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Having Fun with Medallion Quilts

5/29/2021

 
Sometimes the biggest challenge in creating a medallion quilt is figuring out what to put in the center of the quilt.  In a medallion quilt the center is definitely the star with the borders playing a supporting roles.

Although any block can become a center medallion, it often needs to be spiced up a bit to make it worthy of the starring role.  

In the Mix and Match Medallion Centers class offered exclusively to Tech Know Quilter members, the focus is exclusively on designing those eye-popping centers. 
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​Here are a few of the centers that you will be able to draft (and sew) after this class.
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Would you like to know a secret about these blocks -- each one of them started as a well-know (and pretty basic) block in the EQ library. 

Can you identify the original block (without watching the video below)?  Let me know in the comments which ones you were able to figure out.

After completing the Mix and Match Medallion Center class (offered exclusively in the Tech Know Quilters membership), you will gain confidence it creating your own one of a kind centers.

Mix and Match Medallion Center Blocks and Quilt Reveal

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After the first few months of Tech know Quilters, I began doing reveal videos showing the blocks, quilts and concepts that are covered in an upcoming class.  This was one of those classes that I never got around to doing a reveal -- until today. 

If you have taken the class, this may inspire you to revisit one of your old lessons.  Or if you haven't taken the class, you will be able to see what you will learn in Mix and Match Medallion Centers.  
This particular class will definitely move you from beginner to intermediate status in your Electric Quilt design.  In fact a couple of the blocks will fall into the advanced category and are not for the faint of heart.  It is so gratifying as an instructor seeing students advance as they work through the exercises.

Make sure to join the Tech Know Quilter wait list if you are interested in learning more when enrollment opens.
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Tech Know Quilter Member Projects Inspired by Mix and Match Medallion Centers

After seeing the blocks and quilts I created, you can now be truly inspired by this collection of blocks that Tech Know Quilter members designed while going through the Mix and Match Medallion Centers class.
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Roxanna Khoury was inspired by Lesson 2 to take a block from the Spring Fling challenge, create a kaleidoscope block and create a quilt from that block.
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Maureen Feron Pinwill played with the breadfruit block from Lesson 2.
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Carmen Sidlaruk started with the hour glass block and ended up creating this Star Explosion quilt. Hint - you can see the original block in the border.
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Connie Herbert used the Shrink and Flip exercise in lesson 3 to create this quilt (which started as a Dutchman Puzzle block).
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Irene Floyd started by creating a Kaleidoscope block (lesson 4).
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Brigitte Lee used both Kaleidoscopoe and merge block features (from Lesson 4) in creating these blocks.
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Debbi Treusch was inspired by Lesson 5 on using Medallion Layouts from the EQ8 library to create this quilt.
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Rick Danner felt he won the EQ8 Powerball with Lesson 5 which made creating his quilt so much easier.
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Christel Frischmuth's original quilt inspired by Lesson 5.
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Margo Reppert's creation after Lesson 7.
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Joy Hegglund's Corner Design block.
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Joy Hegglund's Quilt from her Corner Design block
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Dotty Smalley's original corner design after lesson 8.
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Janet Inglis Corner Design Block
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Kathy Delaney Corner Design Block
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Nancy Vaillancourt Compass design after Lesson 9
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Marlu Allan Compass block after Lesson 9
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Tan Lay Njoh Compass Medallion quilt
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Joan Christophersons design inspired by Make Mine Modern (Lesson 10)
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Joan Christophersons Quilt
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Susan Schaff design after lesson 10 (Make Mine Modern)
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Eva Jones - Inspired by Make Mine Modern
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Alice Hertel starting block.
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Alice Hertel Make Mine Modern
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Alice Hertel Make Mine Modern Quilt 2
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Susan Sorenson Rectangular Medallion
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Joanne Legault Rectangular Medallion block (turned square)
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Brigitte Lee Triple Frame
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Joy Hegglund Triple Frame
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Carmen Sidlaruk Triple Frame
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Connie Fairbrother Herbert Daisy Wreath
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Alice Hertel Flower Wreath
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Nancy Messuri Wreath
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Enrollment to Tech Know Quilters will be opening at the end of June (but only to those on the wait list).   Learn more and sign up for the wait list.


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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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Adding Stripes for a Wow Factor in Your Next Quilt

5/22/2021

 
Sometimes that beautiful striped fabric in our collection can be a bit intimidating to work with.  If you have ever struggled with making that initial cut into striped fabric, this tutorial is for you.

