Kari Schell On Point Quilter Blog

Window Die Cut Design - From EQ to a Handmade Card

6/10/2023

My latest hobby has been making my own greeting cards. This week I came across a design that had a window frame that overlayed a landscape image. I began thinking about how I could do something similar using Electric Quilt 8. I wanted to be able to cut the design out on an electronic cutting system. For me that meant incorporating Cricut Design Space and my Cricut Maker.

In the video, I will take you through my process. At a high level:

The design was drawn as an applique motif in Electric Quilt 8.
In Electric Quilt, the design was printed to a pdf writer as an outline drawing.
The design was imported into Inkscape**, where fold lines were added and the design was converted and saved as an SVG.
The SVG image was uploaded to Cricut Design Space. In Cricut Design Space the card base was created and merged with the frame design.

**What is Inkscape?

The extra piece of software I used for creating the SVGs is Inkscape. Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It's free and open source.

Inkscape can seem overwhelming to use when you open it for the first time. However you only need to use a couple of tools within Inkscape -- so this really is a piece of cake. You can download Inkscape here.

Inkscape will allow you to create an SVG file which may be used in any electronic cutting system (Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio, or Brother Canvas Workspace).

So what is an SVG file? An SVG file is a graphics file that uses a two-dimensional vector graphic format. Unlike raster formats such as JPG, GIF, and PNG, an SVG image remains crisp and clear at any resolution or size. My Translation -- Much cleaner of an image than any trace in a cutting system.

The video is broken into three parts (in case you don't want to watch the entire video):

Part 1 (.33) Electric Quilt 8
Part 2 (4.17) Inkscape
Part 3 (7.00) Cricut Design Space

Window Card Construction

Step 1: Cut out the Window Frame svg on your electronic cutting system.

Step 2: Cut out the card front with the foldable window frame on your electronic cutting system. I used the Cricut Maker to score the left and right edges and cut the rest of the SVG.

Step 3: Fold back along score lines and press with a bone folder.
Step 4: Glue black frames to card front.

Step 5: Select a background. Trim to 3-1/4" x 4-3/4", Glue to back of card front. I was thinking that if you had a fun landscape photo from a trip, it might be nice to use that instead.

May 2023 Paper Pumpkin from Stampin Up card bases

Trimmed from Paper Pumpkin card base

Step 6: Cut a card base using Black cardstock 8-1/2" x 5-1/4". Score at 4-1/4".
Step 7: Glue card front to card base.

Step 8: Add greetings and embellishments.

Greeting
Binoculars (from the Paper Pumpkin kit)
Metallic Pearls (for opening the windows)

Step 9: Create inside panel for card. Stamped items from Paper Pumpkin kit.

Let me know if you use Electric Quilt 8 for uses other than quilting? I love hearing how you are using the software.

Window Dies for Cardmaking Learning EQ Facebook Post

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Current Tech Know Quilter members have been sharing their class projects along with their original designs (and in some cases quilts) in the membership's private Facebook group. Enjoy this show of some of their recent creations.

You can learn more about the Tech Know Quilters membership program and sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period here.

Pat Norrad EQ Design

Pat Norrad Finished Quilt

Pad Norrad My very dear Aunt and Uncle, who are in the mid 80's, asked if I could repair their favorite quilt they've had for over 40yrs. It wasn't repairable so I said it would be easier to just make them a new one. OMGoodness - what did I just say, LOL Along with my EQ8 Program, I also enjoy Digitizing. I put the two together and was able to create my pattern in EQ8 and Digitize the Embroidery needed to go into each of the blocks. I took the Advance Border Design Class (along with many others) and thank goodness I did. I've learned a lot more than I thought I would; thank you Kari Schell. In the end, this is a Bedspread that is quilted, not your usual quilt. I've decided I would make the Pillow Shams that match.

Margo Reppert I'm rather pleased with my Jacobean Challenge.

Joan Sledge Webb This is a quilt I designed using fabric colors from my grandson's wedding.

Ann Cornett Horsley -- One block used in five different layouts. Playing around.

Pat Norrad EQ8 Design

Pat Norrad Quilt

Pat Norrad We were given Challenge to only use two colors to make a project. The two crayons I pulled from a brown paper bag was Brown and Orange (go figure). We could have a cream, white or black background. I created this Quilt using the Storm at Sea block with shades of the two colors.

Connie Bobcik My Gees Bend quilt

Connie Bobcik One of my horizontal quilts.

Connie Bobcik - One of my Log Cabin 3D Quilts

Connie Bobcik - My Fractured Background quilt.

