Kari Schell On Point Quilter Blog

Precision Heart Quilt Tutorial in EQ8: EasyDraw, Snap to Grid & Merge Blocks EQ8 Tutorial

2/14/2026

So… are you Team Wonky or Team Precision?

Last week we bravely turned Snap to Grid OFF and embraced playful, wonky heart and flying geese blocks. It was creative, freeing — and maybe just a little nerve-wracking for those who love accuracy.

If the wonky approach made you slightly jittery, this week is for you.

We’re recreating the quilt using precision-drafted blocks that are easy to rotary cut, simple to piece, and wonderfully calming.

A Quick Look Back: Team Wonky

Here were the wonky blocks and quilts from last week’s tutorial.

Single Wonky Heart Block

Four Wonky Heart Block

Wonky Flying Geese Block

12" Frame Block with 1" Strips

Frame Block Merged with Four Wonky Hearts Block

Diagonal Single Wonky Heart

Diagonal Single Wonky Heart Merged with Frame Block

On Point Square Block

On Point Square Merged with Four Wonky Heart Block

Wonky Hearts Horizontal Layout

Wonky Hearts On Point Layout

If you missed it, you can check out the full tutorial here.

Now let’s rebuild the design with clean lines and perfect symmetry.

Drafting the Precision Blocks

All of the precision blocks were drafted in EasyDraw, and the most important setting?

Turn Snap to Grid ON.

That single step keeps everything aligned and ensures the blocks will piece beautifully.

Precision Flying Geese Block

The flying geese block was drafted at 4″ x 12″, matching the size of the sashing.

Snaps were set every inch:

4 horizontal divisions
12 vertical divisions

Precision Flying Geese Sashing Block

Precision Heart Block

The precision heart block was drafted at 12″ x 12″, with snaps set every inch:

12 horizontal divisions
12 vertical divisions

The single heart block itself is not placed directly into the quilt layout.

Instead, we use it as a building block for larger designs using Serendipity > Merge Blocks.

Precision Heart Block

How Serendipity>Merge Blocks Works

The Merge Blocks feature on the Block Worktable allows you to combine Sketchbook blocks to create entirely new blocks.

Here’s how it works:

When you open the Merge Blocks dialog, EQ evaluates the blocks in your Sketchbook to determine which ones qualify as a background block. Only certain blocks appear on the left side of the dialog.

To qualify as a background block:

It must be an EasyDraw block (or an EasyDraw-based library block).
It must contain at least one large parallelogram patch.
That parallelogram must occupy a significant portion of the block.

Any suitable block in your Sketchbook can then be merged into that background block.

It’s one of those features that feels like magic once you understand how it works.

Building the Precision Heart Variations

The single precision heart block was merged with three previously drafted blocks:

The Default Four Patch
The Frame Block (created in the prior tutorial)
The On-Point Square-in-a-Square Block (created in the prior tutorial)

Merged Four Patch with Heart Block

Merged Frame with Heart Block

Merged On Point Square with Heart Block

Creating a Two-Heart Block

One limitation to note: Electric Quilt does not allow you to fill multiple patches at once on a merged block.

However, you can edit the merged block and use copy-and-paste to duplicate portions of the design.

Using that method, you can create a two-heart block with hearts in opposite quadrants (for example, upper left and lower right).

Merged Four Patch with Two Heart Blocks

From there, you can merge this block into the Square-in-a-Square background block.

And yes — it truly feels like magic when it comes together.

Merged Square in a Square with Two Hearts

Creating the Precision Quilts

Once the precision blocks are drafted and merged, it’s time to update the quilt layouts.

Precision Hearts — Horizontal Layout

Select the Wonky Heart Horizontal Layout quilt in the Project Sketchbook.
Click Edit.
Use the Erase tool while holding Control (PC) or Command (Mac) to erase all blocks in the layout.
Place the new Precision blocks into the quilt.
Rotate and recolor as desired.

