EQ7 Designing Panel Quilts - Horizontal Layout

Last month, I showed you how to design a quilt for premade panels in a custom quilt layout. If you need a refresher here is the link to the tutorial. This month we are going to continue with Panel Quilts but we are going to design in a Horizontal Layout this time, and will be working in Layer 2.

Lets get started!

Step 1. Create a new project. Click Quilt > New Quilt > Horizontal.

Step 2. Create a layout sizing grid.  We are going to turn the layout into a grid for sizing.  This help in the placement of the blocks. To do this we will have to make changes within Quilt Worktable options.  Click Quilt > Quilt Worktable Options.

Step 2a. Under Layout Options > All Styles, change "Maximum number of blocks horizontally and vertically" to 100.  What this does is let you have as many as 100 blocks in one direction, horizontally or vertically.

Step 2b. With the Quilt Worktable Options still open, Click on Tool Options > Snap Settings > Grid Settings, click to check the Snap block position to grid.

Step 3. Click the Layout tab. Set up your quilt by changing the number blocks to 52 x 62 or use the size you wish. This will be the size for the center of your quilt.  You will also need to change the blocks width and height to 1".

Step 4. Now we need to create a plain block.  Select the Set Block tool. Right Click inside the palette and choose Add Plain Block.

Step 5. Click on Layer 2 tab at the bottom.  Select the Set Block Tool. Drag the Plain Block we just created from the palette onto the quilt. 

Step 6. To size the placement block now on you layout. Click the Adjust tool and then click the block we just placed.  I sized mine to be 23" x 42" for placement of the panel on the quilt top.

Step 7. Now add more blocks using the same step as before to make any design you wish. For my project, I added more blocks with borders around the panel.

Step 8. Then you can fill in the rest of the empty spaces with more blocks to finish the quilt layout.

Step 9. You can add your color or fabric to finish your quilt layout.  Don't for get your borders.

Using the Grid Horizontal layout and a plain block you can design so much more than panel quilts such as t-shirt quilts or a memory quilt.

Want to learn more check out the Electric Quilt Company Book "EQ with Me: Quilt Design".  It has a whole section on designing Panel, T-Shirt, & Photo Quilts. 

Make sure your check out other Bloggers (listed below) Celebrating EQ7 Anniversary with themed EQ7 Blog posts.  Also visit Electric Quilt to enter to win a Free Copy of EQ7 and Timeless Treasures Fabric. #EQ25

QuiltShop Gal

FunThreads Designs 

From My Carolina Home

Seams to be Sew

Pamela Quilts

EQ7 Designing Panel Quilts - Custom Layout

After teaching Beginning EQ7 Class last weekend.  I was asked on how to design Panel Quilts in EQ.  Well I decided share my experience with designing Panel Quilts.  In this month’s blog I will show you how to set up a Panel Quilt using Custom Layout Style.  Using the Custom Layout allows you design on Layer 1.

Below are the steps on how to set up my Panel Quilt.

1. Create New Project.

2. Click Quilt > New Quilt > Custom Set.

3. Click Layout, select the center of quilt size.  In this quilt example, I used 46” x 46”.

4. Click the Layer 1 tab at the bottom.

5. Click the Set Block tool.

6. Right-click inside the palette and choose Add Plain Block.

7. Drag the “Plain Block” from the Sketchbook Palette onto the quilt. You will notice the block will snap into place and will be 6” x 6”, in the next step we will adjust the size for the Panel.

8. Click the Adjust tool, then click to select the block on the quilt.  Most Panels are made 24” x 44”, but make sure you measure your panel before finalizing your quilt design.

9. After the Panel Block is adjusted to the correct size.  Click on the Center horizontal and vertical buttons which will move you Panel block to the exact center of the quilt center.

10. Now, in the next couple steps we will add 1” sashing pieces around the Panel block using the Plain Block.

11. Click the Set Block tool.

12. Click on the plain block and drag into the quilt center.

13. Click the Adjust tool and select the block to 1” x 44” these piece will be added to the sides of the Panel. Place on the Left side of the Panel Block.