Pat Norrad EQ8 Design

Pat Norrad Quilt Top

Pat Norrad This is another quilt I just finished. It is a Grad Quilt for our next door neighbor's daughter. We've good neighbors for 19 yrs and have watched their 3 children grow up. Their daughter finally got her wish to have her 'own' dog and she is just crazy over this dog. I drew the pattern in EQ8 and I'm so glad I did.

Cindy Meyer I've called this "Where the Stars Go" because it reminds me of a black hole. The fabrics were downloaded from a website and, of course, I purchased those fabrics to make this quilt. I've printed the foundations but still playing with the borders before I begin.

Edith Craig My class this month was Masters Hexies and More. I used the concepts from this class, some of the blocks we drafted in class, and used a different layout template from the Layout Library. The combination of various blocks made a striking layout and shows how varied a quilt can look using only a couple of blocks.

Maureen Pinwill
I have been working on a quilt for the past few years which involves a great deal of simple embroidery along the whole border of a king size quilt, so much of this hand embroidery has been undertaken by hand either whilst watching tv or when I wake up, usually at about 4 - 4.30 am. The patchwork pieces are tiny and quite traditional but all the pieces are the same along the top and sides of the quilt. It has lots of small embroidery decorations that are mirrored on top to bottom and also side from side. So I had to ensure that everything was pieced in the correct order. All the top blocks are joined together and then a backing will be placed when all the tops have been joined. I only have three more blocks to finish and only then can I start back the quilt sew the quilting top and put the border on. I hope to get it finished for my daughter's next wedding anniversary in March 2024. The next time I approached a quilt of this nature I will use my Artista Designer Plus Embroidery program to do so, as I am sure it would have been completed much earlier if I had taken the time and trouble to put the design in that program. Although I do use embroidery to meditate so it has given me many, many hours of peace and calm

Helen Warwick EQ Quilt

Helen Warwick Foundation pattern

Helen Warwick Drafted in EQ8 for foundation paper piecing. The original Java Twist was not foundation paper pieced and my friend could not get any of the blocks to come out the correct size by following the directions. I suggested trying to draft it as a foundation paper pieced block and she knew how to do foundation paper piecing, but not how to draft them. This is what I came up with. I learned a lot in the foundation paper piecing lessons from Kari. The quilt turned out beautiful.
I have a very happy friend.

Linda Carlson This Masters Hexes and More variation came from Lesson 5. What looks like white pin dots on blue is actually a stripe fabric turned on the diagonal. It was a good class!

Joan Sledge Webb I'm expecting my first Great Grandchild in September. I wanted to make a scrappy quilt using the It's A Boy collection by Riley Blake. Took me a few tries but I did get the pieced border to line up and I'm pretty happy with it. I might change some of the fabrics before I start on the quilt but it's a start.

Rhonda Goss Masters Hexie class quilt

Julie Pedersen Masters Hexies N More class

Learn More About Tech Know Quilters and Sign Up for the Wait List

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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Log Cabin Crossing

6/3/2023

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This block and quilt I am presenting today is an original design -- the result of some playing in Electric Quilt 8 the other day. When playing I will often go through a number of iterations of a block or quilt. It is a design that is scrap friendly and can use a collection of left-over 2" strips.

Tip -- always save multiple times as you draft your blocks and quilt. Sometimes your additional playing does not yield better results and you may want to go back to an earlier version.

Designing the Log Cabin Crossing Block

I started by drafting a very simple crossing block using EasyDraw. I chose to make the block 17" x 17". This is the size without added seam allowances.

The diagonal lines were drawn 1-1/2" in from each corner. They cross to create an on point square in the center. It also gave me some really large on triangles for additional designing.

Crossing Lines

When working with an on point segment in a block, the snaps horizontal and vertical won't always give you the precision you need to create perfect diagonal lines -- ones that produce squares and rectangles that are easy to cut.

Fortunately EasyDraw gives us the ability to partition lines. Use a similar partition for all three edges of your big triangle. I used Partition Segment - 6 for my design. However, feel free to experiment with the concept with a different number of partitions. Just remember that the more partitions you add the more piecing you will be doing.

Partition Segment 6

Next it is time to draw your lines.

Make sure to switch to Snap to Nodes only under your snapping options. If you also have Snap to Grid on, EQ will naturally gravitate to those snap points when they are close to a Node. EQ has a much stronger magnet on grid points versus the nodes.

Draw a series of diagonal lines that are parallel to the long diagonal lines originally drafted. This is super simple as all you need to do is connect the dots (or in this case nodes).

Draw Diagonal Parallel Lines

Go to Color and back to Draw. The will split all your drawn lines at intersections. So they are no more long diagonal lines but a series of small short lines instead.

This is a design decision point.