Precision Hearts Horizontal Quilt Layout

Precision Hearts — On-Point Layout

Select the Wonky Heart On-Point Layout quilt in the Project Sketchbook.
Click Edit.
Use the Erase tool with Control (PC) or Command (Mac) to clear the existing blocks.
Set the new Precision blocks in the layout.
Rotate and recolor for balance.

Precision Hearts - On Point Layout

Watch the Video Tutorial

Be sure to watch the full video below for step-by-step instructions on:

Drafting precision heart and flying geese blocks
Using Serendipity > Merge Blocks
Creating multiple block variations
Updating both horizontal and on-point quilt layouts

Team Wonky or Team Precision?

Now that you’ve explored both versions…

Do you enjoy the playful freedom of wonky designs?

Or do you prefer the calm, symmetry, and rotary-cut friendliness of precision piecing?

I’d love to hear which team you’re on.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Join the On Point Quilter weekly newsletter and receive regular tips and inspiration on using Electric Quilt 8 along with the Free 12 Top
Tips for EQ8 video guide.

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Wonky Hearts EQ8 Tutorial

2/7/2026

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When Valentine’s Day is on the horizon, I almost can’t help myself — hearts start showing up in my quilt designs. This year was no exception.

Instead of aiming for perfect symmetry, I turned Snap to Grid off in EQ8 and let myself play. The result? A set of delightfully wonky heart blocks, paired with a wonky flying geese block for sashing. Loose, imperfect, and full of personality.

Drafting the Wonky Blocks

In the video, I walk through drafting several variations of the wonky hearts and flying geese. Here’s a look at the blocks created during that process:

Single Wonky Heart Block

Four Wonky Hearts Block

Wonky Flying Geese Block

First Quilt Layout… and a Reality Check

On the Quilt Worktable, I set up a horizontal layout using 12″ blocks with 4″ sashing and dropped in my wonky blocks.

And honestly?

It looked like a bit of a mess.

There was just a little too much wonkiness happening all at once.

Calming the Design with a Frame

To bring some visual balance to the quilt, I drafted a 12″ frame block with 1″ long strips around the outer edges and colored it with a contrasting fabric.

Using Serendipity > Merge Blocks, I combined the frame block with the Four Wonky Hearts Block.

12" Frame Block with 1 inch Strips

Frame Block Merged with Four Wonky Hearts Block

Back on the Quilt Worktable, I replaced the original heart blocks with the framed wonky heart blocks — and that made all the difference. The quilt instantly felt calmer and more cohesive while still keeping its playful charm.

Wonky Hearts Horizontal Layout

Watch the Video Tutorial

Be sure to watch the video below for step-by-step instructions on drafting the blocks, merging them, and creating your own Wonky Hearts quilt in EQ8.

A Note on Foundation Piecing

These wonky heart blocks are excellent candidates for foundation piecing. One of my favorite EQ features is the ability to print your own foundations directly from the software.

Each wonky heart can be pieced using:

One foundation for the top
One foundation for the bottom

To check your foundations, go to Print & Export > Foundation, click on the block, and preview the pattern before printing.

Foundation Sectioning under Print and Export

Creating an On-Point Layout

Although this variation isn’t included in the video, I couldn’t resist exploring an on-point layout for the quilt.

Once I started experimenting, I quickly realized the heart orientation needed to change. To make that work, I:

Drafted a single wonky heart block on the diagonal
Drafted a square-in-a-square block

Using Serendipity > Merge Blocks, I:

Merged the on-point square block with the Four Wonky Hearts Block
Merged the diagonal single wonky heart with the frame block from the video

For the setting triangles and corners, I used the EQ Default Four-X Block.

Diagonal Single Wonky Heart

Diagonal single Wonky Heart Merged with Frame Block (above)

On Point Square Block

On Point Square Merged with Four Wonky Heart Block

On Point Wonky Heart Quilt

Your Turn

So tell me — do you enjoy wonky, playful designs, or do you lean more toward precision and symmetry when it comes to hearts and flying geese?

