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Flowers for Mom

5/13/2023

1 Comment

 
Are you planning to get your mother a flower (or flowers) for Mothers Day?  How about creating a quilted flower instead?  Check out two options in this weeks EQ8 video tutorial.  As a bonus, scroll down for free downloads for the blocks in the quilt.
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Color Club by Windham Fabrics
I chose to use the latest free Fabric of the Month from the Do You EQ Website.  The collection Color Club was designed by Heather Valentine for Windham Fabrics.  

You can download a file to add to your EQ8, EQ7 or EQ Mini Fabric Library here.
First up is a tulip block.  This is drafted using EasyDraw.  This would be super simple to foundation piece with four sections.

The block is drafted at 4" x 15" (finished size).
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Tulip Block by Kari Schell
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Dresden Flower Head 4" x 4"
For the second block, I eliminated the flower head from the first block (replacing it with a plain background square).

Then I drafted a block in PolyDraw using the circle grid.  I choose 20 petals as that would be conducive to some of the Dresden rulers on the market.  However, feel free to modify the design if your Dresden ruler has a different number of petals.
Check out the full instructions in the video tutorial.
Here are the quilts from the  video.  It would be super easy to swap out these fabrics for something in your stash.  Pick your favorite colors -- or your mothers favorite colors.
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Tulip Quilt (8" x 19" before binding)
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Dresden Flower Quilt (8" x 18-1/2" before binding)
Ready to get started piecing the quilts?  Here are ready to use downloads for the blocks.
Foundation Pattern for 4 x 15 Tulip Block
Foundation Pattern for 4 x 15 Flower Block without Head
Templates for Dresden Flower Head
Let me know which of the flower quilts your prefer.  Or did you create your own head for the flower?  Share your designs and ideas in the Learning EQ Facebook group.
Learning EQ Facebook Group Flowers for Mom Post

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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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1 Comment

Scrappy Pine Trees

5/6/2023

2 Comments

 
Some days a project decides it doesn't want to behave.  That was the case for my Scrappy Pine Trees quilt.   So in addition to seeing my design, you will see how I deal with "problems" during the design process.  Just in case you have similar issues when designing your own quilts.  :)

This was all done to help you.  Wink!  Wink!
The quilt is very versatile.  Consider swapping out the pine trees in the center for a different set of blocks.  Just remember that the blocks will be on point -- so plan accordingly.
Here are the blocks from the video tutorial.
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Scrappy Pine Trees for Center of Quilt
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Friendship Star Corner Block created using Merge Blocks
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Border Block with random sized pieces for the green strips.
As previously mentioned I had a couple of problems to work through in drafting the quilt.
​Problem #1

I had decided to combine four of the same block in a single block.  The rotation wasn't an option under Serendipity>Shrink and Flip.  So I resized/and cloned for the four corners of my quilt.  Unfortunately, I kept loosing lines.  I thought I could get around that by adding a line around the block.  That resulted in a Polygon error.  And I still lost lines. Ugh!

The beauty is that you get to see how it really isn't that hard to fix both of those problems in Electric Quilt 8.  The key is to not panic.
Problem #2

After drafting the "border", I realized I needed a faux inner border.  This was easy to fix with the merge block feature in Electric Quilt 8.
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Scrappy Pines Quilt
Watch the video to see how to draft all the blocks and quilt.
Learning EQ Facebook Post for Scrappy Pines
And here is my Scrappy Pines quilt.  This was done a long time ago (as you can probably guess with some of the fabrics I used) -- but is still a favorite of mine.
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Scrappy Pines pieced and quilted by Kari Schell

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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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2 Comments

Duck Pond

4/29/2023

3 Comments

 
Last week I shared how to draft two super simple duck blocks -- Mama Duck and Baby Duck.  Both are foundation friendly -- with only a few pieces making them quick and easy to do.  

You can find the tutorial here -- along with how to bring in and use Delivered in Love -- a brand new Moda fabric collection.

​Here were the final drafted blocks.  FYI -- you will love the technique for making the Baby Duck.
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Mama Duck 4" x 4"
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Baby Duck 4" x 4"
As promised, this week I have a video on how I incorporated these blocks in a quilt.  

However -- they are not in the main section of the quilt.  Instead I placed them in the border.

For the center of the quilt, I found the block - Goose in the Pond.  It is a block under 01 Classic Pieced>Five Patch.  When doing a search make sure to type the name exactly as written.  EQ does not look for "similar" names in a search.

Getting Everything to Fit

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Center Block Size

The block was drafted in a five by five grid.  Count the equal division across the top -- four half square triangles plus a square that is the same size.   For a total of five.

Next look at the 9 patches.  They are the same size as the half square triangle.  They have three divisions both horizontally and vertically.