Kaleidoscopes with Striped Fabric

There are a number of people in Tech Know Quilters -- an online membership for Electric Quilt 8 users who are mastering the software -- who have been working with striped fabric.  In the EasyDraw Kaleidoscope class they created a striped fabric Kaleidoscope block. 

Enjoy some of the awesome designs created by those in the class.
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Debbi T,
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Debbi T.
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Wanda J.
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Janet I.
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Susan G.
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Maureen P.
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Maureen P.
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Collien K.
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Marlu A.
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Carmen S.
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Karen N.
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Irene F.
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Alice Hertel K.
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Nancyanne F.
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Margo R.
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Roxanna K.
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Roxanna K.
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Connie B.
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Connie B.
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Katherine M.
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Zdenka N.
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Diane B.
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Candy P.
Would you like to join this amazing group of quilters in mastering Electric Quilt 8.  Names are currently being collected on a wait list for our next open enrollment period.

Rotating Fabric in a Block using Electric Quilt 8

Although Electric Quilt does not have a rotate fabric option in the block worktable (something definitely on my wish list), there is still a way for you to rotate fabric for your block.  Let me show you how.
In the video I used Rose Whisperers by Eleanor Burns for Benartex.  This is one of the recent fabric of the month collections from Electric Quilt. You can still get the free download on their website.

Here is the block from the video.
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And if you want to supersize your project, consider creating a quilt comprised of four blocks.  Just don't rotate the block (or put them in an on point layout) as you will need to adjust the rotation and fussy cut the fabrics again).
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MN Quilt Show

Are you interested in learning more about Electric Quilt?  Join me at the MN Quilt Show from June 9 - 12, 2021.  (it is all virtual this year -- so you can join even if you aren't in MN).  I will be presenting two lectures on using Electric Quilt 8.  
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Electric Quilt 8 Overview
Have you dreamed about designing your own quilts, but not sure if quilting software is for you?

This lecture will provide you valuable information on designing using Electric Quilt 8. It will include an overview of the most frequently used features with Electric Quilt 8. You will see how to use blocks from the library and put them into a setting of your choice. You will see how the coloring tools work which will allow you to audition your fabric options before you make your first cut. With a few minor changes, you can modify a design so the quilt will actually fit on your bed. And you will see the types of information and instructions that can be printed directly from the program such as yardage charts, foundation patterns and rotary cutting charts.

Time:  Saturday, June 12, 2021 at 2:30 - 3:30 PM (CDT)
Cost:$10 for members, $12 for non-members
Registration

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Drafting Blocks

Learn how to analyze and categorize blocks so that you can learn the tricks to draft them on your own.

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The techniques will be demonstrated using Electric Quilt 8. However you will be able to apply these concepts to your favorite drafting method. By drafting your own blocks, you will be able to audition fabrics, resize your blocks and place them in a quilt layout of your choice.

This lecture will include a number of blocks from my book EQ8 Drawing Blocks.
Time:  Thursday, June 10, 2021 at 12:30 - 1:30 PM (CDT)
Cost:$10 for members, $12 for non-members
Registration

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​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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3 Blocks Plus 1 Layout Equals Easy Hexagon Quilt

5/15/2021

 
Do you sometimes find that you are over thinking your quilt design?  Quilt designing does not need to be difficult -- particularly if you own Electric Quilt 8.

The quilt you will be learning to draft this week is super versatile.  I started with 3 simple to piece asymmetrical blocks from the Electric Quilt block library.  For those of you that purchased Block Base Plus, you could also pick your blocks from there. 

​The blocks I chose to work with were a log cabin, simple basket and flower basket.   These blocks would be super easy to foundation piece and don't have a lot of pieces.
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Log Cabin from EQ Block Library
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Simple Basket from EQ Block Library
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Flower Basket from EQ Block Library
The magic comes in the layout.  The layout I chose to work with is the first hexagonal option in the EQ Layout Library (under Layouts by Style).  Within Electric Quilt you can put any square block in a diamond space and your block is now a diamond block.  Or if you place it in one of the equilateral triangles, it will cut off half the block and it is now an equilateral triangle block.  
You can even kept things simple when coloring the quilt -- choosing to work with colors rather than fabrics (giving the quilt a very modern vibe) and then focusing on the colors in the log cabin block.

