Each month on the EQ website we have a free download … new fabrics for EQ5 and EQ6 users. The downloads are archived (all the way back to December 2003) so don’t worry, you can still get the downloads from the past 5 years. We want the download to be fabrics you want: So don’t forget to vote for the fabrics here We also take suggestions for future fabric choices. Just email webmaster@electricquilt.com.
Don't forget you have a say in the "Fabrics of the Month"
Posted 06-16-2008 by Electric Quilt | Posted in: Uncategorized
Gloria Hansen Breaks Down Digital Designing
Posted 06-16-2008 by Sarah | Posted in: Uncategorized
In the latest issue of Quilting Arts Magazine, Gloria Hansen’s article “Digital Design Principles Part 1″ is a real eye opener for the digitally disabled. In this article, you’ll find guidance for resizing your images, working with Photoshop Elements layers, learn to use Photoshop Elements tools, get digitally organized, and how to manipulate your photos along with a few tips and tricks along the way. Her expertise will really give you a head start in designing using digital-aid. But, if you like what you learn from Gloria in Quilting Arts, you are going to LOVE her new book! “Digital Essentials – The quilt maker’s must-have guide to digital images, files and more” is a learning guide for designing in programs like Photoshop Elements and Paint Shop Pro. It’s loaded with digital designing instructions, tips, photo tricks, and more! Written by Gloria for both PC and MAC users, this book covers
Great for Group Projects
Posted 06-12-2008 by Electric Quilt | Posted in: Uncategorized
Longtime EQ-er Sherry Herringshaw, of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, wrote in to tell us of a recent chance she had to use her EQ6 software to design a quilt for her guild. Here’s what Sherry says: “This is a picture of an opportunity quilt I designed in EQ6 for Cajun Country Quilters of Gonzales Louisiana. My guild asked me to help design a opportunity quilt and I jokingly turned a similar design into it and they immediately said that one!! So, I fine-tuned it and this is the result. I had to come up with blocks various skilled members felt comfortable with. EQ6 made it easy to create patterns to distribute to members. Members of the guild made the log cabin diamond, the Dutchman puzzle and the gold triangle border blocks. I then made the center and completed the set. A guild member Judy Holley quilted it. We have named it
Quilting with Photos
Posted 06-12-2008 by Sarah | Posted in: Uncategorized
Margaret has been hard at work in her sewing room creating a series of some really beautiful and interesting quilts. They are a work in progress but I want to give you a sneak peek! Using our EQ printables, Margaret printed 8.5″ x 11″ photos of flowers onto fabric then soaked and dried them. She then cut the photos into several strips using a rotary cutter. Then, Margaret sorted through her boxes of fabric to find colors and patterns that complimented the flower photo so that the photo would blend and contrast harmoniously with the fabrics she chose. Spreading the strips a few inches apart from each other, but still the the correct order, Margaret planned out which fabrics would be placed in between each of the strips. The result is a stunning abstract image! After finishing the quilt, Margaret quilted around the fabric patterns (in this case, she quilted
Tip for Drawing Intimidating LeMoyne-ish Blocks
Posted 06-09-2008 by Electric Quilt | Posted in: Uncategorized
We had a tech support question this weekend about drawing a certain block. After answering it I found I had a good list of tips on how I was able to draw it, so I thought I’d share. Let’s say you want to recreate a block with a bunch of triangles, diamonds, parallelograms, trapezoids, etc. Along the block edge, count up all the squares (this is A). Count up the remaining triangle hypotenuse thingies (this is B). Using either the 7-10-7 or 41-58-41 (A-B-A) method. Give all your A’s and B’s those values. This will give you the number of snaps you need. Set up a block and those snaps that will work with the units you come up with. Draw a line across the block and use Partition to find where your lines should go. When I was trying to find example blocks, the only ones I could think
I'm sensing a "EQ for Tile Projects" theme
Posted 06-05-2008 by Electric Quilt | Posted in: Uncategorized
So, in December 2007 we had an “Inspiration from Architecture” ClubEQ challenge. Jane Turgeon from Northeastern Ontario decided to try doing her bathroom tile border in EQ and submitted it as her project. Here’s a picture of the original EQ design: She says: “This diamond inset is on the wall and floor of our new bathroom. I used Seminole piecing as the construction technique. The pieced border is simulated in EQ (in layer 2) to get the grout to line up.” Jane wrote in to say her tiling project was done. Here’s a picture of the finished bathroom. If you’re trying to figure out why the color is bolder and more in the foreground near that tan part of the picture, are you in for a surprise. The Roman blind now has a band from this EQ design that lines up with the wall tile insert. Wow Jane. Super duper
PatchDraw tip for aligning to edge
Posted 06-05-2008 by Electric Quilt | Posted in: Uncategorized
Here’s a quick tip for when you want to have a patch touch the edge of your block. Turn on your Precision Bar and enter your own value for the position X or Y. TOP EDGE: Set Y to 0.000 LEFT EDGE: Set X to 0.000 BOTTOM EDGE: Set Y to be Block Size minus Motif Height. RIGHT EDGE: Set X to be Block Size minus Motif Width. In the picture above, the block is 8″ and the motif is 2.410″ wide.[8 - 2.410 = 5.590]