You could piece your block with 15 squares in each of the larger triangles. Or you could turn each of the squares into half squares triangles. A great idea if you have a stash of extra half square triangle units from a previous project. Maybe a set created from cheater corners.

Break lines at intersections

I chose to simplify my design and delete some of the small diagonal segments. This will turn the squares into 5 rectangles. Essentially creating log cabin pieces.

Much faster to piece.

Delete some of the small diagonal segments to create log cabin rectangle pieces.

You could replicate the process and draw the same segments for the other three large triangle units.

However, I chose to go with an easier approach. I converted the longer lines to guides (this will assist in placement.

Then cloned and rotated the log cabin pieces from the top and placed over the guidelines. I found it was easiest to get everything to snap if I switched back to Snap to Grid. Note that we have Horizontal and Vertical Grid snap points at all three corners of the large triangle.

Duplicate the top segments. Rotate and place on the other three edges of the block.

Just for fun I decided to create a small pieced unit in the on point square in the center.

Another design point. Chose your own design for that on point square.

A simple quarter square triangle unit for me.

Optional - Add some piecing to the on point square in the center.

After playing with my design in the quilt worktable, I realized I could simplify the construction process by making a slight modification to the corners.

By eliminating two diagonal lines and adding a third one going the other direction, I've eliminated the awkward house shaped piece in the corner. Instead I have an additional rectangle and a half square triangle for the corner.

Now all the pieces will show up on the rotary cutting chart and it will be easier to cut and piece the entire block.

Modify the corners to improve construction.

Color the block using a variety of fabrics for a scrappy look.

I used the latest free download from Do You EQ. Vertex was designed by QT fabrics. It has 84 fun fabrics to give your quilt a very scrappy look.

Link to free Vertex download from Do You EQ

Colored block.

Designing the Quilt

When I pulled the rotary cutting chart for my 17" block, I realized that it wasn't quite as rotary cutting friendly as I hoped.

Each of the logs needed to be cut from 2-1/8" strips. And the cross cuts had challenging measurements as well.

17" x 17" Rotary Cutting Chart

Fortunately in EQ, we don't have to create our quilts in the size we designed our blocks.

I could tell you that I worked through the math and figured out the size of the block that resulted in easier to cut logs. However, I wasn't feeling very brainy today -- so I cheated. I just experimented with some different sizes.

To do this, in the Rotary Cutting dialogue box, switch from "Use size from worktable" to "Custom Block size".

Type in a new size and select preview.

Type in a custom block size to experiment with different rotary cutting results.

Notice how much better the rotary cutting chart is once the block size is changed to 15-1/2" x 15-1/2".

Now the logs can be cut from 2" strips of fabric.

15" x 15" Rotary Cutting Chart

On the Quilt Worktable, select New Quilt and select the Style Horizontal.

On the Layout tab, change the number of blocks to 3 horizontal and 4 vertical.

Change the size of the block to 15.5"

Change the sashing size to 2.75"

On the border tab, set up 3 borders:
Border #1 - 1" Long Horizontal
Border #2 - 4-1/2" Long Horizontal
Border #3 - 1/2" Mitered (for the binding)

Horizontal Quilt - Layout Tab

On the Block worktable, create a block for the cornerstones. This is optional -- but I thought it was a way to carry the concept of the center of my bocks into the cornerstone.

My cornerstone block was designed at four inches. Make sure to turn on Snap to Grid before drawing the unit.

I created an on point square and then drew horizontal and vertical lines through the center.

Cornerstone Block

See the full video on creating your own blocks and quilt.

Here is my final quilt. I love how the log cabin units stand out when using a black background.

I am curious what you choose to do with the design. did you make any different design decisions. Whether you did (or did not) I would love to see your final quilt. Please feel free to share in the Learning EQ Facebook group post I have set up.

Learning Electric Quilt Facebook Group - Log Cabin Crossing Post

EasyDraw Class Options in Tech Know Quilters

Did you enjoy learning some new skills in working with EasyDraw? If you are ready to enhance those skills, check out the three EasyDraw class options within the Tech Know Quilter membership.

Introduction to EasyDraw (Beginner)
EasyDraw Kaleidoscopes (Intermediate)
Advanced EasyDraw (Advanced)

If you aren't sure which class makes the most sense, take a look at the blocks for each class in the slideshow below. If you can draft most of the blocks for a particular class without assistance, select the next class on the list.

Not currently a member -- send me a note if you are interested in joining Tech Know Quilters -- and which class you would like to start with.

Current members, let me know if you would like any of these classes as an add-on to your current class for the month. We will send you a an add-on coupon for your discounted price.

Email 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.

Happy quilting.

