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.

Ohio State vs. UAB - The Buckeyes are 4-0

Anyone that reads this knows that I love to Quilt and the Ohio State Buckeyes!!!  As an Alumni I'm able to attempt to get a pair of tickets to the Ohio Stadium(The Shoe) each year. 

 

We traveled to Radnor, Ohio last night to stay with my girlfriend Claire.  Her oldest daughter Morgan was generous enough to give up her bed for Jim and I.

 

We arrived at campus at about 9 a.m. and were fortunate to park close to the walk over bridge that at the south end of the stadium. 

 

We decided to attend The Skull session at St. John arena.  The Best Damn Band in The Land(TBDBITL) was celebrating 44 years of their alumni club.  There were over 600 alumni band members and at least one of them was 94 years old!!!

 

 

It was great listening to both the active band and the alumni band perform.

 

After the skull session we headed over to The Shoe to grab a hotdog and some drinks.

 

 

This year Jim and I had pretty good seats.  6A Row 23 closed end of the stadium.  We ending up sitting next to some friend we hadn't seen in awhile and my friend Amy was one row down.

 

The game got off to a slow start, but they did manage to cause a fumble when I was down going to the restroom!!

 

I returned in time for the half time show.

 

 

It sure was impressive seeing close to 800 people marching on the field.

 

 

 

SCRIPT Ohio is always fantastic, but seeing 4 of them done at the same time was truly awesome.

 

The guys did manage to win the game, Jim and I got sunburnt and we drove home in the rain!!  What an awesome day!!

 

Feathered Star Quilt - Chapter 2 almost done!! - Judy and Brad Niemeyer

Chapter 2 was little more challenging because I'm working with bigger pieces and really strange shapes!! 

Judy and Brad do a great job with the directions and fabric templates help a lot!

 

 

 

I finished the first 8 wedges and had to wait to take a picture until I finished one of the other wedges.  Do you see the problem with the wedge on the top right?  I didn't notice the issue until I looked at the picture.  I missed adding one of the light fabric pieces.  So I fixed that one and continued working on the other 7 wedges.

 

 

I thought I would include pictures as I was building to the end of Chapter 2.

 

 

 

It's really beginning to looked Feathered!!

 

 

Here it is with the Chapter 2 wedges added.

I think it looks pretty good. 

 

Feathered Star Quilt - Completion of Chapter 1 - Judy and Brad Niemeyer

I have determined that Wine and paper piecing doesn't always go together!! 

Thursday night Jim and I had a wonderful Birthday dinner and shared a bottle of Wine!!

I came home wanting to finish Part 2 of Chapter 1 so I sewed on one of the sections and realized Friday night that they were on wrong!!  Of course I had already trimmed all of them but one!  Which meant using the seam ripper and cutting new pieces!!

 

I was able to finish Part 2 of the Chapter 1 Friday night!!

 

 

I laid them out at Cottonpickers so that I could get some suggestions on the fabric for Chapter 2.  Beth's daughter, Becky was there to give me a hand.

 

Looks pretty good if I do say so myself!!

 

 

These are the fabrics we selected for the Chapter 2!!

 

Today was the From Marti and Me Club and Sit and Sew of the Super Saturday Stitchers.

These women are very talented and will be working on their own Judy and Brad Niemeyer patterns soon!  I was able to complete Chapter 1 and start cutting out Chapter 2!!

 

 

I love how it is coming together!!  The next chapters fabrics are a little darker, so I'm hoping the center star will pop!!!

 

 

 This one of the 8 wedges in Chapter 1

 

 

This shows 2 of the wedges with the different colored centers.