Behind the Mouse: The Electric Quilt Blog

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

So many beautiful quilts were entered into last month’s design challenge, we loved seeing them all! Be sure to check them out here. Winner One winner was selected by fabric designer Laurie Simpson! Congratulations to…. Winner: Cath L Honorable Mentions Don’t forget to look at all the amazing submissions to this challenge. Here are a few honorable mentions! More Chances to Win Market Street by Heather Peterson for Riley Blake is October’s Fabric of the Month! Download the collection and enter in our design challenge for another chance to win some fabric!

This contest is now closed. Winner is announced here! Happy fall! As we get ready for chilly days and comfy sweaters, we also find more time for designing and sewing! October’s Fabric of the Month is Market Street by Heather Peterson of Anka’s Treasures for Riley Blake. “I started working on this line in the fall when here in Minnesota all the colors are saturated and washed by the sun. The lakes turn to their bluest hues making the golds, oranges and reds of the nature around them even more vibrant – and providing the inspiration for this color palette. I kept being drawn to the images I had collected from street markets with all of their pretty patterns and colors. Street markets have everything – from geometric prints to repeating patterns, and of course all the florals.” – Heather Peterson A bundle of these fabrics will be given away to one lucky winner! Submit your EQ

The Swath tool is fun to experiment with but can also make some awesome blocks! The Swath tool draws a stylized stroke surrounding a line. The line or “spine” of the stroke can be edited and shaped like any curve or line segment. The stroke or “hull” surrounding the spine can have varying widths and end styles. So, it’s great for making blocks with Flying Geese!   First let’s find the Swath tool. Open EQ8 and click Block Worktable Click NEW BLOCK > Applique > Block (you could also choose Motif but in this example we’re using Block). Click the DRAW tab > Drawing Tools > Draw > Swath Position the cursor where you want to begin. Press and hold the left mouse button. Still holding the left mouse button, drag in any direction. (To make the “flying geese” fly right, draw your stroke from left to right. To make

Something new is coming! This contest is now closed. Congrats to winner, Caroline L Winfrey! Caroline, watch for an email from EQ staff! Thank you to all participated! Watch for the official email announcing the availability of the new Four Seasons add-on very soon! As mentioned in our mid-month newsletter, we have been trying to stay chill, but are springing with excitement because you’re going to fall in love with our next product. We teased a special announcement for this hot new product and giveaway on the blog so here it is! For the past couple of months, we’ve been working hard to create something new for EQ users and now we can finally tell you about it! With the holiday season just around the corner, we thought it’d be the perfect product for this time of year. You’re going to love the versatility of this product and the applications

Fall is the time of year when I think of the color orange.  We see it in the changing leaves colors, pumpkins being carved for Halloween, pumpkin pie, pumpkin spice lattes, and much more.  I am not a huge fan of the color orange, but it is effective when used in small doses, blended with other colors, or as the highlight of an entire quilt made of oranges. Open your EQ8 program and give the new project a name called ‘Everything Is Coming Up Orange“.  Click OK at the bottom of the box to apply the project name. You should now see the name of the project at the top of the screen. Click on the project sketchbook icon on the far left side of the screen.  In the box, click on the fabrics heading.  Click on the three little dots in the upper right corner of the project sketchbook. 

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