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!  :-D

This week’s featured friend: Kimberly Einmo!


Tell us a bit about yourself!

I’m passionate about quilts and sharing my joy and enthusiasm for quilting with everyone. I’ve been quilting for 30 years (and sewing garments since I was 7 years old!) I’ve been married to my very best friend, Kent (affectionately known in the quilting world as “Mr. Kim”) for 33 years. We have two wonderful adult sons, 1 pampered pooch (Peanut), and 5 rescue kitties, all with amazing personalities including Cheeto – who is quite famous in his own right!

Cheeto

I’ve been teaching quilting since 1991 and have written 6 books, developed and manufactured a signature line of rulers, design fabric for Timeless Treasures Fabrics and I’m honored to represent Janome as their National Spokesperson. Plus, I’m thrilled to be an EQ Artist! (I LOVE EQ software!)

When did you start using Electric Quilt and how has it changed your quilting life?

I’ve been using EQ software since 1991 and can’t imagine designing any of my quilts without it! I used to be a Graphic Designer prior to my career in the quilt industry and when I discovered Electric Quilt software, it was as if the heavens parted and the angels sang – and I knew I would be able to design any quilt I could imagine in my mind with the software! I also began using BlockBase early in my quilting career and the two software packages work seamlessly together. With EQ software, I can create an unlimited number of design and layout options for every quilt I design, plus it is just so much fun to use!

 

Seasons designed by Kimberly in EQ

Seasons in EQ

What is your EQ “Pearl of Wisdom” for EQ users?

I highly recommend anyone who has an earlier version of EQ software to upgrade to EQ8 as soon as possible! The updates and new, even more user-friendly interface makes ALL the difference. I found version 8 to be a huge jump from previous versions. It is powerful yet incredibly intuitive especially for people who are used to a Windows based platform. I also highly recommend using the Blockbase+ software program in tandem with EQ. The addition of thousands of more blocks and motifs increases the design capability exponentially.

For anyone who has only “dabbled” at using EQ software previously or any brand new users, if you’ll simply set aside an afternoon of uninterrupted time, and follow along with the built-in tutorials (listed under the HELP tab), you’ll be feeling confident in using EQ software like a pro in no time at all. This small investment of time and effort will pay dividends in being able to create your own quilt designs and see them come to life!

I also encourage people to take simple photos of the fabrics they want to use and upload them into their quilt project file. It’s easy! And it makes a huge difference in being able to see exactly what your quilt will look like – with the exact fabrics you want to use – before ever putting a rotary cutter to your fabric!

Snowflake Stars designed by Kimberly in EQ

Snowflake Stars in EQ

What are you up to now and what do you have coming up?

There are so many exciting things on the horizon. I’m honored and thrilled to be teaching a full week of sold-out classes at the International Quilt Festival in Houston in October plus I’m working on the next Janome BOM Blitz quilt-along which will be free for everyone to join in the fun! And the biggest news of all is my husband and I are moving to Australia for a couple of years! We’re excited to see what this next big adventure will have in store for us! If you’d like to make and send me a going-away block, I’d truly appreciate it! Simply follow these instructions for the easy-to-make details. And thank you in advance!

Please visit me at my:

Website

Blog

Instagram: @kimberlyeinmodesigns

Facebook: Kimberly Einmo Designs

Cheeto on Instagram: @janome_cat

Giveaway

I’ve designed multiple new quilt designs in EQ software using the Sew Floral fabrics by Timeless Treasures! The collection also includes select fabrics from my Solid-ish collection! You can edit all of these quilts in a free project for EQ!

Designed by Kimberly for EQ

Download the project here!

Love the fabrics you see? Check out this month’s Fabric of the Month Design Challenge for a chance to win a bundle!

Designed by Kimberly in EQ

Sew Floral fabrics

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!

View all Pearls of Wisdom posts >>