Quilting Rockstar University
Join Quilting Rockstar University to
Confidently Finish Your Quilts on Your Machine
After nearly a decade of teaching, I’ve learned that show quilts, fancy machines, and “quilting as art” often create more fear than confidence—even for skilled quilters.
But a quilt has just two jobs: to be fun to make and cozy to snuggle.
Your quilting doesn’t have to be perfect to matter. I’ll show you how to enjoy the quilting process, make steady progress, and finish quilts you can actually use, love, and snuggle.
INTRODUCING
Quilting Rockstar University
Quilting Rockstar University is my $37/month membership where you learn how to confidently quilt your own quilts on the machine you already own.
Confident free motion quilting isn’t about talent or fancy equipment — it’s learned through a clear, repeatable process. Inside QRU, you follow the Confident FMQ Framework:
Action Creates Confidence
Consistency Builds Competence
Finished is Better than Perfect
Community Conquers Fear
QRU is a complete system designed to help you make progress, finish quilts, and quilt with confidence — one project at a time.
Your current machine is perfect
Whatever machine you have is the perfect one to start learning on.
I’ve quilted on nearly every kind of machine you can imagine — a hand-me-down Kenmore with a 5-inch throat, a Singer I bought online, an industrial Juki, a bernette, several mid-size domestics, and three different longarms. I’ve quilted everything from tiny table toppers to big bed quilts on all of them.
Every setup has trade-offs.
Sometimes you’re wrangling a quilt through a small throat.
Sometimes you’re standing for hours at a frame.
Sometimes big motifs feel cramped.
Sometimes small motifs feel unwieldy.
Sometimes your body reminds you it’s time to adjust your posture — or take a break.
If you’re nervous about quilting your own quilts, it’s easy to believe the machine is the problem. But waiting for the “perfect” setup is keeping you from finishing your quilts.
Beginning is more important than bigger
…or “better.” You don’t need a bigger machine, a bigger space, or to make a bigger investment.
You need the structure and support of Quilting Rockstar University and the courage to begin.
Inside QRU, you’ll see videos of me quilting on several different machines.
So whether you’re on a little domestic or a big longarm on a frame, this membership is for you!
It won’t take as long as you think
Last year, I taught Intro to Free Motion Quilting at a show. As always, we started with the meander — and as usual, it was a mess. Jagged curves. Broken thread. Uneven stitches. At least one person looked ready to walk out.
I reminded everyone to take a breath. They weren’t supposed to be good yet.
We reviewed the basic method, addressed the biggest issues, and then I asked them to quilt the meander for just 15 minutes.
One by one, the lightbulbs turned on. Curves smoothed. Stitches evened out. Shoulders relaxed.
Fifteen minutes was enough for them to learn — and begin to master — their first motif.
That’s how skill actually builds.
Inside Quilting Rockstar University, we use the same approach. Learning to quilt your own projects doesn’t require endless hours at the machine. It requires short, focused practice sessions paired with clear guidance and consistent accountability — so you keep showing up.
Through weekly Q&As and an active, supportive community, QRU helps you sit down at your machine week after week, build competence step by step, and make real progress without burning out.
Why Quilting Rockstar University is a membership
I moved all of my courses into Quilting Rockstar University because this is how confident quilting is actually built.
A membership makes learning more affordable and accessible — and, more importantly, it lets you learn at a pace that works for you.
Whether time feels tight because of a busy life or a loud inner critic, QRU supports you step by step with pre-recorded lessons you can revisit anytime, live Q&As to guide your practice, and a welcoming community that makes progress feel doable — and even fun.
Included Courses:
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Custom Quilting Academy
$247 value
Take your quilting to the next level by learning how to build and follow a custom quilting plan. You’ll explore 3 “levels” of design planning and how to quilt every section of your top intentionally.
👉 Recommended after Free Motion Quilting Academy & Ruler Quilting Academy to make the most of your skills.
