments in the sewing room. Part of that due to the fact that I like to briefly read through the instructions, decide that I totally got this with the confidence of a woman who has been to hell and back again and then jumps in with both feet like I know what I’m doing.

*cue seam ripper* I usually only vaguely know what I’m doing with new projects.

It used to bother me when I would have to pull out the seam ripper, but apparently not enough for me to stop being so fearless in the sewing room and slow down, I guess.

I love to just go forward and problem-solve as I go.

And thus, I am happy to share the tricks I learned along the way while I was working on my Jelly roll rug! You can get the pattern here. I highly suggest buying the pattern because it has really good steps as well as materials and measurements that you will need to refer back to.

If you want to see my tips for what you should do: read this post! Current Project: Jelly Roll Rug – I share the tools I recommend and loved using as well.

The 5 mistakes I made while making a Jelly Roll Rug

Hopefully, by shining a light on my mistakes, I can give you an idea of what to watch out for when you make your jelly roll rug!

Just FYI – Here is my finished rug (mistakes and all) and I LOVE the way it turned out. It’s perfect for the little half bath that is attached to my sewing room! And I’m totally making another rug as my next project – that will be a little more ‘mistake’ free and over all cleaner.

So no pressure when you make your own rug…But you can learn from my mistakes and save yourself the trouble of having your own “learning moments”! 🙂

1. Practice your tension and stitches until you get it right before working on your rug

Heads up: You and your sewing machine are not used to going through 4 layers of fabric AND 4 layers of batting.

It’s like… a lot, ok?

So practice and get your zig-zag stitching to perfection before you jump in on your rug.

My machine had some issues skipping stitches occasionally as I went as you can see in the photo below.

I kept working and adjusting as I went and towards the end finally figured out a good setting. RIP to the middle stitches.

2. Go S.L.O.W.

It is so much fun to floor your sewing machine pedal and go all in while you watch this beautiful rug come to life.

However, go slow anyways! I went about 1/4 of the speed I usually sew.

This helped a lot with the stitches skipping issue that I had. You just have to tone it down on speed because there is a lot to consider and keep in mind while sewing. Give your machine the chance to keep up with it and get through all the layers.

3. Pick The Right Needle

Sharp. Brand New and of good quality. That is what you need.

Your standard Universal needle will not work to your favor in this situation.

A lot of fabric and layers need something tough!

I used a denim needle… below are a few suggestions of needles you can order from Amazon, but you should be able to find them at your local quilt shop or craft store as well.

4. Relax around those curves!

It’s a little tough at first when your rug is still taking shape and you’re excited… but if you don’t, your rug won’t lay flat and there will be a weird hump in it that will make you frown and step on it every time you walk over it in effort to smush it into submission… or something of the like?

Here is what I mean… Again, another “learning moment” for me!

The fabric around the tighter area tends to bunch up and want to squish together while the outer edges (when I had practiced and kind of found my groove) lays flatter and looser.

The straight edges of my jelly roll rug lay flat easily. It is just the curved edges where you are coercing the fabric around the curves that you have to remember to relax and just let the fabric guide itself around the previous row.

5. Be mindful of what is going on on the BACk fo your Jelly Roll Rug!

Finally, live and learn! This view below is of one of the curved edges of my jelly roll rug and it was the worst of it. There were only a few other areas where I have to go back and fix my mistakes.

When I was doing my zig-zag stitch to join the rows together, the backside flap of my rope didn’t get caught in the zig-zag. Oopsies…

See? You can tell where the brown and orange meet up is smooth and the red/purple joint is just… not ok. 🙁

While this is an easy fix… (hello again hand sewing and a little clear thread!) It would have been nice to notice what was happening earlier on in the process and take the steps needed to make sure it didn’t keep happening.

Still, it is fixable and no one will know!… except for of course me, and now you because I told you about it.

Lessons Learned…

There is kind of a lot to focus on at one time the first time you make one of these jelly roll rugs.

