Hexi Self Portrait Tutorial
Many of you signed up for the Easygoing Hexagon Challenge and are learning how to create hexagon blocks in EasyDraw and then convert them to applique. This will make them much more quilt friendly when designing and auditioning fabrics for a hexagon quilt. You can see some great designs from the the first fiew days of the challenge below.
Here is Hexi Kari -- straight from the video.
Feel free to share your own hexi portrait in the Learning EQ Facebook group. If you can't post, it means you are not yet a member. Request membership to this free group on Facebook.
Easygoing Hexagon Challenge Update
We are three days into the Easygoing Hexagon Challenge and I've enjoyed seeing some of the early blocks.
I received an email from Janet today. She noted after watching the video on day 2 that "your method is so slick, I am blown away."
Here are just a few blocks created by participants in the challenge. You can check out more of their designs in the Learning EQ Facebook group.
A few extra creative participants already began exploring new options for their blocks.
It's not to late to join us. We can get you caught up with past emails in under 24 hours.
TKQ Masters Stained Glass Challenge
In August Tech Know Quilter's Masters members were challenged to identify a stained glass design and use it as inspiration to create a stained glass quilt in Electric Quilt. Their classes during August focused on drawing Stained Glass quilts along with ideas for converting the designs to production.
Tech Know Quilter Masters members have completed at least 12 months of classes in Tech Know Quilter and are some of the more advanced members in the group. Other Submitted Designs by Tech Know Quilter Members during August
The following virtual quilt show is a small collection of EQ designs posted in the Tech Know Quilter private membership group during August.
Tech Know Quilter's is a paid membership program for quilters who wish to master using Electric Quilt 8. Membership is only open a few times a year, so sign up for the wait list to be informed of the next open enrollment period. Hint: There just may be a flash sale later this month to those on the wait list.
Fall is in the air and kids are getting back to school. It is also time to get back to working on developing your own skills. Join me for a brand new two week challenge to grow your Electric Quilt skills -- or rebuild your skills if you have fallen away from using the software.
The Challenge starts September 9 and is only available for two weeks. Scroll down for some short videos to set yourself up for success during the challenge.
If one of you plans for this fall is to finally get comfortable using Electric Quilt 8, then this upcoming challenge is for you. Or maybe you have lost some of your motivation during the quarantine and are looking to get back into using EQ. If so this challenge is for you as well.
The challenge starts Wednesday, September 9, 2020. For two weeks I will be providing you over 10 videos on creating a series of pieced hexagon blocks in EasyDraw. If you are new to drawing your own blocks, this will get you started in using EasyDraw, PolyDraw and Applique tools in Electric Quilt. These are the three main drawing block worktables in the software. You will also be introduced to Custom Set, the layout option in Electric Quilt that gives you total freedom to place blocks that are not squares and rectangles on your quilt. For those who have been using Electric Quilt for a while, you will have an opportunity to learn a super easy technique that I have discovered to create a pieced applique hexagon motif from an EasyDraw block. There is a small fee ($12) that I am charging to handle the extra administrative expenses associated with the challenge. I also have found that enrollees are much more engaged when they pay to participate. And when they are engaged, their skills grow at a much higher rate. If you haven't signed up for the challenge, please make sure to do that today. Videos to Set Yourself Up for Success during the Upcoming Challenge
I've put together three short videos to give you a head start for the challenge:
Video 1: Setting Up Your Project File and Adding Fabrics
Do you enjoy the fabric and quilt inspiration on the Do You EQ website? Each month Electric Quilt gifts us with a free fabric download that contains a perfectly cropped and sized fabric library with one of the latest fabric collections. In this tutorial, I will share with you how to set up your project for the Easygoing Hexagon EQ8 Challenge. You will also learn how to select a new fabric collection from a library in Electric Quilt plus how download one of those free fabric collections from Electric Quilt and bring it into your EQ project,
Video 2: Coloring with Directional Fabric
I know that many of you like working with directional fabrics and with large scale prints. You may have even noticed that there is no rotate fabric feature available in the block worktable. In this tutorial I will share how you can both fussy cut and rotate your fabric for a realistic block.
Video 3: Exporting an EQ Image to Facebook
When exporting a block for a post you wish to share on Social Media, the process can be different than sharing a quilt. In this tutorial, learn how to export an image of a block and then add it to a Facebook post.
Here is the link the the Learning EQ Facebook post that is referenced in the video. For those already signed up for the challenge, you are scheduled to receive your getting started email (referenced in this video) on Monday.
If you haven't enrolled in the challenge, now is the time. I look forward to working with you to become more comfortable in drafting your own blocks.
I've received a number of inquiries from those that have been waiting to join Tech Know Quilters. My plans are to open the doors to Tech Know Quilter at the end of the challenge. The invite to new subscribers will be limited to those in the Easygoing Hexagon Challenge along with those who have signed up for the TKQ Wait List.