Kari

2 Comments

Using Stripes in an On Point Layout

5/27/2023

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Have you gone through the trouble of coloring a block. And then found that when you put it in an On Point layout, the fabric is not positioned correctly. This could also happen if you color the quilt directly in the on point layout.

Electric Quilt positions the fabric so it looks rotated in the on point blocks. Since most of us prefer piecing blocks so the outside edges do not have bias, the EQ coloration does not match our planned piecing of the blocks. Check out these before and after photos. In particular look at the placement of fabrics in the quarter-square triangle units.

Initial Coloring of Ohio Star using Stripe in On Point Layout

Stripe Adjusted using a Combination of Rotate and Fussy Cut on the Quilt Worktable

FYI -- I also swapped out a couple of fabrics in the final block.

In the video tutorial, I will take you through my tricks for correcting the fabric placement. I will even walk through the process of creating perfect fabric placement for mitered borders. It is much easier to do this in EQ than to actually piece those mitered corners (in my opinion). :)

Fabric Used in the Quilt

Each month Electric Quilt provides us with a free fabric collection. In November of 2022, the collection was Stars and Stripes 10th Anniversary. The collection was designed by Linda Ludovico and Deborah Edwards and was manufactured by Northcott.

You can still download this free collection of fabric images from the Do You EQ website. It contains a number of striped fabrics, which are perfect for use in the quilt in the video.

Stars and Stripes 10th Anniversary Fabric Download from Do You EQ

For those doing a bit of shopping this weekend, there is a 25% off sale on all products (other than classes) on the EQ website. A perfect time to buy Electric Quilt 8 -- or one of their many downloads. I will be purchasing the EQ Stash - Download 01 for 2023.

Click on the above image to be taken to their site. If you use this link I will receive a small commission on the sale. My commission does not affect your price in any way. Make sure to use the coupon code BIGSALE.

Here is my final quilt from the video.

Striped Fabric in On Point Layout - Quilt created by Kari Schell using EQ8

Rotary Cutting for On Point Blocks

The Rotary Cutting Chart (while accurate), can sometimes be confusing for on point blocks in EQ.

Select Print and Export, and select the Ohio Star block from the quilt and select Rotary Cutting. Note that EQ does give you the rotary cutting assuming you plan to piece the block in a traditional manner. However it will show the size of block as 16.97" x 16.97" -- which is the size from corner to corner (not the size of the edge of the block).

Rotary Cutting for 12" Ohio Star block in an On Point Layout

As an alternative, in the dialogue box for Rotary Cutting, you can select the option to change from "Use size from quilt" to "Custom block size" and set the finished block size (without seam allowances) to 12 x 12. As you can see the rotary cutting chart gives the exact same measurements as the first rotary cutting chart -- the only change being the block size.

Adjusted Rotary Cutting Dialogue Box for Ohio Star block

Ohio Star Rotary Cutting Instructions using adjusted perimeters from the dialogue box.

Now It Is Your Turn

Experiment with using striped fabrics in an on point layout -- either the free fabric images I used from the Do You EQ website, or another collection. I would love to see your quilts. Feel free to post pictures in the Learning EQ Facebook group. I have set up a dedicated post for these images.

Do You EQ Facebook Post for Striped Fabrics in an On Point Layout

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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Are You Ready to Design Your Own Quilts using Electric Quilt 8

5/26/2023

I remember agonizing over my first purchase of Electric Quilt. I loved quilting and had a ton of patterns and books – more than I could ever use in my lifetime. Can you relate?

I wasn’t completely convinced I needed the software. However, I also realized that those purchased patterns were not always accurate and there were quilts that I saw in magazines and at shows that did not have patterns. And I didn't necessarily want to make an exact replica of the quilts from patterns I had bought.

Once I started using the software, I knew I couldn’t live without it. I quickly found that I recouped my investment in the software through significantly fewer PIGS (projects in grocery sacks). You know those quilts that you thought would be your next masterpiece. But as you got started piecing them, you realized something wasn’t quite right.

I knew from my own struggles that the initial purchase of Electric Quilt 8 can be a challenging decision. As a result, I want to help you resolve whether the software will be useful for you.

In this blog post I will be sharing with you:

The top six reasons to purchase EQ8
Three reasons why not

Six Reasons to Purchase Electric Quilt 8

After purchasing Electric Quilt and working with it (and teaching others how to use it), I've come to realize that Electric Quilt 8 is hands down the best tool I have purchased for creating both blocks and quilts.

Full disclosure. I use it personally, but I also teach people how to get the best use of the program. I am pretty sure you know which side of the fence I will come down on.

But I want you to go into this with your eyes open. So I will also be sharing some of the objections to buying…to help you make the right decision for you.

