Behind the Mouse: The Electric Quilt Blog

Yes, beginners, YOU CAN design this in EQ. Get the pattern: http://ajpadilla.com/patterns/themes/just-kids/rock-bye-baby/blocks-box Angie’s quilt is an easy-to-sew, easy-to-mock-up-in-EQ project perfect for beginners. Her PDF pattern gives you all the measurements. To design this quilt in EQ, try the following: 1. Click QUILT > New Quilt > Horizontal. 2. Go to the Layout tab, make the block (5″) and sash size (3″) match Angie’s sizes in the PDF. 3. On the Borders tab, change the border to be Long Vertical and 3.00″. 4. Then you can either draw the blocks yourself using EasyDraw* or use something similar like the “3 Log Cabin” block from LIBRARIES > Block Library > 3 Foundation Pieced > Log Cabins. Use the Set Block tool to set blocks in your quilt. 5. Then have fun coloring with the Paintbrush tool. If you want to draw the blocks yourself, try this: 4a) Click WORKTABLE > Work on

Quilt Design Wizard is a little program we created that can sometimes get lost in the shadows of EQ6 and all its wonder. But this “watered down EQ,” as we sometimes refer to it, is packed with great features, perfect for beginners, and is super easy to use! Quilt Design Wizard is a software for beginning quilters and beginning computer users. It is an inexpensive way for you to try quilt designing on your computer for the first time. If you’re only ready for some simple pieced blocks, straight/horizontal layouts, on-point layouts, and want to play with color, then Quilt Design Wizard may be for you. QDW contains: • 200 blocks • 3000 fabrics • Versatile layouts and borders • Ability to print patterns and fabric yardage • Sewing and quilting basic instructions We’ve even dedicated an entire website to Quilt Design Wizard. We post free downloadable projects each month so that you can

Our current contest just ended. We’ve picked the winners and emailed them to see which one of our popular Quilting Designs CDs they want. Congratulations to these winners: Janet Smith Sandra Moline Linda Lallathin Barb Bolton Kathy Klug Dean’s birthday is October 23rd. Look for another contest announced in next month’s newsletter. If you don’t get our newsletter, visit this page to subscribe.

Check out this article at About.com about our: EQ Printables: Cotton Lawn Inkjet Fabric. As you may know it can be used to design your own fabric. The author, Lesley Shepherd, suggests using it for doll houses and miniatures. It would work out very nicely since, as Lesley explains, it can be hard to find fabric with small enough scale. Since you are designing the fabric you can make your fabric pattern any scale you want so it looks appropriate for an apron or tablecloth. Also, all of your fabrics can coordinate. And, no more worries about them running out of your fabric at your local quilt shop because you can just print out a new piece. Here is a sample of a printable fabric with a very small scale that you can download. It was made by just repeating an asterisk. You could also lay small beads in your

Ashtyn was just born. She’s cute and has chubby cheeks. I’ll see if I can get a picture up soon. Congratulations Sarah & Jason!

There are lots and lots of little EQ babies. Derek and the twins recently celebrated their 1 year birthdays. Ellie Woodward’s 1 year birthday is coming up next. We’re all waiting by our phones for a text message from Jason Shriver so the EQ family can welcome little Ashtyn Elizabeth Shriver to the world. Oh she’s going to be cute. Sarah started at EQ as an intern and stayed to become our Promotions Manager and part of our Graphics Design team. She is a frequent blogger on this site.

We all know how important it is to connect with family and spend quality time with them. I wanted to share this story to give you ideas on how to make something simple like spending time with grandma an annual, highly-anticipated event. Here’s what longtime EQ Staffer, Lu Vandemark, says: “A couple of summers ago my husband and I were at the lake and ran into our friend, Ken. “Where’s Ann,” we asked. “Oh, she has all the grandkids in for Grandma Camp this week,” her replied. That started me thinking… I should have a Grandma Camp. So 2008 was my first Grandma Camp. I invited my two grandchildren from Columbus and my sister’s two from Oklahoma City. There was JJ (age 4), Zoe (age 6), Elijah (age 8 ) and China (age 9). They all wanted to come back so we did it again this summer. With the different