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On Thursday, I hosted two live sessions of my Easter Egg Hunt EQ8 Webinar—and it was such a joy to share this project with so many of you. During the training, we designed a spring-inspired quilt that combines appliqué and foundation piecing—all inside Electric Quilt 8. I also gave a behind-the-scenes look at my Tech Know Quilters Academy for those ready to go deeper. And honestly… one of my favorite parts of any live event is hearing from you afterward. Shortly after the webinar, I received this note from Barb: Messages like this are exactly why I love teaching EQ8. “That was a fantastic webinar! I’ve used EQ since the very beginning… and the use of given shapes to form a desired shape is one of the best things I’ve seen. I’ve tried to draw from scratch and it was a struggle and seldom successful. This was more than helpful. It enables me to create the appliqués I want. At 94, it’s a joy to learn and succeed. THANK YOU, THANK YOU.” — Barb Messages like this are exactly why I love teaching EQ8. There is nothing better than helping you move past frustration and into confident creating. I am Sorry - the Replay No Longer AvailableThe replay has now become an exclusive resource for members of Tech Know Quilters and Tech Know Quilters Academy in April 2026. The Easter Egg Hunt QuiltWant to Stitch Along?While the full PDF guidebook is reserved for members, I’ve included the tracing images below so you can still follow along and create your own version of the blocks. Fabric DetailsThe fabrics used in this project are from the Color Play collection by Do You EQ. Ready to Go Further with EQ8?If you enjoyed this project and want to continue building your skills, I’d love to have you join me inside Tech Know Quilters Academy. This program is designed to help you turn EQ8 into a tool you love using—without the frustration.
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A Creative Celebration for International Quilting Day
Happy International Quilting Day! I hope you’re able to carve out a little time today to enjoy some quilting fun.
To celebrate, I’m sharing three quilt designs featuring the classic Missouri Puzzle block. This timeless design is perfect for exploring both construction and color—and it’s a great opportunity to build your skills in Electric Quilt 8. We’ll begin by drafting the block from scratch, giving you hands-on practice with the Grid tool in EQ8. Then we’ll explore a few different coloring options using a limited fabric palette. For my samples, I used fabrics from Colorblock Party by Maywood Studio—the March 2026 Fabric of the Month collection from Do You EQ. The best part? It’s completely free to download and use in your EQ8 projects. This collection was inspired by tiny quilt blocks printed on a miniature press. The result is a vibrant range of rainbow-hued prints that invite you to play with color, contrast, and light—perfect for a block like Missouri Puzzle. Drafting the Missouri Puzzle Block
In Electric Quilt 8, open the Block Worktable and select:
New Block → Pieced → EasyDraw
Step 4: Color the Block
Creating the Cornerstone BlockMissouri Puzzle Quilt VariationsVideo TutorialPiecing Suggestions
Blocks created with the Grid tool are often perfect candidates for strip piecing, even though EQ8 doesn’t generate instructions for it directly. A few simple adjustments can make your piecing much more efficient.
Let’s See Your Version!
Which quilt layout is your favorite? Or do you have your own twist on the Missouri Puzzle block?
I’d love to see what you create—share your projects in the Learning EQ Facebook Group!
When I first drafted this block, I struggled with what to call it.
Depending on how you look at it, the shapes could be flowers. Or maybe umbrellas. But the more I worked with the design, the more it reminded me of a set of colorful spinning pinwheels—so Spinner felt like the perfect name. One of my favorite design surprises happens when the blocks come together in the quilt layout. The corners of the blocks meet to form eight-pointed stars, creating a secondary pattern that almost feels like magic. Those unexpected stars quickly became my favorite part of the design. Drafting the Spinner Block
In Electric Quilt 8, open the Block Worktable and select:
New Block → Pieced → PolyDraw Drafting the Corner Units
Drafting the Setting Triangle Blocks
Drafting the Corner Triangle BlocksDrafting the Quilt
To assemble the quilt, move to the Quilt Worktable and create a new On Point quilt.
On the Layout tab, set:
On the Borders tab, add two borders:
Then go to the Design tab and place your blocks, rotating them as needed to create the spinner effect and reveal the eight-pointed stars at the intersections. Spinner Video Tutorial
For a full walkthrough of the drafting and quilt design process, watch the video tutorial below.
Construction Tips
If you decide to make this quilt, I recommend foundation piecing the blocks.
In Print & Export, choose Foundation and select Start Over and Resection. For the cleanest construction:
This keeps the units manageable and helps maintain accurate points.
Are you a fan of English Paper Piecing? Or maybe you’ve been curious about trying it with a small project.
If so, this tutorial is for you. In this lesson, we’ll draft a five-pointed star in Electric Quilt 8 that works beautifully for English Paper Piecing. The surprising part? The entire star begins with the Ellipse tool in the Appliqué workspace. Once drafted, we’ll also explore how to use the star to create a wreath block and a simple quilt design. Drafting the Five Pointed Star
In Electric Quilt 8, open the Block Worktable and select:
New Block → Pieced and Appliqué → Easy Plus Appliqué Many EQ users think the Ellipse tool is only useful for drawing circles. But with a few adjustments, it becomes a powerful drafting tool.
Creating a Star Wreath with Wreathmaker
Designing the Five-Pointed Star Quilt
Next, place the block in a quilt layout.
Create a Horizontal Quilt Layout with one block. For my quilt, I set the block size to 20″ × 20″, but you can adjust the size to fit your project. For the borders:
To echo the geometry of the star, set the number of border blocks so the diamonds visually align with the five star points. I used:
This creates a border that reinforces the star’s structure and rhythm. Five-Pointed Star Quilt Video Tutorial
For a full walkthrough of the drafting and design process, watch the video tutorial below.
Construction Suggestions
Tip for Users of Electronic Cutting Systems
If you use an electronic cutting system such as a Cricut Maker, you can generate cutting files from EQ8 templates. Here’s one method:
Inkscape is a free, open-source vector graphics editor available for Windows, macOS, and Linux. One important note: always double-check the scale when moving between programs. Some software—particularly Cricut Design Space—can change sizing during import. |
Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
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