Posts Tagged ‘electric quilt company’

Quilt Block Mania: New Year Star

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Complimentary, How-tos and Ideas, Inspiration

Welcome to Quilt Block Mania! I have a complimentary block pattern for you and a list of other designers who have also posted blocks this morning!

Let me introduce you to something I call “the running thirds.”

My block is called New Year Star and it uses the running thirds. It’s a way of dividing a block in three so that you get a Nine Patch, but the divisions are not equal.

Instead, they are the sizes of any three consecutive or “running” numbers, such as 3, 4 and 5. All of the Quilt Block Mania blocks finish at 12″, and you’ll notice that 3 + 4 + 5 = 12.

Keep in mind that for right now, we are talking about the finished sizes.

Block divided vertically into three columns

First we’ll divide the block into three columns. The first column is 3″ wide, the next is 4″ wide, and the far right column is 5″ wide. There’s our pattern of 3, 4 and 5.

But wait! There’s more!

Block also divided horizontally into three rows

Next we’ll divide the block horizontally so that we have three rows. The first row is 3″ tall, the next row is 4″ tall and the bottom row is 5″ tall. Same pattern of 3, 4 and 5. Still with me?

Finished dimensions of each patch

From there you can see that the dimensions of each patch are easy to figure out. If you’re not following, try this:

  • Read the dimensions of the top row, moving across.
  • Read the dimensions of the middle row, moving across.
  • Read the dimensions of the bottom row, moving across.

You should be able to hear the patterns of 3, 4 and 5 as you read. Repeat the process for each column:

  • Read the dimensions of the first column, moving down.
  • Read the dimensions of the second column, moving down.
  • Read the dimensions of the third column, moving down.
New Year Star block by Diane Harris, EQ8 rendering

My New Year Star block is based on a 3-4-5 grid just like you saw above. What’s so cool about this idea is that you can adapt it for many traditional blocks and put a whole new spin on them. But that’s a topic for another day.

Take a look at the New Year Star if you scrap it up a bit with the magic of EQ8.

I like these colors but I thought it might be intense for an entire quilt. So I changed to blue and silver and got this:

The stars appear to be dancing because I rotated the blocks randomly and used many different blues: brighter, darker and dustier.

Then I went scrappy with baby girl colors, and the quilt is below.

There are so many things you can do with this block! If you have EQ8, I recommend that you play with it there. But if you don’t, then mess around with crayons or markers or even your stash to get inspired and make a quilt that is uniquely you.

I’ve created a printer-friendly pdf with the block instructions for New Year Star. The block finishes at 12″ x 12″. Enjoy!

Scroll down for links to the other designers with complimentary blocks out today. So much deliciousness!

Yes, some are shown twice. 🙃

Stargazing Sue
Starburst at Slice of Pi Quilts
Massachusetts Star with blockofthmo.com
Nova Star at Always Expect Moore
Nativity Star
Star Bright – Cotton Street Commons
Five Pointed Star at Duck Creek Mountain Quilting
New Year Star at Stash Bandit
Poinsettia Star
Wish Upon a Satar by Heidi Pridemore
Falling Star at Pretty Piney Quilts
Star Splash at QuiltFabrication
Seward Star at Blue Bear Quilts
Moon Star at Perkins Dry Goods
Starburst at Patti’s Patchwork
Cherokee Star
Christmas Tree Star
Christmas Star by Oh Kaye Quilting
Starfish by Appliques Quilts and More
Snowy Star by Seams To Be Sew
Combination Star by Devoted Quilter
Ablaze by True Blue Quilts

Color Quilts, Audition Binding in EQ8

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I made a video showing how I color quilts and then audition binding colors or fabrics in EQ8 quilt design software from The Electric Quilt Company. I’m not sure if everyone does this for binding or if it’s just me but I think it’s worth sharing!

Before I had EQ, I would attempt to design on graph paper. But inevitably I’d become frustrated with the time-consuming nature of that process. I still jot things everywhere and sketch out block ideas, but when I get serious about producing something, I open EQ8 every time.

