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Jenny

I started working at Electric Quilt as a graphic design intern back in 2001 and stayed on after I graduated from college. I’ve caught the quilting bug while working here at EQ–you can only see so many beautiful quilts before you want to try making one yourself! I blog about everything from sewing to EQ tutorials. My favorite posts are the sew alongs I get to host with all of you!

Recent Posts by Jenny

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Simple Design

Posted 03-10-2024 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the EQ8 Block Spotlight! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. We hope these posts will inspire you to try something new and expand your EQ skills! :-D

This month’s block: Simple Design

Where to find it: 03 Foundation Pieced > Flying Geese

Design ideas to spark your creativity

Using the Simple Design block as a guide, I drew another simple block to pair it with. I edited the Simple Design block to the worktable and then converted it to guides before drawing my new block. This helps me know I’m drawing something that will work well with the original block.

I alternated the two blocks in a 4 x 4 horizontal layout and then used the Symmetry tool to find this rotation of the blocks. The fabric collection is Arcadia by Pippa Shaw for Figo Fabrics, which I downloaded from Figo’s website. Here’s how to download a manufacturer’s fabrics for use in EQ8.


For my second quilt, I started by playing with the Serendipity options. I ended up using this Shrink & Flip version of the Simple Design block.

I used a custom set layout so I could have lots of white space around the blocks. Since there’s lots of white space, the quilting plays a bigger role in the design. So I used Layer 3 to audition my quilting choices.

What would you design with the Simple Design block? Post a quilt or two in the comments below. It can be as simple or as complex as you’d like (it just has to use the featured block!).

Export an Image of your Quilt

  1. On the Quilt Worktable, click the PRINT & EXPORT tab.
  2. Click Export in the ribbon.
  3. In the palette on the left, click Image.
  4. Type a name for your image and click the Save button. (Make sure you know where you’re saving the image on your computer. We recommend saving to your My EQ8 > Images folder.)

In the comment form below, tell us a little bit about your design and then click Browse to include the image of your quilt.

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Topeka Rose

Posted 02-10-2024 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the EQ8 Block Spotlight! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. We hope these posts will inspire you to try something new and expand your EQ skills! This month’s block: Topeka Rose Where to find it: 04 Classic Applique > Roses Design ideas to spark your creativity I went with a spring palette and more traditional design for my first quilt. The fabric collection is Kindred by 1canoe2 for Moda. Here’s how to download a manufacturer’s fabrics for use in EQ8. I started by using Serendipity > Frame Block to add a cornerstone frame to the Topeka Rose block. The stars are created in the wide sashing between the blocks. I used the Even Star Sash 1 block from the 10 Sashing > Star Sashing section

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Summer Winds

Posted 01-10-2024 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the first EQ8 Block Spotlight post of 2024! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. We hope these posts will inspire you to try something new and expand your EQ skills! This month’s block: Summer Winds Where to find it: 01 Classic Pieced >Nine Patch Design ideas to get you started My first quilt uses a custom set layout. With this layout I could offset the blocks the way I needed to for the look I was envisioning. Fabrics are from the True Blue collection by Maureen Cracknell for Art Gallery Fabrics. For my second quilt, I edited the Summer Winds block to delete some of the piecing in the center of the block. This gave me a larger square patch in the center where

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Snowy Pine

Posted 12-10-2023 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the EQ8 Block Spotlight! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. Whether you’re a brand new EQ8 user or a seasoned pro, come join in the fun! This month’s block: Snowy Pine Where to find it: 02 Contemporary Pieced > Trees Design ideas to get you started I had to use December for the opportunity to design one last Christmas quilt this year! This is a 4×4 horizontal layout and I used the Symmetry tool to find this arrangement of blocks. I drew my own snowflake motif to use in the wide border. It’s a simple version of the snowflakes I made in this lesson: Making Snowflakes with EQ8′s WreathMaker I went with a modern, moody look for my second quilt. Again, this is a

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Rick-Rack Star

Posted 11-10-2023 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the EQ8 Block Spotlight! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. Whether you’re a brand new EQ8 user or a seasoned pro, come join in the fun! This month’s block: Rick-Rack Star Where to find it: 01 Classic Pieced > Eight-Pointed Stars Design ideas to get you started This block looked like the perfect centerpiece for a medallion quilt to me. This is a 1 x 1 horizontal layout surrounded by 11 borders of different styles and sizes. The fabrics are from the Flirtation collection by Zen Chic for Moda. ‘Tis the season! I love holiday quilts, so I couldn’t help but design another Christmas quilt this month. The featured block is used in the four center block spaces of this on-point layout. I removed

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Pineapple (2 Strips)

Posted 10-10-2023 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the EQ8 Block Spotlight! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. Whether you’re a brand new EQ8 user or a seasoned pro, come join in the fun! This month’s block: Pineapple (2 Strips) Where to find it: 03 Foundation Pieced > Pineapples (Hint: It’s the very last block in the section.) Design ideas to get you started This first quilt uses a Vertical Strip layout so that I could stagger the columns of blocks. The strip styles alternate between Pieced Blocks and Half Drop Blocks. I accentuated the “squircles” in the blocks by coloring those patches turquoise. The second quilt uses a standard horizontal layout. I colored the blocks in a more traditional pineapple style for this design. The large square patch in the center

EQ8 Block Spotlight: Plaid Knots

Posted 09-10-2023 by | Posted in: EQ8 Block Spotlight  

Welcome to the EQ8 Block Spotlight! Each month we highlight a block from the EQ8 Block Library with a few design ideas. Then we want you to show us what you can do with the block. Whether you’re a brand new EQ8 user or a seasoned pro, come join in the fun! This month’s block: Plaid Knots Where to find it: 02 Contemporary Pieced > Knots Design ideas to get you started The first quilt is a 4 x 4 horizontal layout. The Plaid Knots block is in the center four block spaces. I edited the block to remove some lines for the blocks in the surrounding spaces. The quilt is colored with Quilter’s Linen fabrics, which come installed with EQ8. You can find them in the Fabric Library in the Manufacturer Basics > Robert Kaufman-Quilter’s Linen section. The second quilt is a 3 x 3 on-point layout, and the