Welcome to the new DESIGN AND SEW 2–LESSONS WITH YVONNE.  In this series of lessons, we will be concentrating on using the built-in elements of EQ8 to create our designs.  We will not be drawing, but rather will be using what is already in the program and editing the designs to work for us in our new layout.  Each session we will look at a different style and function of the tools for each style.  You have two weeks between lessons so you will have time to sew your designs if you choose between each lesson.  At the end of the lesson, you will find a video that shows me creating a design that follows the written lesson.  You may prefer to watch the video first and then follow the step by step written lesson so you have a better idea of what direction we will be going with.  You can download both the written lesson and the video to save onto your computer rather than working from the blog page on the internet the whole time.  You may also choose to use a different set of blocks than I am showing in the lessons.  The steps required for this lesson will work with all the block designs you have in your library.  If you have purchased add on designs for the EQ8 program, you can choose to use them instead of what I am using.  At the end of the lesson, be sure to add an image of your design to the comment box and tell us what you learned from the class lesson each time.

From the blog page on the EQ website, you can print your lesson or save it to the computer.  Click on the ‘print article’ at the top of the Design and Sew 2 blog.  From here you can navigate to your printer to print the lesson material or save it as a PDF file to your computer.

You may also choose to watch the video at the end of the lesson before you begin the class.  I strongly recommend you do this first.  This will give you a better understanding of how we will construct our quilt layout.  This is a very different way of designing and printing patterns for use.  Click on the video at the end of the lesson to download it to your computer or to watch it online.

For this lesson, we will be constructing a project that looks like this one below.  Yours may vary in appearance as you choose your elements to add to the quilt layout.

Launch your EQ8 program from your desktop.

On the opening screen, select the ‘open a new project’ icon  on the left side of the screen.

In the opening box, make sure you are on the ‘create new project’ tab and type in the name of this project to be DESIGN AND SEW 2–LESSONS WITH YVONNE.  Once you have entered the project name, close the box at the bottom by clicking on the OK.

Look at the top of your screen and make sure the project name is there.  It may be to one side or in the center of the screen at the top.

We need to set the preferences for the project.  You may have changed the default preferences on other projects you were working with.  EQ remembers the last settings you were using.  To make sure we are all starting from the default settings in the program we need to reset these.

Click on the gear icon on the left side of the screen.  The preferences box will open up.

In the preferences box, click on the word ‘Restore’.  Place a checkmark in the box in front of ‘ also restore blocks, fabrics…’ and then click on the bar that says ‘restore to default settings’.  You will get another box that says it requires the EQ8 program to restart.  Click the OK in that box.  The program will close and reset the default settings.

NOTE:  I make it a habit of resetting the default preferences for the EQ8 program each time I start a new project.  This way you will not get confused if you forgot that you changed preferences and the program will not respond the way you want it to.  By resetting, you start fresh with each new project.

Click on the EQ8 icon on your desktop to launch the program again.

Since we already have a named project, we do not need to create a new one.  Just select the ‘open existing project’ from the main screen either by using the icon at the far left or the open option in the center of the screen.

  

Navigate to the project we named DESIGN AND SEW 2–LESSONS WITH YVONNE and click on it to select it.  Once it is selected, click on the OK at the bottom of the box.

The project sketchbook will open.  Click on the word ‘close’ at the bottom of the sketchbook to close the box.

Confirm that the project name is showing somewhere at the top of your screen.

In this first lesson, we will work with an applique layout.  This is not a traditional block style we will be using–it is a representation of an entire quilt covered with applique elements.  We will use several different applique motif elements from the EQ8 library to create an overall quilt layout design.

Click on the block worktable icon on the upper right side of the screen.  I want the center of my quilt layout to be 36 inches so I will set the block size to represent that 36 inch center for my quilt.  This way I can lay multiple elements onto this ‘block’ and then set the entire block layout into the center of the quilt design.

Select the NEW BLOCK>Pieced & Applique>Easy +Applique.

At the top edge of the block worktable, type in the preferences to be 36 x 36 inches with the snaps to be 36 x 36.  Click on the ‘snap to node icon’ and the ‘snap to grid’ to turn them off.  They are off when they don’t have a blue background around them.

We won’t be using the snap function.  The dots in the background will help us visualize where things will be placed, but the snap function will not be something we rely on.

Click on the color tab at the top of the screen.  Using the paintbrush tool, select a pale color for your background by clicking on it and then click on the block area to apply the color you selected.  

Add to sketchbook

NOTE: Although we are working with motifs to create an overall design, when creating on the block worktable we need a background block to layer the elements onto.  You will see later how this will be our quilt center layout area.  