I’d love to hear what you prefer.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Join the On Point Quilter weekly newsletter and receive regular tips and inspiration on using Electric Quilt 8 along with the Free 12 Top
Tips for EQ8 video guide.

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Showcasing Eq8 Designs & New AccuQuilt Go! Bob Collection

1/31/2026

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I haven’t done a showcase of Tech Know Quilter designs in quite a while, and it’s long overdue. One of my favorite parts of teaching Electric Quilt 8 is seeing how students take a concept, tool, or challenge and truly make it their own.

In this post, I’m sharing a collection of student designs created during the “Apply What They Learned” monthly challenges from the latter part of 2025—followed by a look at a brand-new EQ8 add-on that opens up even more creative possibilities when paired with AccuQuilt dies.

I continue to be amazed by the creativity, skill, and confidence of the Tech Know Quilter community.

Tech Know Quilter Student Design Showcase

The designs below were submitted by Tech Know Quilter members as part of our monthly challenges. Each challenge encourages students to apply newly learned EQ8 skills—whether that’s working with custom blocks, layouts, color variations, or design tools—to create something uniquely their own.

Julie Pedersen This is my quilt that we designed for the TKQ Masters Scrapbook Challenge class. We chose a state/place for our theme. Each lesson we were given a category such as food, flora, fauna. We then chose the items for our quilt. We created a layout and filled it with blocks from each category. I chose Hawaii and filled it with Diamond Head, pineapples, hibiscus, banyan trees and more. I used a variety of techniques to create the blocks. It was a challenge to decide what to use and how to create the blocks. Thanks, Kari, for another great class.

Josie Sifft Here is a quilt I designed with ideas from the poly draw and medallion borders classes. I used it for a quilt challenge with our guild. The theme was courage, and it had to include black and silver fabric and at least one bow tie block.

Josie Sifft Here is the finished quilt.

Fran Heisey This is my quilt/block from Lesson 3 - TKQ Masters Scrapbook Challenge. My favorite place is my farm. My entire farm is marsh, restored prairie and woods, so when Kari asked us to create a block featuring food from our favorite place, I was stumped. We have no domestic crops. However, when I shifted my focus from cultivated to wild, the options were endless: cattail pancakes, black walnut cookies, black locust flower jelly, hot dandelion salad... Here are a bunch of elderberries and an elderberry pie, just in season. My Grandfather's favorite, if not mine. The birds now get all the elderberries

Julie Pedersen I took the Masters Double Dipping class this month. It was hard to choose one quilt from those that we worked on. Kari (and Mary) never disappoint. I always learn something new and hone the skills from previous classes.

Patricia Hansen I really enjoyed the Double Dipping Class this month. It is wonderful to see and choose from all the options that show up under Create Serendipity. I am posting one of the quilts from Lesson 5 and also one that I made up myself from some of the blocks that appeared

Patricia Hansen Here is the second one.

Lynne Maramieri I chose an asymmetrical block to work with and because I have a very orderly mind I found this month's topic a huge challenge but persevered and am very happy with the results. Here is the block.

Lynne Maramieri Here is the quilt

Fran Heisey This is from Masters - Double Dipping Class. It was a fun class we used Serendipity to modify a block multiple times. I found it particularly useful to inspire experimentation.

Loronda Schuler Fun with Double Dipping. Flip and Clip etc.

Terry McCaskey I enjoyed and learned something in every "Double Dipping" class this month: editing quilt layouts from the library, working more with Serendipity, simplifying blocks for actual piecing, etc. Here are my 4 favorites. . The last two pictured nly have one variation from Kari's class: I separated my curved lines by two inches rather than only one. That did make chubby/puffy curves but gave my eye/mind a place to rest and offset the complexities elsewhere in the designs. This must be my "traditional" brain trying to bring order into Double Dipping chaos fun.

Zdenka Nemethova This month I enjoyed Masters Double Dipping Class. Working with Serendipity tools is now a great challenge thanks to Kari and Mary. Cannot even decide which quilt to add here as I love them all.

