EQ Giveaway! EQ Video!

Written by Diane Harris on July 28, 2020. 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.

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Going Happy Scrappy with EQ; Upcoming Giveaway!

Written by Diane Harris on July 16, 2020. 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.

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!

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New Old Work in the Studio, Part 1

Written by Diane Harris on June 8, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Trunk Shows

Hey quilters, how are you holding up? I know. Me, too. Things are starting to open up here in Nebraska, and I wonder if my friends would want to head out to a quilt store this week. I am ready!

I have sewn like a crazy woman during the pandemic. I’ve finished up some things, started a bunch of new things, and practiced machine quilting a LOT.

In December I dug out and shot all the UFOs I could find, including these little baskets.

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Seasons of Distress and Grief

Written by Diane Harris on June 2, 2020. Posted in Blog

I almost never weigh in on contemporary issues online. For a business owner, I believe it’s better to be silent. But today I’m going to post some quilt images that I took in February 2019 at Quilt Con. They were awful, and in the time since, I couldn’t bring myself to write about them.

I think it’s because I don’t know what to do with so much pain. I can’t fathom the depth of anguish that would move people to create art like this.

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Quilt Candy Virtual Trunk Show, Days 5 and 6

Written by Diane Harris on April 5, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

We’re on to more of the Quilt Candy Virtual Trunk Show. These are the links for today, Sunday April 5, and tomorrow, Monday April 6. You can watch them live on Facebook at the times listed or you may watch them anytime after the live broadcast that is convenient for you.

My own trunk show will be today at 4 pm CST, 5 pm EST. I hope you’ll take a peek! I’m going to share tips for making scrap quilts, some free quilt patterns and a few quilts that are part of my various trunk shows. Nothing to buy! 😊 Just watch, learn and enjoy.

Today, Sunday April 5 (note that these are Eastern times):

April 5 12pm EST Ebony Love https://www.facebook.com/LoveBugStudios/
April 5 1pm EST Bill Locke https://www.facebook.com/bill.locke.96
April 5 2pm EST Marlene Oddie https://www.facebook.com/kissedquilts/
April 5 3pm EST Sandy Fitzpatrick https://www.facebook.com/HissyfitzDesigns
April 5 4pm EST Reed Johnson https://www.facebook.com/BlueBearQuilts/
April 5 5pm EST Diane Harris https://www.facebook.com/stashbandit/
 April 5 7pm EST Kathryn LeBlanc/Dragonfly’s Quilting Design Studio https://www.facebook.com/dragonflysquiltingdesignstudio

Tomorrow, Monday April 6 (note that these are Eastern times):

My business focus is two-fold.

1. I give trunk shows and classes for guilds and shops. I’d love to visit your town!
2. I design quilts for magazines in the US and abroad. I’d love to appear on your pages!

Get in touch and Let’s Talk Quilts.

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More Quilt Candy Trunk Shows

Written by Diane Harris on April 4, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

The Quilt Candy Virtual Trunk Shows continue today beginning at 11 CST on Facebook Live. You can watch live or any time afterward when it’s convenient for you. There’s a lot of great talent being displayed.

My own trunk shows will be Sunday at 4 pm CST and Tuesday at 6 pm CST on my Facebook business page. It’s kind of fun to watch them live but I have caught many afterward as well. Either way you get to see it all!

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More Designers Up: Quilt Candy Trunk Show

Written by Diane Harris on April 2, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

There are more designers hosting short Facebook Live events in the Quilt Candy Trunk Show! I hope you’ll take a peek. Remember that you don’t have to watch it live, you can watch them any time after they go live, too.

Today’s designers:

Tomorrow’s designers:

April 3 12pm EST Darcy Hunter www.facebook.com/darcydoodlequilts
April 3 1pm EST Teresa Weaver www.facebook.com/yoursewingfriend
April 3 2pm EST Annette Ornelas https://www.facebook.com/southwind.designs/
April 3 3pm EST Jo Westfoot – The Crafty Nomad www.facebook.com/thecraftynomad
April 3 4pm EST Lynn Kane https://facebook.com/puppygirllynn
April 3 5pm EST Geeky Bobbin https://facebook.com/geekybobbin 
April 3 7pm EST Laura Strickland https://m.facebook.com/orangeblossomquilt/
April 3 8pm EST Jen Frost https://www.facebook.com/FaithAndFabric/

If you like what you see, go ahead and “like” that person’s Facebook page because she will likely share other good stuff and you’ll want to be part of it. I’m up on Sunday, I’ll see you then!

