Creating Quilt Labels using EQ8

Quilt Show season is upon on.

I've been enjoying the photos of award winning quilts from some of the national shows.  They are truly breathtaking.

My local quilt guild -- Maple Grove Quilters -- is having their show this weekend as well.  We have a great group of very talented quilters.  I also enjoy spending time enjoying their quilts.

During the last couple of months, I have been busy on the longarm finishing up my quilts for the show.  No custom quilting for me this year.  I was in production mode.

Two weekends ago, I was at a quilt retreat.  A good chunk of my time was trimming up the quilts and adding binding.

Last Sunday I was focused on creating and attaching labels for my quilts.

Quilt show is today (May 4th).  For those in the Twin Cities area, join me at the Maple Grove Community Center (from 9 am to 4 pm) to see a great collection of quilts created by Maple Grove Quilters.

​In this tutorial, I will share my quilts, their matching labels and walk you through my label process for one of my quilts.

Summertime EQ8 Quilt Label Tutorial

Back in 2022, I created a challenge for EQ8 users where I provided them videos on drafting a series of Summer themed blocks. 

The challenge concluded with a webinar where I presented a layout option for these blocks. 

​I had fun both designing and making the quilt which I framed and use as wall decor in my home.

Kari's Summertime Framed Quilt

For the label I started with my Summertime EQ8 file which included the blocks and designed layout for the quilt.  

If you participated in the Summertime EQ8 Challenge you are welcome to work with me using your Summertime project file.

If you didn't participate in the challenge, feel free to open one of your own EQ8 projects and use the concepts from this tutorial to design your own label.

Scroll down for additional ideas for creating your own labels from your EQ8 drafted quilts.

Summertime EQ8 Design by Kari Schell

When trying to decide what to do for this label, I struggled with the fact that there was no natural place on the quilt top to add the label information. 

I didn't want to delete any of my blocks.   

So I decided to redesign the layout to include a plain block that was large enough to add my label information. 

​Check out the full process in this EQ8 video tutorial.

Printing Labels

Since I had seven labels to create, I decided to print multiple labels on a single sheet of EQ Printables. 

EQ Printables are made for printing images using an InkJet printer.  (More on that below.)

You can choose between:

• Cotton Basic (200tc)
• Cotton Lawn (240tc)
• Cotton Satin (283tc)

Purchase EQ Printables from the Electric Quilt Company

EQ Printables Instructions

In a Word document, I inserted the label images exported from Electric Quilt 8.    I did a copy (Ctrl or Command Plus C) followed by paste (Ctrl or Command Plus V). 

​I then resized the images to fit on three pages.

Pro Tip:  Make sure to leave at least 1/2 inch between the quilts on each page to ensure a large enough seam allowance.  It is a good idea to print the document on regular paper -- before proceeding to the EQ Printables.

Word Document for seven different images exported from EQ8

What to Do if Your Ink Jet Printer isn't Working

Electric Quilt recommends that you print your labels on an InkJet printer.  My InkJet printer was out of ink.  So I used my laser printer instead.  This is definitely not recommended.   

I printed one sheet at a time and let my printer cool down between pages.  I did not want to melt the plastic sheets which are attached to the EQ Printables fabric.. 

I did notice that there was some extra ink on the next couple of printouts (after finishing my labels).

Using a Laser printer is not recommended -- so use it at your own risk. 

​I did find that the ink sits on top of the fabric, making the label a bit stiff.  I am also not sure about the color fastness of the label -- so you may want to test this if you decide to user a laser printer. ​

Summertime Label Printed on EQ Printables (Cotton Satin) using Laser Printer. Size was 3.5" x 4".

I would love to see pictures of your EQ designed labels.  Feel free to share in the Learning EQ Facebook group.

Learning EQ Facebook Group Post on Designing Labels using EQ8

Quilts and Matching Labels

Here are the other quilts for my show along with the label (designed in EQ8).  For each label I included an explanation of how I modified the quilt when creating the label.