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Free Motion Quilting Academy
$327 value
Master organic, hand-guided motifs like loops, swirls, feathers, and more. This course includes 9 video units, a bonus on quilting plans, and a final project for graduation.
👉 Perfect if you’ve only tried a few motifs or want a solid quilt-finishing foundation.
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Ruler Quilting Academy
$275 value
Learn how to quilt crisp, geometric designs using quilting rulers. This 9-unit video course covers spacing, handling rulers, and stitching shapes like clamshells, triangles, and grids.
👉 Great for elevating your quilting with interesting visual contrast.
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Longarm Preparatory
$197 value
Just got a longarm? This video course walks you through setup, loading a quilt, and quilting with confidence using simple plans. Includes 7 units and 3 quilting projects to guide your practice.
👉 Ideal for brand new longarm owners.
You’re not going to ruin your quilts
Jan likes to call herself my hardest sell ever — and she’s probably right.
For over a year, she emailed me every time Free Motion Quilting Academy (the precursor to QRU) opened. She wanted to learn. She had stacks of quilt tops waiting. She even bought a longarm, convinced that would be the answer.
But the longarm sat unused in the corner — intimidating, expensive, and heavy with expectation.
Each time, Jan said, “Maybe next time.”
Until one day she realized something important: the discomfort of learning something new was easier than the overwhelm and shame of unfinished quilts.
That’s when everything changed.
Quilts started getting done. The longarm became a tool instead of a source of fear. And Jan turned into a one-woman welcome committee for Quilting Rockstar University.
She didn’t need a bigger machine.
She didn’t need more time.
She didn’t need an in-person class.
She needed a structured, supportive system that showed her what to do next — and helped her keep going.
Here’s what she shared recently on a live session:
You’re not going to ruin your quilts —you’re going to finish them, and you’re going to fill your home with cozy quilts made to be used, loved, and shared.
The $5,200 Reality Check
Carolyn’s longarm bill was $5,200!
…well, it would have been… 😉
Carolyn became a Quilting Rockstar several years ago after she became frustrated with her rising longarm bills and pile of unfinished projects.
Recently, she joined a Facebook Live and shared an update on her quilting journey:
If we conservatively estimate that each project would have cost $100 to have longarmed, her longarm bill would have been $5,200!
When I did this quick math live, though, Carolyn was quick to remind me that many projects are much more expensive:
That’s nearly the cost of a full year inside Quilting Rockstar University… for one quilt.
If you’re reading this, you’re probably already imagining what it would feel like to confidently finish your own quilts.
What happens next?
You could tell yourself, “That was inspiring — maybe I’ll come back to this later.”
And later turns into more frustration:
not knowing what to quilt where
unfinished projects stacking up
stalling out without support
and yes — more longarm bills
Or, like Carolyn, you can keep going while the momentum is here — with structure, guidance, and support that helps you finish what you start.
And she’s not alone. Other Rockstars were quick to chime in with their own project counts:
Susan even DM’d me and shared that she has finished over ONE HUNDRED quilts because that’s what the Confident FMQ Framework makes possible.
Quilting Rockstar University is where:
✅ Action creates confidence
✅ Consistency builds competence
✅ Finished is better than perfect
✅ Community conquers fear
✅ And you become a Quilting Rockstar!
What You Get Inside QRU
Quilting Rockstar University is the membership where you learn how to confidently quilt your own quilts on the machine you already own.
QRU is a complete system designed to help you make progress, finish quilts, and quilt with confidence — one project at a time.
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Complete Quilting Courses
You get instant access to Free Motion Quilting Academy, Ruler Quilting Academy, Custom Quilting Academy, and Longarm Prep
You can follow them start-to-finish or dip into exactly what you need when you need it. Each course is pre-recorded so you can watch lessons when it fits your timezone and schedule.
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Quilting Rockstar Community
Learning is easier and more fun with friends and a support squad. With our private online community, you’re never more than a post away from an encouraging word or a helpful answer to a question. Our community includes both newbies and experienced quilters learning and growing together. And I know I’m biased, but I genuinely think it’s the best quilting community ever.
