Kari Schell On Point Quilter Blog

Pumpkins, Leaves & Stars — Oh My! A Seasonal EQ8 Tutorial

10/11/2025

Dahlias at Dusk Quilt from October 4, 2025 Post

Last week, I shared a new quilt I designed in Electric Quilt 8 using the Dahlias at Dusk fabric collection by Julie Lynch for QT Fabrics. This gorgeous line was featured as the free Fabric of the Month on Do You EQ?, and it inspired my original design.

While I loved that quilt, I couldn’t resist experimenting with a seasonal variation.

As part of a recent challenge for my advanced Tech Know Quilter members, I asked them to design a fall-themed quilt featuring sawtooth stars, fall leaves, and/or pumpkins. That idea sparked my next version of the design—where I replaced the 4" squares in the quilt center with pieced pumpkin and pieced leaf blocks.

And now, I’m sharing that process with you in a free EQ8 video tutorial!

Stars Leaves and Pumpkins EQ8 Tutorial

If you missed my previous video — Sawtooth Star Quilt Without a Sawtooth Star Block— you’ll want to start there, since the blocks and quilt from that tutorial form the foundation for this new project.

In this week’s video, you’ll learn how to:

Select a quilt from the Project Sketchbook for modification.
Draft a piecing-friendly pumpkin block (4x4 grid) using EasyDraw.
Draft a piecing-friendly leaf block (4x4 grid) using EasyDraw.
Use Serendipity > Merge Block to create new design variations.
Replace groups of blocks on the Quilt Worktable using the Alt/Option key.
Recolor blocks using the Alt/Option key with the Spraycan and Paintbrush tools.
Rotate individual blocks for added interest.

Here are the new pumpkin and leaf blocks created in the video. Aren’t they fun? They add the perfect touch of fall to any EQ8 design.

4 x 4 Pumpkin Block Drafted in EasyDraw

Merged Pumpkin Block

4 x 4 Leaf Block drawn in EasyDraw

Merged Leaf Block

Stars Leaves and Pumpkins Designed in EQ8 by Kari Schell

Share Your Version!

Will you use my pumpkin and leaf blocks — or design your own? I’d love to see what you create!

Share your finished quilt in the Learning EQ Facebook Group so we can celebrate your creativity together.

Stars Leaves and Pumpkins Learning EQ8 Post

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.

Sawtooth Star Quilt without a Sawtooth Star Block

10/4/2025

This week I have been busy welcoming and starting my new Tech Know Quilters Academy students. For those who have joined me in the Academy -- this week you should have received the first emails for your new class. We had a lot of sign-ups and I think we got them all processed correctly -- but would appreciate a note if you are missing something.

I am also excited to share a new quilt design! This one uses the intersection of blocks to create the sawtooth stars. This quilt is also a great place to highlight some of your charm pieces.

For those in the Tech Know Quilters Masters group -- this design may find its way into my submission for our challenge for this month. Obviously I am still missing components. So stay tuned.

Sawtooth Star Quilt without a Sawtooth Star Block EQ8 Tutorial

Dahlias at Dusk from QT Fabrics

Did you see the new free Fabric of the Month download on Do You EQ?

It is Dahlias at Dusk by Julie Lynch for QT Fabrics.

The collection is breath-taking and I knew I wanted to design a quilt around it.

In the video learn:

How to add a new fabric collection for your project.
How to draft a quarter of a block and use the clone and rotate features to finish off the design.
How to draft a pieced sashing block that complements the main block.
How to set up a new quilt with blocks, sashing and borders.
How to rotate sashing blocks.
How to detach and resize the fabric preview window.
How to recolor individual patches in the quilt.

Here are the blocks and quilt from the video.

Dahlias at Dush 8 x 8 Block

Dahlias at Dusk 2 x 8 Sashing

Dahlias at Dusk Sawtooth Star Quilt by Kari Schell

What if you need a larger quilt -- and one that will take no more work to piece?

Learn how to change the quilt size from 37" to 73" in under 30 seconds.