This is a super quick video and one that you will find very easy to replicate.  However if you are up for flexing your designing muscles, consider swapping out the blocks and the layout.   
Here is the hexagon quilt from the video.
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Easy Hexagon Design by Kari Schell using EQ8
I would love to see what you do with this concept.   Feel free to share in the Learning EQ Facebook group.  I've set up a post for you to include your designs.
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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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View From My Window

5/8/2021

 
In Minnesota flowers and trees are starting to bloom.  Going for a walk is enjoyable (not too hot nor too cold) and it is fun discovering new bits of color each day.  From my kitchen window, I can see my flowering tree with pretty pink blossoms.  I admit that I have no clue of the type of tree this is -- but for two weeks each year I am able to enjoy this lovely burst of color.

I began to think about how I could save this view (other than stashing the picture on my iphone with hundreds of other pictures).  
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Since I am a quilter, my thoughts turned to how I could incorporate a photo of the tree in a quilt.  I took my phone outside and snapped a photo of my tree along with a few photos of plant life in a couple of neighbor's yards.  (It was about to rain -- so I didn't have much time.)

Here are the pictures.
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Photo by Marsha K (from her morning walk)
In this EQ tutorial, I will share how to work with these simple photos to create a windowed photo quilt using Electric Quilt 8.  Techniques include:
  • importing multiple photos at once,
  • resizing and cropping photos in the image worktable,
  • designing a window block to feature the photos,
  • creating and populating the quilt layout,
  • printing cropped and resized photos to fabric. ​
Here is the final quilt from the video.
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The beauty of this design is each of the cropped pictures can be easily printed on a sheet of EQ Printables (or fabric ironed on freezer paper and run through your printer).  

If you would like to try the manual approach, I have a short video tutorial plus downloadable worksheet on the technique.  This would work for photos in addition to printing words on fabric.
If you have some time, take a few of your own snapshots and create a photo quilt.  I would love to see pictures.  Feel free to share in the Learning EQ Facebook group.  I've set up a post for you to include your designs.

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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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Introduction to EasyDraw versus EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes

5/1/2021

 
Have you received offers to join Tech Know Quilters -- but were hesitating as you weren't sure what you would learn each month?  Tech Know Quilters is a training program that teaches you how to master Electric Quilt 8 -- from the comfort of your home. 

Here is an opportunity to see the exact blocks and quilts you will  draft during your second month of training.
During Month 2 of Tech Know Quilters, you are given a choice between two different drawing classes.  The choice is up to you.  If you are not currently in Tech Know Quilters, sign up for the wait list to receive emails during the next open enrollment period.

One of the things we all want to be able to do is either draw our own blocks or recreate blocks from patterns we own.  Using Electric Quilt 8 allows us to audition fabrics or even swap out one piecing technique with another.  EasyDraw is the most useful set of drawing tools in Electric Quilt, as most quilt blocks are designed based on square grids.   It also is the method that is closest to working with pencil and graph paper.

Option 1 Introduction to EasyDraw

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Many of the blocks and concepts in this option were covered in my EQ8 Drawing Blocks book.  So if you did the exercises in that book, you may be better suited for Option 2.
Benefits:
  1. Learn how to draft over 30 blocks using EasyDraw. 
  2. Learn how to identify the correct snap settings to eliminate those "missing lines" that can happen when the settings weren't quite right.
  3. Learn how to import a picture of a quilt block  -- which speeds up the drafting of blocks as all you need to do is trace lines and arcs. 
  4. Learn how to create your own personal variations of blocks with Serendipity.
  5. All this with thirteen 5-10 minute videos plus supporting pdf tutorials delivered to your inbox.  You pick the time that works for you to grow your Electric Quilt expertise.
In the reveal video, check out the agenda for the Introduction to EasyDraw class along with the blocks and quilts you will be designing.
If you prefer to get started now, this class may be purchased ahead of joining Tech Know Quilters. 
Purchase Introduction to EasyDraw

Option 2:  EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes

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I've talked to a number of you who are fairly proficient in EasyDraw.  Quite a few participated in my Easy Peasy EasyDraw class back in the EQ7 days and drew some amazing blocks and quilts as part of the class.  While the look and feel of EQ8 is very different than EQ7, the Easy Draw tools are actually very much the same.  They are just residing in some different places in the new program.