Mary Groesbeck This is a really simply design using the DOUBLE DIPPING technique, but I wanted to highlight my new fall fabric (including some fat quarters). (Mary Groesbeck was the mastermind behind the Double Dipping class.)

Fran Heisey My class this month was Celtic Designs. I used Kari's method for drafting Celtic knots to make this quilt.

Julie Pedersen For the Masters Celtic Designs I class, I made this to show some of what we learned.

Zdenka Nemethová This month I enjoyed Masters Celtic Designs Class. Thanks to Kari I learned how to draw a celtic knot.

Terry McCaskey I enjoyed the lacy look of this Celtic quilt design outcome. There was a lot of challenge in all of the lessons this month.

Patricia Hansen I am working a month behind, so I just did Celtic Designs. I took one of the blocks and made it into a quilt with a photo in the center.

Julie Pedersen For the Masters Custom Set Magic class this month, I chose to do a variation on our lesson 7 quilt. I incorporated blocks from previous lessons in the class.

Trees Bijsterveld My challenge was to get the half blocks on the site right. It took my about 5 blocks before it looks good, but finally I succeeded. I also used fabrics that I normally wouldn't use. But that's why it's called a challenge, isn't it?

Henriette Koks-Oosterveer My favorite quilt of the month

Zdenka Nemethová I enjoyed all lessons in this month Masters Custom Set Magic class. On Point Designs are my favourite

Sheela Churchill I made two versions of this!

Julie Pedersen It was hard to chose which technique I wanted to share for the Off the Grid Masters class. I finally chose the starry night quilt that we designed.

Debbi Treusch I played with auto borders to inspire a long hexagon block for the body of the quilt. This auto border is like a Christmas tree farm!!

Julie Pedersen For this month's challenge, I used a technique from the Master's Designing for Panels class. I actually made a version of this quilt. Kari's lessons would have made it much easier to accomplish when I made it.

Julie Pedersen Here is the one I made

Fran Heisey This Class was so addictive, and so much fun. I envision the bow being a real ribbon bow with wire edges. Several years ago, I made a wreath quilt for my mother and used a wire ribbon bow on it. It added a nice 3D element.

Teresa Diewert I made this one after the PolyDraw class. It was great to be able to do one 14x14 square and then clone it for the full quilt

These projects are a wonderful reminder that there’s no single “right” way to use EQ8—just endless opportunities to explore, experiment, and grow.

AccuQuilt Go! BOB (Blocks on Board) 2025 Collection

Electric Quilt is releasing a new AccuQuilt Go! BOB (Blocks on Board) 2025 Collection this week as an add-on product for Electric Quilt 8. This add-on includes AccuQuilt Go! BOB blocks released by AccuQuilt during 2025 and makes it easy to design quilts that are fully compatible with AccuQuilt dies.

In the free video tutorial included in this post, I demonstrate one approach to creating new variations of a block from this collection—while still ensuring the designs work beautifully with the related AccuQuilt dies.

A Key Tip When Working with Go! BOB Blocks

When working with blocks in the Go! BOB collection, it’s essential to maintain the original block size. If you change the block size, you can still design and sew the quilt—but the pieces will no longer be compatible with the AccuQuilt dies.

Keeping the block size consistent ensures you can confidently cut all pieces using your dies.

Creating Variations with Shadowed Dizzy Geese

For this tutorial, I chose to work with the Shadowed Dizzy Geese 12" block from the collection. Shadowed Dizzy Geese is a copyrighted design by Sew Steady (2026), and all pieces for the 12" block can be cut using AccuQuilt die #55926.

Using EQ8, I created five different variations of this block, all of which can be cut using the same die set. This approach allows you to expand your design options without purchasing additional dies.

Shadowed Dizzy Geese Block in the Add-on Collection

Five Block Variations

In the video, I demonstrate how to use Shrink and Flip to create five unique variations of the Shadowed Dizzy Geese block. All of these designs can be easily cut using the 55926 Go! BOB Pinwheel Shape Set by AccuQuilt.