We need to collect several designs from the EQ8 library to work with.  You may choose to use the same ones I am using, or you may decide to use your elements.  You may want to follow exactly what I am using if you are a beginner or new user to EQ8.  If you are fairly comfortable with the program already, go ahead and use whatever library elements you wish.

My design choice is to create a springtime applique designed quilt.  I want to use several motifs/blocks that will help me to develop my picture of applique elements.

At the top of the screen, click on LIBRARIES>Block Library.

In the block libraries, click on 06 Motifs>Birds.  Click on the ‘select all’ and then click on the ‘add to sketchbook’ to add all the designs at once to the project sketchbook.

Still using the 06 Motifs, navigate to the ‘Butterflies’ and then select all and add to the sketchbook.

Staying with the 06 Motifs, click on the ‘Flowers with Stems’ heading and select all and add to the sketchbook.

Still, on the 06 Motifs, click on the ‘Landscape Elements’ and select all and add to the sketchbook.

Still, under the 06 Motifs, click on the Simple Designs heading and then scroll to the birdhouse and click on the birdhouse only to select it.  It will have a blue box around it once you select it.  Add the birdhouse to the sketchbook.

In the navigation pane at the left, scroll to 04 Classic Applique>Flowers on Point, and then scroll to the end to locate the Mexican rose bush pattern.  Click on the design to select it and then add that design only to the sketchbook.  When you have finished this, click on ‘close’ at the bottom of the box.

We now have a large selection of designs we can work with inside our project sketchbook so we won’t have to keep going back to the libraries to find different designs.  All of the designs will be in our sketchbook ready for use.

Click on the ‘view sketchbook’ icon on the left side of the screen to open the sketchbook.  In the project sketchbook box, click on the Blocks heading on the left side and then click on the motifs tab at the top of the box.  Scroll through the designs and select a flower that is more upright rather than tilted to the side and click on it to select it.  The selected image will have a blue box around it.  Once it is selected, click on the ‘edit’ at the bottom of the box.

The design will open on the worktable it was created in EQ8.  The flower I chose was created on a 6-inch worktable.  We need to copy this from the existing worktable and place it onto our 36-inch worktable to work with it.

Click on the pick tool from the drawing tools on the left side of the screen.

We need to select this motif from this block and then transfer it to our block layout.  You can select this image in three different ways.

1. Click on CTRL +A to select all of the design

2. Use the pick tool and click/hold/drag/release a box around the entire design area to select it.

3.  Click on EDIT>Select All at the top of the screen.

Whichever method you want to use to select the entire image is up to you.  You will learn as we go along in the lesson series that there is more than one way to do something in the EQ8 program.  You will choose which method you prefer to use.

Once you have selected the entire image, you will copy it to the clipboard to use on our block layout area.  You will know the image is selected properly when you see the square selection handles around the image.

There is more than one way to copy an image to the clipboard.  Make sure the selection handles are around the area before you copy it to the clipboard.

1.  CTRL +C will make a copy on the clipboard

2.  EDIT> Copy will make a copy on the clipboard

3.  RIGHT CLICK> Copy will make a copy to the clipboard.

You may use whichever way you want to make your copy to the clipboard.

Once you have copied the image to the clipboard, click on the view sketchbook icon .  When the sketchbook opens, click on the block heading and then click on the blocks tab at the top and select the colored block that is our background for our motifs.  Once it is selected, click on the word ‘edit’ at the bottom of the sketchbook box.

This is the worktable where we will add all our motif elements to create a multi-elements full springtime design.  Click on the applique tab at the bottom of the block worktable to apply the copied elements.

On the applique tab, you can paste the copied design from the clipboard to the block worktable in three different ways.

1.   CRTL + V

2.  EDIT>Paste

3.  RIGHT CLICK>Paste

The copied design comes into the worktable off-center.  Begin editing by clicking on the ‘center in block’ icon   to see all the elements for editing.

My flower design almost fills my 36-inch block size.  I do not want a 36-inch flower.  I will be adding multiple flowers along the bottom of the block and I would like them to be around 10 inches tall.  I also want to edit my design shapes.  It is easier to edit the design while it is still large and then resize to a smaller size after you have completed your editing.

Click on the pick tool     to select it, then click on each of the lower leaves one at a time and then click on the delete key on the keyboard to remove the lower leaves.

Click on each of the lower leaves with the pick tool and then click/hold/drag/release them to a new position on the stem.

