Registration now open for Signs of Spring Free EQ8 Live Webinar on April 24 or 25
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I've been sharing a fun EQ project - April Showers Brings May flowers. This week we will finish up the quilt.
Over the last two weeks, I shared drafting umbrella blocks along with raindrop blocks (for the April Showers) part of the design. In this tutorial, I have a bonus project focused just on the May Flowers block option. |
May Flowers EQ8 Tutorial
In the April Showers brings May flowers quilt, we will add a May Flowers block to the quilt. You will notice that there is some similarity to the raindrop block.
In the tutorial, I talk about a second option for creating the "tilt" option for the flower. During the last video I shared how to create the block using the Tilt option in Serendipity. In this tutorial, I share how to use the Merge Block option in Serendipity. I am curious which you prefer. |
Add the remaining blocks to the quilt and borders and color the quilt.
May Flowers Alternate Quilt
This used the quilt style - Horizontal Strip. With the Horizontal Strip style, you can pick a different style for each strip.
And then add borders of your choosing.
Registration now open for Signs of Spring Free EQ8 Live Webinar on April 24 or 25
Register here.
Raindrops EQ8 Tutorial
It is that time of year -- the rain is washing away of remains of winter and we are beginning to see some new growth.
Last week I shared a tutorial on drafting an umbrella block which is the beginning of the April Showers brings May Flowers project. The tutorial also included an extra bonus project. |
For those of you who (like me) are Deb Tucker, Studio 180 Designs fans, this unit will look familiar. Deb calls it a Corner Beam unit and it can be easily constructed using her Corner Beam ruler.
After drafting the Corner Beam block, I share how to easily turn it into an on point block.
Select the Umbrella quilt layout from last weeks block post. Add two borders -- just to the top of the quilt.
Border 1: Style - Spaced Squares. Sized at 4". This will give you 3 squares along with a alternate blocks between the squares to fill in the remainder of the spaces so the border measures 16" across. This is the width of the quilt center. Border 2: Style - Blocks, Sized at 4". If you set the number of blocks at 4, each block will measure 4" x 4". The border measures 16". This allows the raindrops to be slightly offset between border 1 and border 2. |
Add the tilted raindrop blocks in the border -- along with replacing the first and last block in the first row of the quilt center.
Add to Sketchbook (to save the quilt). Next week, I will provide information on finishing up the April Showers Brings May Flowers quilt. |
Fractured Raindrop Variation
Note: To keep track of the different colored blocks and placement on the quilt worktable, I chose to color the blocks in the quilt worktable.
The blocks were set in an On Point Layout.
Number of blocks set at 6 horizontal and 6 vertical. The finished size of the block was 3 inches. The finished size of sashing was 1 inch. Border 1 is 1" Long Horizontal. Border 2 is 2" Long Horizontal. Border 3 is .5" Mitered (binding). |
To construct the raindrops (either for the fractured raindrop quilt or the April Showers Brings May Flowers project), I suggest using Deb Tuckers Studio 180 Design Corner Beam ruler. Create units with a 3" finished size (3-1/2" with seam allowances).
If you don't have the ruler, consider foundation piecing the units with the foundations option from Electric Quilt 8. For the April Showers Brings May Flowers, you will find the unit needs to measure, 2.82 -- slightly under 3". If using the Corner Beam ruler -- after piecing and sizing the corner beam units, slice 1/8" off two of the edges as shown in the picture. You can then add the four corner pieces for the tilted variation of the block. |
ANNOUNCEMENT: Registration now open for Signs of Spring Free EQ8 Live Webinar
Register here.
April Showers EQ8 Tutorial
"When April Showers come your way.
They bring the flowers that bloom in May.
So if it is raining, have no regret.
It isn't raining rain you know.
It's raining violets."
She must have sung it a lot -- as I was able to recall and write out the words without a Google search.
In Minnesota we started the month with some snow. After an entire winter with very little precipitation.
Today was our first day that felt like spring.
In anticipation of spring and with memories of the song my mother loved, I've designed a quilt that will be presented over the next few weeks.
This collection was created by Heather Peterson for Riley Blake.
It was the free fabric collection from Do You EQ in October 2023.
You can download the EQ fabric collection here.
In future blog posts, I will be added to this quilt with additional blocks and borders.
- Easter Egg Hunt
- Foundation Pieced Applique Easter Egg
The new one I will be sharing with you today is a circular design. Depending on the size you could turn it into a table topper for a round circular table. Or for those that are into working with wool and embroidery -- a candle mat.
Easter Egg PosieMaker EQ8 Tutorial
- Start with three blocks from the EQ8 Library. These were all found in 05 Contemporary Applique>Holiday-Easter.
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- Select the Quilt worktable.
- Select New Quilt>Custom Set.
- Decide on the size of quilt you would like and change the dimensions on the Layout tab..
- On Layer 2, select Block>Set Block.
- Locate the final posie motif and drag it on the quilt worktable.
- Resize if necessary and make any final adjustments to coloring.
- Add to Sketchbook to save.
- Use a different fabric collection.
- Change the number of repeats for the posies.
- Change up the motifs used with wreathmaker. This could easily be adapted for a different holiday or season of the year.
Tech Know Quilter Month End Challenge
I am so grateful to be able to assist an amazing group of quilters and designers in their Electric Quilt journey.
This is the finished quilt from the EQ8 design above. I was trying to see how far I could push Angelina fibers and other embellishments. The quilt was first made in cotton. The sky, water and frog are covered in Angelina which changed the colors. The "trees" and "riverbed marsh" is covered in natural wool with Angelina felted in. I dyed the green wool. The shorelines are glass bead chips. The tree branch overhanging the bridge is made from dyed cheese cloth, decorated with hot fix crystals and beads. The sun is a rhinestone patch with silver metallic ribbons radiating out for rays. The bridge is stitched in holographic threads and trimmed in copper metal ribbon. Pins of bugs and a turtle are attached. I bowed out and stuffed the lower center of the river to simulate a mouth of a river flowing into the sea. This was great fun to design and make!
Tech Know Quilters is a membership program focused on mastery of Electric Quilt 8. We have members at all stages of their Electric Quilt journey. Click here to learn more. |
Happy Easter!
Super simple.
Foundation Pieced Applique Easter Eggs Tutorial
When I was working on the Easter Egg Hunt post, I found all these decorative eggs in the EQ8 Library. They are all under 05-Contemporary Applique>Holiday -Easter. While I loved the blocks, I wanted something simpler to work with.
So I deleted all the elements other than the Easter egg shape. Then rotated the shape, to have three different Easter eggs. |
I then created my quilt layout. I kept it simple.
Put the egg blocks in the quilt. Colored the quilt using the fabrics from last weeks video (a combination of default fabrics and those in Themes>Dots) in the EQ8 Fabric Library. |
Super simple - but I promised you foundation pieced eggs. I decided to go with a strip set concept.
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Locate the initial quilt (with the eggs) and edit.
Replace the fabric with the foundation fabric. Hint: It will be the last fabric on the palette. Use the Advanced Rotation option and Fussy Cut to finalize placement of the fabrics. Add to sketchbook. |
To print your foundation, print your block at 9 X 9.
Make sure to select Showing Fabrics. If you have a grey-scale option on your printer, select that. The lines between the fabric pieces will be your sewing lines for your eggs. You can also use this to cut out your final egg shape. Note that these will print without seam allowances. |
I think it gives the blocks and quilt a more elegant look.
Kari Schell
Electric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer.
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