Variation 1

Variation 2

Variation 3

Variation 4

Variation 5

Quilt Layouts Using Variation Five

To take the design one step further, I also created quilt layouts using Variation Five of the block. Seeing a block in a full quilt layout often sparks new ideas and helps you visualize how the design might work in your own projects.

Go BOB Quilt 1

Go BOB Quilt 2

Watch the Free Video Tutorial

In the video tutorial below, you’ll see how to:

Use the AccuQuilt Go! BOB add-on in EQ8
Create block variations while maintaining die compatibility
Design quilts using the modified blocks

Check out the free video tutorial to see the entire process step by step.

Final Thoughts

The blocks in the AccuQuilt Go! BOB add-on are truly fun to work with, and one of the most rewarding aspects is creating variations that result in a quilt that feels personal and uniquely yours—all while staying compatible with AccuQuilt dies.

The AccuQuilt Go! BOB 2025 Collection Add-On can be purchased directly from Electric Quilt for $15.95.

Purchase the BOB Collection directly from Electric Quilt (coming February 2026)

Whether you’re inspired by the student showcases, the block variations, or the quilt layouts, I hope this post encourages you to explore new possibilities in Electric Quilt 8 and confidently make each design your own.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Join the On Point Quilter weekly newsletter and receive regular tips and inspiration on using Electric Quilt 8 along with the Free 12 Top
Tips for EQ8 video guide.

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Quilt Journeys EQ8 Add-On Tutorial

1/24/2026

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I have an exciting new adventure to share with you this week—one that invites you to stitch together your personal history.

Quilt Journeys is all about celebrating where you’ve been and where you come from: the places you’ve lived and loved, the land your ancestors worked, or the states and provinces you’ve visited along the way.

Using Electric Quilt 8, you can turn those memories into a quilt that tells your story.

Quilt Journeys: An EQ8 Add-On

Electric Quilt recently released Quilt Journeys, a brand-new Add-On product for EQ8. Add-Ons work exclusively with Electric Quilt 8 and integrate directly into the software once installed.

This collection celebrates two important milestones:

The 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence
The 25th anniversary of Barbara Brackman’s book, Create Your Family Quilt

In the original book, Barbara Brackman gathered pieced blocks and appliqué motifs representing the United States and Canada, paired with fascinating historical facts. It was a unique blend of quilt design, geography, and storytelling—and Quilt Journeys brings that concept fully into EQ8.

A Little History (and a Blast from the Past)

I purchased Create Your Family Quilt when it was released back in 2001. It included a CD with Magic Book software, designed by the Electric Quilt Company, that contained a large collection of blocks representing U.S. states and Canadian territories. The software allowed you to design a simple quilt using those blocks.

While that CD can no longer be installed on modern computers, I still have many of those blocks saved in my EQ Library. If you happen to have them as well, you may recognize these not-so-descriptive file names:

Usrlib05.blk
Usrlib06.blk
Usrlib07.blk
Usrlib08.blk

If these files are linked to EQ8, you’ll find them under the Magic Book category.

Interestingly, none of my blocks in this category are colored. I’m not sure whether they originally downloaded that way or if the coloring was lost as I migrated through newer versions of Electric Quilt. Many of the pieced blocks themselves were part of the original BlockBase collection.

Quilt Journeys refreshes and expands on this idea—beautifully organized, fully documented, and ready to use inside EQ8.

Quilt Journeys Add-on Software

Purchase Quilt Journeys for $34.95

Note that this purchase is directly from the Electric Quilt Company. It can be downloaded upon purchase.