To change the angle of the leaves, click on a leaf with the pick tool.   Once it is selected, hover the cursor over the center crosshair on the leaf and while holding down the CTRL key on the keyboard click once.  Your crosshair will change to a radio dial and you will see rotation handles around the leaf object.

Click/hold/drag/release a corner rotation handle to change the angle of the leaf.

Move each of the leaves to a different rotation. Click/hold/drag each of the new leaf rotations to a new position on the stem.

Click on each of the leaves on the right side of the stem and move them to the front of the stem by clicking on the icon ‘bring to front’ in the box on the left side of the worktable.

Using the pick tool , click on the small circle in the center of the flower head to select it.  Once it is selected, click on the delete key on your keyboard or use the delete icon on the properties box at the left side of the screen to remove the smallest circle.

Now that the editing is complete on this single flower, we need to resize it.

Click on CTRL +A to select the entire design.  Once the design is selected, type in the size to be approximately 7 inches wide by 10 inches high.  Click/hold/drag/release the newly sized flower to the lower-left corner of the block area.  Keep the design slightly away from the edges of the block.

Add to sketchbook

After you add the design to the sketchbook, click on the color tab at the top of the screen.  Click on the fabric tools heading and then the paintbrush tool to select different colored fabrics to apply to the flower and the background block.

Add to sketchbook

As we add more design elements to the worktable, this is the saved block that we will paste new elements onto until your design area is complete with a springtime design. 

Repeat the same steps as above to add a few more flowers to the block design along the bottom of the worktable edge.  Remember to save to sketchbook each time you add another element, edit it, and color it with fabrics.

Add to sketchbook

Click on the ‘view sketchbook’ icon to open it.  Under the motifs tab, locate a butterfly you would like to add to your flower garden. Click on the butterfly to select it and then click on the word ‘edit’ at the bottom of the sketchbook box.

The butterfly will open on the worktable it was originally designed on. 

My butterfly selection is created on a 6-inch block and it fills most of that block.  Since I know my flowers are about 10 inches tall, a 6-inch butterfly would be out of proportion to the flowers.  As I add more elements to my overall design, it will become harder to isolate and edit the elements without accidentally picking up an unwanted element in the background.  I should do my editing on this block worktable before I copy it to my Springtime block layout. 

I need to ask myself some questions.  If I make the design smaller, will the smallest elements inside the design be too small to make as applique elements?  What size should I make my design to be in proportion to other elements on my layout?  Do I want to select a different butterfly or do I want to edit this one?

I will remove the smaller elements from the detail of this butterfly.  Using the pick tool, click on the smaller elements, and then delete them one at a time.

Click on the upper left large wing with the pick tool to select it.  Click on the word ‘clone’ at the left side in the properties box.  A second copy of the wing will appear lower and to the right slightly of the original wing.

While the cloned wing is still selected, Right Click>Resize and set the new size to be 70% horizontal and vertical. Click OK at the bottom of the resize box.

Click/hold/drag/release the new element to a nice placement on the wing.  

Repeat this same process for the wing on the opposite side.

The new elements are larger and it will be easier to make these as applique pieces when the design is resized.

The antenna of the butterfly is small, but I will leave them now for a reference.  I can always decide to just stitch these lines when I go to print my pattern rather than make the skinny little antenna as applique.

Select the entire design using CTRL +A and then resize the design to be about 3 x 2 inches as that is more in proportion to my 10-inch flowers.

Add to sketchbook

 Click on the color tab at the top of the screen and color the butterfly with fabrics of your choice.  Once this is resized add it to the sketchbook. 

Add to sketchbook

You must be on the ‘draw’ tab to copy the design to the clipboard.  Click on the draw tab at the top of the screen and then CTRL +A to select the entire design and then CTRL+C to copy this to the clipboard.

Click on ‘view sketchbook’ and locate and select the Springtime block layout and edit it to the block worktable.

The design will be on the worktable.  Click on the applique tab at the bottom of the screen.  Once it is on the worktable, either CTRL + V to paste or RIGHT CLICK>Paste to place the butterfly from the clipboard onto the block worktable.

NOTE: The butterfly did not hold its size of 3 inches.  EQ keeps the object proportional to the original design but resizes it in proportion to the new worktable size.   While the design is still selected, retype the size to be about 3 x 2 inches.

The looks tiny but it is in proportion to the flowers on a very large background.  Click/hold/drag/release the butterfly to the area where you want it around the flowers.  While it is selected, you may choose to clone it and make multiple copies to insert around the flowers.

Add to sketchbook

Keep working with your design layout by repeating the steps we have covered so far to create a design all on one block worktable.  Remember to add to the sketchbook as you go along so as not to lose any of your work.

