A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
Electric Quilt file download for Coin Toss by Sandi Walton of Piecemeal Quilts
A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
I am very excited to introduce a new product in my shop. Most of you know that I am an EQ8 Superfan. I design my quilts in EQ8, I teach EQ8, and I use EQ8 to create my original patterns…
A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
I just finished this Hattie’s Choice Table runner It measures 14″ x 30″ and is made using the Hattie’s Choice die from Accuquilt and it all started because I had bought 1yd of this funky…
Whew! It’s been a busy week! While I’ve been having a blast teaching machine quilting this week at Road to California, my fabric has getting out in the quilting world in a big way. I ha…
The Comic Relief quilt pattern is so versatile! There are four sizes and two variations to choose from! It is also beginner friendly!
It’s no secret that I’m a cheerleader for the quilting industry. One of my favorite things is being an ambassador for companies whose products I love. Full disclosure: I’m not pai…
Browse the amazing collection of DIY Photo Quilt Patterns, Designs, Ideas and learn how to make handmade quilts with photos in some steps!
Mein liebster Block ist im Augenblick der Drunkards Path und es gibt so viele Variationen, dass es einem ganz schwindelig werden kann. Darum...
One of our favorite tools is EQ8 (aka Electric Quilt). And why to we love it? Well this is a quilting software that helps you to design your own quilt blocks and patterns. But not only that, it has thousands of in-built quilt blocks and different templates including appliqué blocks and patterns that you can start using straight away. We have been using it for years now and highly recommend it. What is EQ8 Software? EQ8 is a quilt design software that allows you to: design your own quilts at any size you like create your own block patterns use
Explore tonyalittmann's 1825 photos on Flickr!
Save your old food magazines for this bug collage project. The shiny and colorful fruit has a whole new look when viewed as bug parts.
A quick and fun quilt project in conjunction with Hari Raya Aidilfitri.
Today I'm sharing with you a fun, scrappy block called Scrappy Susannah. This block is a fantastic way to use up some scraps since all of the needed squares are either 3.5” or 4.25”. Here’s the tutorial! **edited to add: A printable version of these instructions is now available here as a PDF!** For one (12.5") block you’ll need: 8 (3.5”) print squares 4 (3.5”) white or background squares 2 (4.25”) print squares 2 (4.25”) white or background squares 1. On the two (4.25”) white squares, draw a diagonal line or fold in half and finger press. 2. Place each 4.25” white square right sides together with a 4.25” print square. Sew about 1/4” on both sides of the drawn line. 3. Cut along the drawn line to make two half square triangles (HST). 4. Open HSTs, press and trim each HST to be 3.5” 5. Layout squares as shown. 6. Using a 1/4” seam, sew squares into rows. Press each row. (I prefer to press seams open at this point) 7. Sew rows together, matching seams, and press block. Block should measure 12.5” And there you have it! Pretty easy, right? If you'd like to print out this tutorial for easy reference later, you can find a free downloadable PDF here. If you make a Scrappy Susannah block I'd love to see it! Tag me on Instagram (@abrightcorner) or Facebook. Be sure to use the hashtag #scrappysusannahblock so we can all see what you've created!
