Kari Schell On Point Quilter Blog

Easy Quilt Labels

3/16/2019

Top Tips for Electric Quilt 8

Sometimes it is the smallest challenges that hold us back from success. If that is where you are at with Electric Quilt 8, I have a short one week series to help.

I have been collecting some favorite tips for using Electric Quilt 8 and will be sharing them starting on Monday. These will be answers to your most frequently asked questions presented via short videos.

If you receive my weekly newsletter, you will receive an email each day with one or two tips for the day. If you aren't receiving the newsletter and want to receive these emails, pleaseenroll here.

There will also be some live sessions on Facebook during the week where I will share the videos and also respond to questions on the videos.

If you happen to be on Facebook when I go live, feel free to pop in and ask a question. Or watch the video after the fact. They will be posted on

On Point Quilter Facebook Page
Learning EQ Facebook Group (for the group, you will need to request membership to join).

Easy Quilt Labels

Electric Quilt is in the process of releasing an update to EQ8. If you own the software you are going to want to go to your account at Electric Quilt and download this free update. You can read more about the update here.

I am really excited about this set of enhancements. One will make creating and printing quilt labels much more user friendly. Check out this video to see how it can be done.

Happy designing.

Kari

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English Paper Piecing Made Easy with EQ8

3/2/2019

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Have you explored the one patch quilt option in Electric Quilt? It is an incredibly fast way to design your own design for English Paper Piecing. In the tutorial you will learn about a couple of the lesser used coloring tools that can improve your coloring speed on a one patch quilt.

I also received a question this week from someone who really wanted a way to print a sheet of EPP templates on card stock. The video will also show you how to do this as well.

Here is the suggested quilt from the video.

Grandmothers Flower Garden design in One Patch by Kari Schell

Does your taste run to more intricate EPP designs? If so, you may be interested in my Tech Know Quilters class on Hexagon Blocks and Settings.

Click on the photo for purchasing information.

Or if you are interested in the Tech Know Quilter's subscription program, you can sign up for the Tech Know Quilters wait list here. You will receive a notice as soon as we reopen enrollment.

Happy quilting.

Kari

Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips. As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.

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Butterfly Silhouette in EQ8

2/23/2019

As I look out my window, I pretty much just see "white". According to reports this is the snowiest February on record. I've spent a good portion of the month shoveling my driveway and am looking forward to some signs of spring -- although they may be a while in coming.

For my tutorial today, I decided to create a sign of spring in Electric Quilt -- a colorful butterfly silhouette. This is a great technique for learning how to use the freehand drawing tool plus the Applique Edit tools in EQ8.

The silhouette that I am tracing in the video came from freepik.com and if you click on the image it will take you to their website.

When you watch the video you can see how bad of a drawer I am -- however you can also see the magic of the Edit tool and how to clean up a very bad drawing.

Here is my final image.

What silhouette would you like to try? I would love to see pictures. Feel free to post pictures of your blocks on the Learning EQ Facebook group.

Tech Know Quilters January Challenge Virtual Quilt Show

Here are some of the fun projects created by Tech Know Quilter members in January. I continued to be amazed at the creativity of these quilters.

Enrollment for Tech Know Quilters is now closed. However, if you would like to be put on the wait list for the next open enrollment period, please sign up here.

Julie Pedersen This is my Challenge quilt for the T-shirt and Panel Quilt class. I used applique on layer 2 to add more interest to the panel. I have this panel and hope to make it one day.

Dotty Smalley Even though this is a simple layout for the Challenge in the T-shirt and Panel Quilt class, I think the exercise gave me better insight into the colors that will work well with this panel. Thanks Kari Schell for all of your wonderful insights into drawing and working with EQ.

Nik Knott Working with fabric images. I'm a complete newbie to the group and EQ8 so I'm starting right at the beginning. I have already learned so much and love the randomizing tool. Here is my project homework for Month 1. Can't wait to start the next tutorial. Thanks so much Kari :-)

Angie Moreno Here is a panel QOV I just finished in December.

Pat Harkin My Call of the Wild Panel. The background fabric arrived today. To keep the constellations in the background fabric intact I will applique the blocks and connectors to the background fabric.

Madeline Brown Introduction to Polydraw. Loved the Dresden plate options and used custom set for this queen size quilt. I may even make it someday!

Wanda Hizer

Wanda Hizer Working with a panel and also using Kari's lesson in the book 'EQ8 Designing More Quilts'. Great class and a great book!

Holly Wilson My friend asked her if I would help her with her layout. She had the panel of the Lighthouse and six hand embroidered lighthouses and no idea how to go from there. We photographed her panel, cropped and scaled the fabric, photographed her embroidered lighthouse, the background is white (not grey as in the quilt). Next came picking out what additional blocks to use, what fun for her trying to decide what blocks to use. Then scaling them the right size for the quilt. The initial layout was changed to make it easier to piece after the addition of the plain blocks. Thank you Kari for an exciting month.

Debbi Treusch Mix and Match Medallion Centers. I started with the block in the center. Used clip and flip on it to create another block. Edited the new block to have a frame in the middle, then used serendipity to set the original block into the frame. Added the striped triangles to finish the quilt. It was fun using new skills I learned in January to create this quilt.

Sandra Shell

Linda Carlson (PolyDraw Class)

Linda Carlson Dresden Plate?Sun Star created in PolDraw

Linda Carlson Mariners Compass (Introduction to PolyDraw)

Linda Carlson Quarter Circle Table Topper (PolyDraw Class)

Janet Inglis I had fun and learned heaps in the Working With Fabric class. I learned how to use the Randomize features and well as how to import fabrics from various places. It's amazing how the look of a quilt changes when all one does is change the colors.