Add some birds, butterflies, clouds, etc. to your design page using these same steps.  Don’t add too many elements as it will be difficult to print patterns for them.

You may want to recolor your elements.  Use the tools at the far left of the screen to accomplish this. For the small areas, use the zoom tool  and click/hold/drag/release a selection area around the item you want to enlarge.  To return to full size click on the fit to worktable tool.    To undo a mistake, click on the undo tool at the left.

Add to sketchbook

Let’s add a border on the quilt worktable to continue our design development.

Click on the quilt worktable icon on the upper right side of the screen.

The default for the EQ8 program is to open on the NEW Quilt> Horizontal layout.  This is the layout we will be working with.

Click on the Layout tab at the top of the screen and set the number of blocks to be 1 x 1 horizontal and vertical.  Set the block size to 36 inches.

Click on the borders tab at the top of the screen and set the borders to be 10 inches on all sides.  Add the design to the sketchbook when done.

Add to sketchbook

Click on the Design tab at the top of the screen.   The block we created will be on layer 1 of the quilt worktable.  Under the Block tools>Set block, scroll to the end of the blocks and find the completed applique block we created.  Click on it to select it.  It will have a blue box around it when it is selected.  Click>hold>drag> release the block into the center area of the quilt.  It will snap into place.

Click on the fabric tools icon at the top of the screen and color your borders.  You can color them all at once with a single click if you hold down the CTRL key and click on the border anywhere.  This will make all the borders the same color.  Or, you may choose to use different colors on each border of the quilt by selecting an individual color by clicking on it then clicking on the border to be filled.

Add to sketchbook

We can continue to develop our applique design further by placing more applique designs onto the outer edges of the quilt that will overlap the seam lines between the center block area and the border edge.  To accomplish this, we must be on layer 2 of the quilt.

NOTE: All applique elements on the quilt worktable will be placed on the worktable on layer 2 of the quilt.

Click on the view sketchbook icon to open it.  Under the motifs tab, navigate to the twinkling stars (3) and click on it to select it.  Click on edit at the bottom of the box.

The design will open on the applique motif block worktable where it was originally designed.  I feel the ‘stars’ could be a burst of sunshine instead.  Click on each of the smaller stars with the pick tool to select them then click on X delete on the properties box on the left side.  Keep only the largest star to use.

With the largest star on the worktable, click on CTRL +A to select all the star and click on the center in the block icon on the left side.  Once it is centered, resize it to 6 x 6 inches in the properties box.

Add to sketchbook

Click on the quilt worktable icon on the upper right side of the screen. It should open to the design we last had on the worktable with layer 2 selected.

Click on the block tools >set block and scroll to the end of the motifs tab to find the new star block resized.  It is not colored yet.  Click on it to select it and drag it to the quilt worktable.

The star block now looks like a burst of sunshine in comparison to the rest of the layout.  This sunshine is still too small for the proportions of the quilt.   Click on the adjust tool to select it and then click on the uncolored sunshine.  Once it is selected with the adjust tool, enter the new size of the sunshine to be 12 inches in the properties box.  Click/hold/drag/release the selected image to a place that extends beyond the center of the quilt into the border, crossing the seam allowance.

Click on the fabric tools icon at the top of the screen and choose colors to color your sunshine.

Add to sketchbook 

Click on the Design tab at the top of the screen and then click on the set block icon.  Scroll to the birdhouse under the motifs tab.  Since we will be using all the elements on this block as it is, we do not need to edit it first.    Click/hold/drag/release the birdhouse to be on the right side of the borders layout. 

 Using the adjust tool , click on the birdhouse, and resize it by clicking and dragging on the corner selection handles until it is a size you want to use.

Color the birdhouse with the fabric tools.  

Add to sketchbook

Continue with the process to add any other elements you wish to use on your layout. Use whichever elements you want and add as much or as little as you want using the skills gained in the lesson so far.

Click on the view sketchbook icon to open the sketchbook.  Under the blocks tab, locate the Mexican flower bush we added from the library.  Click on it to select it, and then click edit at the bottom of the box.

We can not set this block on layer 2 of the quilt.  We need to make this block into a motif so we can use it.  Click on the applique tab at the bottom of the block and then CTRL +A to select the entire image, and then CTRL +C to copy it to the clipboard.

We need to create this on a motif block to use in the quilt layout.

Click on NEW BLOCK>Applique> Motif.

On the new block worktable, RIGHT CLICK> paste.   Center the design in the block worktable using the center in the block icon. This applique is now a motif instead of a block.

Add to the sketchbook.