Because of this, an ideal size for the block would be 15" x 15".  (Multiple the 5 for the major division by the 3 for the smaller section division.) 

So I used 15" for the size for the center of the quilt. 

As previously mentioned, the blocks for the ducks would be best done at 4".  If I wanted to fit them exactly around the center block, they would need to be resized to 3-3/4" x 3-3/4".  (15 inches for the center divided by 4).  Since the plan is to foundation piece, this is doable.  But a 4" block would accommodate other types of blocks as well.

So to use four inch blocks we need to make the size of the center 16 inches.  I chose to do this by adding a 1/2" border to the center.  
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Layout for Duck Pond Quilt in EQ
Then we are ready to add the blocks border.  The number of blocks in border is defined as the number next to the previous center.  it does not include the corners in the count.  So for four inch blocks we would set the number of blocks at 4 x 4.  (16 inches total divided by the size of 4" for the blocks).

From there you can place, rotate and color the blocks.  And add and color any additional borders.
See more on how to draft the entire quilt in this video.
I ended up with two versions.  Do you prefer cantaloupe or spray for the first narrow border and binding? 

​The body for each of the ducks (both Mama and Baby) can be cut from a 5" x 5" square -- making this quilt charm friendly.  You will need additional yardage for the background, borders and the Duck in the Pond block.
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Duck Pond Option 1 by Kari Schell
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Duck Pond Option 2 by Kari Schell
I am curious what you decide to do -- either with the layout or the blocks.  Feel free to share pictures in the Learning EQ Facebook post.
Learning EQ Facebook Post for Duck Pond

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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 Comments

Just Ducky

4/22/2023

7 Comments

 
It is cold and rainy in Minnesota.  So no visiting the ducks at the nearby creek.  Instead I decided to make my own ducks -- using Electric Quilt 8.  These will be super simple to foundation piece.  And are even charm friendly.  And I even have free foundations for you to use to create your own blocks.
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Delivered with Love Moda Fabric Collection
To get started, I thought I new fabric collection might be in order.  I went to the Moda website and found this collection that was just released.  I thought it would be the perfect fabric for my little duckies. 

I even figured out how both the Mama and Baby Ducks could be cut from charms.  More on that below.   

Here is the link to the Moda site to download the collection to your computer.

Mama Duck Tracing Image

I was debating providing the tracing image.   But for those trying to match my design exactly, it is the easiest way to ensure success.  It is also easier for me to be consistent between a "recorded" design and the original design.​
Here is the Mama Duck block you can use for tracing purposes.  Download and save on your computer under the My EQ8>Images folder.
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Mama Duck Block for Tracing
In the video, I share drafting the Mama Duck block which is 4" finished and the Baby Duck block which is also 4" finished. ​
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Mama Duck
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Baby Duck
I am curious how you would use these blocks in a quilt?  I also have an idea -- but I am saving it for next week.

​Share your suggestions for a quilt using these ducks in the Learning EQ Facebook group post.  Or post a picture of your ducks using a favorite fabric.
Just Ducky Learning EQ Facebook Group Post

Free Foundation Patterns for the Mama and Baby Ducks

Click on the photo the access and download the free pdfs for each of the foundations.  Note that the foundations should measure 4-1/2 x 4-1/2 with seam allowances and 4 x 4 without the seam allowances.
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Mama Duck Foundation Pattern
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Baby Duck Foundation Pattern
I figured out that the bodies of the ducks could be cut from 5" charm squares.  However there isn't a lot of excess fabric after accounting for the 1/4 seam allowances (particularly for the Mama duck).  So keep that in mind if using charms for your project.
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Placement of Mama Duck Templates on 5" charm Square for Cutting

Constructing the Beak and Eye

I decided to use a folded fabric piece for the beak as I think it is less work than foundation piecing it. 

​If you wish to include the beak in the regular foundation piecing, I suggest drawing it on the EasyDraw tab.  This would result in 2 foundation sections rather than one.  The beauty of drafting in EQ is we get to pick our favorite construction techniques.

For constructing the beaks, I started with a 1-1/2" fabric square.  Folded it in half on the diagonal.  Then folded the two folded edges in toward the center.  The amount of the fold was dictated by the size of the beak.    Before ironing the final piece of the foundation, I would flip the seam as it will lay much better if pressed toward the duck.
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For the eyes you could use a small button.  Or embroider or applique a small circle.  The size is a around 1/4" -- so it is pretty small.

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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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7 Comments

Signature Quilts

4/15/2023

0 Comments

 
Over the years I have participated in a number of signature block exchanges.  Those signature blocks provide such good memories of my quilty friends and the great times we have had together in meetings and at retreats.  However, I have found it a bit of a challenge to figure out the best way to use those blocks.
Dear Jane Signature Exchange

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In this exchange, each participant did the same block   All blocks needed to be signed and dated.  Each participant was required to produce a block that was representative of their larger “Jane quilt”. 

