Celebrate 2022 with Balloons

Snowflakes Webinar Wrap-Up

Wow.  What a week.  We ended up with over 1300 people signed up for one of the three Snowflake webinars. That's a lot.  I did put a little too much content in the webinars which caused them to go long (a little over two hours for each of them with Q&A).   You did an amazing job of hanging in there and I know that many of you are working through the replay.   

I've had a few requests to extend the playback period since there was so much valuable information to absorb.  I was planning to turn off the general access last night.  But have decided to extend through Tuesday.  For those in Tech Know Quilters, I am hoping to get you your forever links by end of next week.

Here are some blocks and quilts posted on Facebook.

Brigitte L. (notice some original snowflakes in her quilt)

Dianna C.

Dianna C.

Helen H. (completed during the webinar)

Irene F.

Janet K.

Katherine M.

Katherine M.

Kathy C.

Lila F. Star Wars Flakes

Margo R.

Margo R.

Pat H.

Pat H.

Zdenka N.

Zdenka N.

2022 Balloon Celebration

Ready for a new year?  Learn to draft a balloon using applique tools within Electric Quilt 8.  If you have not yet used the brush stroke, you will find that it is perfect for so many parts of the balloon motif.

After completing your basic balloon, have fun decorating it.  I decided to give my balloon a party hat.​

To color my balloons, I used fabrics from the one of the 2021 free downloads from Electric Quilt 8.  The November 2021 collection is Black, White & Bright.  It was designed by Christa Watson for Benartex.  Click here to download the free collection.  I paired them with a few fabrics from the EQ8 default library and a couple of polka dot fabrics from the EQ Fabric Library.  The polka dot fabrics came from Themes 01 Dots.

For extra playtime, I drafted a couple of quilts using my balloons.  

Here are my quilts -- one to welcome in 2022 and the other to welcome new members to Tech Know Quilters.

As you can see I added some text with the Text Tools (on Layer 2).  When using the text tool, you can pick any font stored on your computer.  It really is easy to spend a lot of time auditioning various fonts.  The font for the Happy New Year quilt was Bauhaus 93.   The font for the Welcome New Members quilt was Lemon Crush.

You may also find it useful to useful to use Clip to Edge.  This is under the adjust tool and allows you cut off any extra string from the balloons if they are hanging into the border or off the edge of the quilt.

I am still not completely sold on my fabric choices.  I did lighten the background fabric in the second quilt to allow the text to pop. ​

I look forward seeing what you will do with your balloons.

I have set up a post on the Learning EQ Facebook group.  Feel free to post pictures in this post.

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Tech Know Quilters Update

We are currently welcoming over 150 new members to Tech Know Quilters.  I was checking my records and I believe that is a record high (other than for the initial opening of the group right after EQ8 came out.)   I heard that Santa was very good to many of you and gifted you EQ8 this year.  

Our new members will be joining a pretty special group of quilters and designers and I am looking forward to being your guide as you master EQ8. 

​The membership is currently closed, but please sign up for the wait list, so that you are notified for the next open enrollment period.

Happy quilting.

​Kari

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