Quilt design informs every part of my business at Stash Bandit.

Get 20% off EQ8 with code EQ8STASHBANDIT
through Sept. 30, 2020

Whether I’m designing a quilt for magazine publication, building a trunk show of original designs, or just sewing for pleasure and posting on social media, EQ is part of the process.

One of the beauties of EQ is that you can open it with a particular direction in mind, like this:

I want to make a Log Cabin quilt.

Or you can begin by playing and just see where it takes you! My first few designs were accidents that I recognized as unique. Now I have enough experience to design on purpose if I wish to, but I also know that nothing can substitute for playtime when it comes to creativity!

I’ve been making simple Log Cabin blocks recently, and I made good use of the Symmetry tool in EQ8. Above is a basic layout of Log Cabin blocks, but coming soon I’ll have a post showing you some more interesting possibilities that EQ discovered on my behalf!

If you’d like to give EQ8 a spin, use code EQ8STASHBANDIT for 20% off everything on the website at electricquilt.com.

Sometimes people ask me if it’s easy to learn, and my answer is this:

If you can handle email, you can learn EQ8!

Of course it’s helpful if you know your way around a computer, but I think it’s very user-friendly, and the features never end. I probably won’t live long enough to learn its every capability. I definitely recommend it.

Quilt on,

EQ8 Tutorial: Two Ways to Color; Quilt Block Mania

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I’m partnering with The Electric Quilt Company to promote EQ8 design software for a couple of months, and to that end, I shot a video showing two different ways to color a design in EQ8.

If you’re unfamiliar with the software, just sit back and enjoy the view and don’t worry about feeling a little lost. When you actually have the software, you start from the very beginning and learn one small step at a time. Everything builds on something you already know!

Here, we are jumping right into the meat of things and it may feel like drinking from a fire hose! Rest assured that there’s plenty of free help to launch you into coloring, designing and playing with EQ8.

To get started, use code EQ8STASHBANDIT for 20% off everything at electricquilt.com. Doesn’t that sound like fun?

Releasing this pumpkin Log Cabin block soon! Designed in #EQ8.

Do you see those big white spaces in the quilt on the video? Here’s the plan:

In just a few more days, I’m excited to be part of Quilt Block Mania, where 30 designers will have original block designs posted on their websites at no charge. Each block uses a similar color palette and has a Halloween theme. There are some incredibly adorable designs!

Subscribe to my YouTube channel for more EQ8 video tutorials.

My block will go into one of those spaces.

A variation of the pumpkin Log Cabin. Designed in #EQ8.

But wait! There’s more! 😉

Each week, I’m going to release another companion block so that before long, you’ll have a whole set of them! And I designed it so that the other blocks in #quiltblockmania will fit in the spaces where you currently see the Log Cabin Pumpkins (a pattern which I’m also going to release).

So you’ll have lots of options and enough free quilt block patterns to keep you busy until Christmas!

Make my day and do this:

EQ Block Spotlight: In a Pickle

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

One of the things I love about EQ8 quilt design software is that it can help me “scratch an itch.” When there’s a quilt I adore but know that I probably won’t ever make, I can create it virtually with EQ!

Every month on the EQ blog, there’s a feature called Block Spotlight. People are encouraged to design something with a featured block. EQ editors give a few ideas to prime your creative pump and it’s like calisthenics for your creative muscles.

Prickly Pickle is one of the built-in blocks in EQ8.

I was happy to see that the August Block Spotlight is Prickly Pickle. It’s from the block library within the software—one of thousands you can use to design your own quilts—and I can’t wait to see how people use it.

Is this your photo? If so, please email me.

A bell went off in my head when I saw the block, because just that week I had seen the photo above and fell in love with the colors in that quilt. The old, softly muted reds, blues, pinks and creams against the faded gold are heavenly.

Is this your photo? If so, please email me.

