Contest closed. Rita V. of Fort Collins, CO was the lucky winner!
Here’s what Rita would like to design: I would love to make a quilt for each of my great-nephews with the initial of each one’s first name!
Be sure to look at other comments, including some from the author herself!
Thanks to all who participated.
The Book
In 2022, EQ lover, Jo Ann Lepore, joined the faculty of the Mid Appalachian Quilt Retreat, held at Gettysburg College, in Pennsylvania. Her roommate that she was paired with at the retreat was already an author with Fox Chapel Publishing. One evening, after a long day of teaching, they were discussing what they each design and the roommate suggested Jo Ann write a book. As Jo Ann told me, “she’s not afraid of rejection,” so after she found the proposal forms on the company’s website, submitted a proposal, and within days received a message that there was definite interest in her idea!
The premise of the book was to look for charted, or pixelated, designs that could be recreated in fabric. Jo Ann surfed the internet, books, and Pinterest for ideas, and before she knew it, she had hundreds of possibilities. Having used EQ for many years, she went directly to her laptop and started drafting quilt designs. Within the software she can easily try out so many different colorways and placements of fabric making it the perfect way to experiment!
A Brief History
Asking when and how Jo Ann got into quilting, before the book was even dreamed about, I learned the answer is not straight forward, but very interesting! Although Jo Ann doesn’t remember a time when she wasn’t sewing, for the record, she says that she’s been sewing since the age of 8 and took her first lesson when she was 9 years old. For her wedding, she made all of her bridal-party outfits and 185 table napkins, so that everything matched! Jumping ahead a few years, an extended family member opened a craft shop and after leaving a 13-year job in HR, Jo Ann finally had some time to get back to sewing to contribute to the craft shop. She started making soft-sculpture crafts, took a class to make large teddy bears, and met a new friend who soon after bought a quilt shop, so took piecing and quilting classes there. During one of those classes, the teacher recognized Jo Ann’s skill and invited her to teach at the shop. Simultaneously, this led to Jo Ann starting her own wholesale decorative-accessory business which she ended up owning and leading for over 25 years! All the while, she continued to teach quilting techniques around the region. Due to changes in the industry, she decided it was time for a change, so began quilting full time, teaching extensively, and entering competitive quilt shows!
Here are some pictures of items Jo Ann made and sold while running her wholesale business.
Using EQ Software
Wondering about her use of EQ, Jo Ann let me know she started with EQ4 and has upgraded ever since. She learned about the software through her intense exposure to the entire quilting industry. Specifically, she was looking to design original quilts for competition. She had no reservations about using computer software and noted that EQ has gotten easier with each version.
Here’s one of Jo Ann’s very first EQ designs that she entered into the 2014 Vermont Quilt Festival… and won 1st place!!
Back to the Book
Here is Jo Ann’s favorite single-charted heart quilt that “started it all” and was the inspiration for the book! In fact, she’d love to do another book with only heart designs! Fingers crossed, or should I say, “Cross your heart?!”
Having your own copy of this book, you’ll learn how to create custom quilt designs using the Picture Patchwork technique of turning a simple grid into a quilting work of art! The 15 projects in the book range from beginner to advanced. Here are a few examples of Jo Ann’s EQ designs that found their way into the book. Notice how each design starts with a bunch of small squares, or pixels, and once colored create a neat picture!
Sewing machine
No Strings Attached and L monogram
Inspired by her love of heart designs, it’s so easy to try out different options in EQ so here’s the same Heart Duo x 2 design with and without a border.
There are 15 unique and fun designs in the book which are sure to inspire!!
You can find Jo Ann’s book through Fox Chapel’s website and wherever you like to buy books. Follow Jo Ann on Instagram @sewjospecial or Facebook. And, if you find yourself in the Warren, New Jersey area on Wednesday, March 26 at 7pm, stop by the Pieced Together Quilt Guild to get a signed copy of the book by the author herself!
Giveaway!
The giveaway is closed. The winner will be announced this week. Thanks to everyone who submitted comments!
A copy of the book will be shipped to one lucky winner! To enter, submit a comment on this post letting us know what picture of yours, or one of Jo Ann’s designs, you’d like to make into a charted quilt. Giveaway closes 11:59pm ET February 2, 2025. Winner will be chosen at random and contacted via email. One entry per person. U.S. shipping only.
