Welcome to our blog series, Do You EQ Too? Each month, we will spotlight a different EQ user and their quilts! If you haven’t already, you can read our introduction post here.
This month we are spotlighting Debbie Lovas! Debbie is a longtime EQ user who has designed and sewn many quilts for her family, veterans, and other deserving individuals.
“Challenge Your Limits” quilt
“This quilt is the very first quilt I ever made,” says Debbie. “It was for my oldest granddaughter, Ciara, who is now 27. I had a few quilt pattern books and she chose this pattern. What a challenge for a first time quilter. But I managed to do it. I called it, ‘Challenge Your Limits.’ It took me almost a year to make it. I finished in 2011. This is also before I purchased EQ7 and then upgraded to EQ8.
Debbie’s Quilt of Valor
Newspaper article featuring Debbie and her quilt
“This quilt was designed on EQ8 after I had joined Quilts of Valor. I made this one for my husband’s best friend, Tom McClosky, a well known Veteran in Niles, Ohio. He has never stopped serving. The local newspaper did a half page spread on the presentation. I was so nervous. I’m not one to be in the public eye.”
Quilt of Valor awarded to Howard K.
“The panel in this QOV is a drawing by a Veteran named Howard King. I love his artwork to the point I contacted him and asked permission to use his work in Quilts of Valor. He didn’t know that the first one was going to be presented to him. I had the artwork made into a panel and then designed it all in EQ8. This is my favorite of all the quilts I’ve made so far.”
YSU quilt
“My youngest nephew Nick, left this world way too soon. This quilt was made of pure love to be raffled off at a fundraiser for a scholarship to Youngstown University. He was a football hero and a really sweet guy. The Niles, Ohio police chief won the raffle.”
Air Force Quilt of Valor
“My step-daughter-in-law, Amy, is an Air Force Veteran. This was designed on EQ8 also, along with so many other QOV’s that I’ve made. I really love the software. I have other design software that I never use. I didn’t like the way it worked, so EQ8 is my go-to design software. It has been for years now. Step-son, Adam and his family reside in Texas, so this was a ‘find a presenter’ kind of presentation. I’m glad we have so many quilters in our group that are willing to present to our veterans.”
Debbie’s sewing room
“When I lock myself in my tiny little quilting room to sew, I sometimes forget to eat and do other necessary things. I love creating on my EQ8 software. There are limitless possibilities. Once I have a quilt ready for the midarm, I have to go to the basement to quilt the design on it. My midarm used to be on the main floor in a 12 x 16 room off the living room. But, that room is now a playroom and is full of toys.”
“I recently purchased a regular sewing cabinet with an extension so my quilts won’t drag the floor as I piece them together. I also splurged on a really good cutting table. The old one wobbled quite a bit, making it hard to get accurate cuts. The room is tiny but who cares, it is functional! I just wish I had time to quilt every day. I used to draw and oil paint but my arthritis stopped that. So I took up sewing, quilting is the best therapy anyone could ask for. I’ve been known to start early in the morning and stop late at night. So much fabric and not enough time. We need to add at least 10 more days to a week and 12 more hours to a day.”
Thank you Debbie for sharing your wonderful quilts and story with us!
Tell us your story!
To be considered for our next spotlight, write a brief comment below and attach an image of an EQ-designed quilt or project you’re proud of! You can also tag us @theelectricquiltcompany on Instagram or @ElectricQuilt on Facebook, or use our hashtags #EQ8 and #DoYouEQ.
Each month we will select a quilter from all the submissions we’ve received. So if you weren’t picked this month, you can still be featured in future months!
Join us next month as we spotlight another quilter! View all Do You EQ Too? posts >>
How to submit an image of your quilt:
- In the comment form below, tell us a little bit about your quilt or story. Then click Browse to include the image of your quilt.
- Select your quilt, then click Submit Comment.
