The Electric Quilt Company is 30!
The Electric Quilt Company’s Story – How It All Began
We’re celebrating 30 years! Since the pearl is the traditional symbol for 30 years, we’re sharing EQ Pearls of Wisdom from our friends! See all Pearls of Wisdom posts. We hope you enjoy the tips and tricks you learn along the way and discover some new quilters or catch up with your favorites! Also, we’d love to hear about YOUR journey with EQ so feel free to tell us your story in the comments on any post! A big THANK YOU to all our customers for your support over the years. We’re looking forward to many more!
This week’s featured friend: Geraldine Wilkins!
Tell us a bit about yourself!
My sisters Lillian and Roberta introduced me to sewing. They sewed their own garments. However, I gravitated to home décor when I purchased my first home. Quilting entered my life when I joined a quilting group to make friends in a new town. A new friend, Wilda, encouraged me to continue designing when she learned I made quilts without commercial patterns.
When did you start using Electric Quilt and how has it changed your quilting life?
I started using Electric Quilt when I became an Island Batik Fabrics Ambassador in 2018. I soon fell in love with EQ8. Now, I use it for all my projects. I design quilts, bags, whole cloth quilts, project totes and more. I’ve had opportunities to design for several quilt magazines.
Taffy Candy (shown below) takes advantage of EQ8’s foundation paper piecing print outs. It was designed for an Island Batik Ambassador challenge, Modern Quilts. It is now a featured pattern in The Quilter’s Planner 2021.
You can learn more about the Taffy Candy quilt here:
Rainbow Taffy Candy – Machine Quilting Thread Texture
What is your EQ “Pearl of Wisdom” for EQ users?
Don’t let fear of technology prevent you from learning and using a tool that can add value to your personal and professional life. For months, I put off purchasing EQ8 because “I did not want to learn another software program.” I convinced myself that I did not have the time.
Do what I did. Be kind to yourself and learn at your own pace. Play first. Click, read and experiment for fun. Then, take advantage of the free tutorials, peer help, and value priced educational books.
Designing Color Wave in EQ8 was made easy with the fabric import feature. Importing fabric swatches and placing them in designs is an important part of my process. Color Wave, a beginner-friendly lap quilt was designed to feature an assortment of colors from one fabric collection.
What are you up to now and what do you have coming up?
I am thrilled to be on the teaching faculty of the Modern Quilt Guild’s annual event, QuiltCon. QuiltCon 2022, an international quilt show and educational event, is February 2022 in Phoenix, AZ. For three ruler quilting classes I designed a quilt design using EQ8 and created pre-printed quilt panels. Quilters have the option to quilt ruler patterns learned in the class on a panel. Quilted panels may be used to sew a pillow, tote bag, project pouch or mini wall quilt. Learn more about the classes on the Living Water Quilter Blog.
Giveaway
This contest is closed. Winner: Dorothy Holt!
Enter for a chance to win a copy of the printed Living Water Quilter, LLC pattern, Color Wave. It is a beginner friendly pattern designed in EQ8 and features Island Batik fabrics. The pattern giveaway is for US residents only and a winner will be selected at random. The prize will be mailed to the winner.
To enter, answer the question below by leaving your answer in a comment on LWQ’s EQ8 Celebration blog post. Geraldine will randomly select a winner and contact him/her. The winner has one week to respond; after a week a new winner will be selected.
Question to enter: Do you prefer sewing quilt patterns that are rotary cut, foundation paper-pieced or made with templates?
Contest closes Tuesday, August 31 at 11:59pm ET. Winner will be chosen at random and contacted by Geraldine.
Read Geraldine’s EQ8 Celebration blog post here to enter in the giveaway!
You can follow Geraldine at:
Hope you enjoyed this “pearl” of wisdom. Feel free to share your EQ story or a “pearl” of your own in the comments! Stay tuned for our next post!
08-24-2021
9:06 am
Reminder: To enter, comment on Geraldine’s blog post here: https://livingwaterquilter.com/post/660399532443566080/congratulations-electric-quilt
08-24-2021
11:22 am
Rotary cut — no paper piecing for me!
08-24-2021
12:06 pm
I like both rotary cutting and templates. I have not tried paper piecing at this point. I’m still new to quilting.
08-24-2021
12:43 pm
I prefer rotary cutting. Of course, I am likely too new to quilting to even know the pros and cons of other options.
08-24-2021
12:51 pm
I like both rotary and paper piecing.
08-24-2021
12:52 pm
I prefer rotary cutting, but also enjoy the flexibility that paper piecing creates.
08-24-2021
1:16 pm
Actually, I find it difficult to choose. Rotary cutting was my first approach and still used frequently. Foundation paper piecing has definite advantages for some patterns that would otherwise be too intimidating. I am currently working on a huge, complicated project using FPP. Would you count EPP piecing as template based? If so, I love this for a take-along project. So to sum up, each method is a favorite for different goals.
08-24-2021
3:55 pm
I started with rotary cutting and refuse to go back to scissors unless it is garment sewing. For quilting I use both rotary, paper piecing and accquilt.
08-24-2021
5:18 pm
I prefer rotary cut patterns, but I love to do intricate quilting – mostly in the traditional block sense. I often turn to the templates since the sizes I use make rotary cutting a challenge. I have done one quilt border using EQ foundation paper piecing which was a lifesaver. I am now contemplating another paper foundation pieced border because the rotary size is difficult, but might go with a template!
08-25-2021
11:34 pm
I love paper piecing, and I use it whenever possible. EQ makes it so easy!
08-26-2021
1:16 am
My Favorite is Foundation piecing! Only way to go – thank You!
08-30-2021
10:11 am
Reminder: To enter, comment on Geraldine’s blog post here: https://livingwaterquilter.com/post/660399532443566080/congratulations-electric-quilt
Contest closes on 8/31/21 at 11:59 pm ET.
09-01-2021
10:15 am
This contest is closed. Winner: Dorothy Holt!
04-30-2022
11:43 pm
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