|
Scroll down for the Curvy Lone Star tutorial.
Electric Quilt 8 Made Easy - Black Friday Sale (extended through Cyber Monday)
Get the top introductory training for Electric Quilt 8 for 50% off.
What if you were actually making headways on designing your next quilt, instead of struggling for months or years trying to figure out how to make Electric Quilt 8 work?
No need to sit through long boring lectures or incur expensive travel to training at shows. I specifically created the EQ8 Made Easy tutorials for adult learners Studies have show that adult learners learn best with short, relevant content that can be immediately used. EQ8 Made Easy is comprised of 10 minute tutorials that can be watched when it is convenient for you! Can you commit to just 10 minutes a day to learn the basics of Electric Quilt 8 and finally make progress on the quilts you've been dreaming about? As a valuable member of my community, I would like to offer you a coupon for 50% off the class. This coupon will give you $73.98 off on the regular purchase price of EQ8 Made Easy. Just use the code BLACKFRIDAY when checking out. The coupon is good through December 2, 2024.o 
Curvy Lone Star EQ8 Tutorial
During October, I challenged Tech Know Quilter Master's members to design a quilt with only straight lines that gives the illusion of curves, circles or waves.
Often when we think of curves in a quilt we think curved piecing. Or maybe an applique design. So this challenge encouraged members to think outside the box and create the illusion of curves with just straight lines. No designs with curved piecing or applique were allowed. Scroll down to see a showcase of their designs. I also decided to challenge myself to participate in the challenge. My design -- which I am calling Curvy Lone Star is the tutorial in this blog post.
I was inspired by a book by Judy Martin - "Singular Stars". It was an entire book of Lone Star Quits. Fabulous eye candy and inspiration for creating your own lone star quilts.
Within Electric Quilt, my favorite way to drafting lone star quilts is to use the Stars-1 Layout in the EQ8 Layout Library as it is pretty much the layout of every lone star quilt. The layout allows you to drop any block in those diamonds and EQ does the magic of stretching those blocks to become diamond shaped. 
Layouts by Style - Stars Library
One way to create the illusion of "curves" is to vary the width of strips.
So to get started, I drew a 1 inch strip. Then for each subsequent strip, I increased the width by 1/4 inch. Once I reach the center, I reversed the process (reducing each strip by 1/4 inch). 
Partitioning the EasyDraw Lone Star Block
Here is my finished EasyDraw block -- decked out in Christmas colors.
These fabric were pulled from the EQ library (reds and greens). 
EasyDraw 9 x 9 Grid with Varied Widths
I decided to try a Kaleidoscope block for the setting triangles and squares. I liked the idea of creating diamonds -- which is consistent with the stretched squares in the diamond blocks.
PolyDraw has a Kaleidoscope grid which makes it super easy to draw your own Kaleidoscope block. 
PolyDraw Kaleidoscope Block
See how it all comes together in the video tutorial.
Here is the final quilt from the video. Do you think it gives the illusion of curves?
Curvy Lone Star Quilt by Kari Schell
I also tried a variation where I kept increasing the size of the strips (rather than decreasing them when I got to the middle). I also played with a different coloring of the PolyDraw block.
Curvy Lone Star Variation
I could have easily played with this for a number of hours.
But now it is your time to play. I would love to see your curvy lone star quilt. Share a favorite of your designs. I've set up a dedicated post in the Learning EQ Facebook group for your quilts. Tech Know Quilter Masters Curved Illusion Challenge
All I can say is WOW! Tech Know Quilter Masters members really rose to the challenge creating a collection of original quilts that looks great as designed. And would also be great created with fabric.
What was the challenge: Design a Quilt with only Straight Lines that Gives the Illusion of Curves, Circles or Waves
Often when we think of curves in a quilt, we think curved piecing. Or maybe an applique design. The challenge this month was to create an illusion of curves with just straight lines. So no curved piecing, or applique was allowed. Here are some of traditional designs that were suggested for consideration in the challenge.
Here are their quilts. 
Renae Frank Butler I used the Snails Trail block -- and then went down a different route.
Renae Frank Butler The next block I used was a block I found on Pinterest which I picked becausee it looked like a variation of an off center 9 patch that I have in a blook. I then used symmetry to get a layout I liked.
Dianna Carter
Elly da Silva
Susan Sorensen I’ve always liked the look of swirled cocktail napkins on catering tables. After the Racetrack lesson I wanted to recreate that look and to push the technique as far as it would go. For this block I started with a 0.2 inch square. Initially the increase was 0.4 as in Racetrack, but then I increased the density by inserting squares at 0.2 inch intervals. Rings disappeared with Hide/Show autofill turned on because adding squares put patches on top of others. I eventually turned off Hide/Show autofill and quit sending the squares to the back until the block was complete. This way I was able to see them all and fill in missing squares. Then by starting at the outer square, working towards the center, and sending them all to the front, each patch wound up where it belonged. When I tried a to push the technique to 0.1 inch intervals in a new block EQ wasn’t happy, at least on the Mac. The Pick tool stopped working after 5 squares and it was so small it was difficult to see the space between the squares and the block had to be enlarged, which defeated the purpose of the micro interval. But it was interesting to see just how far the technique could go.