Tell us, what picture of yours, or one of Jo Ann’s designs, would you like to make into a charted quilt?
01-24-2025
11:10 am
I love them all, but would probably make the whale one first!
01-24-2025
11:11 am
Hello! I have many photos that I would love to turn into a quilt design.. The one that comes to mind is a picture of the church where my husband and I were married.
01-24-2025
11:13 am
The butterfly
01-24-2025
11:13 am
I am looking at 4 guitars in my living room, the result of a partner who is a music lover, with a music program on our local community radio station. I would certainly get busy making the pixelated guitar as soon as the book arrived.
01-24-2025
11:14 am
I recently made a charted quilt using the Buffalo Bills logo!
01-24-2025
11:18 am
I love the Heart Quilt would love to make that one over and over with different fabric, would always be a fun sew.
01-24-2025
11:20 am
I have seen pixilated designs before but hadn’t really thought about the “how to.” This opens up so many possibilities! Love the whale design!
01-24-2025
11:23 am
I love the heart design!
01-24-2025
11:28 am
Love the double heart design. Need to make a wedding quilt and that would be fabulous.
01-24-2025
11:28 am
They are all just fantastic!! I really like the sewing machine!
01-24-2025
11:30 am
I would like to make the “I love you” sign language hand into a wall hanging. The hand combines the I, L and Y in sign language.
01-24-2025
11:33 am
I’m new to EQ8 and having a fun time seeing all that others have created with it. I’d like to see a fish design. We love to fish and it would be fun to make a quilt that represents one of our hobbies. Your work is beautiful!
01-25-2025
9:57 am
Cheryl fish is a great idea. Will add it to my list of future designs.
01-24-2025
11:34 am
I still remember sitting on my Gramma’s lap at the SEWING MACHINE, because I was too short to pump the treadle – at 80+ sewing remains my relaxation today.
01-24-2025
11:35 am
The swan! We recently had a new pair come to our pond. Hoping they like it enough to raise a family.
01-24-2025
11:41 am
I love the charted heart quilt. This is one I would definitely make.
01-24-2025
11:45 am
All beautiful. The first picture that comes to mind is the one of a cardinal my husband has on his phone. He loves red birds and red flowers!
01-24-2025
11:47 am
Love these! I took a picture of a brilliant Hawaii sunset that could be spectacular as a pixelated quilt.
01-24-2025
11:51 am
I’d like to use Jo Ann’s method to do a family tree wall hanging similar to a tree of life. My fav of the pics in this post has to be the beautiful, vibrant heart quilt!!!
01-24-2025
11:51 am
I have a program that turns pictures into cross stitch patterns. I would love to do that for quilt projects especially pictures of my family. However I would start with easier designs such as the hearts.
01-24-2025
11:53 am
A cake. I would love to have a quilt out on the couch with a cake on it during my families birthday months.
01-24-2025
11:59 am
I have a great photo of Nauset Light (on Cape Cid, where I live) that would be great as a pixelated quilt.
01-24-2025
12:03 pm
I’m always interested in new design ideas. Years ago I used the technique of 2″ squares to make a large bed size “watercolor technique” heart quilt. I love her heart quilt and with today’s fabrics there are so many design possibilities.
01-24-2025
12:04 pm
I love the heart.
01-24-2025
12:06 pm
Love the image of the Featherweight sewing machine. It reminds me of my grandmother and how these sewing machines are real treasures.
01-24-2025
12:09 pm
I am new to EQ8. So something simple is what I would start with, possibly a quilt with some cats or a black cat as we have 2 of those and my daughters would love that.
01-24-2025
12:10 pm
I would love to learn the technique by doing the heart first. it is so beautiful. I have pictures from our recent trip to Jasper that I would like to turn into a quilt with these techniques.
01-24-2025
12:12 pm
Love the pixelated heart quilt which is definitely my choice. Who doesn’t like a challenge?
01-24-2025
12:17 pm
Would love to make the heart design quilt!
01-24-2025
12:17 pm
I love love love the sewing machine and would love to make a wall hanging with that one. They are all beautiful oh and a butterfly quilt would be gorgeous as well!
01-24-2025
12:19 pm
I don’t like heart designs but I’d LOVE to make the pixelated floral heart.
