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To welcome the start of the Christmas season, I’m excited to share a brand-new quilt design and a fresh Electric Quilt 8 tutorial!
This project features Jingle Bell Woods, a charming Christmas collection by McKenna Ryan for Hoffman of California Fabrics. The digital prints in this line are rich, woodsy, and festive—perfect for sparking holiday sewing inspiration. Jingle Bell Woods EQ8 Tutorial
Drawing the Block in PolyDraw
Final Block Colored with Jingle Bell Woods Fabrics
Designing the Quilt Layout
For the quilt itself, I chose an On-Point Layout. My first version uses a single block with partial blocks in the setting triangles, making a perfect option for a festive table topper or wall quilt. Adjust the size to fit your space.
Jingle Bell Woods On Point Quilt with Single Block
If you're in the mood for a larger project, consider the lap quilt option. The star really shines when repeated—and it makes a spectacular Christmas gift for someone special.
Jingle Bell Woods Lap Quilt
Video Tutorial
Watch for video tutorial for detailed step by step instructions on drafting the block and quilts.
Your Turn!
Which version do you prefer—the quick wall quilt or the fuller lap quilt? I’d love to see how you use this eight-pointed star and which fabrics you choose to feature.
Share your design in the Learning EQ Facebook Group and join the inspiration! Insert FB group link
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Julie’s quilt inspired me to create a simplified version for this week’s EQ8 video tutorial—something approachable even when your energy is low.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to:
Below is the original EQ library block alongside the revised version featured in the video.
And here is the final quilt design created from the new block.
Kari's Give Thanks for the Little Things Quilt
You can watch the complete process—from drafting the block to designing the full quilt—in this week’s video tutorial.
As we head into Thanksgiving week, I want to thank you for following my blog posts and EQ8 tutorials. Your encouragement, creativity, and enthusiasm mean the world to me. I’m truly grateful for you.
Serendipity>Merge Block
In this tutorial, we'll place a couple of different blocks inside the frame using the Serendipity > Merge Block feature in EQ8.
The blocks I chose all use an 8×8 grid. This keeps the math simple and makes it easy to ensure rotary-cutting friendly pieces once the blocks are placed inside the 12″ × 12″ center square of the frame block. Here are the merged blocks we’ll be playing with:
The What-If Game on the Quilt Worktable
Once the merged blocks are created, the fun really begins! Using these blocks as starting points, try auditioning different layout ideas on the Quilt Worktable.
Small changes—like recoloring or adjusting the setting—can create completely different quilts. Here are a few options to spark your imagination:
Watch the Video
In this week’s video, I walk you through how to create the merged blocks and then explore a series of “what-if” quilts on the Quilt Worktable.
Now It’s Your Turn!
Choose one or two blocks and play your own “What If” game in EQ8. Try out different color placements, layout changes, or alternate settings. You’ll be amazed at how many possibilities emerge from just a couple of starting blocks.
And once you’ve explored your options… Which version is your favorite? That’s always the toughest part of the design process! I’d love to see what you create. Share your favorites in the Learning EQ Facebook group.
One of my favorite Facebook pages to follow is Julie Silber Quilts. Julie Silber is a collector and reseller of antique quilts, and she shares the most beautiful photos of her collection.
I always find myself inspired by her posts — admiring the artistry of the antique quilts and then challenging myself to re-create some of the designs in Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8).
Exploring the Frame Options in EQ8
Within EQ8’s Serendipity feature, there’s a “Frame” tool that allows you to wrap blocks with a variety of pre-made borders. It’s a great way to add flair and dimension to your design.
I’ll admit — I don’t use this feature very often. While the built-in frames can be inspiring, their proportions don’t always lend themselves well to standard ruler sizes. Still, I decided to explore what was already available to see if any of the 130 frame options could come close to the look I was after.
There were quite a few on-point styles, but most extended the corners all the way to the edges or used traditional border shapes. Pretty — but not quite what I had in mind.
Designing My Own Frame Block
So, I took matters into my own hands and decided to design my own frame block. Creating it from scratch gave me control over every detail — and ensured the design would be piecing-friendly.
Here’s the frame I drafted and my initial quilt layout using it:
In this week’s video tutorial, I’ll show you step-by-step how to draft your own frame block and use it in a quilt layout.
Making the Math Work
When designing, I always set my block size and snap grid to make drafting easier.
For this project, I set the block at 21” x 21” with snaps every ½ inch (42 x 42 grid). Because of the overlapping edges, I ended up with an odd-sized block. Once the block was drafted, I printed a rotary cutting chart to see the sizes of the pieces I need for piecing the block. The ones highlighted in yellow were a bit awkward for rotary cutting.
In this version, the center block ended up with a finished size of 11-3/8" — not the easiest size for incorporating a pieced block.
So, I pulled out my trusty “Quilter’s Math” (or as some of my students like to call it, “Kari’s Math”) to adjust the dimensions. 
Quilters Math Worksheet for Resizing Block
After resizing the block to 22¼” x 22¼”, I reprinted the rotary cutting chart to check the results.
The difference was clear — the strip sizes now align beautifully with standard cutting increments, and best of all, the center square finishes at 12" x 12" (12½" including seam allowances). Perfect for dropping in a new block center!
What's Next
Now that I have the perfect frame, I’m excited to design a block for the center — and I’ll share that process in next week’s post.
In the meantime, I’d love for you to try drafting your own frame block in EQ8! What kind of center would you design to go inside? Share your creations in the Learning EQ Facebook group — I can’t wait to see what you come up with!
A few months ago, I challenged my Tech Know Quilter Masters members to design their own Zig Zag Quilt. In this post, I’m excited to share some of their amazing creations — along with the story behind my own Zig Zag design.
I am frequently inspired by antique quilts and used the layout employed in an antique quilt for my Zig Zag Quilt. Inspiration: Antique Roots with a Modern Twist
Zig Zag Quilt Design using EQ8
My Zig Zag Quilt design includes three distinct zig zag elements:
#1 - Zig Zag Layout
#2 - Zig Zag Block
#3 - Zig Zag Border
For the border, I turned again to the EQ Library and found inspiration in Border Blocks → Triangular → Zig Zag Border Block 2.
However, I wasn’t thrilled with the available corner options, so I designed my own corner block to complete the look and maintain a smooth flow of the zig zag lines.
Finishing the Quilt
Watch the video below to see my complete design process step-by-step.
And here’s the finished quilt!
Zig Zag Quilt Design by Kari Schell using EQ8
Zig Zag Quilts by Tech Know Quilter Masters Members
For our recent Zig Zag Quilt Challenge, I invited Tech Know Quilter Masters members to design their own versions. The creativity that emerged was absolutely inspiring!
Each quilt interprets the zig zag theme in a unique way — some playful, some elegant, all beautifully original.
Fran Heisey My block was inspired by a graphic from Shutterstock that I found on Pinterest. I thought it could be easily drafted as 2 blocks - wrong. It kept me busy for quite a while. My experience was similar to Nancy's, but just the reverse; I started in EasyDraw and finally had success in PolyDraw. Once it was drafted, I couldn't resist playing. The daisy quilt uses a simplified version that I drafted to help figure out how to do the final block.
Ready to Design Your Own Zig Zag Quilt?
Whether you’re inspired by antique layouts or modern geometry, Zig Zag designs are a wonderful way to experiment with movement and rhythm in your quilts.
If you’d like to learn how to create layouts like this in Electric Quilt 8, explore my classes or join the Tech Know Quilter community to continue growing your design skills. Send me a note to learn more.
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Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
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