So for those of you who are Intermediate EasyDraw block drafters, I wanted to create a more advanced class that focused on EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes. 
Benefits:
  1. Learn to draft Kaleidoscope blocks based on an octagon grid (both on point and square octagons) as well as a hexagon grid.
  2. Learn to identify snap options that work for these quilts based on a circular grid.
  3. Learn how to to use striped fabric to create gorgeous kaleidoscopes.
  4. Learn to turn log cabin blocks into hexagon motifs and then set those motifs in a custom set layout.
In the reveal video, check out the agenda for the EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes class along with the blocks and quilts you will be designing.
If you are on the fence between Introduction to EasyDraw and EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes, go back through the first video and see how many of those blocks you can draw on your own (with no guidance from me).  If that was doable -- then you are definitely ready for EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes.

For those currently enrolled in Tech Know Quilters, you also have the option of taking both classes.  If you wish to do that, make sure to send us a note so you can receive a discount coupon for the second class.

Tech Know Quilters March Showcase

Tech Know Quilter members shared how they applied the concepts from their March 2021 class.

Tech Know Quilters is a membership of Electric Quilt 8 owners who are mastering Electric Quilt through online training.  At the end of their March class, they were encouraged to apply what they learned during the month of March. 

Tech Know Quilters is open to new members only a few times a year.  You can learn more and sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period here.  

​I love having people at different stages of the EQ journey submitting designs.  I am so proud of this group of quilt designers.
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Julie Pedersen This month I took the Masters collage class. We learned to use photos to make a collage and to use it as fabric. For this challenge, I used the "fabric" I created for the class and then 2 other shapes to create my "fabrics". The photos that I used were ones I had taken of flowers in my yard.
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Julie Pedersen I love this spring quilt that I did for a challenge earlier this month using the same technique.
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Mary Groesbeck Friends of mine lost their son last week, and I want to make a small wall hanging for them. Their house is really cool, with a lot of stark solids (modern). I took block 1273 from BB+ and have 2 at 10" and 2 at 9.5". Then I took block 1048 and modified it just a little because I wanted it symmetrical.
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Rhonda Goss
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Nancy Messuri This quilt was designed with skills I learned in the Master's Collage class.
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Curryanne Hostetler -- Quilt sent off to quilter.
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Curryanne Hostetler - Another quilt to the quilter.
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Kristy Goodin Soard I took the Masters Fabric Collage class, and used the technique for creating fabric from lesson 4 Fabric Collage to create my own fabric for my sewing machine. I used only applique motifs to layer for my fabric. This quilt represents my preferred state of being....busy as a bee sewing!
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Marijke Nieuwenhuijsen This month working with T Shirts and Panels. I'm making a quilt for a 4-years granddaughter. It's a very big panel but I found it not so good idea to do it in half. She recognized the dogs immediately.
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Nancy Haddad Lacey This is my challenge from the Masters Collage Quilts class. I used the posiemaker to create the shape that I used for my collage fabric.
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Joyce Drenth I decided to apply the master collage lesson of applying stitching lines onto a quilt. Since I viewed recent information about boho and sashiko stitching upon fabric in the Japanese culture, I thought I would create a simple patchwork with stitching accents to suggest these techniques. It is usually more densely stitched, but this gives the illusion nevertheless.
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Dotty Smalley This quilt is not from a specific class, but I used many of the techniques that I have learned from Kari Schell to create it in EQ8 then I actually made it! It is one of my favorites. I call it Awesome Autumn.
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Edith Craig I was in the Mix and Match Medallion Centers class for March. Per our discussion in the help session, I adapted the block with the 2 small and 1 large pieced sections to add a different patchwork block to each and then added borders to make a table runner sized quilt.
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Dorothee Ilgner I was in the fabric collage class and combined a scrappy background with text and a photo for a small Easter themed quilt.
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Elisa Welch Cossey-Brock I was so excited to create Modern Quilts. I love the old quilts but my heart is in the newer, brighter, different quilts. I very rarely follow the rules, sorry Kari.
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Maureen Feron Pinwill I played and made another Sprng Mystery Quilt.
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Dorothee Ilgner My little spring quilt has a collage background. It is inspired by a challenge (Pfearless Corona Pfighters) from the German Quilter Claudia Pfeil.
Learn More About Tech Know Quilters Here

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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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    Kari Schell

    Electric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer.

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  • Blog
  • About
  • EQ Training
    • Tech Know Quilters Electric Quilt 8 Membership Training
    • Shoot for the Stars with EQ8
    • Electric Quilt 8 Sneak Peek
    • Scheduling a Workshop or Lecture
  • Store
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  • Contact
  • Free Stuff
    • Other Video Tutorials