Turn of the Century Equilateral Triangle Quilt

I designed this quilt in EQ4 in 1999 and began this quilt around the turn of the century -- during my plaid phase. 

Pieces were relegated to a shoe box and stored in a closet for a couple of decades. 

After "discovering the shoe box" in 2022, I reworked the project (a much smaller size than my original design). 

Quilted in 2024.

​Can you figure out the blocks?  

Check out how to draft the quilt in this blog post.

Turn of the Century Equilateral Triangle Label

Created an applique motif using the hexagon under the shapes tool. 

Added the shape to Layer 2 on the quilt worktable and colored with a background plaid. 

​Added text using the Text Tools on Layer 2.

Summertime Framed Quilt

This design was created and delivered as a challenge in June 2022 for my blog and newsletter EQ8 community. 

The miniature blocks are foundation friendly.

The entire quilt measures 11" x 14" - suitable for a standard frame.

​The tutorials became an exclusive benefit to TKQ members in July 2022.

Summertime Label

To create a space for adding label information, I moved the blocks in Custom Set on the Quilt Worktable.
​
Spacers were added to the quilt -- including one in the center that was colored with a background fabric.

Text was added via the Text Tool on Layer 2.

Easter Egg Hunt Quilt

The design was created for a webinar delivered in March 2023.

Participants learned how to use Applique shapes to jump start an applique design, create foundation friendly Easter eggs and incorporate specialty fabric (panels or gradation fabric) in a design.

The webinar became an exclusive benefit to TKQ members in April 2023.

Easter Egg Hunt Quilt

The Easter Bunny had been added to the quilt as an applique motif on Layer 2.

The motif was shrunk and centered in the quilt -- creating additional white space above and below the bunny.

​Text was added on Layer 2 using the text tool.

Everlasting Wreath Quilt

Design by Laundry Basket Quilts. 

This quilt has taken me a decade (or more to complete). 

It has been my back-up project for many quilt retreats. 

​Loved combining my extensive collection of both civil war and batik fabrics in the same quilt.

Everlasting Wreath Label

The block and quilt were drafted in Electric Quilt. 

It is not an exact replica of the quilt pattern by Laundry Basket Quilts as I decided to include additional logs in each block for my design.  I also changed up the size of the equilateral triangle in the center.

The circle was created as a applique motif and added to Layer 2.

Text was added using the Text Tool on Layer 2.

Fall Migration Quilt

This quilt is a variation on the raffle quilt I designed for Maple Grove Quilters. 

​I used this design for a free webinar I offered on drafting blocks and quilts using Electric Quilt 8 in September 2023.

​The design became an exclusive benefit for Tech Know Quilter members in October 2023.

Fall Migration Label

The circle was created as a applique motif and added to Layer 2.

Text was added using the Text Tool on Layer 2.

Broncos Quilt for Dawson

​Dawson is my first great-nephew - born in April 2024. 

His father is a huge Broncos fan, so I decided to encourage continuing the tradition with a Broncos quilt. 

​I designed the quilt using Electric Quilt 8 with some of the images obtained using AI which were then traced in Electric Quilt.

Broncos Quilt for Dawson Label

For the quilt label, I simplified the football motif.  The motif was resized and placed on Layer 2. 

​The other motifs were shrunk and repositioned on Layer 2.

Text was added using the Text Tool on Layer 2.

And yes -- I did forget to rotate the Broncos text on the left side of the quilt label to match the finished quilt.  :)

Windswept Leaves Quilt

The setting was inspired by pattern by Maple Island Quilts. 

I reworked the design to work with a maple leaf block. 

​I used a single gradated fabric for the leaves.  It took a bit of organizing to cut and sort the fabric from light to dark.

Windswept Leaves Label

A plain block was added on Layer 2 and colored with a background fabric.

​Text was added using the Text Tool on Layer 2.

Happy quilting.

​Kari

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