Scrappy Thousand Pyramids, Something Like This? I made a bunch more of my scrappy, strippy equilateral triangles a couple weeks ago, but then I stopped to come up with a plan for them. I'm thinking of a throw size quilt, around 52" x 66", similar to my EQ8 design software rendering shown above. My triangles finish 7 1/2" tall x 8 3/8" wide, so I'll need 50 full pieced triangles, 8 half pieced triangles, and then 50 whole + 8 half alternate triangles in a mix of solids and prints -- not necessarily the prints pictured, mind you, but whatever odds and ends are gleaned from my scrap hoard. The mottled solids that I used in my EQ8 design are mostly the Moda Grunge Basics, which I absolutely love. They remind me of artists' pastels. So much more depth than plain solids, and the variations of shade and intensity within each piece of fabric will enable these better-than-solids to tie all of the colors of my crazy scrap prints together nicely. Moda Grunge Basics Bundle, Available on Etsy (affiliate link) As usual, there are affiliate links in this blog post but the links are here mostly to remind myself of where I found all the cool goodies -- the Etsy seller I'm linking to does custom 5-piece bundles of Moda Grunge Basics, either quarter yards or half yard cuts, and you get to pick which 5 colors go in your bundle. According to the automatic EQ8 yardage calculator, I don't need more than a quarter yard of any one of my solid fabrics for this quilt design, so that's probably the route I'll go. However, I should probably make all of my pieced triangles first before finalizing the coordinating fabrics. In real life, I have a lot more variety in the fabric strips going into these pieced triangles than what I bothered to show in my design rendering. Two In the Morning Is a Good Time For Triangles I'm using my 8" 60 Degree Triangle ruler from Nifty Notions and using the lines printed on my ruler to help keep my seams straight and horizontal with each cut, but any 60 Degree triangle ruler will work for this. I strip piece rough oversized triangle shapes just a bit bigger than my ruler and then trim away the excess. This allows me use up all different scrap sizes and it yields triangles that are completely unique. If you don't mind having multiple identical triangles in your quilt and you're working from a jelly roll or have mostly long strap strips, you could also strip piece long strips and then subcut multiple triangles from each strip set. Behold my cluttered, dysfunctional design wall: Gridlock On My Design Wall! This picture of my design wall was taken at 2 AM, when I should have been sleeping, but I was having too much fun sewing strips together and chopping them up into equilateral triangles. Once I've made all of my triangles I will want to finalize the layout on the design wall, but at the moment the wall is full of: My Jingle BOM quilt, which needs the center medallion trimmed and the borders tweaked and finished so it can be assembled into a quilt top, ready for quilting. My FrankenWhiggish Rose Applique project in the lower right corner, which needs LOTS more applique shapes to be prepped, basted and hand stitched before all nine blocks are done. The Abandoned Skirt Project near the upper right corner, which needs a tricky zipper installation worked out because I decided I need a lining too late in the construction process, and which also needs me to lose another 10 pounds before I'm the size I was when I started making the skirt... That Schumacher drapery fabric memo in the upper right corner is there for no reason at all. I forgot to take it down when I was finished with it. And yet, instead of finishing what needs to be finished with Jingle so I can take it off the wall, I decided to make triangles all night long. Despite having no room to lay them out. ...Meanwhile, I've been carefully removing the foundation papers from my pineapple log cabin blocks, and contemplating the next steps for that project as well. Final Layout for My 36 Pineapple Log Cabin Blocks I am having zero trouble removing the foundation paper, by the way. The secret-for-success is piecing with a very SHORT stitch length (1.5 on my Bernina) and using a LARGE needle (I use a Schmetz size 90/14 Quilting needle for foundation paper piecing). This creates larger needle holes in the paper, spaced closer together, and that makes for excellent perforation. I fold the paper back and forth along the stitching line several times during construction of the block, and once the piecing is done, the paper tears away easier than ripping a check out of your checkbook! Peek-A-Boo! Back Side of Pineapple Block, Freed From Foundation Paper I like to make sure I got every little speck of paper off, too, with no tell-tale remnants to inform the snoopy quilt historians of the future that I "cheated" by using foundation paper piecing. That's my own business -- let them think I have magical skills of precision piecing and measuring!! (As if the Internet, full of blog posts spilling my secrets, wouldn't give me away...) I'll be checking again for stray bits of paper as I join the blocks together at the sewing machine, where I have much better visibility thanks to my