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Design & Discover

Design & Discover – Bargello Quilts

Posted 11-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

Bargello Quilts are easy and fun to make in EQ8! Let’s get started! Click New Quilt > Vertical Strip Click the LAYOUT tab. Change the width of the first strip to 3 inches. Change the strip style to Pieced Blocks. Change the NUMBER OF BLOCKS along length to 15 Click to check the Clone the selected strip box. Click Add until you have 24 strips. The box shows how many strips you have. Experiment with different widths until you get a layout that you like. Click Add to Project Sketchbook . If you haven’t named your project yet, EQ8 will prompt you to do so. (To be saved, your item needs to be in the Sketchbook AND your project needs to be named. Here is more information.) Click the DESIGN tab > Fabric Tools > Paintbrush and start coloring your layout. You can also use different subtools of the Paintbrush

Design & Discover – Fabrics and Photos

Posted 10-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

Sometimes it is hard to know if you should import your image as a photo or a fabric. The main difference between the two options is that if you import the image as a fabric, the image will tile. An image imported as a photo will not tile, it will stretch to fit the patch you place it in (on Layer 1).  Here is more information. Here the first patch has an image imported as fabric, and it is tiling. The second patch shows an image imported as a photo and it is stretched. Neither image is the right size for the patch. To fix this you can either change the size of your patch (by clicking the Layout tab), resize the image to fit or crop the image to fit. Here are some more tips and information. In this case I changed the layout to fit the size of

Design & Discover – Drawing Applique Blocks!

Posted 09-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

Let’s get to know the basics of drawing an applique block! Before getting started it’s important to understand how the Snap Points work and how they will effect your drawing. It would also be helpful to see what everything on the Precision Bar does and see all the options. When the Pick tool is selected you will see these options. They are pretty self explanatory (except for maybe the WreathMaker). But, notice everything that is available. When the Edit tool is selected you will see these options. Here is more information on what they all do. Drawing Lines Click NEW BLOCK > Applique > Block Note: ○ If you want to draw an applique block, EQ8 gives you two choices: Block or Motif. With the addition of the StencilMaker for a Motif, the tools and techniques are the same in both styles. The only, but big, difference is Block has

Design & Discover – PolyDraw!

Posted 08-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

In PolyDraw, you construct the block by drawing closed patches (unlike EasyDraw where you draw straight or curved lines and the software creates the patches for you). You must start and stop at the same point to finish a patch. Double-clicking at the start/stop point will close the patch and release the tool from the worktable. The patches you can draw are determined by the grid and snap points you select. This type of drawing can be a lot of fun because there are special grids that make designing easier. There are six grid options. Here are some things to note before we get started: All lines or arcs must start and stop at the same point (after you’ve clicked other points). Although adjacent patches will share edge lines, they will be drawn twice, once for each patch. You should not draw patches that overlap. Which grid you choose will determine

Design & Discover – Row by Rows!

Posted 07-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

The Row by Row Experience® began in 2011 with 20 quilt shops across New York State. Since then thousands more stores in the US, Canada and Europe have joined the fun. Travelers collect row patterns, then create stunning quilts with those rows … and no two are alike! The idea is to travel, shop and collect patterns.  Then combine your rows to form your quilt! Row by Row Taste the Experience started June 21, 2019 and the collecting ends September 3, 2019. Here is more information. There are four different sizes you may receive from quilt stores. You will likely get a variation of all these sizes. How do you make them all fit together? With EQ8, of course! Follow along with the lesson and create a quilt to submit right on our blog. If you have a blog, make sure to add your site too. Let’s visit each others’

Design & Discover – Borders!

Posted 06-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

This month we are exploring the possibilities with the borders in EQ8! Follow along with the lesson and create a quilt to submit right on our blog. If you have a blog, make sure to add your site too. Let’s visit each others’ blogs and all get to know each other! Let’s get started! There are a few different ways to work with borders in EQ8. First let’s work with what is encompassed under the Border’s tab. Let’s set up our layout. Click the NEW QUILT tab Click Horizontal In the LAYOUT tab for Number of Blocks make it 1 x 1 Set your Width and Height to 20 x 20 Click the DESIGN tab > Block Tools > Open Library Find an interesting block for your center and click Add to Sketchbook Click Close Click Set Block Click on your newly added block Click to place the block Click

Design & Discover – Quilt Backs!

Posted 05-01-2019 by | Posted in: Design & Discover

This month we are playing with the backs of quilts! Follow along with the lesson and create a quilt to submit right on our blog. If you have a blog, make sure to add your site too. Let’s visit each others’ blogs and all get to know each other! Let’s get started! This one is fun. I recommend trying out a Horizontal Strip or Vertical Strip Quilt for this. We’ll start off with a quilt from the Quick Quilts. (Did you know about these? They are great for inspiration and a starting off point for labels, Storm at Sea Quilts, T-shirt Quilts, and lots more!) Click Start with a Quick Quilt project Choose the Medallion Quilts project and click OK. Scroll through the Sketchbook until you get to the 5th quilt, as shown below. Click Edit. Recolor the quilt or change a few blocks, if you’d like. As you can

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