01-24-2025
12:20 pm
I’d like to do a tree of life for my dad.
01-24-2025
12:33 pm
Hands down the sewing machine….my passion! I use it to create things for those I love!
01-24-2025
12:38 pm
I love sewing squares together. I have made 4 grandchild quilts using the pixilated animal quilts from, I think it was Quiltmaker, not totally sure about that. Since then I have tried to figure out how to take a picture of mine and make it pixilated but I’ve had no luck, I guess it just too much for my 86 year old brain. And just because I am 86 does not mean I’m over the hill. My doctor said I was more like a 60/70 year old than an 80 something and that I could easily live to be 100 or 105 since I keep my mind and body active (I still ride my bicycle on longish trails with a son or a daughter. I really would like to win this book.
01-24-2025
12:42 pm
I love the heart quilt as well as the whale.
01-24-2025
12:44 pm
I would definitely make the whale first. Our granddaughter is involved in whale studies at the University of the South in Sewanee TN. Next i can see the sewing machine on my table of to do’s. Suzanne
01-24-2025
12:49 pm
i would love to make that sewing machine quilt
01-24-2025
1:00 pm
The sewing machine pattern makes me so happy and that is the one I would choose.
01-24-2025
1:09 pm
I have many pictures of Utah national parks (Bryce Canyon, Arches, Zion, Canyonlands) taken in various vacations. I would like to select one, perhaps from Arches, and do a pixelated quilt or wall hanging .
01-24-2025
1:13 pm
I’d love to make a quilt of my granddaughter.
01-24-2025
1:18 pm
I like the idea of using images for quilts, pieced, not printed. I have a great photo of a Bald Eagle on an iceberg that would make a beautiful wall hanging. I just need a way to get started, and Jo Ann’s book would help.
01-24-2025
1:30 pm
I would love to make the guitar quilt for my son. He is a Luthier and would absolutely love it!
01-24-2025
1:35 pm
I’ve always wanted to try pixelated designs, I think it’s a good way to use up scraps (like mine that have been building themselves into huge containers!). I have a multitude of sewing themed designs in my room and would like to make the sewing machine. Great article, interesting path she’s had in the sewing world.
01-24-2025
1:51 pm
What I would really love is a collage of the four (4) dogs that have been such an important part of my live.
01-24-2025
2:08 pm
I would make pixelated designs of my horses, cows, chickens and goats.
01-24-2025
2:16 pm
My birthday is Feb 15th. Mom always made me a heart cake on my birthday! It has always been by favorite shape.
Jo Ann’s favorite single-charted heart quilt Is my favorite.
01-24-2025
2:19 pm
I am torn between two designs: the ukulele as I am attempting to learn to play and one of the heart designs.
01-24-2025
2:26 pm
The sewing machine would be a design, that I would like to make..
01-24-2025
2:49 pm
I would love to make both of her heart quilts. Understanding how she does her instructions and seeing the photos up close would make me want to create my own.
Thanks for the opportunity to win!
01-24-2025
2:57 pm
I love the heart quilt!
01-24-2025
3:02 pm
I love the Two Hearts! I immediately thought of my husband and I when I saw the Two Hearts. Thank you for introducing us to Jo Ann Lepore and her work.
01-24-2025
3:34 pm
My granddaughter is expecting a child in July. Since she lives near the Atlantic Ocean, I would definitely start off with the whale. But I’m also interested in using large initials for the back of a quilt. I have been using EQ for about the same amount of time but have seldom made this type of design, so I would like to learn more about it!
01-24-2025
3:36 pm
I love the sewing machine! How adorable!
01-24-2025
3:57 pm
I love the designs that combine the squares with 9 patches. Not the often seen pixelated quilts. These inspire to play with light and dark, as well as Solid squares combined with 4 or 9 patches. Lots of fun!
01-24-2025
3:57 pm
I would like to create a quilt of our cats.
01-24-2025
3:58 pm
I would make the no strings attached. My son has love of all guitars.
01-24-2025
4:15 pm
I would love to make a quilt for each of my great-nephews with the initial of each one’s first name!
01-24-2025
4:22 pm
What a neat idea. I’ve made a number of animal quilts featured in Quiltmaker, but never thought of applying this technique to other pictures.