Create your own quilt -- and play with a fabric collection of your choice. Post pictures in my related post in the Learning EQ Facebook post.

Dahlias at Dusk Sawtooth Star Post in Learning EQ Facebook Group

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.

Crazy Stars EQ8 Tutorial

9/13/2025

Remember drawing five pointed stars in Grade school? Drafting them in EQ8 is just as easy. Learn how in this Electric Quilt 8 tutorial. Learn how to incorporate your stars in another block -- and create a new quilt from your blocks.

But first, make sure to sign up for the Celtic Surprise Webinar. This live webinar will be on September 23, 2025. I look forward to seeing you there.

Celtic Surprise Free EQ8 Webinar

Love the look of intricate Celtic knots? In this free live class, I’ll show you how to:

Draft stunning Celtic blocks in EasyDraw
Make them piecing-friendly (no curved seams or tricky rulers!)
Create interlocking Celtic borders that fit any quilt

Bonus: Get a step-by-step guidebook to keep forever!

Pick your time + save your spot:

Replay available for 48 hours if you can’t join live! However you must register to get replay information.

Crazy Star Block and Quilt Video Tutorial

I had fun playing with a new fabric collection from Timeless Treasures - Tonga Happy. If you own the Stash 2025 Collection 2 Download from EQ, you can import the fabrics into your project from there.

Tonga Happy Fabrics from Timeless Treasures

The Process:

Draft a five pointed star in EasyDraw.
Merge it with the default Variable Star block using Serendipity.
Set up a horizontal quilt.
Add a Spaced Squares border.
Place the blocks on the quilt.
Add an extra star block on Layer 2 (that overlays the quilt center).

Watch the completed video for more information.

Here are the blocks and quilts from the video.

Surprising Stars 1

Surprising Stars 2

Surprising Stars 3

Surprising Stars 1 Merge Block

Surprising Stars 2 Merge Block

Surprising Stars 3 Merge Block

Surprising Stars Quilt

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.

Black and White Quilts

9/6/2025

Coming Soon - Celtic Surprise EQ8 Free Webinar

Love the look of intricate Celtic knots? 💚 In this free live class, I’ll show you how to:

🔹 Draft stunning Celtic blocks in EasyDraw
🔹 Make them piecing-friendly (no curved seams or tricky rulers!)
🔹 Create interlocking Celtic borders that fit any quilt

🎁 Bonus: Get a step-by-step guidebook to keep forever!

📅 Pick your time + save your spot:

Replay available for 48 hours if you can’t join live! However you must register to get replay information.

Black And White EQ8 Challenge

I recently gave a challenge to Tech Know Quilter Masters members to design a quilt using only Black and White Fabrics.

The Rules:

The quilt should utilize black and white fabrics.
One additional fabric/color can be added to the Black and White fabrics.
Week 1 they were challenged to select and design a block or blocks for their quilt.
Week 2 they were challenged to come up with a layout.
Week 3 they were challenged to add borders to their quilt.

Here are the posted results of the challenge.

Sandy Dingman Well Black and White with Lime Green (with colors)

Sandy Dingman Wells Black and White with Lime Green (with fabrics)

Dotty Smalley Black, White and Turquoise Block

Dotty Smalley Challenge Quilt #1

Dotty Smalley Challenge Quilt #2

Dotty Smalley Challenge Quilt #3

Dotty Smalley Challenge Quilt #4

Dotty Smalley Challenge Quilt #5

Elly da Silva Block #1

Elly da Silva Block #2

Elly da Silva Challenge Quilt

Curryanne Hostetler Block

Curryanne Hostetler This finished quilt for my daughter is black and white with purple extra color. I designed it 5-6 years ago. The block is my design when put together it created the star.

Curryanne Hostetler On Point layout with my block having serendipity applied

Curryanne Hostetler Another On Point

Curryanne Hostetler Horizontal with mainly the original block

Curryanne Hostetler Original block horizontal layout.

Mary Groesbeck Block

Linda Carlson I made this block 22 inches so the strips are jelly roll ready.

