Sunny Days

With temperatures reaching over 100 this last week (and high temps projected for next week), Minnesota has moved into summer mode even if the calendar still officially says spring.

When looking through the blocks in Block Base Plus, I came across the block "Pride of the Prairie".  The pattern was sold by Old Chelsea Station (a mail-order company that started in 1933).  The Brackman ID is 1489.

Doesn't this look like a sun?

Pride of the Prairie from BlockBase+

I did some research to see if I could find any finished quilts made with this block.  The only quilt I was able to locate was documented on the Quilt Index.  

Pride of the Prairie photograph by Quilts of Tennessee

Quilt by by Sarah L. Henderson McSwain of Puryear, Tennessee.  It was made in 1937 and was hand pieced.​

Citation:  McSwain, Sarah L. Henderson. Pride of the Prairie. 1930-1949. From Tennessee State Library and Archives, Quilts of Tennessee. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=22-18-969. Accessed: 06/04/21

I came up with a layout for the block, which you can create in EQ8.  In this video you will learn how to

• use a block from BlockBase+ in Electric Quilt 8,
• use Random Recolor to assign projects, and
• how to export an SVG from BlockBase+ with the templates needed to create this quilt.

Here is the quilt from the video.  I would love to see pictures of your quilts.  Feel free to post in the Learning EQ Facebook group.  I've set up a separate post for your shared designs.

Cutting the fabric using Cricut Design Space

Curved piecing -- yes or no?

While I love the look of curved piecing, it is not my go to piecing method.  Using templates to cut all of those pieces by hand is not my idea of fun.  So I decided to use my Cricut Maker to do the cutting for me.  The rotary cutting blade is fantastic for cutting through fabric and no sizing or backing is required on the fabric.

In the bonus video, you will learn how to work with the design in Cricut Design Space.  Warning -- Cricut Design Space did an update last week (v6.9.163) and as a result the templates are no longer being imported at the correct size.  There is a workaround that I will share with you.  Electric Quilt was really thinking ahead when they added that 1" square in the export.

Tech Know Quilter Members Share Their Designs and Learnings

In the private Tech Know Quilter's Facebook group, I ask members to share their favorite designs for the month along with sharing what they learned.

​Tech Know Quilters is a membership of Electric Quilt 8 owners who are mastering Electric Quilt through online training.

I wanted to share Melonee Noll's story as I am sure many of us can relate to her struggle.  I enjoyed the problem solving skills she employed to create a better quilt.

Melonee had "picked" this quilt top apart twice.  This is the third version that had been sitting on a spare bed for almost a year because she didn't like the way it looks.

​(I will admit that I thought it looked pretty awesome.)

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In April, she took the EasyDraw Kaleidoscope lessons and learned how to rotate fabric and use Serendipity.  In her EQ quilt design she incorporated new concepts including using a photo of a previously made block in quilt as a block along with incorporating newly designed kaleidoscope blocks.  She also played with different sashing and border ideas.

Using her new EQ design, she is now set for one last "picking" session to create her newly designed quilt.   Well done Melonee!  We look forward to seeing your final quilt.

Here are some other fantastic designs submitted by TKQ members.

Rhonda Goss- Mariner Compass Variation

Edith Craig Last year I participated in a Block of the Week class. As a result I had numerous extra blocks. I used what I learned in Easy Draw to draft the blocks that I had sewn. Then used the information from the Mix and Match Medallion and Borders to draft the quilt. Using the tools beyond the class assignments helps to reinforce the class information.

Mari Stenger I had some fun combining the borders from the lessons on medallion borders and also used some blocks I drafted in an earlier class. I was fun being able to check to see if the sizes were workable. i am anticipating making a rainbow quilt for my great niece - this could be a contender

Linda Carlson I took the Masters Pieces of Eight class using Octagons. I found an octagon block in Block Base +, #3584 Rising Sun/Category 20 Wheels which was the inspiration for my redesigned block and related quilt.

Diane Brown I had fun with Randomize and the converted back to Seaside fabrics. One random combination gave me a different perspective on the block and so I changed the fabric placement to give more of a windmill effect.

Zdenka Nemethova Just finished Fabric Collections Part and love the way how I can play with fabrics and colors. Looking forward for next Part. Thanks for the lessons, Kari.

Zdenka Nemethova One more :)

Moira Hewitt I took modern quilts this month, I love this quilt, it is fresh and somewhat quirky. It was designed in custom set after creating the geese units in easy draw.

Beth Raker I saw an antique quilt that I thought was pretty and figured out how to recreate it. I am having fun!!

Kristy Goodin Soard I completed the Pieces of 8 class in April and was inspired to create this multi layers of pieces of 8 quilt, in low volume colors. I think it would be great done in wovens and wools!

Linda Carlson Here's a second quilt I cobbled together from all the quilt blocks created in the Masters Pieces of Eight class.

Karen Wilcox I have learnt how to use fabric and to bring it and at the right scale.

Tech Know Quilters is open to new members only a few times a year.  You can learn more and sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period here.  ​

Masters Kaleidoscope Challenge

Tech Know Quilter members who have completed twelve months of Tech Know Quilter's class are eligible for the Masters program.  They are given an opportunity to participate in a Masters challenge each month.

Their challenge for April was to design an original kaleidoscope quilt.

Nancy Haddad Lacey From the Master's challenge, here is one of my kaleidoscope quilts. This one uses two different blocks.

Nancy Haddad Lacey Another quilt from the Master's challenge.

Nancy Dugger Weeks Quilt along with her first pieced blocks.

Maureen Feron Pinwill First pieced kaleidoscope quilt with fussy cutting.

Barbara O'Brien

Dotty Smalley Kaleidoscope Block

Maureen Feron Pinwill -- The block is a combined PolyDraw/Applique block.

Karen Eddie Neal Well, my first thoughts was I couldn't do that; then I did the block in Kari's book Drawing Blocks.

Curryanne Hostetler This is a one using Create Serendipity and Wreathmaker

Dorothee Ilgner Kaleidoscope 1

Dorothee Ilgner Kaleidoscope 2

Dorothee Ilgner Kaleidoscope 3

Dorothee Ilgner Kaleidoscope 4

Helen Hicks

Joyce Drenth The challenge quilt wwas created with an on-point setting and utilized 5 different blocks. Two are in the body of the quilt and 3 Easy-draw blocks are in the border.

Joy Hegglund This has been fun. I designed the block and quilt first, then did another using serendipity.

Joy Hegglund -- Next one.

Kristy Goodin Soard My Pieces of Eight Challenge Quilt! I wanted to try something in a totally different soft colorway for spring.

Learn More About Tech Know Quilters Here

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Happy quilting.

​Kari

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