What's Included in the Quilt Journeys Add-On

Block Libraries for EQ8

557 historical pieced quilt blocks, each named and associated with a specific U.S. state or Canadian province or territory
63 appliqué blocks in the shapes of all 50 U.S. states and 13 Canadian provinces and territories
125 appliqué motifs depicting official birds, trees (represented by leaves or pinecones), and flowers for each state, province, and territory

EQ8 Project Files

Eight project files containing a total of 44 quilts, organized by quilt size
All quilts are fully customizable in Electric Quilt 8

PDFs
 State Facts PDF

Historical information for each state and province
Images of the pieced and appliqué designs selected by Barbara Brackman

Quilt Gallery PDF

A visual showcase of all quilts included in the add-on

Using Quilt Journeys in EQ8

Once the add-on is installed, it is seamlessly integrated into Electric Quilt 8—no separate program to manage.

In today’s tutorial, I’ll show you:

Where to find the Quilt Journeys block libraries and project files
How to identify blocks for individual states and provinces
How to add these blocks to your own EQ8 projects
How to modify one of the included quilts to create an original design that tells your story

Quilt Journeys Block Libraries for EQ8

You can find blocks for individual states and provinces directly within the EQ8 block library. In the short video below, I’ll walk you through how to locate these blocks in EQ8 and how to add them to your current project.

Quilt Journeys Preloaded Project Files

In addition to the block libraries, the Quilt Journeys Add-On includes eight preloaded EQ8 project files containing a total of 44 quilts, all organized by quilt size.

These project files are installed directly on your computer in:
My EQ8 > Projects

Just like your own EQ8 projects, they all end with the .pj8 file extension.

You are free to modify these projects just as you would any project you create yourself. However, I strongly recommend setting up a separate folder under My EQ8 Projects specifically for these special Quilt Journeys projects. If you decide to use one or more of the included quilts, immediately save the project into the My EQ8>Projects folder with a new name.

This way:

You preserve the original Quilt Journeys project files
You keep your customized quilts organized and easy to find
You can always return to the original layouts for fresh inspiration

In the video below, I’ll show you where these project files are stored and how to open and save them safely.

Quilt Journeys Resources

The Quilt Journeys Add-On also includes three incredibly helpful PDF guides that expand on the historical, creative, and technical aspects of the collection.

You’ll find these PDFs on your computer in:

My EQ8 > Documentation > Quilt Journeys Resources

Locating the PDFs on your computer

Let's take a closer look at each one.

PDF 1: Add-on Guide

This guide walks you through the technical side of the Quilt Journeys collection, including:

Locating the Quilt Journeys blocks
Locating the preloaded quilt projects
Locating the PDF resources
Installing the add-on on a second computer
Uninstalling the add-on
Trademarks and copyright information

If you ever wonder “Where did EQ put that?” — this is the PDF to check first.

Excerpted Page from PDF 1

PDF 2: Quilt Gallery

The Quilt Gallery PDF is pure inspiration.

Inside, you’ll find images of all the pre-designed quilts included in the Quilt Journeys Add-On, organized by project file. Even better, each quilt image tells you exactly which EQ8 project file it belongs to—making it easy to locate and open the quilt inside EQ8.

Use these quilts as a starting point:

Swap in your own blocks
Change fabrics and colors
Resize layouts
Or simply borrow a design idea

Excerpted Page from PDF 2

PDF 3: State Blocks & Symbols
by Barbara Brackman

This PDF is a wonderful excerpt from Barbara Brackman’s Create Your Family Quilt book and adds rich historical context to the collection.

For each U.S. state and Canadian province or territory, you’ll find:

Interesting historical facts
Barbara Brackman’s selected pieced quilt blocks, with images
Barbara Brackman’s designed appliqué motifs for the official state flower, bird, and tree

It’s a fantastic reference when you want your quilt to reflect a specific place with intention and meaning.

Excerpted Page from PDF 3

Creating Your Own Quilt Journeys Quilt

In the third video, I’ll walk you through the process of starting with one of the Quilt Journeys quilt layouts and transforming it into a completely new design using blocks from a different state.

During this process, you’ll see how to:

Add a collection of blocks from the Quilt Journeys Add-On
Add a fabric collection
Replace blocks in the existing quilt
Color the quilt using your chosen fabrics
Resize the quilt to make the blocks more piecing-friendly

Be sure to watch the video for step-by-step instructions.

