New Book - EQ8 Drawing Blocks - Scheduled for Release![]()
Big news. I am excited to announce that my book on drawing blocks is at the printer. I've talked to Electric Quilt and if everything remains on schedule, I will have books ready to ship by April 10th.
The book covers EasyDraw, PolyDraw and Applique worktables in Electric Quilt 8 and is a great opportunity to master drafting your own blocks. If you have taken the Tech Know Quilters Introduction to EasyDraw, Introduction to PolyDraw or Introduction to Applique classes (and a smaller part of the Foundation Patterns class), you will find there is an overlap in the material.
If you would like to pre-order a signed copy of the book, please select the purchase link below. When checking out, use the coupon code OPQNewBook for a 20% discount off the purchase price. The coupon expires on 3/31/2019.
I only ship to US locations. Feathered Star Block Modifications
If you read books on drafting blocks, you probably have figured out that one of the biggest challenges can be in drafting your own feathered star blocks.
However Electric Quilt has taken the challenge away from drafting these blocks as they have included a number of perfectly drafted feathered star blocks in the Electric Quilt library. In this weeks tutorial, I will share will you how to use one of those blocks as a starting point to create a personalize feathered star block. Spoiler alert -- the secret is "snap to node".
Here is the block from the video.
If you create your own feathered star block, feel free to post pictures on the Learning EQ Facebook group.
Tech Know Quilters Virtual Quilt Show
Tech Know Quilter members have been busy designing blocks and quilts using Electric Quilt 8. Here are some of my favorites.
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Micheline Herzan This is my February Challenge. I saw a part picture of a quilt (right picture) on Pinterest which caught my eye. It was posted by Wendy Pidgeon Wilkinson. I call my version of the quilt "16 Patch with 8 Point Star". I could not find a pattern or any dimensions so I drew mine in EQ8 as a 78" x 78"quilt. I drew my 16 patch as an 8" block and set it on point. My big star is a 10" block and is not set on point. Then I figured out the filler between the stars and all the white space. I set the blocks in Custom Set and used all the knowledge I amassed from Kari Schell's lessons. My finished quilt will look very different as I am using scraps from my stash and I can print all the foundation papers for these blocks..
Membership in Tech Know Quilter's only opens a few times a year. If you would like to join these amazing designers in mastering Electric Quilt, you can sign up for the wait list for the next open enrollment period.
The next open enrollment period might be coming up really soon. :) 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
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
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Here was the quilt I designed incorporating all my heart blocks.
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.
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. |
Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
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