Fall EQ Blog Hop - Using PrePrinted Panels

Thanks to SewCalGal for asking us to share our EQ7 (Electric Quilt) experiences with other quilters.  If you haven't had a chance I encourage you to check out the other blogs from earlier this week.

Monday, Oct lst

SewCalGal

Beaquilter

Tuesday, Oct 2nd

Marjorie's Quilting Bee

Curious Orange Cat

Wed., Oct 3rd

Love Bug Studios

Thursday, Oct 4th

Kissed Quilts

Bits and Pieces

Friday, Oct 5th

I Quilt Scarlet and Gray (That's Me)

EQ Blog

I purchased EQ7 back in May of 2010. I have another quilt design package, but decided to purchase EQ7 when I saw all the positive feedback. My first quilt that I designed took about 4 hours and I only contacted tech support once! I took 2 blocks from the Eleanor Burns Quilt Blocks on American Barns book and created a quilt based on a picture in the book. Using the block instructions the first time out helped me when designing the blocks, sashing and borders.

Stars and Stripes Allover

I use EQ7 for pattern testing, wall hangings, quilts, totes and labels. The majority of my projects are rotary cut and machine piecing.

I have a tough time visualizing how my quilts will look, so I download or scan fabric to use in EQ7.  This allows me the ability to actually see what my quilt will look like.   When working with fabrics you have downloaded into EQ7 you may have adjust the size to get the fabric to look right in your quilt.  I design the quilt and then play with the fabric placement as much as I want.

To make a quilt using pre-printed panels you have to start by deciding what size you will be trimming the panel to.

Sea of Dreams by South Sea Imports

This is the center of a baby quilt that I worked on this summer.  I was able to find it on the web and then imported it into EQ7 as a photo.  Marlene's post for the Fall EQ blog at Kissed Quilts explains how to manipulate your image within EQ7.

I created a custom quilt with a center layout of 22.5" x 41", then I started adding borders.

 I new I wanted to use 6" finished blocks in my outside border, so I had to add skinny borders of 1" and .75" around the panel to get the center to the proper size of 24.5" x 42.5".

By importing the panel as a photo I could set it onto the layout and then adjust it to the proper size.

Then I added the borders

and then the Twinkling Star and Animal blocks.

What I love about EQ7 is the ability to change colors and fabrics and to move blocks around. 

Here are a couple other panels I recently worked with.

 

Haunted Hallow 2 by Red Rooster

Becky Silbaugh at Ruby Blue Quilts recently posted pictures of the above table runner being quilted.

I have used this same technique to add stiched centers to my designs.  I took a picture of the stiching and then cropped it and imported it.



 I actually enlarged the the stiching pattern and then printed it on to EQ Printable fabric.

I hope I have answered some of your questions on using panel fabric in EQ, contact me if you have any other questions.

Blogger's Quilt Festival Fall 2010

This is the second time I have entered Amy's Creative Side Bloggers Quilt Festival.

I haved decided to submit the first quilt I designed in EQ7 back in June. It took me about 4 hours and I only had to contact technical support once.  I had used a different quilt design software before, but decided to purchase EQ7.  My quilt "Stars and Stripes Allover" is inspired by a quilt called Stars Galore by Sally Murray which is published in the Quilts on American Barns book by Eleanor Burns.  This is also the first patriotic quilt I have made.

To piece this quilt I used three of the Quilt in A Day Flying Geese rulers.  This was the first time I had used them.  I enjoyed working with them and liked the outcome.

 

I really loved the fabric I selected for this quilt.  I see another quilt using these fabrics in the future.

I had never made a ribbon border before.  I found directions on the web and used those to complete the border.

If you have read my blog before, you have met Garfield and Nermal.  They like having their picture taken with my quilts.

Garfield posed really nice for this picture.

 I have finished the quilt and it is at Jennifer McCann's being quilted.  I was pressed for time and didn't get to take a final picture with the white and ribbon border attached.

I can't wait to see what the quilt looks like quilted.  I have to decide if the binding will be the Red or Blue paisley fabric.

I hope you have enjoyed reading about this quilt and will visit my blog to check out my other quilt projects.

I have started putting together my Stars and Stripes Allover Quilt

I created this quilt based on a quilt I found in Eleanor Burn's Quilt Blocks on American Barns.

So far I have a few blocks put together.

I added shashing and a corner block.

I love the Blue Paisley fabric by EQuilter

I have decided to reduce the size of the quilt down to a 4 x 4 design.

Each block is 12" so it will stil be 72 x 72

Attended a presentation by Patricia Knoechel Friday night

Pat is Eleanor Burns' sister and she has been promoting Quilt in a Day products for 25 years!!

She talked for a couple hours about two of Eleanor's books and showed the quilts that she made using both of these books.

Quilt Blocks on American Barns

Orion's Star Quilt

The quilts she showed us were fantastic!!  We got to she her Lavendar Hill Farm quilt from page 8 of the Quilt Blocks on American Barns and the American Barns 6" block wallhanging based on Eleanor's quilt which is on the cover of the book.  She walked us through how easy it is to make a Flying Kite block and the Bank Barn block.

Lavendar Hill Farm quilt

Then she showed us how easy it is to make Flying Geese using the Quilt in a Day rulers.  Flying geese units are used in a number of the quilt blocks and the Orion's Star Quilt blocks.

Pat very graciously signed our books on page 8 near her Lavendar Hill Farm quilt.