Here’s an example of the transformation.

The quilt on the left is the original design from the Quilt Journeys Add-On.

The quilt on the right is my reworked version, using blocks from North Dakota.

Alabama Quilt Journeys - Electric Quilt Company

North Dakota Quilt Journeys

Playtime

One of my favorite features of the Quilt Journeys Add-On—created by Barbara Brackman and the Electric Quilt Company—is the ability to “borrow” a layout and pair it with a completely different collection of blocks to create a deeply personal design.

Honestly, this part is a little addictive.

Once I started playing with the concept, I couldn’t stop. I ended up reworking several Full/Queen quilts from the Quilt Journeys Add-On using blocks from North Dakota.

In the images below:

The quilts on the left are copyrighted designs from the Electric Quilt Company
The quilts on the right are my reinterpretations

Alabama Quilt 1 - Electric Quilt Company

North Dakota Quilt 1 - Kari Schell

Alabama Quilt 2 - Electric Quilt Company

North Dakota Quilt 2 - Kari Schell

Alabama Quilt 3 - Electric Quilt Company

North Dakota Quilt 3 - Kari Schell

Alabama Quilt 4 - Electric Quilt Company

North Dakota Quilt 4 - Kari Schell

And then…I took it one step further.

I created my own version of the blocks and designed a layout inspired by a Block Turned Quilt Layout from the EQ8 Library. A variation of this design may even find its way into one of my Masters Lessons next month. I’m seriously considering this one as a wall quilt for my own home.

North Dakota Quilt Journeys Playtime - Kari Schell

Ready to Start Your Own Quilt Journey?

If you’d like to purchase the Quilt Journeys Add-On, you’ll find it on the Electric Quilt website for $34.95.

While I don’t receive a commission on this product, I can honestly say I’ve had a ton of fun using it—and it has sparked more new quilt ideas than I expected.

The product is immediately downloadable, so you can start exploring and designing today.

Purchase Quilt Journeys Add-On from the Electric Quilt Company

Happy quilting.

Kari

Join the On Point Quilter weekly newsletter and receive regular tips and inspiration on using Electric Quilt 8 along with the Free 12 Top
Tips for EQ8 video guide.

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Blizzard

1/17/2026

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While I was designing the project I’m sharing with you today, the wind was blowing at near-blizzard levels, creating wind chill temperatures below 0 degrees Fahrenheit. It instantly brought back memories of being caught in actual blizzards over the years.

That experience directly influenced my fabric choices for this quilt. I reached for icy blues, a teal accent, grey, and black—colors that felt cold, dramatic, and full of movement. The finished design truly captures the feeling of a winter storm, so Blizzard felt like the perfect name.

Today’s lesson gives you two options for your Blizzard quilt:

A smaller version that works beautifully as a wall hanging or table runner
A larger version that makes a cozy lap quilt

Blizzard Quilt Design using Electric Quilt 8

During a recent help session, one of my students (who lives outside the U.S.) asked for clarification on my latest challenge, “X Marks the Spot.”

“X marks the spot” is an idiom meaning a specific—often hidden—location where something valuable can be found. While that meaning works perfectly, my intent for the challenge was broader. I wanted students to:

Design X-style blocks, or
Arrange blocks in an X-shaped layout

To explore traditional X-style blocks, I opened Block Base Plus, which includes a Nine X category with numerous subcategories. As I browsed through those blocks, one immediately stood out as the perfect foundation for this quilt.

The block I chose is Kentucky Cross Roads, originally published by Prairie Farmer. It’s also known by two other names:

Cross and Crown (Nancy Page)
Cross Roads to Texas (Ladies Art Company)

Block Base Plus Nine X Category Search

Drafting the Blizzard Blocks

Rather than using the Kentucky Cross Roads block directly from Block Base Plus, I decided to walk you through the process of drafting it from scratch in EQ8. Since not everyone owns Block Base Plus, this ensures that everyone can follow along.

If you do have Block Base Plus, you can absolutely skip several steps and simply add the block directly to your EQ8 project.