Click on the quilt worktable icon on the upper right side of the screen.  Your layout should still be there on layer 2 of the quilt.

On the left side of the screen, click on BLOCK TOOLS>Set block> and motifs tab.  Navigate to the new applique motif of the Mexican rose flower and add it to layer 2 of the quilt using the same tools as before for the other motifs we added.  Place, resize, color, rotate, flip, and angle the new flowers into the corners of the quilt.

Add to sketchbook

You will print your pattern pieces from the quilt worktable as they are the correct size.

Click on Layer 1 of the quilt worktable.  Click on the Print & Export tab at the top of the screen.

Click on the quilt icon in the patterns box at the left of the worktable.  The preview box will show you the entire quilt layout.  You can choose to print this as a diagram to follow when laying out your applique pieces on the background quilt.

Print your layout from the print preview page.

Close the print layout page by clicking on the word ‘close’ at the top of the page.

Click on the yardage icon in the properties box to see what fabric yardage is required.  Set the size of the fabric you will be using and then click on the preview to see what is required.  You may choose to print this from the print preview page.

Close the yardage preview box.

NOTE: The next steps will be easier to understand if you watch the video for this lesson first before trying to follow just the written lesson words.  A picture is worth a thousand words!

Click on the center area of the quilt layout.  A light green outline will appear around the center block.  This is considered a block laid onto layer 1 of the quilt.  You can print all of the applique elements in the center area of the quilt from here.

Click on the templates icon after clicking on the center block of the quilt layout.  In the template box, click on the preview at the bottom of the box.

On the print preview page, the number of elements is overwhelming.  You need to decide what elements are necessary and what can be deleted. From this page, click on any element to highlight it in red and then click on the delete key at the top of the page.

You may need to use the zoom in and zoom out keys to see the elements before deciding on which you can delete.  Example- I don’t need the antenna of the butterflies.  Zoom in by clicking on the ‘zoom in’ at the top of the page.  Click/hold/drag/release a box around the area you want to see more clearly.  Select and delete the elements you want and then click on ‘zoom out’ to return to the full screen.

Continue deleting objects as you deem unnecessary.  Do you need two bird patterns when both birds are the same size?  Do you need cloud patterns or can you free form cut them easily enough? You may not need the stems of the flowers as it is easy to cut a straight strip for the stems.  You decide what you will or won’t need from the center design layout appliques.

TIP:  Zoom in on the key at the top of the print preview page to see the elements that are numbered.  This will help you to delete the proper pieces from the print screen.

Continue working through this preview to select only the elements you want to print.  Print directly from this page.  Do not close the page before you print as you will need to start over again before printing because EQ does not hold the changes you make on this page!

Once you have chosen all your elements to delete and printed the page, return to the quilt worktable layout and click on layer 2 of the worktable.

On layer two you have placed some larger elements.  Use the same process to select the elements and then print the pattern page.

On layer 2, click on the star/sunshine to select it then click on the templates icon.  In the template, box click on the word ‘preview’ at the bottom of the page.

On the preview screen, decide which elements you need and which you can delete then print from this screen.

Continue printing the pattern pieces you need using this method of printing the block center elements and the layer 2 elements.  What you choose will differ depending on which applique designs you chose to use in your layout.

We will be using this same project for the remainder of the Design and Sew 2 lessons.  It is good to declutter our project sketchbook as we go along.

Click on the view sketchbook icon to open the project sketchbook.

Click on the Quilts heading on the left side of the box.  Click on each of the quilt layouts we used starting with the first one and delete it from the sketchbook.  We will only keep the last full version of our quilt layout in the sketchbook.

In the sketchbook, click on the blocks heading on the left side of the box.

Do not worry about deleting all the library blocks from the motifs tab at this time.  We may use them in some of the other classes.

The purpose of this lesson is to show you how to use and delete different elements from built-in applique designs and combine them into one block.  The lesson also shows how to add applique motifs onto the quilt layout directly using layer 2 of the quilt worktable.

There are so many different ways to create a design layout.  You will decide what way works best for you according to your project at the moment.

From the quilt worktable, with your final design on the worktable, click on the print and export tab and then select the export page option.  Click on the image icon to save an image of the quilt layout.

In the properties box, save the image to the image folder on your computer under Documents>My EQ8>Images. Name the image Design and Sew2 Quilt layout. Click save at the bottom of the box.

On the export image file of the quilt,  just leave the settings as they are and click the OK at the bottom of the box.

This is the folder where you will find the image of the quilt layout to post in the comment section at the bottom of the blog page along with any comments or questions you have for the class.

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