#1 - Audition Your Favorite Fabrics

When is the last time you bought a pattern because you loved the quilt on the cover? And then realized that the fabric is no longer available. Or maybe it doesn't work well with the other colors in the room you are hoping to use the quilt in. If you have trouble visualizing what your favorite fabrics will look like in your quilt pattern, you are perfectly normal.

Before Electric Quilt, I lost count of the number of times I purchased some fabulous fabrics, cut them up and realized (after the point of no return) they wouldn’t work with my selected quilt pattern.

With Electric Quilt 8 you have the option to audition fabrics before your first cut. This can even be done before spending money on fabric.

The EQ8 Fabric Library comes pre-loaded with 6,200 fabrics from top manufacturers! This may look intimidating. But don’t worry. The fabric library is well organized and very easy to use.

Add a Stash fabric download from Electric Quilt which provides images of some of the newest fabrics on the market.
You can also add fabrics from the web! Download fabric images from a website, then import into EQ8.
You can even scan or photograph your fabric and import into EQ8.

#2 - Never Manually Calculate Fabric Yardage Requirements Again

One of my favorite features of Electric Quilt 8 is the ability to obtain fabric yardage requirements with a push of a button. If you use fabric from the Electric Quilt library, it even will provide you with a fabric reference number to assist you in purchasing the fabric at your favorite quilt shop.

Bonus: A new feature in Electric Quilt 8 is the option of printing the number of Fat Quarters needed for your quilt.

#3 - Modify Blocks and Quilts from Purchased Patterns

Have you purchased a pattern and realized there are things you would like to change? Maybe the block needs to be tweaked to use your favorite ruler or die set. Or maybe the sizes or layout needs to be adjusted so the quilt can work for your bed -- and then of course you need to adjust the yardage requirements to accommodate the new size.

Good news! Electric Quilt 8 has three different sets of tools for drawing your own blocks or redrafting a block from a picture.

EasyDraw tools are similar to working with graph paper and pencil, just like you use to do.

And if you want to draw a more complex design, PolyDraw tools also allows you to create pieced blocks that are not based on a standard graph paper type of grid. Think circular or kaleidoscope types of designs.

If you are into hexagonal quilts, PolyDraw also provides us the ability to create interlocking blocks.

And if you love applique, you will definitely be interested in the applique toolkit. I have not found an applique project that cannot be drafting using Electric Quilt 8.

However, before starting to draft your own block, you may want to check if your block is in the Electric Quilt block library. With the release of EQ8, Electric Quilt added 1400 new bocks to their already extensive library. Giving us a total of 6500 blocks to choose from for starting our next quilt.

But if you cannot locate your favorite block in the library, there is no need to worry. There is the option to import a picture of the block and trace it. This is probably my all time favorite feature of Electric Quilt 8. This is an area I love working with Electric Quilt users on and an area of focus in Tech Know Quilters - a paid membership program for Electric Quilt 8 users.

There are also options to add more blocks to the library through collections such as as Block Base Plus based on Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. Choose from collections by Judy Martin, Marsha McCloskey or even Dear Jane. And the beauty is that all of these blocks will be able to be modified by you within Electric Quilt 8.

Within Electric Quilt 8, they even have added a group of Serendipity tools that provides a fast way to create entirely new blocks based on a previously drafted block. I find this is a great option for creating brand new original quilt blocks on days I am not feeling super creative.

#4 - Select Your Favorite Construction Method

Many potential Electric Quilt 8 users wondering if the software will assist them in constructing their block. Electric Quilt does assume that users are familiar with basic quilt construction techniques. The software will not teach you how to applique, foundation piece or even piece together rotary cut patches. It will also not provide you step by step instructions typically found in a purchased quilt pattern.

However it will provide you with a variety of tools to facilitate cutting fabric and even the foundations to paper piece your blocks. The method of construction is your choice.

Here is an example of a typical Electric Quilt 8 rotary cutting chart for a block colored in the fabrics of your choice.

Electric Quilt 8 will also provide you the foundations (assuming your pattern is foundation friendly). You also have the option to section and number yourself if you would prefer a different set of foundations.

For every block there is always an option to produce templates -- with or without seam allowances..

#5 - Save Money

All it takes is two quilts that didn't come out as you had envisioned them to recoup the cost of purchasing Electric Quilt 8. Maybe just one at the current price of fabric.

And think about how much less fabric you will need to purchase when you can design your entire quilt complete with fabrics before investing.

And if you have shelves filled with fabric, you can design with the fabrics on your shelves and start working through that large stash. That may also make other members of your household happy.