Edith Craig Here is my completed challenge quilt. I chose the block Round Cabin, combining a 6" block to make circles in the center and inner borders and half circles in the outer border. I used 2 gray tones for my basic fabric and used a dark green for a pop of color against the white.
Kari Schell Thought I would share one I just came up with. Can you figure out my three blocks?
Katherine Martin Interleave Sample giving the illusion of curves
Zdenka Nemethova
Zdenka Nemethova - And second version.
Terry McCaskey I played mostly with the kaleidoscope block as on old favorite for curved illusion. My first attempts with the stretched border technique did not really yield curves but I thought the coloring was/could be dramatic. The second quilt is paired with the "Spiderweb Maltese 4" block. Lastly I set the "Nine-patch 2" variation (no kaleidoscope) on a baby blocks setting and thought that was curvy interesting. Color seems to be critical and either helps or hinders outcomes.
Helen Hicks “The Twist go round” just having fun
Mary Groesbeck Three different sizes of the block in the quilt.
Julie Pedersen
Fran Heisey Finally decided on a woven bamboo graphic that I found on Pinterest for my inspiration. For the weavers in the group, I think this is just a 3x3 twill with variable yarn widths, that is broken across the center of block 2, and in the lower left corner of block 3. the blocks look very much like Bargello to me.
Curryanne Hostetler
Brigitte Lee I did many rounded log cabin and I love pearls.
Want to know more about Tech Know Quilter Masters?
Tech Know Quilters members are eligible for the Masters program after completing 12 months of Tech Know Quilter classes. Masters members receive fewer lessons each month, with more time to devote to their own projects and challenges. Drop me a note if you have completed over 12 months of Tech Know Quilters and are interested in learning more about the Masters program. You can learn more about the regular Tech Know Quilters membership program and sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period here.
Last week I shared how to obtain the Accuquilt Die blocks (for free) from the EQ website.
This is a continuation on using Accuquilt dies in a quilt. If you missed the first part of this series, see how to create individual perfectly sized motifs that match those that are created with the Accuquilt dies here. In the tutorial today, see an option for creating a new quilt that features the entire collection of Fall Medley Motifs from Accuquilt.
The fabric collection I decided to use was Autumn. It was designed by Lori Holt for Riley Blake Designs and was released in April 2024.
In the video I cover how to download the collection from Riley Blake and import into your EQ8 project.
The video shares how to draft an oval block (complete with binding).
Oval Block with Binding Drawn as an Applique Motif in EQ8
Place the oval block on Layer 1 of a Custom set quilt -- sized at the same size as the oval block.
On layer 2 add the Accuquilt motifs and color with the Autumn fabric collection.. 
Oval Block with Accuquilt Dies on the Quilt Worktable
Make additional copies of the motifs. Rotate, position and layer the motifs on the quilt. Make sure to not change the size of these motifs.
If desired, recolor some of the veins to allow them to be visible on the fabric. 
Completed Oval Table Topper Drafted in EQ8
Watch the video here.
Share pictures of your design (or quilt) in the Learning EQ Facebook group. I've set up a dedicated post for your pictures.
Did you know that these Accuquilt shapes are charm friendly -- all can be cut out from 5" squares of fabric.
Select a favorite charm pack (or create one of your own from your fabric stash) to make your own Fall Medley Quilt -- just in time for Thanksgiving. I think this one could be considered a quilt in a day project. Electric Quilt 8 Made Easy - Black Friday Sale
Black Friday is starting early. Get the top introductory training for Electric Quilt 8 for 50% off.
What if you were actually making headways on designing your next quilt, instead of struggling for months or years trying to figure out how to make Electric Quilt 8 work? No need to sit through long boring lectures or incur expensive travel to training at shows. I specifically created the EQ8 Made Easy tutorials for adult learners Studies have show that adult learners learn best with short, relevant content that can be immediately used. EQ8 Made Easy is comprised of 10 minute tutorials that can be watched when it is convenient for you! Can you commit to just 10 minutes a day to learn the basics of Electric Quilt 8 and finally make progress on the quilts you've been dreaming about? As a valuable member of my community, I would like to offer you a coupon for 50% off the class. This coupon will give you $73.98 off on the regular purchase price of EQ8 Made Easy. Just use the code BLACKFRIDAY when checking out. The coupon is good through November 30, 2024.ou have the option of starting either on November 1st or December 2nd. You choose what works best for you. 
Did you know that Electric Quilt has a wonderful collection of Accuquilt die blocks -- at no charge? You can download them from the Do you EQ website.
Here is a link to their post that contains the free downloads. When I originally downloaded the collection, I struggled a bit with how to actually use the dies. If you are a regular EQ user, you have probably realized that you can resize everything in EQ. 99% of the time, this is a super benefit of using EQ. But with Accuquilt dies, it is super critical that the size stays consistent with the cut size of the dies. Unless you are focused solely on making a pretty picture, rather than a quilt you would like to construct using your Accuquilt dies.. In the video, I will share my suggestions for downloading the free Accuquilt block libraries into EQ8 (if they aren't already in your block library). I will also share with you my process for turning these stencils into very usable applique motifs within EQ8. The key is to make sure that you understand and maintain the size of each of the elements (whether you are adding to a block or the quilt).