There is one problem: I don’t know where I grabbed these photos so I can’t properly credit the owner. If they are yours, please let me know.

Since I love that vintage quilt so much, I colored my Block Spotlight in a similar way. And that was really scratching an itch for me!

I adore this quilt but I won’t ever make it. So coloring it and making as many virtual blocks as I wanted to were a wonderful substitute.

When I play with a quilt design, I use the solid colors available in EQ instead of the fabric swatches.

At this point in the process, I’m not thinking about fabric as much as I’m considering the big picture of the color recipe and the values (lightness or darkness).

I will say that I do know my fabric stash well enough to be certain that I could find these in it. I would have to buy the gold fabric, but with virtual, that’s not a problem! See the advantages?? 😊

I love to color things randomly. There are some parameters (a set of colors) but they are loose and the whole thing can flow freely.

It was as much fun to color it in EQ8 as it would be to sew it—maybe more!

And this is what I love about scrappy vintage quilts! They are the most carefree, exuberant and entertaining quilts around.

What I wouldn’t give for the time to sew this! Would you ever get tired of looking at it? Seems there would always be something new to discover! And to demonstrate that the gold is the bomb, look at what happens with a neutral background.

I think it dies. The colors and randomness are still interesting but they don’t hold up the way the gold background does. But you know what?

That is just one person’s opinion!

And that’s the beauty of the quilting world: You are in charge of what you like and what you don’t. If you like it, you can do it!

I wondered about an indigo background. With EQ it’s just a click or two to check it out.

I tried several different blues because blue is funny and I think it’s a hard color in a scrap quilt. (Red is the easiest!)

I saw a wonderful quilt by Sandi Griepenstroh at guild last week in navy and lime green. So I tried something in those colors. (This is why you should be snapping photos during your guild meetings! Color inspiration from here to kingdom come!) Then I had another idea.

Above, the petal shapes are mostly filled in with color. I wondered what would happen if…

I made the insides of the petal shapes the same color as the background. Voila! Totally different look. Now it’s as if you’re peering through curved window panes.

And because I got so excited about this block, before I left it behind, I softened the colors into something I might actually sew, with a more reasonable number of blocks.

Because you never know.

To get started with EQ8 from The Electric Quilt Company, use code EQ8STASHBANDIT for 20% off everything on electricquilt.com. That’s a nice savings! Ends Sept. 30, 2020.

To see what others designed with the same block, visit Block Spotlight! And if you’re an EQ user, jump right in to the fun and design something yourself. If you’re not a user but you want to be, use the code above to get started.

EQ Giveaway! EQ Video!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

I use and love EQ8 quilt design software. I came on board around 2006 or 2007 with EQ5 or so. I was not computer-savvy but EQ was user-friendly and easy to learn, and it’s even more so now.

I’m partnering with The Electric Quilt Company over a few months’ time to show how powerful EQ8 really is. Lately I’ve been playing with one particular design and yesterday I learned how to record what’s happening on my computer screen. This makes it possible to show you much more about EQ and how I use it.

One Hot Mess, and Its Redemption

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

Giveaway next week: EQ8 quilt design software! And a promo code at the bottom of this post for a nice discount, too!

There are times when a certain quilt just doesn’t work out. We all know that any number of things can go wrong. This is the story of a quilt that I designed in EQ8, which was its usual powerful self.

But then everything went wrong. And then I rescued it (virtually), also in EQ8. So you know up front that we are going to have a happy ending. But I’m getting ahead of myself.

Going Happy Scrappy with EQ; Upcoming Giveaway!

Written by Diane Harris on . Posted in Blog, Giveaways, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle

You probably know that my specialty is making scrap quilts full of color and pattern. I design many quilts from scratch but I also make other people’s designs from patterns they sell.

Framework, designed and made by Diane Harris.

When I make a quilt that someone else designed, I usually scrap it up because that’s how I roll. I can’t imagine making a quilt from three fabrics or even six or seven fabrics. I want 60, 70 or 700!