Wanda Jewell I am on Month 4 - Mix and Match Medallion Centers. I Learned a lot more than my quilt shows. I am thrilled to have learned how to make the circle flying geese. We have made it into 4ths of a larger block. For this quilt border I redrew the quarter block as a whole 12 inch block with and without the 2 outside geese. I placed the blocks in a pleasing to me arrangement in the borders. Since my borders were so busy, I elected to go with a rectangular simple medallion placed in a custom setting so I could add the extra fabric around the side of the block. Thank you Kari for making this such a great learning experience.

Robin Brown I did a simple T-shirt design. I did not import photos for all the T-shirts into EQ. Instead I positioned coloured plain blocks for those I didn't photograph. These are my daughter's shirts, and she is a great friend to so many, so that is why I put Friendship Star blocks in the border corners.

JoAnne Scharn I purchased this patriotic panel planning to make another Quilt of Valor. The T-shirt and Panel class has given me several ideas of how to border the panel and how to increase it to the needed dimensions.

Lee Peterson Here's what happened when I did five layers of wreathmaker in various sizes, then colored them with tints and shades.

Madeline Brown Gees Bend Challenge Quilt

Shann Wheaton Inspired by a Judy Neimeier design

Debbie Wheadon A dogs playing poker panel in cupboard with plans to be used in an old Quilter mag pattern Out of Africa sparked my class bonus project. Layout made to a throw size in mind. A revisit to the M&M Medallion Borders class for steps on the braid how to helped the process.

Sharon Osborne (inspired by a series of On Point Quilter blog posts in January 2019).

Reed Johnson

Joy Hegglund

Kathy Autry

Katherine Cronn

Suzanne Golden

Cheryl Armstrong

Jean Halvorson

Joan Christopherson

Angela Downes

Julie Pedersen On Jan. 19, my daughter Leah, lost her furbaby, Bailan. She chose his puppy photo for this applique which I designed in EQ8. I finished it yesterday. It is made with minky and fleece so it is very cuddly. Not bad for my first portrait quilt. Thanks, Kari, for teaching me so much about EQ8.

Julie Pedersn EQ8 Design

Enrollment for Tech Know Quilters is now closed. However, if you would like to be put on the wait list for the next open enrollment period, please sign up here.

Jazzing Up a Heart Block

2/16/2019

Last week I shared how to draft a couple of very basic heart blocks in Electric Quilt. If you missed the post, you can find it here.

This week, I wanted to make my basic block a little more interesting. In my free video tutorial, I will share three different ways to turn a basic block into a
" stunner".

Here are my new blocks.

Heart Block Variation 1 by Kari Schell

Heart Block Variation 2 by Kari Schell

Heart Block Variation 3 by Kari Schell

Here was the quilt I designed incorporating all my heart blocks.

Heart Quilt 2019 Designed by Kari Schell using the Riviera Rose Fabric Collection from Andover (fabric available March 2019).

Responding to the Challenge

I challenged my blog readers to share their own heart blocks and I am in awe of their wonderful work. Here are their creations.

Micheline H.

Pat O.

C J T.

Elizabeth B.

Rick D.

Cheryl J. (inspiration: Tech Know Quilter Foundation class)

Donna B. (first time using EQ8)

Judy B.

Christine G.

Christine G. very quickly stitched up her designed block.

Cheryl J.

Julie P.

Julie H.

Nancy S.

Janet I.

Jolene M.

Kristen E.

Love Letters from My Heart Marlene S.

Holly W.

Suzanne G.

Eileen H. (quilt designed in EQ7 a year ago)

Nancy L. designed this quilt in 2012 using EQ Stitch for a heart challenge.

Wanda J.

Kathleen M.

CJ Keller T. This was from an OPQ Tutorial https://www.onpointquilter.com/blog/free-2017-valentine-block Her plaid is part of an ugly fabric quilt challenge and she cut her pieces on her Silhouette Cameo.

Kristy S.

Winners in Heart Block Challenge

Using a random number generator, the winners of my heart block challenge are Marlene S. and Nancy S.. They will be receiving a copy of the EQ8 Lessons for Beginner Book.

Thank you to everyone who submitted a design.

Shoot for the Stars with EQ8

Are you just getting started with Electric Quilt 8 and need some help?

Shoot for the Stars is designed to get you started with Electric Quilt 8 through training delivered straight to your inbox. This series includes 14 short (ie. 5-10 minute) videos delivered over the course of a month allowing you to learn the basics of this complex program in bite size increments.

The class is currently on sale for $35 (regular $50). Join now.

Purchase Shoot for the Stars Here

Heart Block Challenge

2/9/2019

In my video tutorial, I share how to draft a very simple heart block in Electric Quilt. I also share adding a new fabric collection from a manufacturer's website and posting your final block to Facebook.

Here are my blocks.

I purposes kept the blocks super simple, as I wanted you to play with this basic block and jazz it up. What could you change:

Using 9 patches in each of the sections.
Inserting a square patch in the heart and trying Serendipity>Merge Block.
Divide the heart using horizontal or vertical strips. This could be in each quarter or overall in the simple heart block.
Create log cabin-like piecing in the quarters or the overall block,
Add applique.
Let your creatively rule.

Once you created your block, post it to either the On Point Quilter page or Learning EQ Facebook group. You will need to be a member to post to the Learning EQ group -- but just answer a few questions if you would like to join.

On Point Quilter Facebook Page

Learning Electric Quilt Facebook Group

Next week, I will be sharing some of the submitted designs on the blog. I look forward to seeing your work.

Sale -- Electric Quilt 8 Books and Software

Using coupon code IHeartEQ for 20% discount on Electric Quilt books and software in stock in the On Point Quilter store. Click on photo to view in store.

This discount is on top of current sale pricing.

Coupon good through February 15, 2019.