I still really enjoyed the process and can’t wait to sew my next one. I expect it to go much easier as I have worked through the mistakes and “learning moments” during my first jelly roll rug, right?

Have you thought about making a Jelly Roll Rug?

Do you feel like these “mistakes I made” posts help you or make it easier for you to jump in and make your own projects that maybe you were on the fence about before?

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 🙂

Happy sewing!
14 FREE Spring Themed Quilt Patterns

I love springtime… I love springtime quilts! Today I have 14 FREE Spring Themed Quilt Patterns to share with you. Oh boy!

(Just a note, the links and patterns below are not all patterns that I own or have designed. If you have any questions about the patterns, please contact the designers)

I live in Texas, so it’s not like we deal with the snow and the well below freezing temperatures of the winter months. We mostly just can’t decide if it’s worth bringing a jacket in the mornings if it is going to be warm by the afternoon again… #texasproblems

BUT – I do love it when the flowers start blooming out and the earth starts to get back to its beautiful colorful and happy self again!

What about you? Are you ready to sew some happy flowers and bright colors and joyful quilts again in preparation for the upcoming season?
- FYI: I have a blog post on summer quilting color palettes here if you want to get even more ahead of the game
14 FREE Spring Themed Quilt Patterns

1) A Simple Railfence Quilt

I love how quickly this pattern comes together! If you’re needing an easy pattern between hard patterns or you just want a fun fast sew that is going to turn out beautiful no matter what you use, look no further than this quilt pattern!

Another sweet quilt blogger, Suzy Quilts has a blog post with everything you need to know about rail fence quilts as well as a pattern for you to follow!

You can check out her blog post here.

2) Hidden Garden Quilt Pattern

Ok, One more Suzy Quilts Pattern because I heart her modern style and no-nonsense style. This one plays with applique and really fun to play with fabrics.

The pattern combinations and ways to feature fabric or themes are endless!

You can get the Hidden Garden Quilt Pattern pattern here.

3) Poppies Quilt Pattern

I fell in love with the modern flower vibe of this quilt from the first second I saw it! How beautiful and feminine are those poppies! And can you imagine with a really swirly/vine-like quilting pattern on it?

It has me feeling all the warm spring sunshine rays!

You can get the pattern and the tutorial here.

4) A Sweet Baby Quilt

I love this pattern! It’s such an easy and fun one that is appropriate for all levels of quilters. It sews up bast using HST (half square triangles) and large blocks.

You can get the FREE pattern here.

5) Gigi Blooms Table Runner

Already a table runner on the list?! Stick with me and imagine the possibilities of what a beautiful quilt full this would make… or a throw! I LOVE how the example quilt really showcases the bright happy spring fabric on a simple grey background.

Check out the fabric requirements and the instructions here.

6) Lickety Split Quilt Pattern

You know how much I love HST (half square triangle) quilts! I am always amazed at the patterns you can create and the complex designs that can be created using such a simple technique that even the novice of quilter can grasp quickly.

This quilt takes it up a notch and makes a very modern design easy! – You could even use this as a base for a fun scrappy quilt 🙂

Get the pattern for this modern chevron quilt here.

7) Tulip Quilt

I adore this quilt and everything about it! If I had anything other than the blackest of black gardening thumbs, I would like to grow tulips all the time.

You can download the FREE pattern here.

8) Umbrellas and Rain Quilt

I love a good thunder or rainstorm… especially if I can love it from inside on a cozy chair wrapped up in this quilt and a good book!

This pattern works with fusible applique. If you’ve been wanting one to play with a new technique, give it this happy little quilt pattern a try!

You can find the pattern here.

9) Posies Yo-yo Quilt Pattern

More flowers on quilts, I say!

Using yo-yos on quilts feels very nostalgic to me… it just isn’t in a lot of modern quilt patterns anymore. I love the way these add texture and dimensionality to the happy colorful quilt background.

Can you imagine this with polka dots and happy fun bright colors?! It would be amazing… and I think I will have to make a fun Posie quilt myself soon.