I've been asked by those that are in one of my classes or receive my weekly newsletter if they are automatically enrolled in the challenge. The answer is NO. So please sign up using the link above if you would like to participate in the challenge. For those currently in the Tech Know Quilter group, check your emails for your special option for the challenge. Apply What You Learned Challenge Quilts
Tech Know Quilters is a membership of Electric Quilt 8 owners who are mastering Electric Quilt through online training. At the end of their July class, they were encouraged to apply what they learned during the month of July.
Tech Know Quilters is open to new members only a few times a year. You can sign up for the wait list here and we will notify you of the next open enrollment period..
I love having people at different stages of the EQ journey submitting designs. I am so proud of this group of quilt designers.
My friend Sherry Perry recently posted a picture on her Facebook account of a Dear Jane quilt she did in the Jack's Chain layout.
Scroll down to see a tutorial on how to create this layout (with blocks of your choice) using Electric Quilt.
I met Sherry when we were part of a fledgling group that met monthly to talk about and work on our Dear Jane quilts. The group was formed in 2000 by JoAnn Atkins at a local quilt shop.
The group ended up enjoying being together so much that we started doing Work Days and then annual retreats at a nearby college. One of the activities the group participated in through the years were block exchanges. Sherry reminded me that this particular quilt was how she used her blocks from our Holiday exchange. In 2009 each participant chose a Dear Jane block and a holiday (or season). We then made 18 of the same block (in the original 4-1/2" finished size) but in 18 different holiday schemes. The blocks were exchanged in May 2010. After wracking my brains and a search through old quilting bins, I located my quilt from the exchange. My theme was "fall". I was much more efficient than Sherry and just used the 18 blocks from the exchange. No extra blocks for me. :)
Can you spot the block matches between my and Sherry's quilt? I still am not 100% certain what block was my block for the exchange. I think it may be the fifth block down on column 3. That block is L-5 Chattanooga Charlie.
Here is a picture of Sherry with her full Dear Jane quilt (before quilting). This picture was taken during one of our annual quilting retreats.
Jacks Chain with Dear Jane Blocks
Electric Quilt recently released the Dear Jane Add-on for EQ. Check out the blog post on my approach to using the updated Dear Jane software to create a progress report ( a new feature in the add-on software).
In this tutorial, I will share will you how to create a Jack's Chain layout using EQ8 and then add the Dear Jane blocks to the quilt.
You can use this tutorial without the Dear Jane software. Feel free to use a favorite block collection instead of Dear Jane blocks. If doing so, resize your blocks to 4-1/2" using the adjust tool on the quilt worktable.
Sherry Perry's Quilt
My Jack's Chain EQ design from the video.
In this blog, I will share with you how I turned my virtual quilt into a "real" quilt during a mini-quilt retreat..
I used 2-1/2" squares of five different ombre fabrics and some English Paper Piecing templates for the hexagons. The background is a grey Kona cotton (Dove) . I added a grey ombre for the binding.
Hexagon Templates from EQ to Cricut Design Space
With EQ and an electronic cutting system of your choice, you will never need to purchase English Paper Piecing templates again -- and you will be able to have complete control over the sizes.
I printed the hexagon template from Electric Quilt to a pdf file. Then I used Inkscape to convert the pdf file to svg. Inkscape is a professional vector graphics editor for Windows, Mac OS X and Linux. It's free and open source. You can download the most current version of Inkscape here. Once I had an SVG file, I could import it into Cricut Design Space and cut out all my templates using my Cricut Maker. This process would also work if you use the Brother Scan n Cut or Silhouette Studio.
This video will take you through the process of going from EQ to Inkscape to Cricut Design Space.
Modern Hexagon Quilt Construction
I used a number of new techniques (at least for me) to construct my quilt.
This video will take you through the major steps of my process:
Here is an Amazon link to the glue products used in the video.
Note that these are affiliate links and I will receive a small commission if you purchase from the link.
Here is my finished project (100% completed at my mini-retreat). It feels so good to have had some sew time along with a chance to catch up with some quilting friends. And I could get really spoiled with the four tables per person -- to help us with social distancing.
Last week, some creative modern hexagon designs were shared in the Learning EQ Facebook group. Great job ladies!
After doing a Google search for Modern Hexagon Quilt, I saw many examples of slightly reduced sized hexagons set in a hexagon layout. I liked the cleanness of the added white space and decided to try my hand at designing my own modern hexagon quilt.
For the background I used a one patch layout. Although I wasn't planning to piece the one patch layout, I found the lines provided the perfect backdrop for placement of my English Paper Pieced Hexagons.
I then created a basic hexagon block in PolyDraw and placed the blocks on Layer 2. Rearranging those hexagons can be a bit addicting. This is where you can get really creative in designing a one-of-a-kind quilt.
Here is the quilt from the video. I have some leftover ombre fabrics from another project and plan to use them to make this quilt.
Here is one additional option. The fabrics are from Riley Blake Designs Pin Drop by Christopher Thompson. This was the free fabric download from Electric Quilt for July 2020. You can download the Pin Drop collection here.
I would love to see pictures of your modern hexagon quilt. Feel free to post in the Learning EQ Facebook group. I have set up a separate post just for your designs.
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Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
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