Window Die Cut Design - From EQ to a Handmade Card

My latest hobby has been making my own greeting cards.  This week I came across a design that had a window frame that overlayed a landscape image.  I began thinking about how I could do something similar using Electric Quilt 8.  I wanted to be able to cut the design out on an electronic cutting system.  For me that meant incorporating Cricut Design Space and my Cricut Maker.

In the video, I will take you through my process.  At a high level:

• The design was drawn as an applique motif in Electric Quilt 8.
• In Electric Quilt, the design was printed to a pdf writer as an outline drawing.
• The design was imported into Inkscape**, where fold lines were added and the design was converted and saved as an SVG.
• The SVG image was uploaded to Cricut Design Space.  In Cricut Design Space the card base was created and merged with the frame design.

**What is Inkscape?

The extra piece of software I used for creating the SVGs is Inkscape.  Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It's free and open source. 

Inkscape can seem overwhelming to use when you open it for the first time. However you only need to use a couple of tools within Inkscape -- so this really is a piece of cake. You can download Inkscape here.

Inkscape will allow you to create an SVG file which may be used in any electronic cutting system (Cricut Design Space, Silhouette Studio, or Brother Canvas Workspace).

So what is an SVG file?  An SVG file is a graphics file that uses a two-dimensional vector graphic format.  Unlike raster formats such as JPG, GIF, and PNG, an SVG image remains crisp and clear at any resolution or size.  My Translation -- Much cleaner of an image than any trace in a cutting system.

The video is broken into three parts (in case you don't want to watch the entire video):

• Part 1 (.33) Electric Quilt 8
• Part 2 (4.17) Inkscape
• ​Part 3 (7.00) Cricut Design Space

Window Card Construction

Step 1:  Cut out the Window Frame svg on your electronic cutting system.

Step 2:  Cut out the card front with the foldable window frame on your electronic cutting system.  I used the Cricut Maker to score the left and right edges and cut the rest of the SVG.

Step 3:  Fold back along score lines and press with a bone folder.
Step 4:  Glue black frames to card front.

Step 5:  Select a background.  Trim to 3-1/4" x 4-3/4",  Glue to back of card front.  I was thinking that if you had a fun landscape photo from a trip, it might be nice to use that instead.

May 2023 Paper Pumpkin from Stampin Up card bases

Trimmed from Paper Pumpkin card base

Step 6:  Cut a card base using Black cardstock 8-1/2" x 5-1/4".  Score at 4-1/4".
Step 7:  Glue card front to card base.

Step 8:  Add greetings and embellishments.

• Greeting
• Binoculars (from the Paper Pumpkin kit)
• Metallic Pearls (for opening the windows)

Step 9:  Create inside panel for card.  Stamped items from Paper Pumpkin kit.

Let me know if you use Electric Quilt 8 for uses other than quilting?  I love hearing how you are using the software.

Window Dies for Cardmaking Learning EQ Facebook Post

Tech Know Quilters Showcase

Current Tech Know Quilter members have been sharing their class projects along with their original designs (and in some cases quilts) in the membership's private Facebook group.  Enjoy this show of some of their recent creations.

You can learn more about the Tech Know Quilters membership program and sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period here.

Pat Norrad EQ Design

Pat Norrad Finished Quilt

Pad Norrad     My very dear Aunt and Uncle, who are in the mid 80's, asked if I could repair their favorite quilt they've had for over 40yrs. It wasn't repairable so I said it would be easier to just make them a new one. OMGoodness - what did I just say, LOL Along with my EQ8 Program, I also enjoy Digitizing. I put the two together and was able to create my pattern in EQ8 and Digitize the Embroidery needed to go into each of the blocks. I took the Advance Border Design Class (along with many others) and thank goodness I did. I've learned a lot more than I thought I would; thank you Kari Schell. In the end, this is a Bedspread that is quilted, not your usual quilt. I've decided I would make the Pillow Shams that match. 

Margo Reppert I'm rather pleased with my Jacobean Challenge.

Joan Sledge Webb This is a quilt I designed using fabric colors from my grandson's wedding.

Ann Cornett Horsley -- One block used in five different layouts.  Playing around.

Pat Norrad EQ8 Design

Pat Norrad Quilt

Pat Norrad​ We were given Challenge to only use two colors to make a project. The two crayons I pulled from a brown paper bag was Brown and Orange (go figure). We could have a cream, white or black background. I created this Quilt using the Storm at Sea block with shades of the two colors.

Connie Bobcik My Gees Bend quilt

Connie Bobcik One of my horizontal quilts.

Connie Bobcik - One of my Log Cabin 3D Quilts

Connie Bobcik - My Fractured Background quilt.

Pat Norrad EQ8 Design

Pat Norrad Quilt Top

Pat Norrad This is another quilt I just finished. It is a Grad Quilt for our next door neighbor's daughter. We've good neighbors for 19 yrs and have watched their 3 children grow up. Their daughter finally got her wish to have her 'own' dog and she is just crazy over this dog. I drew the pattern in EQ8 and I'm so glad I did. 

Cindy Meyer I've called this "Where the Stars Go" because it reminds me of a black hole. The fabrics were downloaded from a website and, of course, I purchased those fabrics to make this quilt. I've printed the foundations but still playing with the borders before I begin.

Edith Craig My class this month was Masters Hexies and More. I used the concepts from this class, some of the blocks we drafted in class, and used a different layout template from the Layout Library. The combination of various blocks made a striking layout and shows how varied a quilt can look using only a couple of blocks.

Maureen Pinwill
I have been working on a quilt for the past few years which involves a great deal of simple embroidery along the whole border of a king size quilt, so much of this hand embroidery has been undertaken by hand either whilst watching tv or when I wake up, usually at about 4 - 4.30 am. The patchwork pieces are tiny and quite traditional but all the pieces are the same along the top and sides of the quilt. It has lots of small embroidery decorations that are mirrored on top to bottom and also side from side. So I had to ensure that everything was pieced in the correct order. All the top blocks are joined together and then a backing will be placed when all the tops have been joined. I only have three more blocks to finish and only then can I start back the quilt sew the quilting top and put the border on. I hope to get it finished for my daughter's next wedding anniversary in March 2024.  The next time I approached a quilt of this nature I will use my Artista Designer Plus Embroidery program to do so, as I am sure it would have been completed much earlier if I had taken the time and trouble to put the design in that program. Although I do use embroidery to meditate so it has given me many, many hours of peace and calm 

Helen Warwick EQ Quilt

Helen Warwick Foundation pattern

Helen Warwick Drafted in EQ8 for foundation paper piecing. The original Java Twist was not foundation paper pieced and my friend could not get any of the blocks to come out the correct size by following the directions. I suggested trying to draft it as a foundation paper pieced block and she knew how to do foundation paper piecing, but not how to draft them. This is what I came up with. I learned a lot in the foundation paper piecing lessons from Kari. The quilt turned out beautiful.
I have a very happy friend. 

Linda Carlson This Masters Hexes and More variation came from Lesson 5. What looks like white pin dots on blue is actually a stripe fabric turned on the diagonal. It was a good class!

Joan Sledge Webb I'm expecting my first Great Grandchild in September. I wanted to make a scrappy quilt using the It's A Boy collection by Riley Blake. Took me a few tries but I did get the pieced border to line up and I'm pretty happy with it. I might change some of the fabrics before I start on the quilt but it's a start.

Rhonda Goss Masters Hexie class quilt

Julie Pedersen Masters Hexies N More class

Learn More About Tech Know Quilters and Sign Up for the Wait List

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.