Get the Posies Yo-yo Quilt Pattern here.

10) The Easy Triangle Pattern

Triangle quilts are something that I find a lot of newer quilters tend to shy away from. Why? No one knows. Not even me! I avoided triangles like it was a full-time job when I first started out quilting.

I still don’t get excited about y-seams, but I can handle it! Guess what? This quilt pattern has absolutely NO y-seams. It is super easy to sew. I promise you’ll enjoy it!

You can get your FREE Easy triangle Pattern here.

GRAB THIS PATTERN OF MINE FOR FREEEEEEE!

11) Bunny & Brick Quilt Pattern

This quilt is an easy fat quarter stash buster! I love how the mix of a simple brick pattern mixes with applique bunnies makes this quilt a beautiful completed piece.

Check out the instructions here.

13) Easter Egg Mini Quilt Pattern

A fun Doll quilt perhaps? or maybe a wall hanging… or just a little inspiration to run with so you can make an even bigger version? 🙂

Check out the pattern and more cute pics here.

14) Carrot Patch Quilt Pattern

This one is too cute. I would love to use my scrappy pieces to make this quilt!

Maybe even a little lucky applique bunny somewhere on here? 🙂

Get the Pattern from Wyndham Fabrics here.

Not FREE Quilt Patterns that are still worth taking a look at!

While there is so much free stuff on the internet nowadays, we can’t expect everything good to be free.

While we’re on the subject of FREE Spring Themed Quilt Patterns, I thought it would be wise to take a look at some of my other favorite patterns that aren’t free, but still won’t break the bank, ok? 🙂

Have you sewn any of these patterns? Do you usually sew something for spring in general or do you sew specific holidays like St. Patricks Day and Easter?
Fabric Storage: What Works For Me + A Video!

Fabric storage has always been a big challenge for me. I know that other quilters and crafters struggle with it as well.

I thought I would give you a few suggestions from things I’ve learned over the years through trial and error (and WAY too much money spent on the hopes of simply having MORE organizational products to force myself into being organized – spoiler alert, it didn’t make me more organized at all. It just made my mess a little cuter lol)

Keep reading for my tips, but if you’d like the quick tour of what I am working with right now, check out the video below.
- You can also read the Full Tour of my New Sewing Space here and check out what I was working with before here.
I’ve been working on getting settled and slowly crafting my sewing room into the space that I’ve had in my dreams for years and years.

It will always be a work in progress in some form or another. At this moment, we’ve been here for about 4 months, 2 of which I didn’t do anything to my sewing room because I was working on making the rest of the house livable.

To claim that “I have it perfected” would be a lie lol… but I’ve learned a lot over the years of what works and what just won’t no matter how hard you try or how much money you spend!

Scrap Fabric Storage Ideas

Why oh why is scrap fabric the downfall of so may creatives?!

I want to hold on to every single scrap in the spirit of not being wasteful, but in doing so… I become a hoarder of the tiny-est beautiful fabric pieces.

Currently for my scrap fabric storage needs, I have been really happy with these plastic drawers. They’re really deep and they hold a lot of scrap fabrics!

I have each of the six drawers divided up by color groupings.
- Read more ideas on scrap fabric storage in this post!
Project Bins Are Essential

I can’t stress enough how much these have saved my tail as far as organization goes…

When I’m working on big projects that I know are going to take a while, I like to utilize big storage bins.

I keep everything for the project in the bin until the project is complete.

It helps me stay organized by keeping all the pieces together.

It makes clean up a breeze, because all I have to do is shove it into the box. No running all over the place to put things away only to have to drag them out again tomorrow. Fast, easy clean up in a hurry.

Use Your Space Wisely

Ok so this next picture isn’t the prettiest… I get that.

But its more about using your space wisely so you can easily SEE and get to your tools than it is about making it look pretty for Martha Stewart to drop by unannounced at any given moment, right? … at least, that is how I feel.