I started by recreating Kentucky Cross Roads in EasyDraw, experimenting with two different colorations.

Then I created a second variation of the block by simplifying the lower left and lower right legs of the X.

Block settings:

Block size: 12" x 12"
Snaps: Horizontal and Vertical set to 12
Snapping options: Snap to Grid only

Once one leg of the X is drafted, you can easily copy, paste, and rotate it to create the remaining three legs.

Blizzard Block Coloring 1

Blizzard Block Coloring 2

Blizzard Block Variation

Sizing the Block for the Quilt

After completing the block, I recommend going to Print & Export and previewing the Rotary Cutting Instructions. Because many of the units in this block are on point, it can be tricky to determine cutting sizes by eye.

I wanted to see whether I could use my favorite rulers for:

The nine-patch center squares, and
The half-square triangle units, which finish at the same size

Print and Export for 12 Inch Blizzard Block

At a 12" finished block size, the cutting sizes weren’t ideal for those tools. In the video, I show you how to calculate a block size that would allow the finished squares (and finished HSTs) to be exactly 1".

That adjustment meant resizing the block to 8½" x 8½".

To confirm the math, I reran the Rotary Cutting Instructions at the new size—and success!

The updated chart shows cutting the on-point squares at 1½" x 1½", which produces a perfect 1" finished square.

Updated Rotary Cutting Chart Block Size of 8-1/2"

Blizzard Quilt Design

To create the quilt:

Use a Horizontal Layout
Set the quilt to 3 blocks across and 3 blocks down
Block size: 8½" x 8½"

Borders

Border #1: Long Horizontal, size ½"
Border #2: Blocks Aligned Inside, size 2.125"
*(Note: After a recent update to my default fabrics, EQ changed the size to 2¼". If you encounter this, go to Worktable Options and set both Snap Settings to *⅛" and then correct the size on the border tab)
Border #3: Mitered, size ½"

Adjusting Worktable Options to Set Snap Settings to 1/8"

Here is the finished wall-hanging/table-topper version of the quilt.

Blizzard Quilt 31-3/4" x 31-3/4"

Lap Quilt Version

In the video, I also show how to quickly turn this design into a lap quilt simply by adjusting the block and border sizes. It’s a fast process, and the overall design remains the same.

The lap quilt finishes at 62½" x 62½".

The only visual difference is the scale of the fabric, which gives the larger quilt a slightly different feel while maintaining the Blizzard look.

66-1/2" Lap Quilt

Blizzard Design Video

Be sure to watch the complete video for step-by-step instructions on drafting the blocks, resizing for rotary cutting, and creating both quilt layouts.

Share Your Work

I would love to see what you do with this design!

Please feel free to share photos of your Blizzard quilt on the Learning EQ Facebook page.

Learning EQ Facebook Blizzard Quilt Post

Enjoy creating your Blizzard quilt -- and make sure to stay warm during this cold weather spell.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Join the On Point Quilter weekly newsletter and receive regular tips and inspiration on using Electric Quilt 8 along with the Free 12 Top
Tips for EQ8 video guide.

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Playtime

​Ready to Start Your Own Quilt Journey?

Blizzard

Blizzard Quilt Design using Electric Quilt 8

Drafting the Blizzard Blocks

Sizing the Block for the Quilt

Blizzard Quilt Design

Lap Quilt Version

Blizzard Design Video

Share Your Work

Kari Schell

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Team Wonky or Team Precision?

First Quilt Layout… and a Reality Check

A Note on Foundation Piecing

Creating Variations with Shadowed Dizzy Geese

Five Block Variations

Watch the Free Video Tutorial

A Little History (and a Blast from the Past)

Using Quilt Journeys in EQ8

Quilt Journeys Block Libraries for EQ8

Quilt Journeys Preloaded Project Files

PDF 3: State Blocks & Symbols
by Barbara Brackman

Creating Your Own Quilt Journeys Quilt

Ready to Start Your Own Quilt Journey?

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