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Quilt artist Margaret Fleisher created a 100 day challenge for herself of making quilt blocks to match books, and the results were amazing! Here are just a few examples… I think that is a good way to stretch your EQ8 design muscles and learn to think about how to design elements you may not include otherwise. The first example we’re going to do is this book cover of A Wrinkle in Time. Open EQ8 and click Design a quilt from scratch Click the NEW QUILT tab > Horizontal Click the LAYOUT tab Under NUMBER OF BLOCKS enter: Horizontal: 6 Vertical: 7 Under FINISHED SIZE OF BLOCK enter: Width: 9 Height: 11.5 Click the BORDERS tab Click the Delete button Click Block Worktable Click NEW BLOCK > Applique > Motif Next, we’ll be importing an image to trace. In the example I’m using the cover to A Wrinkle in Time. If

With EQ8 you can import fabric, photos, and more. But, images with transparent backgrounds can also be imported and used. If you don’t have software that can remove the background from images, there are free websites that can do it, too. One example is www.remove.bg/upload Once you have your images saved as a PNG and the backgrounds removed, it’s time to import them into EQ8. Please note: If you plan to print the image onto paper or Printable Fabric, make sure your images are 150dpi. If you are using it in EQ just for visual reference and have no plans to print it, then 72dpi is fine. It’s always a good idea to print your images on paper as a test, before Printable Fabric so that you are sure you’re getting the results you want. Open a project in EQ8 that you would like to add images to or design a

I love my EQ8 program. It is the most important tool in my sewing room. I have been in love with EQ since I first began using it when it was version EQ4.  In teaching lessons on how to use the program to create quilts, I noticed two different mindsets with the students.  One is that they just want to accomplish what can be done to create quilts/blocks with the program. Another is how to interpret the designs into something unique for themselves.  This goes much further beyond the design process alone.  Individual interpretations of the designs are what make our work come to life. Launch your EQ8 program from the desktop by double-clicking on the icon.  On the opening screen, click on the New Project icon and the project helper screen will open.  Type in the name of the new project to be ‘Interpret Designs’.  Click the OK at

This month we’ll be copying and pasting elements from one block to another. Most of the examples show part of a block being copied to another existing block but elements of blocks can also be copied to new blocks. There are six different types of blocks in EQ8. The type of block you are working with determines whether or not you can copy the elements and if so, how to do it. You will see what type of block it is listed above the Drawing Tools or at the bottom-right corner of the worktable. In the example below you can see that it is currently an EasyDraw block. Click Block > New Block to see all six of the different types of blocks to choose from. Click Block Worktable Pieced Blocks EasyDraw is the easiest and fastest way to draw a pieced block. You just drag the mouse to draw

For this lesson we’ll be using one of the free monthly projects to start with. Download Various Valentine’s HERE. You can find more label ideas here. Open the project and click Edit. If you would like, click the DESIGN tab > Fabric Tools > Paintbrush and recolor. You may want to add more fabrics. Click the Layer 2 tab at the bottom of the screen Click Text Tools Click Set Text When you click on the Set Text tool the first time, EQ8 will read through the list of TrueType fonts (typefaces) on your computer and load those fonts into the palette. The first time this happens you may experience a bit of a delay as EQ8 reads the fonts, depending on the number of fonts installed on your computer. The last fabric used will be the text color, so you may not see it if you’re typing on a

Fonts are not just letters and numbers.  Fonts can also be represented as designs.  You can use TTF (True Type Fonts) in EQ8 to create unique designs using the text tool. I use free fronts from the Da Font website.  https://www.dafont.com/  Selecting only the TTF format of fonts, I download them to my Font Folder on my computer.  EQ8 can read the TTF files using the text tool to create the designs I want.  Dingbats are a type of font that is an image.  I use dingbats to create pictures I can use in EQ8. Download the TTF of your choice and install it in the Fonts folder on your computer. NOTE:  Install the fonts before you open EQ8.  If you install the fonts after EQ8 is already open, it may not pick up the new font in the computer font folder. Open your EQ8 program and create a new

This month we’ll be learning some options for making quick changes to quilts that may inspire new designs. Open EQ8 and click Design a quilt from scratch Click the LAYOUT tab Click Horizontal Under NUMBER OF BLOCKS enter Horizontal: 6 Vertical: 6 Click the DESIGN tab Click Block Tools Click Open Library Under 01 Classic Pieced click Classics Click the first block, Log Cabin Click Add to Sketchbook Click Close Click the Set Block tool Click on the Log Cabin block Hold down the ctrl/cmd key on your keyboard and click on a space on the quilt. Click the Symmetry tool Click on the quilt to see 16 different layouts! Click Add to Project Sketchbook  for any of the layouts you’d like to save. 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