I love using the space under my work tables for more storage. These drawer sets are from IKEA, but I’ve seen similar copy-cat setups at target and walmart that you can buy and use your own desktop.

Use Your Tall Wall Space Where You Can For Shelving

If you have vertical space for shelving, make use of it!

I like to use these comic book boards to wrap my fabric around and make mini “bolts”. It makes a big difference in how nicely my fabric stands up on the shelves.

[In the picture above, you can see on the second from the top shelf how nice and neat everything looks vs. on the shelf under it the fabric to the left is much more slouchy and tired looking… I ran out of boards! oops.]

You can also just use whatever stiff boards you have on hand. Cardstock is a little too flimsy, in my opinion, but it can work. You can use cardboard, or foam-core board to customize your boards to fit your shelving!

Group Your Fabric By Quilts/Projects, Not By Color or Designer

This is just a suggestion, but one that I’ve found has helped me A TON over the years…

When I go to the fabric store and I pick up extra fabric (because… if you like it and are afraid they won’t have it next time, you do buy it too, right?) or I pick out a few coordinating pieces that would make a cute quilt together, I group them together in my sewing room. It makes it easy for the next time I’m looking for inspiration or I need some quick project ideas, I’m already halfway there!

Let me know in the comments down below where your fabric storage struggles are and what are your biggest pain points in your sewing space!

There you have it! I know it sounds rather simple and I feel like a lot of my ideas may be intuative and simple, but you know what?

Fabric storage doesn’t have to complicated!

It doesn’t have to cost a ton of money and it doesn’t have to run your life!

If your organizational issues run a little deeper than your fabric, I have a ebook + workbook that I have created to help you create the sewing and crafting space of your dreams.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. I’ll show you how and walk you through step by step over the course of 25 days 🙂

AND You can use code “CREATEMYSPACE” at check out for 20% off 🙂
DIY Project Dry Erase Board

When I finished my new sewing space in our new house, I tried out a fun DIY project that I want to share with you today! It is a DIY Project Dry Erase Board. I’ve been using it to keep my current projects front and center and using it to record my ideas on the spot.

I wanted to test it out and make sure I felt that it was worth sharing but… my quilting friends…

I absolutely LOVE it.

Like, I don’t know how I survived without. It’s been THAT beneficial in my sewing room for the last few months.

The DIY Project Dry Erase Board

I have it hung up on the wall right next to my machines.

I see it every single day. It keeps me aware of what I have to work on, what deadlines are coming up and maybe that’s not what works for you… but my oh my have I felt more productive now!

The best part… it only cost me $7!

How to make your own DIY Project Dry Erase Board

This is what I started with… keep it budget-friendly, An idea to repurpose an old frame and make it so so pretty, because, why not?

I went by the thrift store and found a frame that was from… I’m guessing the 1990s? I don’t know, but it was not anything that would fit my current home decor.

I took out the picture, painted the backing that was already in the frame. (or you could frame some really cute wallpaper?), painted the frame and BOOM 🙂 Instant loveliness.

The frame needed a little cleaning up, but overall it was in good shape and I loved the little carved details on it.

I started with a primer paint that I had on hand just to minimize the number of coats of colored paint I would need to use.

I had these little small containers of paint leftover from another project. It isn’t really a secret that I love pink, right?

I love these little Valspar paints for small projects around the house. (and if you ask my husband, I collect way too many of them)

I highlighted the little corner carvings with the lighter shade of pink and to add a little extra feminine touch to it.

What I use it for…

I use my DIY Project Dry Erase board as a brain essentially.

I keep track of long term and short term goals on it as well as deadlines and progress.

How to keep yourself organized!

A while back I created this FREE 6-page quilt planner that I use to help me keep track of my current projects and what is in the works etc. You can download your copy below.

More Ideas To Get Organized
Comment down below and let me know if this is a project that would work for you… what do you think of my easy DIY project dry erase board organizer!

I would love to hear your thoughts 🙂