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"Is it hot enough for you?" It is interesting how sayings you heard in childhood come back to you. The next few days are projected to have heat indexes from 105 to 115. I'm not even sure what the heat index is -- but for this ice skating girl I know it is definitely "hot enough".  I'm using the heat as an excuse to escape to the ice rink in the middle of the day (and hoping everyone doesn't have the same idea). At home I'm working on a number of quilting projects, including ... Balloons PantographI've been wanting to develop my own pantograph to use with 2+6 = Easy. And finally decided on balloons. What a great way to celebrate a new baby or a special day in a child's life. I am really excited on how the pattern stitches out. I've used on my last two 2+6=Easy quilts.  2+6=Easy Pattern in Circus Fabric. Balloon Pantograph. Quilting close-up:  Close-Up of 2+6=Easy Circus Quilt. Balloon Pantograph.  2+6=Easy Pattern in Gekko Fabric. Balloon Pantograph. Gekko Close-up:  Close-up of 2+6=Easy quilt in Gekko Fabric. Balloon Pantograph. Featured Products:2+6=Easy pattern plus digitized quilting Balloon Pantograph Bundle
Regular $25. Introductory bundled sales price of $15. Purchase here. Balloon Pantograph
Machine Quilting of Balloon Pattern on Your Next Quilt
I am having a lot of fun playing with Hexagonal Stars in Electric Quilt. I saw a really fun hexagonal layout and knew I needed to use it to design a quilt. Putting very simple square blocks in a triangle or parallelogram shape can create stunning designs.  Can you guess the "blocks" that were included in this quilt?
The Electric Quilt video tutorial this week will show you how to use and modify one of the hexagonal layouts from the library and then design a 60 degree triangle border to complement the quilt. I've included some "Quilter's Math" in this video:
Here is the work sheet used in the video. Don't worry if you are math adverse. Just go through it one step at a time (just like working through a quilt pattern). Featured Product - 2+6=Easy
I pulled out an old book this week - Infinite Stars by Gayle Bong. This book is amazing. Basically the concept is to take a rectangular block and convert it to a 60 degree triangle block using 60 degree graph paper. Then use a 60 degree ruler to rotary cut the pieces. I remember trying to use EQ4 (I think that was the version back in 1992) to draft these blocks and really struggling. However there is absolutely no need to struggle today. This weeks video will be about creating a 12 point star quilt from a couple of traditional quilt blocks. From this:
To this:  Infinite Star Quilt From this:
To this:  Infinite Star Quilt in Teals This video tutorial will also explain how I used Shades and Tints (and ultimately mapped them to fabrics). Barb Vlack's Club EQ Challenge this month is designing One Color Quilts. I may submit these projects. (If you would like to submit one as well, click here.) If you would like to read more about Gayle's technique and great suggestions for piecing your Infinite Star blocks, I would highly recommend Gayle Bong's book -- Infinite Stars. I believe it is out of print -- but can still be found on Amazon. Family VisitOver the Fourth, I made it to North Dakota to spend some time with family. We had a great time with mini golf (I lost), a sewing project with Josie, fireworks and even weathering a hail storm. I learned that if you don't have access to a garage in Bismarck, a downtown ramp works great to protect your car from hail. That same ramp provided a great view of the fireworks going off at the capital. Josie did a great job on her mother's machine. A very consistent 1/4 inch seam allowance! I can't believe I didn't get a picture of the finished quilt -- a Fourth of July table runner.  Hanging out with my niece and nephews. Missing Sara this year who just started her residency program in Oklahoma City.  Watching the storm roll in.  Jump Start your Electric Quilt SkillsAre you ready to learn Electric Quilt from the comfort of your home with an instructor that can focus solely on YOU? Schedule private training to focus on the areas that interest you -- everything from the basics to advanced drawing skills. YOU PICK THE TOPICS. Send me a note to set up a free 15 minute introductory call to see how it works. Ready to purchase - click here.  Happy quilting.
Kari Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips. As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt. I am taking a few days off to spend time with family. So just a quick post this week to wish everyone a wonderful 4th.  Shadow Trail Variation drafted by Kari Schell using Electric Quilt The International Study Museum is doing a display of Mountain Mist Quilts. The above quilt (drafted by me with Electric Quilt) was inspired by one in the collection entitled Shadow Trail. The original quilt (circa 1935) was possibly designed by Fritz Hooker. History: Beginning in 1929, the Stearns & Foster Company printed a free quilt pattern inside the paper wrapper of each roll of Mountain Mist batting. Some patterns were copied from old quilts and popular new designs of the day. Others were original modern Mountain Mist designs or inspired by current events. The company had a quilt made from each new pattern. These quilts became the centerpiece of advertisements and the stars in quilt shows and department store windows. As a result, the Mountain Mist quilt patterns have been American favorites for decades. Check out photos of the quilts on the International Study Museum's webpage. I would love to see these quilts in person. Cha Cha Ice Dance
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Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
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