trusty Stella Lighting Task Lamp. Soft, Smooshy Quilt Blocks With Paper Removed! I'm about two thirds of the way through removing the papers from my 36 quilt blocks. OFF With Those Foundation Papers!! But despite the paper tearing cleanly and removing easily, it is still time consuming since there are 97 bits of paper to remove from every single block. I'm working on it a little bit at a time, mostly while watching television at night. And I'm using this time to mull over some of the quilting hurdles that lie ahead. Such as the fact that no batting manufacturer on Planet Earth makes batting wide enough for me to use a single, continuous piece of batting for this oversized King quilt. The finished top will measure 120" x 120" once the borders have been added, and King batting is sold either 120" x 120" or 120" x 122". I need at least 4" excess batting on all four sides of the quilt top, and I prefer to have even more excess batting on the sides of my quilt for checking tension throughout the quilting process. So it looks like I'm going to have to piece my batting, and I do NOT want the join to be even a smidge noticeable in the finished quilt. No little ditch, no permanent fold line or ridge; I want that join to be INVISIBLE. And so I am asking you the questions that I asked in several quilting-related Facebook groups yesterday: Have you ever pieced batting for a special quilt before? Could you tell where the join was in the finished quilt? Did the batting seam wear differently and become more noticeable over time? What kind of batting did you use? (I'm leaning towards either Quilter's Dream Wool or Dream Orient batting for this quilt) How did you join your batting pieces? Whip stitched by hand, machine serpentine or zigzag stitch, fusible batting tape (don't think wool batting can take the heat, though), serger flatlock stitch, or some other method? Does it matter whether the batting seam is parallel to or perpendicular to the rollers when I load it on the frame? I'm thinking vertical/perpendicular to the rollers. Anything else I need to know before I attempt this? PSST!! I'd Love to Quilt for YOU! By the way, if you or any of your quilty friends has a quilt top or two that needs quilting, I'd be delighted to quilt for you! My turnaround for edge-to-edge quilting is currently running about 2 weeks, and you can click here to find out how to book your quilt with me. Well, once again my "quick little blog update" has eaten up an outrageous amount of my time. I've got other fish to fry, so I'll sign off for now. I'm linking up with: · Let’s Bee Social at www.sewfreshquilts.blogspot.ca/ · Needle and Thread Thursday at http://www.myquiltinfatuation.blogspot.com/ · Whoop Whoop Fridays at www.confessionsofafabricaddict.blogspot.com · Finished Or Not Friday at http://busyhandsquilts.blogspot.com/ Esther's WIPs On Wednesday at http://estheraliu.blogspot.com
How I used my mixed media art techniques to create cyanotype process prints
My friend Angela Pingel recently released her first Craftsy Class and I just love it! It’s called Simple to Stunning: Disappearing Blocks with Pre-cuts. You all know I’m a huge fan of w…
While checking out one of the blogs I follow, Civil War Quilts, I follow this blog so I can draw the blocks in EQ 7. While there I saw a quilt with this wonderful Double Flying Geese border. Scroll to the bottom of that post. The quilter is Lois O and this is her link. Of course this border intrigued me. When I saw her drawing I thought I can draw this in EQ 7. I did but to be honest I had to draw it first on graph paper, and then it was easy! Shape Tool So here is a little tutorial to draw it in EQ 7. I made the block lay out, twice as long as it is wide. There are 6 geese, so I divided the length into 6 even segments. To make drawing easier I made my block 6" x 12". Each line I drew across the block I divided into thirds. To do this you need to use the shape tool, the second tool from the top on left is the tool you use to divide lines in half or thirds. This is on an Easy Draw block. This is a very handy tool for drawing complex blocks. Be sure to click on the little red square to open the menu. Menu and lines divided into thirds These dots for the thirds helped me line up the points for each goose. On the right is the menu for the shape tool, which allows lines to be divided. Here is a close up of the triangles for the geese. There are some extra lines that need to be removed to make the sky larger around the geese. The same area with the extra lines removed. To delete the lines, use the Pick tool, the top left hand side tool, click on the line, it will be bold, and use the delete key on your key board to remove the lines. Here is the completed and colored block, be sure to add your dimensions to the Notecard so you remember the correct size of your block. Remember EQ 7 default size for all blocks is 6'' x 6". You can draw this block in easy round numbers like I did and then change the size to print your paper piecing paper to fit your quilt. And here is the paper piecing pattern. Now wasn't that fun! I think I even know the quilt I might use this one. If it isn't too busy. Happy Stitching and Happy EQing!