Edith Craig Here is a block I am considering. I recolored one of the blocks I did in the Design Your Own 9 Patch lesson

Edith Craig Or maybe this one. (Fabrics to be decided.)

Edith Craig Here is my layout. I took Mary's advice and used both blocks together. I added the teal green as my accent color.

Ann Cornett Horsley I wanted to extend the kaleidoscope into the border. I couldn't easily figure out the math. So I added a fifth row to one of the triangles and placed it on layer two. I figured if i was to make it, I could print out the template and measure for the correct size.

Julie Pedersen Challenge Block with Orange added.

Julie Pedersen Black and White with Pink

Julie Pedersen Black and White with Orange

Dianna Carter Block for Challenge

Dianna Carter Masters Challenge

Loronda Schuler Black and White Challenge Quilt

Terry McCaskey Quilt originally designed in EQ4 (or EQ5) made for her daughter

Nancy Dugger Weeks Wedding Quilt Completed with Black and White Fabrics

Nancy Dugger Weeks Designed Challenge Quilt

Patricia Hansen Block #1

Patricia Hansen Block #2

Patricia Hansen Challenge Quilt

Fran Heisey Here's my black and white. The large flower panel is often used to practice various free motion quilting patterns. I've always wanted to try that, but I didn't have any ideas for turning it into a completed quilt. I cheated a bit because my non-black/white fabric is the yellow/orange version of the panel, so it gave me more than one color.

Helen Hicks Warning: lefty alert! I'm thinking of FPPing, but my brain is already screaming 'EPPing is easier, just go with it!'

Renae Frank Butler Block 1

Reane Frank Butler Block 2

Renae Frank Butler Challenge Quilt 1

Renae Frank Butler Challenge Quilt 2

Each month Tech Know Quilter Masters Members receives a new challenge. The challenges allow them to stretch their design skills and to continue to utilize Electric Quilt 8 on a regular basis.

I continue to be amazed at the creativity of these awesome quilters and designers.

Interested in Learning More about Tech Know Quilters Masters?

Tech Know Quilter's Masters is open for current and former Tech Know Quilter members who have taken 12 or month months of regular Tech Know Quilter classes.

Send a note to [email protected] and I would be happen to send you more information on the Masters program.

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.

Tippy Trees

8/30/2025

Announcing a Back to School sale on EQ8 Made Easy. 50% off Coupon (good through September 3, 2025) is available in the August 30, 2025 newsletter. If you didn't receive your newsletter and want a copy of the coupon, send me a note.

In the United States, this is Labor Day weekend. It is the "unofficial" end of summer, and beginning of fall. So I decided to play with a new fall fabric collection.

I chose The Awe of Autumn by Sandy Gervais for Riley Blake Designs. If you happen to own the 2025 Stash Download 2 from the Electric Quilt Company, you can easily use the collection to color your project.

You can also download the fabrics directly from Riley Blake -- but that is a little more work. You can find it under 2024 Storyboards Release 5.

The Awe of Autumn Fabric Collection from Riley Blake Designs

Tippy Trees EQ8 Tutorial

Ditch the constraints of Snap to Grid, with a new tree block.

Each tree block will be original. And can be pieced as a single foundation.

Combine five trees for a fast and easy quilt.

Tippy Trees Block

On the Block Worktable select New Block>Pieced>EasyDraw.

On the Precision toolbar, set the block width at 6 and height at 48.

Set the snaps Horizontal and Vertical at 4 (this doesn't matter since we won't be snapping to grid).

Set the Snapping Options at Snap to Node Only.

Precision Toolbar Settings

With the Line tool, start at the center of the top.

Draw a slanted line to the right edge.

Draw a second slanted line to the left edge.

Draw a line over the two slanted lines. Make sure the lines do not touch the outside edge.

Drawing Three Lines for each section of the Tree

With the Edit tool, select the 3rd line.

Select At Intersections. This will split the line into three lines (with the center line between the slanted lines).

Select the center line and select Half.