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Weekly Live Q&As With Me
Each week I go live and tackle your pressing questions: from reviewing quilting plans, to taking a look at your recent work, to offer emergency pep talks, and talk about my latest tools and tips. We collect questions ahead of time if you can’t join live, and we post a recording so you can watch later.
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Monthly Sit & Sews
The magic of the internet is that we can sew together– from all over the world! Each month we connect on Zoom and “visit” each other’s sewing rooms to show off recent finishes and current WIPs.
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Quarterly Masterclasses & Events
Quarterly masterclasses help take your quilting to the next level. I create a complex custom quilting plan and then quilt it live on camera. As I stitch, I share how I turn a drawing into reality, how I choose my quilting path, and answer all of your questions about the custom quilting process. Even if you’re brand new to quilting your own quilts, these masterclasses are the key to removing the “mystery” of custom quilting.
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“Your First Month in QRU” Roadmap
A handy, PDF guide to watching your first quilting lessons inside the Academies, making a quilting plan, and finishing a project so you can put your membership to use right away! showing exactly what to watch and in what order so you never feel lost.
Meet Your Teacher
I’m HollyAnne Knight, and it’s my job to guide you to quilt with confidence.
For more than a decade, I’ve helped thousands of quilters move from nervous beginners to confident Rockstars who finish their quilts and enjoy the process along the way. Teaching isn’t something I grew into — it’s something I’ve always known I was meant to do. I started teaching as a teenager, earned a degree in education, and have been teaching in one form or another for over 20 years.
Over the last decade, I’ve taught free motion quilting across nearly every setting imaginable — online at String & Story and with Missouri Star Quilt Co, in quilt shops, in magazine features for Make Modern and American Patchwork & Quilting, and on classroom stages at major shows like QuiltCon, Festival of Quilts, and Original Sewing & Quilting Expo.
No matter the stage, my goal is the same: to help you quilt your own quilts with clarity, confidence, and control — without fear of ruining them.
Inside Quilting Rockstar University, I bring that guidance directly into your sewing room. I’ll show you what to do, explain why it works, answer your questions, and support you as you practice and finish your quilts — so you never have to figure it out alone.
FAQ
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No. You can quilt on the domestic, midarm, or longarm machine you already own. We’ve had Rockstars finish their quilts on everything from the smallest Featherweights and treadles to the biggest longarms on the market and everything in between!
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Then you’re in the right place! QRU is beginner-friendly with clear guidance, warm support, and simple steps to help you finish your quilts.
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Yes. You can make real progress practicing just 15 minutes at a time, and the snack-size lessons inside the Academy courses will help you do just that.
Life will always be busy – the best way to make progress toward finishing your quilts is to start.
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Nope! Quilting Rockstar University is a month to month membership and you can join for as short or as long as you want.
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Take a deep breath, then ask your question in the QRU community or on a live Q&A. There’s so much support and encouragement available. We’ll make sure you don’t stay stuck for long!
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No worries! We collect questions ahead of time for all the Q&As, and we post the replays in the QRU Q&A Vault. Masterclasses are also recorded and posted in the QRU resources.
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You have access to all of the Academy courses, QRU community, and other QRU resources for as long as you are a paying member.
Ready to Quilt With Confidence?
Quilting Rockstar University is my membership where you learn how to confidently quilt your own quilts on the machine you already own.
Quilting Rockstar University
$37/month
- Free Motion Quilting Academy
- Ruler Quilting Academy
- Custom Quilting Academy
- Longarm Prep
Learning is easier (and more fun) with friends. Inside our private community, you’re never more than a post away from encouragement, inspiration, or a helpful answer.
You’ll find both brand-new and experienced quilters learning and growing together — and yes, I might be biased, but I think it’s the best quilting community out there.
- Weekly Live Q&As with me
- Monthly Sit & Sew Zoom Calls
- Quarterly Custom Quilting Masterclasses
- Your First Month in QRU guide