#6 –Support

Electric Quilt 8 has an incredible reference manual with great instructions and illustrations -- all available in the help section of the program. There are also some decent getting started videos on the EQ website. Along with hundreds of free videos in my blog posts (onpointquilter.com) and on YouTube. Electric Quilt's support for EQ8 users is second to none.

The challenge many new users to Electric Quilt 8 experience is that because there is so much functionality with the program it is easy to become overwhelmed. If you purchase Electric Quilt 8, you should plan on time to get comfortable with the software.

Frankly it is because of this I have created a variety of well-structured training programs for Electric Quilt 8 users. I know how quilters learn best and I know the things to learn first -- to ensure long term success with the program.

Summary of top Reasons to Purchase

Electric Quilt 8 is fantastic for:

Auditioning your favorite fabrics in your quilts (before making them)
Push of a button fabric yardage charts
Ability to draft and modify any quilt block from a purchased pattern
The option of selecting your favorite construction method
Saving money on fabric purchases.
Support once you have purchased the software.

But of course you know there are also reasons why it may not be a great fit Because obviously it can’t be a good fit for every quilter. Next, I will now go into the reasons it may not be a good fit for you.

Reasons Buying Electric Quilt 8 May Not Be Right for You

#1 - You Want to Do All Your Quilt Designing on a Tablet or Phone

You may enjoy perusing Pinterest and watching You Tube videos on your tablet or phone and would love to be able to design your quilts on your phone or tablet.

EQ8 will not run on Chromebooks or any devices running Android or iOS. EQ8 requires one of the following Windows or Mac operating systems:

Windows 11, Windows 10, Windows 8.1, or Windows 7 with Service Pack 1
macOS Monterey (12), Big Sur (11) Intel and M1 processors, Catalina (10.15), Mojave (10.14), High Sierra (10.13)

#2 - You Enjoy Creating Quilts from Kits

Many quilters love purchasing quilts and are very comfortable making them exactly as laid out in the quilt. If most of your quilts are from kits, there is probably not a need for Electric Quilt 8 -- unless you decide to modify the kit (or find a problem with the instructions in the kit or pattern).

#3 - You Love Designing with Graph Paper

Do you find that you enjoy designing with graph paper and colored pencils and enjoy figuring out the math for your quilt blocks and quilts? I know of a number of professional quilt designers who still enjoy using graph paper and pencils to create their blocks and quilts.

I have found that graph paper can be a decent solution when all your blocks are comprised of squares, rectangles and half square triangles. And you are comfortable calculating your own rotary cutting and fabric yardage calculations. And you are good with selecting fabric based on your colored pencil renditions of your blocks and quilt.

If this is you, EQ8 is not necessary. However even if you love designing with graph paper, you my find that sometimes you get stuck. And do you really enjoy doing all those calculations by hand all of the time? Sometimes it is so much easier relying on the software to take the tedium out of the design process so you can focus on the parts your truly enjoy. If graph paper and colored pencils are not providing the results you desire, Electric Quilt 8 may provide you with so much more.

Summary

Now that I have summed up the top reasons to purchase along with some reasons not to, I hope I have provided clarity on what is best for you.

Honestly, I believe that the reasons to purchase are much stronger than those not to purchase. Although it is not right for everybody, it is a great tool for many quilters.

If you are ready to purchase, I would like to provide you with some bonuses if you decide to purchase through my affiliate link below.

Affiliate Link Bonus #1 Goose Goose Duck Challenge Material

Goose Goose Duck Video Series – Video series covering creation of six different pieced “goose and duck blocks using Electric Quilt 8 along a number of layouts.
12 Goose Goose Duck patterns
7 Sampler Quilt Patterns
Kari’s Goose Goose Duck Electric Quilt 8 project file with 35 blocks and 19 quilts.

This bonus is only available if you purchase through the affiliate link.

Affiliate Link Bonus #2 Spring Fever Challenge Material

Spring Fever Video Series – Video series covering creation of seven original foundation friendly blocks plus related quilt.
Kari’s Spring Fever EQ8 project file.

This bonus is only available if you purchase through the affiliate link.

Ready to Purchase Electric Quilt 8?

Just click on the picture, enter your name and email and you will receive my affiliate link to purchase Electric Quilt on the Electric Quilt website. Then watch for a follow up email from me where I will ask you for your purchase info.

Electric Quilt currently has a sale going on (25% off everything in their store). Now through May 29, 2023. So now is a great time to make the investment in EQ8.

Kari

Not quite ready to purchase. 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.

Award Winning Broken Star Quilt

5/20/2023

2 Comments

After seeing an AQS award winning quilt by Kathy Bradbury, I realized that the quilt is drafting friendly when using a layout from the Electric Quilt 8 layout library. Scroll down to see the quilt and learn how to draft it yourself.

