Welcome to Design & Discover! You can follow along with a lesson and submit your version of the quilt right on the blog with a link up. If you have a blog, make sure to add your site too. Let’s visit each others’ blogs and all get to know each other!

Before getting started, keep in mind any of the images can be viewed larger by clicking on them.

Also, you don’t have to make the blocks or quilts exactly as shown, have fun and make it your own! You also don’t have to make all the quilts, feel free to just make the one(s) you are interested in!

This month we will be learning about different methods to make tree skirts, or round(ish) quilts.

The first way is super easy!

The First Tree Skirt

1. Click Libraries > Block Library

2. Click Contemporary Pieced > Fans and add a few to your sketchbook. Click Close when you are done.

3. Click Design a quilt from scratch

4. Click the Layout tab

5. Click Horizontal

6. Under Number of Blocks enter 2 for horizontal and 2 for vertical

7. Make the Finished Size of Blocks 25 x 25

8. Click the Borders tab

9. Click the Delete button

10. Click the Design tab

11. Click Block Tools

12. Click Set Block

13. Place the block in the quilt

14. Use the Rotate tool to get the blocks in the proper orientation

15. Click the Fabric Tools

16. Click the Paintbrush and use that to recolor your quilt. Use white for the center and outside to represent empty space.

17. Click the Hide/show quilt patch lines

18. Click Add to Project Sketchbook
If you haven’t named your project yet, EQ8 will prompt you to do so. (To be saved your item needs to be in the Sketchbook AND your project needs to be named. Here is more information.)

So, this is looking like a tree skirt but I think the center is much too large. (You can use the Tape Measure  to see the size of your center.)
Let’s fix that.

19. Click View Sketchbook

20. Click on the block

21. Click Edit

22. Click Arc

23. Draw a small arc in the lower left hand corner as shown. You can also add more details to your block, if you’d like. (If your arc is flipped the wrong way hit the space bar on your keyboard.)

24. When you’re done click Add to Project Sketchbook

25. Click Quilt Worktable (If you see a blank screen click Hide/show quilt patch lines.)

26. Repeat steps 10-18 to make another version of this quilt.

You can see a red line indicating a natural split where you could put the tree skirt slit.

The Second Tree Skirt

27. Click Libraries > Block Library

28. Click Search > by Notecard

29. Type in Electric Fan and click Search

30. Click the block shown below

31. Click Edit to Block Worktable

32. Use the Arc tool to draw a small circle in the center of the block. Again, if your arc is flipped the wrong way hit the space bar on your keyboard.

33. Click Add to Project Sketchbook

34. Click the Pick tool

35. Hold your delete key down on your keyboard and click on the lines in the center circle.

35. Click Add to Project Sketchbook

36. Click Quilt Worktable

37. Click Layout

38. Click Horizontal

39. Under Number of Blocks enter 1 x 1

40. Make the Finished Size of Blocks 45 x 45

41. Click the Borders tab and delete the border (if you have one).

42. Click the Design tab

43. Click Block Tools

44. Click Set Block

45. Click on the block and place it in the quilt. (Remember, if you see a blank screen click Hide/show quilt patch lines.)

46. Click the Fabric tools

47. Click the Paintbrush and color the quilt.

48. Click Add to Project Sketchbook

There are lots of blocks you can modify to make tree skirts but, let’s try something different.

The Third Tree Skirt

49. Click Libraries > Layout Library > Layouts by Style

50. Click Stars

51. Click the first layout

52. Click Edit to Quilt Worktable

53. Click Libraries > Block Library

54. Click Search > By Notecard

55. Type in Pine Tree

56. Click Search

57. Click the block shown

58. Click Add to Sketchbook

59. Click Close

60. Click Block Tools

61. Click Set Block

62. Place the block in the quilt

63. Use the Rotate tool to turn the blocks as shown.

Don’t forget to Add to Project Sketchbook as you are working!

64. Click on Block Worktable

65.Click New Block

66. Click Pieced

67. Click EasyDraw

68. Click the Arc tool and draw an arc as shown.

69. Click Add to Project Sketchbook

70. Click New Block

71. Click Applique

72. Click Motif

73. Click Shapes

74. Click Circle

75. Draw a circle smaller than your block. Make it the same size as your block by entering the numbers in as the width and height. (My block is 12 x 12 so I made my circle 12 x 12.)

76. Click Center in Block

77. Add to Project Sketchbook

78. Click Quilt Worktable

79. Click the Design tab

80. Click Block Tools

81. Click Set Block

82. Click the arc block and set it in the quilt as shown.

83. Click the Rotate tool and use it to turn the blocks as shown, or rotate the trees however you’d like.

84.Click the Fabric Tools

85. Click Paintbrush and recolor the quilt as you would like. You can make the center white and have a star center…

86. Or…click Layer 2

87. Click Block Tools

88. Click Set Block

89. Click the Motif tab

90. Click the Circle

91. Drag the circle onto the quilt.

92. Click the Adjust tool

93. Type in 5 x 5 for Width and Height

94. Click Center Vertically and Center Horizontally

95. Or…edit the block by adding one line in the corner

And end up with a center like this…

However, with this quilt there’s no natural place to put a split for the tree skirt.

96. Click on Set Block tool and choose the EQ Default Half-Square Triangle

97. Place it in the quilt as shown to create a place for a split.

98. Add to Project Sketchbook

The Fourth Tree Skirt

99. Click New Quilt

100. Click Horizontal

101. Click Layout

102. Make Number of Blocks 1 x 1

103. Make the Finished Size of Blocks 48 x 48

104. Click the Borders tab

105. Click the Delete button

106. Click the Design tab

107. Click Block Tools

108. Click Layer 2 tab

109. Click Set Block

110. Click the Motifs tab

111. Click on the circle block and drag it onto the quilt (or if you don’t have the circle block see steps 70-77)

112. Click the Adjust tool

113. Click on the circle

114. Make the Block Size 48 x 48

115. Click Center Horizontally and Center Vertically

Now we are going to gather more designs to use in our tree skirt.

116. Click Open Library

117. Open 06 Motifs. Look around and add anything to your sketchbook that you think you may want to use. I used things mostly from Landscape Elements and Silhouettes.

118. Close the Library

119. Use the Set Block tool, Adjust and Rotate to place the motifs as you wish.

120. You can use a second circle to represent the center of the tree skirt

121. To represent a seam, click on Set Block Tool

122. Right click in the space below your last block and click Add Plain Block

123. Drag the Plain Block onto the quilt and then use the Adjust tool to change the shape and location.

124. Recolor as you wish and don’t forget to Add to Project Sketchbook

If you’d like to share any of your quilts to Facebook here’s how to do that:

125. Click Print & Export

126. Click Export

127. Click Facebook

128. Click Continue to Facebook

129. Click Post to Facebook

If you would like to post your image below (in the comments)

131. Click Image

132. Name your file and click Save (in Documents\My EQ8\Images)

133. To post your image click to comment on this post. Fill in your info and then click Browse.  Go to: Documents\My EQ8\Images

I can’t wait to see your quilts! I hope you enjoyed the lesson!

If you have questions about the lesson feel free to post them below.
If you have questions about something else EQ related, please contact techsupport@electricquilt.com.