Split Lines using the Edit Tool

Repeat the process, starting the next set of lines at the node created in the center.

Continue to repeat the process until you reach the bottom of the block.

For the last segment, rather than Half, select Thirds.

Draw lines from these nodes to the bottom of the block (for the trunk).

Creating the Tree Trunk

No tree will look the same.

Consider varying the segments by drawing both longer and shorter lines.

For the third line, some could go up, some could go down. You can also raise or lower where the line is placed across the slanted lines.

Here are four versions of the Tippy Tree that I created.

Tippy Tree #1

Tippy Tree #2

Tippy Tree #3

Tippy Tree #4

For each block, select Print & Export. Then Print>Foundation.

Make sure each block can be constructed with a single foundation. You can check this if you go to the Sections tab. You should see a see a single color covering the block.

If it cannot be constructed as a single foundation, go back and correct the block.

If there is an inside corner, you may need to correct a slanted line. (An issue I experienced in the video.)
If there are multiple sections, you may have extended lines from left to right too far. Delete and pieces of these lines that touch an outside edge.

Print Foundation

Tippy Tree Quilt

On the Quilt Worktable, select New Quilt>Horizontal.

On the Layout tab, set the number of blocks at 5 Horizontal and 1 Vertical.

Set the finished size of blocks at 6 x 48.

Under Finished size of Sashing set the Width at 1 and Height at 0.

Layout Tab

Borders:

Border #1: Spaced Squares. Change the lock size adjustment and set Left and Right at 0 and Top and Bottom at 1. Set Blocks in Border at 4 Horizontal.

Border #2: Blocks Aligned Inside. Set Left and Right at 1 and Top and Bottom at 0. Set Blocks in Border at 1 Vertical

Border #3: Long Horizontal. Set size at 1.5.

Border #4: Long Horizontal. Set size at 4.

Border #5: Mitered. Set size at .5.

Tippy Tree Layout with Borders

On the Design tab, place the blocks in the quilt. Consider flipping some of the blocks.

Recolor the patches in the blocks along with the sashing and borders.

Adding Blocks and Fabrics on the Design Tab

Check out the full video tutorial.

Here is the final quilt.

Tippy Trees Quilt

Here is my practice quilt. I colored this one using On Your Mark by Free Spirit. This fabric collection was designed by Seth Apter.

Tippy Trees Quilt using On Your Mark fabric

I am looking forward to seeing your Tippy Trees quilt. Feel free to share your designs in the Learning EQ Facebook group.

Learning EQ Facebook Group - Tippy Trees Post

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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Pumpkins, Leaves & Stars — Oh My! A Seasonal EQ8 Tutorial

Stars Leaves and Pumpkins EQ8 Tutorial

Sawtooth Star Quilt without a Sawtooth Star Block

Sawtooth Star Quilt without a Sawtooth Star Block EQ8 Tutorial

Crazy Stars EQ8 Tutorial

Celtic Surprise Free EQ8 Webinar

Crazy Star Block and Quilt Video Tutorial

Black and White Quilts

Coming Soon - Celtic Surprise EQ8 Free Webinar

Black And White EQ8 Challenge

Tippy Trees

Tippy Trees EQ8 Tutorial

Tippy Trees Block

Tippy Tree Quilt

Kari Schell

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Pumpkins, Leaves & Stars — Oh My! A Seasonal EQ8 Tutorial

Stars Leaves and Pumpkins EQ8 Tutorial

Sawtooth Star Quilt without a Sawtooth Star Block

Sawtooth Star Quilt without a Sawtooth Star Block EQ8 Tutorial

Crazy Stars EQ8 Tutorial

Celtic Surprise Free EQ8 Webinar

Crazy Star Block and Quilt Video Tutorial

Black and White Quilts

Coming Soon - Celtic Surprise EQ8 Free Webinar

Black And White EQ8 Challenge

Tippy Trees

Tippy Trees EQ8 Tutorial

Tippy Trees Block

Tippy Tree Quilt

Kari Schell

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