I promised to write a tute on EQ7 and got few requests about designing PP patterns. As it was also a problem for me (you couldn't really find any video or tute on how to make PP blocks in EQ) I will share what I know (it's not much, as I just started to use the program, but may be helpful for some of you). It will be a long post, there are lots of photos, but I thought that using photos will make it easier for you. If you will have any questions about the tute - ask. I will later update the post with the answers. Post jest o projektowaniu wzorow PP w programie Electric Quilt. Nie ma tu zasad, jak projektowac wzory PP, tylko samo wykorzystanie programu - sama mialam z tym problemy, bo to jest jedna z tych fiunkcji, o ktorej chyba nikt nie pomyslal, zeby zrobic szczegolowy tutek czy video. Dowiadywalam sie przez biuro obslugi co i jak. Polska wersje napisze, jesli komus bedzie potrzebna (nie chcialam mieszac z tlumaczeniem przy tak dlugasnym poscie). Jesli chcecie - piszcie :) Important note - this tute is for those who now how to design paper piecing (foundation piecing) patterns, know the rules of PP but had dificulties on designing them in EQ7. I also show in details how to design PP pattern basing on the picture (if you don't want to use picture/photo as a template, just work in EasyDraw mode all the time). Honestly, EQ7 makes it much easier to design such pattern. It's just done before you can spell 'paper piecing' :D:D First you need to open a new project. Work on a New Block -> Easy Draw Block: Switch the tabs on the botton from EasyDraw to (1) Tracing Image (if you want to use an image as a template, as I always do), then import a photo which you want to use (2): Browse the pictures you have on PC (I used a pre-drawn PP pattern which I designed ages ago, but it was much easier to make a tute basing on it; the pattern itself is poorly drawn, not really good for PP, but enough for showing all the steps): If you want, you can trim the picture: Now your image is in the background: Switch the tabs from 'Tracing Image' to 'EasyDraw'. Set the finished block size (width and height) you want to create: I was setting mine to 6x8in: Now click the 'Snap to the lines and arcs of drawing' tool (3). For me it's the best choice to draw PP patterns based on photos. Nr (1) is 'Snap to the grid points on worktable' [those dots which fill the block]. It's good for designing simple geometric PP blocks, as each end of the line which you draw will connect with the closest dot on the grid. Nr (2) is 'Snap to the nodes of drawing'. Those nodes which you created drawing a picture. You can use more that one tool at a time - I use mostly nr 3 and from time to time turn on nr 2: Now drawing starts. Click on the icon with pencil (it depends which lines you want to draw - straight one or curves/arcs): Draw lines of your PP block [for this you need to know the basics of designing PP blocks]: When you are finished: You can colour your image. Change the tab below from 'EasyDraw' to 'Color' and choose colors or fabrics to fill your block: Now pattern can be printed. Printer icon -> Foundation pattern: You will see a new window. There are 3 tabs on the top: Numbering, Sections and Options. First choose sections on your block. Tab -> Sections -> Start Over [if you want EQ to divide your project into sections, leave the box unticked; I like to choose sections on my own]. 'Start Over' to start choosing parts of the first section: When you marked the parts (by clicking on them) which you want to be in one section, click 'Group': And start clicking on the parts which should belong to next section [don't press 'Start Over' now, as it will erase all what you marked up to now] -> Group, and so on until you chose all sections. You can see, that the group which you marked previously is now outlined with thicker blue line: After finishing with sections, it's time for numbering the parts. Change the tab from 'Sections' to 'Numbering': Click 'Add Numbers' button, and start clicking the parts in the sections. The first piece you will click (in each section) will have number 1, next - 2, and so on. They will also have letter according to the section which they belong to: After finishing with this step, it's time to set options for the printout. Change the tab from 'Numbering' to 'Options' and set the size of the block which you want to print and click 'Preview' to see how the printout will look (you have to arrange the parts on the printout now]: What you will see on the preview will be a group of parts one on the others. You have to arrange them evenly on the pages. Click 'Move' button (sorry for the bad printscreen): Now, when you click on the part, it will change the colour to red and you can move it between the pages of the printout: After you finished, just hit 'Print' button and you have a ready template for your PP block: Originally, you can't save foundation piecing templates as pdf or actually any other kind of file. You can just print them and that's it. What you can make is to install some free pdf printer on your PC [there are many available in the net; I use pdf creator]. If you have a virtual pdf printer, after finishing drawing and coloring the block change printer setup. File -> Print setup -> choose the pdf printer instead of your home printer. This way, instead of printed pages at the end, you will have a pdf file with your sections. What you can also do is to export an image [the coloured block] as jpeg. File -> Export Image -> save image where you want and how you want it: It result in having a crisp image like this: You can also export Metafile of block, but I will not write about it here, as you have very nice tutes on it HERE and HERE. Ufff, that was a long post. Hope you are still awake ;) and it helped you a bit. Any questions? Help? Just ask!