01-24-2025
4:47 pm
What a neat idea! The book looks great. I would love to do an animal quilt, the swan is really lovely. Or else maybe a quilt based on some photographs my husband likes to take of sunsets.
01-24-2025
6:00 pm
I Love her guitar quilt! I own several guitars and enjoy singing!
I have a pic of my husband pulling his antique tractor with the front end up in the air! I would Love to figure out how to make it into a quilt.
01-24-2025
6:13 pm
I love the sewing machine!
01-24-2025
7:28 pm
I like the hearts quilt.
01-24-2025
8:32 pm
I would love to make the sewing machine for my daughter – she is teaching me to quilt (I’m 77, never to old to learn, right?) She is a master quilter & has an old long-arm that she uses to finish off quilts, she put chickens & eggs on my 1st quilt using a rooster panel with sunflower & chicken wire blocks. We both love the old Singer Featherweight machines & this sewing machine quilt would be a perfect gift for her. All of these quilts are so beautiful!
01-24-2025
9:42 pm
*LOVE* the L-monogram!
Does the book include all the letters of the alphabet?
Or does the book provide a lesson on creating the alphabet with EQ?
I ‘assume’ Jo Ann is using a fusible grid?
01-25-2025
10:07 am
Gina, thank you.
The book has the complete alphabet shown. You can make any letter with ease. I do not use any piecing aids Esch as fusible grid.
I am a precision piecer and teach my technique when I offer a class. If you belong to a guild or have a favorite local shop I am available to teach my techniques suggest that they contact me for availability.
01-24-2025
10:10 pm
I have so any photos of flowers & birds that would be fun to play with!
01-24-2025
11:23 pm
I love the “Cross Your Heart” quilt, the Heart Duo quilt is fantastic also. Anything with hearts is a winner in my book. Can’t wait until the Heart Book is a reality!
01-24-2025
11:40 pm
I love the heart design, beside that one, I would love to make a dragon quilt. I love dragons and it would be so much fun to make one. A Santa quilt for Christmas would also be wonderful.
01-25-2025
12:27 am
Love this idea! I would love to see some of my grandkids’ favorite things like a monster truck or a kitty.
01-25-2025
7:59 am
I was just researching this technique yesterday! I want to make a pet portrait of my Australian Shepherd,
01-25-2025
8:13 am
I really like the purple heart patchwork design.
01-25-2025
8:15 am
The double hearts is my favorite. It reminds me of doing cross stitch, basically the same thing except with fabric. Seems one could use a cross stitch design and do the same thing.
01-25-2025
9:01 am
I love the heart designs and would love to make all of them.
01-25-2025
9:54 am
I love charted quilts, I’ve made a bunny!
01-25-2025
10:11 am
So beautiful but my favorite must make is cross your heart!
01-25-2025
11:20 am
I would love to sew up Jo Ann’s swan quilt! Gorgeous! Reminds me of our signature swans on Lake Eola here in Orlando, Florida.
01-25-2025
2:40 pm
I would love to design and sew a quilt of my son’s dog Geno
01-25-2025
3:21 pm
I would do the sewing machine to add to my sewing room.
01-25-2025
4:47 pm
I would do the sewing machine. It looks fun and semi easy.
01-25-2025
9:15 pm
I would love to make the sewing machine picture. I, also, would love to try making landscape quilts from my own photos of variety of landscapes.
01-25-2025
10:11 pm
! would make the whale first but love all the patterns.
01-25-2025
10:14 pm
Love the whale.
01-25-2025
11:06 pm
Hearts have always been a favorite. My non-verbal granddaughter loves bright cheerful colors . One of my first quilts I made was hearts. I would do the “Cross your Heart”.
All are beautiful.
01-25-2025
11:11 pm
One of my first quilts I made was hearts for my non-verbal autistic granddaughter. She loves bright cheerful colors. I would start with the “cross your heart” they are all beautiful.
01-26-2025
7:02 am
I really want to make the sewing machine! I’m upgrading my sewing room and this will go behind my ironing board to protect the wall from over spray as well as give that wall a beautiful look.
01-27-2025
3:56 pm
I think Jo Ann’s original Cross Your Heart is beautiful, it looks so straight forward – pattern wise – yet the choices of fabrics, the colours, all working with the design – the result is so beautiful, it catches your eye, and I can’t stop going back to look at it.