​Since there were many different fabric themes, the biggest part of the challenge was figuring out how to put them all together.

See some additional exchanges done by my Dear Jane Minnesota group here.
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Dear Jane Minnesota Signature Exchange Quilt created by Kari Schell
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Heritage Club Signature Exchange created by Kari Schell
Heritage Cub Album Block Exchange

For many years I was a member of Heritage Club.  This club was run by Four Season Quilts - a local quilt shop and each month we learned a bit about the history of quilting and received a pattern for a small quilt.  

In 2010, members decided to do an album block exchange.  For everyone who chose to participate in the exchange, we did an album block using a muslin fabric for the background and a "civil war-like" fabric.  
Scroll down for more on drafting the album block  along with this quilt layout using Electric Quilt 8.

Tech Know Quilters Masters Signature Block Exchange

Last month the challenge for Tech Know Quilter Masters members was to create a virtual signature quilt.  There were three parts to the challenge:
  • A signatures exchange.  This could be a hand created signature or one using fonts or embroidery.  The suggestion was to include a state or country so we could celebrate our friendships from around the world.
  • A signature block exchange.  Members were encourage to incorporate their signature into a signature block.  We placed no restrictions on fabric,  but did request that the block be a square.
  • A signature quilt.  Members were encouraged to create a quilt that utilized either the exchanged signatures or the exchanged signature blocks.
The group really outdid itself this month.  Having a chance to revisit the blocks and quilts as I posted them here, made me super proud of this exceptional group of designers.

​I chose to use the signatures in a quilt -- so if you scroll down you will be able to see the signatures in my virtual quilt.

Here are the blocks that were shared during the challenge.
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Merle Rawson NWS Australia
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Julie Pedersen
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Linda Carlson Missouri
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Merle Rawson (option 2)
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Lynne Maramieri Ontario Canada
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Brigitte Lee Singapore
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Curryanne Hostetler Indiana
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Joyce Drenth Illinois
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Katherine Martin Wiltshire UK
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Kristy Goodin Soard Ohio
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Kristy Goodin Soard Option 2
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Kristy Goodin Soard Option 3
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Rhonda Goss
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Pam Riggs Virginia
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Zdenka Nemethova - Czechia
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Edith Craig North Carolina
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Roxanna Khoury Oklahoma
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Gloria Jacobs Romsey Australia
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Helen Hicks Massachusetts
Here are the signature block quilts that were shared on Facebook.  Notice that some members used their own blocks with the signatures of the participants.  Others incorporated the submitted blocks in their quilts.  And this was all done virtually!
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Edith Craig
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Curryanne Hostetler
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Kristy Goodin Soard
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Kristy Goodin Soard
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Kristy Goodin Soard I loved Joyce Drenth's block so much, I used it in my setting to try it out! Thanks Joyce!
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Joyce Drenth
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Zdenka Nemethova
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Helen Hicks
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Lynne Maramieri I chose a different route and placed the signatures in the sashing of this quilt.
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Katherine Martin
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Julie Pedersen
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Brigitte Lee
Want to Know More About TKQ 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.

Album Block Signature Quilt

In the tutorial today, I decided to share how to draft the album block I used in my Heritage Club exchange quilt.  Along with the process to incorporate the Tech Know Quilter signatures in the virtual quilt.
A Few Notes on Removing the Background
  • The site I used to remove the background is remove.bg   There is no need to use the paid version for images that will be imported in EQ.  In fact EQ will really appreciate the smaller sizes.
  • It is critical that you follow the process outlined in the video for importing images into EQ.  Do not use the image worktable or it will add a black background -- which will not be useful.
  • If you zoom in on my quilt image, you can see the signatures posted by TKQ members -- all with the background removed.  I love my Tech Know Quilter friends from around the world.
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Album Quilt designed by Kari Schell using EQ8
Album Quilt Layout
  • In the video, I shared the layout and borders I used in the quilt along with the sizes.  Just a reminder that we always design quilts at finished sizes (without seam allowances). The quilt center size was calculated so that I could use 3" blocks for Border #2 and a narrow border #1.  Sometimes it pays to think ahead.
  • You can always double check your border math by recoloring the block spaces and going to Print and Export and selecting the block.
In the video, I did not include information on drafting the other blocks, or working with the fabrics.  The fabrics I used were old Jo Morton fabrics from Andover.  I collected them at least 10 years ago -- and they still match fabrics in my personal collection.  :)
Have you every done a signature quilt?  I look forward to seeing pictures in the Learning EQ Facebook group.
Learning EQ Facebook Group Post for Signature Quilts

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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
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