I also am excited to feature some amazing designs from Tech Know Quilter members who have been super busy designing (and in some cases making) quilts.

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Current Tech Know Quilter members have been sharing their class projects along with their original designs in the membership's private Facebook group. Enjoy this show of some of their recent creations.

You can learn more about the Tech Know Quilters membership program and sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period here.

Marcia Jensen As I worked in the Mix and Match Medallions lessons this month, the creative juices really began to flow! First up: medallions, working with poly draw - shapes, and adding borders!

Marcia Jensen Here's a second, working in the Mix and Match Medallions lessons. I love taking a quadrant of the applique shapes and turning it into a new block, then making a quilt out of it! I might try to make this one someday... "Santa Fe."

Marcia Jensen Again, in the Mix and Match medallions lessons - suddenly an idea "appeared" out of nowhere for a table runner!

Julie Pedersen I used a quilt that I designed for the Star Layouts from EQ8 to create this one.

Star Layout from the Library used by Julie.

Julies quilt from the lesson.

Jane Perri This quilt combined blocks we worked on in PolyDraw with a tumbling block I created in EasyDraw for a different project. Trying to get the shadowing right was fun.

Curryanne Hostetler I designed this for my quilt club “River runs through it” Challenge with all 1" pieces. The challenge specified that the river had to be 2" to 6" from the bottom and if the quilt had a binding the river needed to be part of the binding.

Lee Wiencki In Landscape quilts I did two really different landscape quilts. One I would consider traditional and the other photo-realism.

Lee Wiencki Photo-realism, which is a new type of quilt for me.

Zdenka Nemethová For me it was all about Stars in March. I took Star quilts class and Star Layouts in Masters. Busy month. For this "Something Springy" quilt I used Stars 25 layout from Layout library and used some hints that Kari showed us on her great March Colorplay panel quilt lesson and Easter egg hunt webinar.

Zdenka Nemethova's finished quilt.

Rhonda Goss Master's Class star Layouts. Layout seventeen used for the quilt.

Curryanne Hostetler I got a new star layout and several new blocks along with some from class

Lynne Maramieri I played with the rotation and colouring until I found something I liked.

Edith Craig My class this month was Master's Star Layout. I took the concepts from the class along with some of the library blocks and blocks we drafted in class, adding them to Layout Style Star 48. The layout library is a great source of inspiration, and the variety of blocks adds an infinite number of quilt options. It was great fun to play with the options.

Robin Floyd I am still learning. I really enjoyed this class. It was a challenge. I used some batiks (my favorite) and recolored this block which I really like. Simple, but a start.

Christina Marie DeChellis This was my take on the Flying Geese Quilt from Lesson 7. I used a the Blissful Basics fabric collection. This one I plan to make! Very excited, wonderful class this month! Thank you, Kari!

Sara Edmonds Byman I made a quilt out of one of my EQ8 lessons! It was last month's T-Shirt Quilt and Panel Quilts.

Linda Carlson This is Lesson 7 of the Masters Stars Layouts from EQ8. Very good class!

Terry McCaskey I enjoyed learning new techniques in the TKQ Landscape class last month. Here is my photo and EQ quilt of the Badlands.

Terry's inspirational photo.

Fran Heisey Master Class - Star Layouts from the EQ Library is a great class, it prompted me to try to make my own different shaped blocks from Library Layout blocks that I can set blocks into. I have made blocks that form a triangle, pentagon, octagon, nonagon, decagon, and dodecagon.. Each of the blocks was made from from an EQ Library right triangle block. Here, is a layout where I have just colored the blocks with solid colors.

Fran Heisey Here are the triangle, pentagon and dodecagon with blocks set into them.

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Broken Star Quilt using EQ8

In the collection of quilt designs from the Tech Know Quilter's showcase, you may have noticed that a number of them were designs that started with one of the Star layouts in the Electric Quilt layout library. The layout library includes a large number of ready-made custom set layouts. In the Tech Know Quilter's class, we covered modifying the layouts to personalize a design and then playing with their own blocks in those layouts.

Today on Facebook I saw a post from the American Quilter's Society.

They posted a picture of this amazing quilt by Kathy Bradbury of Milton Florida.

As I was looking at the center of the quilt, I realized the layout is one in the EQ Stars layout library.

I wonder if Kathy uses EQ8 for her designs.

Broken Star by Kathy Bradbury

AQS QuiltWeek - Paducah 2023 Semi-finalist
BLUE JEANS, PEARLS AND DRAMA by Kathy Bradbury of Milton, Florida
91" x 91"
Design Source: Piping Hot Curves by Susan K. Cleveland
About her quilt, she writes, "This is a traditional Broken Star but as I was making it I wanted to make it more dramatic so I added spires (I lovingly call them 'eyelashes'). I was inspired by Susan Cleveland's Curved Piping when adding the border. It took 86 hours to quilt this."