The collection I use in the video is the Go! Fall Medley collection. It is still available to purchase from Accuquilt.
Stay tuned as there just may be a Thanksgiving friendly quilt using this die collection coming your way.
I've set up a post in the Learning EQ Facebook group, for you to share any pictures or ask questions. Moving Beyond the Free Downloads
The one downside of the free Accuquilt download collections is that they are older and don't include the latest and greatest Accuquilt dies.
In Tech Know Quilters, a membership for mastery of Electric Quilt 8, there is a class focused on Specialty Rulers and Dies -- and yes that includes Accuquilt. So if you own dies that aren't in the free download (or are thinking about getting them) -- this class is for you. 
In Lesson 8 you will learn how to incorporate applique dies that are not part of the free EQ8 library in your quilt design.
Here are the sample projects from that lesson.
In Lessons 9, 10 and 11 you will solve the mystery of designing for the Go Qube dies. In Lesson 9 you will create a patch for every Go Qube shape -- at the correct finished sizes. Then in Lesson 10 you will learn to combine those patches to create original blocks. It will be just like putting together a jigsaw puzzle. So much fun!
In Lesson 11 you will learn how to created original designs that incorporate patches from more than one GoQube collection.
And if you get stuck, we can work through it together during a help session. Learn more about Tech Know Quilters, and sign up for the wait list here. If you are a current member, let me know if you would like a discount coupon to add this to your current subscription. Or swap out one of your future classes.
What is a tessellation? According to Jinny Beyer, a tessellation is a shape or combination of shapes which will indefinitely cover an area without any gaps or overlaps. Tessellations are most easily identified as interlocking motifs. However, any quilt block that repeats itself can be considered a tessellation.
The block drafted in today's tutorial has a tessellation shape within the block. Four corners come together for a repeat of the shape in the center -- giving the illusion of the interlocking pattern.
Because the tessellating unit was designed in a block with a 6 x 6 grid (note that there are six even divisions going across and down), it will be super simple to piece -- no inset seams required.
In the EQ8 video tutorial, learn to draft a smaller unit (1/4 of the block), use serendipity to create the larger block, and use some advanced coloring features to recolor the quilt.
Here is a link to the free fabric collection used in the video and available on the Do You EQ website. The collection is Good Vibes. It was designed by Crysta Watson and manufactured by Benartex.
I would love to see pictures of your quilt. Feel free to share in the Learning EQ Facebook group.
Jelly Roll Friendly Piecing
Folded Rectangle Construction
Combine with 6-1/2" x 2-1/2" strips (from the EQ8 Rotary Cutting Chart). The unit should measure 6-1/2" x 6-1/2". Combine and rotate four units for each block. Consider trying different rotation options for your block.
During September many Tech Know Quilter members too a class on Border Blocks.
They quickly discovered that these blocks are not just for borders -- but can be incorporated into the center of the quilt as well. For the blog tutorial this week, I decided to share an example of this. So you too can learn a bit about the power of these amazing blocks. I also discuss how I converted a couple of the EQ blocks to be much more piecing friendly for those of us who love working with Deb Tucker's Studio 180 Design tools. Playing with Border Blocks
The quilt I am sharing with you was designed by Mary Groesbeck. Mary is a talented designer who does all her quilt designing using Electric Quilt 8. You can check out some of her published patterns on her website.
Block Source
There are four different EQ border blocks that are the starting point for this quilt. Two of the blocks are from the Border Block Library in EQ8. You can find them under 09 Border Blocks>Curved. The other two were found in the Auto-Borders under Border Styles - Miscellaneous. You can access the auto borders on the Quilt Worktable.
Block Modifications
For this quilt, we could just use the blocks in a custom set quilt layout. But, I decided to do some modifications. This allowed me to set the blocks in a Horizontal layout.
Border Blocks Quilt
Here is the final quilt from the video along with an alternate coloration.
After the video was done, I began wondering what would happen if I used the Grooves blocks in the quilt center (with variations) and the Drunkards Path blocks in the border.
Here is what I came up with. 
Grooves and Drunkards Path Border Blocks Switched
Alternate Border Blocks Playtime Quilt
I also decided to try the technique with a different set of Border blocks. For the alternate quilt, I used Picket Corner 2 and Picket Border 2 from the Picket category under Border Blocks and the Spring Flowers Border and Spring Flowers Corner under Auto Borders Miscellaneous. I then experimented with switching the center blocks with those in the border spaces. Which I actually preferred.
Now it's your turn to play. Share your designs (along with the border blocks you chose to work with) in the Learning EQ Facebook group.
Tech Know Quilters Month-End Show
At the end of each month, Tech Know Quilter members are challenged to apply what they learned during the month.
Here are their submissions for September. From the comments you may notice that most did not just share the projects from the class -- but took the concepts and designed their own quilts. I think they did an awesome job.
|
Free guide available for newsletter subscribers
Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
All
Archives
April 2025
|
RSS Feed