It would be a pleasure to try and come up with a result that has half the effect that Jo Ann’s original design has.
Thank you.
01-27-2025
4:36 pm
The swan or the double heart design caught my eye. It would be interesting to learn a new technique on how to do these two designs or how to use the technique on other ideas.
02-01-2025
8:16 am
I love the pixel quilts with hearts. They touched my heart and now I just need to make one.
02-01-2025
8:30 am
The sewing machine quilt would look great in my sewing room.
02-01-2025
8:56 am
I think many cross stitch patterns would work great for this technique. I am trying to make one (slow process) from a picture of one of my horses.
02-01-2025
9:25 am
I would love to make a quilt with a floral image. Tilda has one, but I want to try designing one myself.
02-01-2025
9:26 am
These patterns are delightful! I can’t wait to start sewing❤️
02-01-2025
9:27 am
These patterns are delightful. I can’t wait to start sewing!
02-01-2025
9:27 am
I love the sewing machine! That would be my first project.
02-01-2025
9:44 am
I like the sewing machine design. I would make that as a wall hanging for my sewing room.
02-01-2025
10:27 am
I would love to chart a design of a picture of our dog, Boris.
02-01-2025
10:45 am
The heart pattern is gorgeous. I’d love to see all the choices in the book!
02-01-2025
10:50 am
I think I’d start with the butterfly and the pineapple garden sounds interesting.
I’d like to take pictures of my dogs and make them into a quilt.
02-01-2025
10:50 am
I love the concept. I’d like to use it to design a quilt featuring my 1896 sailboat under full sail, including water sails.
02-01-2025
11:09 am
I like Heart DuoX2. I have been collecting heart patterns. A book just on hearts would be fun. It is not fun to do pix blocks on EQ8. Any tips to make it faster to design? To click with the mouse every block is a pain. Quilting small blocks can also be thick mess. So I hope the book might have some tips on the finish quilting to make it lay right.
02-01-2025
11:10 am
Love the whale! And the sewing machine! And the heart! And the everything!
02-01-2025
11:26 am
The whale and/or the sewing machine! Congrats to fellow guild member Jo Ann
02-01-2025
11:45 am
I am into everything roses. It would look great as a quilt.
02-01-2025
12:06 pm
I would love to do the swan but if I did my own, I would like to recreate a crochet pixel blanket I made for my granddaughter’s graduation. I would like to do a wall hanging size since the crochet one was a queen size and contained over 700 solid granny squares.
02-01-2025
12:31 pm
Since we are in February the Duo Hearts would be fun! The whole book would be fun to play with of course.
02-01-2025
12:50 pm
The swan, where I work we have 2 pairs. I will be making this for my office!
02-01-2025
12:56 pm
I love Swans so I would make that!
02-01-2025
1:01 pm
Being that it’s February, I’d love to learn the heart design.
02-01-2025
1:46 pm
I would love to do the pineapple design!
02-01-2025
4:40 pm
I’d probably make the double-heart quilt first…or perhaps the swan!
02-01-2025
5:21 pm
I like the guitar.
02-01-2025
10:15 pm
i love her sewing machine picture. I would love to do a picture of my daughter’s dog.
02-02-2025
10:45 am
I would love to make Ann’s heart quilt..
02-02-2025
12:35 pm
I love the swan! My daughter makes paper swans. It would be a fun quilt to give her!
02-02-2025
1:20 pm
I would love to make a quilt of my granddogs. A Great Dane puppy and a brown spotted Dalmatian.
02-02-2025
2:23 pm
I’d love to make the guitar quilt since my favorite niece’s husband is a wonderful musician and collects guitars. He’d love a quilted one!
02-02-2025
9:41 pm
Wow, this has me thinking for sure. I have so many cool photos of my dogs out in the fields here in Montana. Maybe even an old homestead building. Hmmm..
02-03-2025
9:55 am
Thank you for all of the wonderful comments. They are humbling. It has been a most rewarding opportunity to write the book and share my passion for the art of quilting. I hope to share more soon.
I am available to teach, lecture and share at shops, guilds and groups in person and soon virtually.
Contact me with DM on Facebook for details.
Be sure to post and share your projects too @ Sewjospecial on Facebook and Instagram.