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Quilt Candy Virtual Trunk Show Starts Today

Written by Diane Harris on April 1, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

A group of quilt designers have teamed up to offer a fun and free event online during this time. Each designer will spend about 15 minutes showing some of her favorite quilts. You can watch live on Facebook at the top of each hour from 12 noon to 8 pm Eastern time every day from April 1 to April 10.

If you don’t catch it live, you can still watch each video when you have time. Today’s designers:

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Improv Stars in Love Patchwork & Quilting

Written by Diane Harris on March 27, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Most of the time when I have a design published, it’s because I pitched it to a magazine and they accepted it. But last year, a magazine in the UK came to me, which was very exciting. I have often purchased Love Patchwork & Quilting because quilters in other parts of the world sometimes have a different aesthetic, or at least a different viewpoint, and it’s a good way to expose yourself to their ideas.

Love Patchwork & Quilting Issue 85. Get a digital issue today! My quilt is inside. 😊

They had seen my Instagram and wondered if I would design a scrap quilt for an upcoming issue. They didn’t have to ask twice.

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President’s Blocks, Part 3

Written by Diane Harris on January 30, 2020. Posted in Blog, How-tos and Ideas, Quilt Lifestyle, Trunk Shows

Hello and welcome to Stash Bandit! I’m Diane Harris and it’s nice to have you here. 

I’ve been telling the story of some blocks I received in the late ’80s.

Read Part 1.

Read Part 2. 

This takes us up to The Rest of the Story, in the words of Paul Harvey.

When the quilt top was finished, I still had the other half of the Nine Patches left over. It seemed a shame to throw them away.

All of those fabrics had been cut into patches for me. The stitches had been taken for me. The blocks had been gifted to me. I just couldn’t pitch them.

I brainstormed for what to do. Making another quilt wasn’t sensible, but using them in this quilt was. I toyed with creating a border but decided to sew the halves together into wonky Nine Patches.

Only one of these has a signature. It belongs to Lorena, my renegade friend who had to sign one name in each white patch, of course. Two of her names are on the quilt front and two landed here, on what will become the back. (If you knew Lorena, you’re laughing.)

For the quilt back, I set the new wonky Nine Patches into columns with scrappy pink setting triangles and sewed the columns together. Lengths of two more pink prints went down each side to make it big enough. And now we are ready to quilt.

While this is no masterpiece, I had so much fun making it! It brought back memories of so many people and our happy times together. There’s even a block from one person whom I didn’t really care for, but I’m glad she’s on the quilt. Funny how time softens the edges.

These blocks have stayed with me for around 32 years as a UFO of sorts and as soon as the quilting is done, they’ll be an FO instead! What a victory! I guess it’s never too late.

In case you’re wondering, these are the names found on the quilt.

Kathleen Ernesti, Donna Rector, Ellen Boyle, Gloria Nelsen, Penny White, Velesta Halbur, Sandra Renli, Wilma Amen, BJS, Doris Volk, Joyce Pick, Shirley Anderson, Maxine Kraemaer, Sue Sindelar, Sandy Eckert, Inger Hansen, Lavonne Hornik, Mattie Niewohner, Daytime Friendship Quilters, Mary Goetsch, Lila Brown, Marilynn Heller, Julie Deering, Carol Monk, Elsie Acklie, Joan Waldman, Lorena Edna Marie Kouba, Peggy Haas, Genelle Trowbridge, Shirley Hassler. There’s an unsigned block from Sherry Stuifbergen. 

I can’t wait to reimagine another long-stored project, but right now I have my mind on Dresden Plate quilts. My next two programs will feature my Dresden collection and I want to have some new things to show. All of that upcoming. Until then, keep on scrappin’!

I’m a quilter who loves everything about the process and I enjoy sharing it with others. My energetic trunk shows are lively entertainment for your quilt guild. I’d love to come to your city so give me a call and Let’s Talk Quilts! 

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