Let me share my thoughts on using Electric Quilt 8 to design the center of this quilt. (And yes -- the border could be designed in EQ as well -- but that is beyond the scope of a blog post.)

Blocks for the Quilt

For the center of Kathy's fabulous quilt, there are only two blocks. And both can be drafted in EasyDraw. In coloring the blocks, I used default fabrics that were similar in value to Kathy's quilt -- just to keep things simple.

5 x 5 Grid Drawn in EasyDraw

Quilt Layout

Spiky Wheel Drawn in EasyDraw

The layout I chose was Star Layout 49 from the EQ8 Layout Library. You will love what the layout does with the 5 x 5 grid. And these blocks could be strip pieced to create a stunning star quilt.

Star Layout 49 from the EQ8 Library

Here are the quilts from the video.

Broken Star Quilt with 5 x 5 Grid in Diamond Spaces

Broken Star Quilt with 8 Pointed Star in Diamond Spaces

And yes -- you could draft Kathy's amazing border in Electric Quilt as well. But that is more involved and outside the scope of a blog post.

I also played with the blocks in a different Star layout (Stars 29). This is not part of the video. EQ is so much fun.

Stars 29 Layout from the EQ Library

I look forward to seeing what layout you decide to work with -- and what blocks you included in the layout. Post your favorite in the Learning EQ Facebook group. I've set up a dedicated post for your quilt designs.

Learning EQ Facebook Group Broken Star Layout Post

Happy quilting.

Kari

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Window Die Cut Design - From EQ to a Handmade Card

Window Card Construction

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Log Cabin Crossing

Designing the Log Cabin Crossing Block

Designing the Quilt

EasyDraw Class Options in Tech Know Quilters

Using Stripes in an On Point Layout

Fabric Used in the Quilt

Rotary Cutting for On Point Blocks

Now It Is Your Turn

Are You Ready to Design Your Own Quilts using Electric Quilt 8

Six Reasons to Purchase Electric Quilt 8

#1 - Audition Your Favorite Fabrics

#2 - Never Manually Calculate Fabric Yardage Requirements Again

#3 - Modify Blocks and Quilts from Purchased Patterns

#4 - Select Your Favorite Construction Method

#5 - Save Money

#6 –Support

Summary of top Reasons to Purchase

Reasons Buying Electric Quilt 8 May Not Be Right for You

#1 - You Want to Do All Your Quilt Designing on a Tablet or Phone

#2 - You Enjoy Creating Quilts from Kits

#3 - You Love Designing with Graph Paper

Summary

Affiliate Link Bonus #1 Goose Goose Duck Challenge Material

Affiliate Link Bonus #2 Spring Fever Challenge Material

Ready to Purchase Electric Quilt 8?

Award Winning Broken Star Quilt

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Broken Star Quilt using EQ8

Blocks for the Quilt

Quilt Layout

Kari Schell

Categories

Archives

Window Die Cut Design - From EQ to a Handmade Card

Window Card Construction

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Log Cabin Crossing

Designing the Log Cabin Crossing Block

Designing the Quilt

EasyDraw Class Options in Tech Know Quilters

Using Stripes in an On Point Layout

Fabric Used in the Quilt

Rotary Cutting for On Point Blocks

Now It Is Your Turn

Are You Ready to Design Your Own Quilts using Electric Quilt 8

Six Reasons to Purchase Electric Quilt 8 ​

#1 - Audition Your Favorite Fabrics

#2 - Never Manually Calculate Fabric Yardage Requirements Again

#3 - Modify Blocks and Quilts from Purchased Patterns

#4 - Select Your Favorite Construction Method

#5 - Save Money​

#6 –Support

Summary of top Reasons to Purchase

Reasons Buying Electric Quilt 8 May Not Be Right for You

#1 - You Want to Do All Your Quilt Designing on a Tablet or Phone

#2 - You Enjoy Creating Quilts from Kits

#3 - You Love Designing with Graph Paper

Summary

Affiliate Link Bonus #1 Goose Goose Duck Challenge Material

Affiliate Link Bonus #2 Spring Fever Challenge Material

Ready to Purchase Electric Quilt 8?

Award Winning Broken Star Quilt

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Broken Star Quilt using EQ8

Blocks for the Quilt

Quilt Layout

Kari Schell

﻿Categories﻿

Archives

GET MY NEWSLETTER FOR REGULAR EQ AWESOMENESS!

Six Reasons to Purchase Electric Quilt 8

#5 - Save Money

Categories