This is a lesson that I originally intended to do just with my 3rd graders... but instead decided to do with my 3rd, 4th, and 5th graders this week - and it has been incredibly successful at all levels! I got the original idea for this project from a pin I saw on pinterest, but it looks like that blog post went back to an even earlier post from Artolazzi. It appears this lesson has kinda transformed a little each time it's been done.. so here is my version! :) To begin this project, I started off by talking to my students about tertiary (or intermediate) colors and how they are made (by mixing together a primary and secondary color that sit next to each other on the color wheel - ex. blue + violet = blue-violet). The way my classroom is set up, I have 6 different color tables grouped into 3 rows (so 2 color tables per row) which just so happen to be colors that sit next to each other on the color wheel (blue/violet row, green/yellow row, and orange/red row). Each row was given the two colors of the tables it holds of tempera paint which students then used to create a piece of painted paper (12"x18") which contained all three colors (the primary, secondary, and newly created tertiary color) - students were also invited to use the back of their paint brush to draw pattern/texture into their wet paint. Once they were done painting and their work was put up on the drying rack, I had my students meet me on the carpet to read the book "Chameleon's Colors" by Chisato Tashiro. --Yes I even did this with my 5th graders who think they are too cool for school - haha. This book was a great way to introduce the project's theme (although its a little intense - when the other animals chase the chameleon to the edge of a cliff where it essentially waits to be murdered (in more or less words) -> plot twist... it doesn't - WHEW!). Then I show my kids literally the coolest video I've ever seen in my life of a chameleon changing its colors by touching a variety of colored sunglasses. After watching this video the kids are PUMPED. When they come in the next day (day 2) I've already done some prep work to their painted paper for them - I've pressed their papers (to make them flat) and cut them down from a 12"x18" piece to one 9"x12" piece (for the body), and eight 3"x4.5" pieces (for the head, additional details, and a bunch of extra scraps). To create our chameleons I have my students follow my directions step-by-step to make sure we are all on the same page. In order to better illustrate the steps, I created the following visuals to help explain: On step #3 I explain it's kind of like they are folding a paper airplane. On step #4 I tell the kids that when they fold those little extra triangular pieces down, it looks like a collared shirt (this helps some of them understand what it should look like). **It is extremely important that you have the kids cut to the fold (I actually have them do a LITTLE past the fold) on step #5 or else the chameleon's body won't move/bend properly. Body took one class (45 min) to build (most students did not attach legs this day). The next day (day 3) we create the head: On step #3 it helps to tell students that the "x" fold will make their paper look like a kite (if they don't already tell you that first!). One step #4 I tell them it's like we are cutting little legs for our paper. I take one "leg" (or triangle) in one hand and one in the other.. then tell them to "cross the legs" - this helps them overlap those pieces to create their form. Time permitting: We attach the heads to the little extra folded tab we have left on the body with a piece of tape. **This part is tricky for the kids so be prepared to help if needed! On day 4 I have the kids attach the head (if not done so already) and continue adding the additional details they are missing (like the legs, eyes, and tongue). Students who finish early are invited to use extra scrap paper from other tables to add pattern to their chameleon's body.
Today's lesson is a fun project that I created to decorate my Quilt Studio. This design creates a banner or mini quilt using existing blocks in EQ8. Our skillbuilder will be editing a few of tho
A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
A community for sharing projects, lessons and inspiration for Electric Quilt software.
The quilt block we will be making today is one of a million blocks that uses half-square-triangles (HST's). And yes, I might be exaggerating just a little but there are soooo many blocks you can make using them. If you only ever master one quilt block, the half-square-triangle is it. Now, this block may look familiar to those that use EQ8 Quilting Software since the company uses it as their logo. You can see in the image below two different versions of the block from their website. This leads us to ask, what type of effect you want to achieve