14. With the Sashing piece still selected, click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste.

15. Click the Adjust tool and select the copy sashing piece and drag to the rightside.

16. Repeat with the top sashing pieces. Using 26” x 1” for the top and bottom of the panel quilt.

17. Next steps filling in the empty sides around the Panel and Sashing blocks.  I choose 2 blocks that I liked for the quilt.  I’m using an Hourglass and modified half square triangles that I added to the sketchbook.  The modified half square triangle was done in the EasyDraw worktable.  You can replace these blocks with blocks of your choice.

18. Select the Modified half square triangle in the Sketchbook and drag it to the far top right corner of the quilt. Setting the block orientation to be 0 x 0.
19. With that block still selected, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Drag it to the opposite side. Setting the block orientation to be 36 x 0.

20. Repeat 2 more times, dragging the blocks to the bottom corners.  Making sure that all the alignments match up.

21. Setting the block orientation on the left bottom to 0 x 36. Right Bottom Position 36 x 36.

Note: You can adjust the Size and Orientation by using the Precision bar, see the diagram above. Refer to your Manual Page 90 - 91.

22. Rotate the blocks, so the blocks are positioned diagonally.

23. Select the “Plain block” in the sketchbook. Drag it under the top right Modified half square triangle.

24. Adjust the block to 10” x 1” sashing pieces.  Setting the block Position at 0 x 10.
With that 10“x 1” sashing block still selected, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste.

25. Drag it to the opposite side. Setting the block Position at 36 x 0.

26. Select the Hourglass block, dragging the block to below the 10” x 1” sashing block.
With Hourglass block still selected, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Drag it to the opposite side.

27. Select the block to 10” x 4” sashing block. Drag it under the top left 10” x 1” sashing block.

28. Adjust the block to 10” x 4” sashing block.  Setting the block Position at 0 x 21.

29. With that 10“x 4” sashing block still selected, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Drag it to the opposite side. Setting the block Position at 36 x 21.

30. Select the already placed Hourglass block on the leftside of the Panel, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Setting the block Position at 0 x 25.

31. With Hourglass block still selected, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Drag it to the opposite side. Setting the block Position at 36 x 25.

32. Select the already placed 10” x 1” sashing block on the leftside of the Panel, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Setting the block Position at 0 x 35.

33. With 10” x 1” sashing block still selected, Click Edit > Copy, then Edit > Paste. Drag it to the opposite side. Setting the block Position at 36 x 35.


34. Add borders to the quilt. Border 1(Inner Border), Long horizontal 1" and border 2, Mitered 3". 

35. Finish your design with a little color of your choice, you can placing the panel in the center panel block. 

This shows you how to use set up a Panel quilt in EQ7.  Next month November 10th, I will show you how to set up another panel quilt using a horizontal layout.

Make sure your check out other Bloggers Celebrating EQ7 Anniversary with themed EQ7 Blog posts.  Also visit Electric Quilt to enter their monthly giveaway HERE.

QuiltShop Gal

FunThreads Designs 

From My Caroline Home

Seams to be Sew

Pamela Quilts

Tina

EQ7 - How to add a Binding to your Quilt Block!

Borders Tab

Have you ever wonder if you can add a binding in EQ7, well the answer is “YES” and it very simple to do.

Step 1: Once you get a quilt to the finishing point, go to the borders tab.

Step 2 : Highlight the last border on the outside.  For Example in this quilt it will be border 3

Move to outer border!

Step 3: Shrink last Border by ¼” (0.25).

Adjust size to remove 0.25" from last border!

Step 4: Add one more border, then resize to ¼” (0.25).

Add new border!

Step 5: Go back to Layer 1 and color in the binding.  It will be hard to see but it is there. r example has been zoomed in.

No Binding Color

Colored Border!

Adding a Binding to a quilt can be really easy, now give it a try in your next quilt top.

Make sure your check out other Bloggers Celebrating EQ7 Anniversary with themed EQ7 Blog posts, make sure to check out August prizes from EQ from Art Gallery Fabrics.

Quilt Shop Gal

Seams to be Sew

Pamela Quilts

FunThreads Designs

Quilting Affection (me)

EQ7 - Showing and Hiding Quilt Layers

EQ7 provides 3 separate design layers that provide flexibility and important design features in constructing your quilt layout.  With each layer serving a separate purpose in the quilt designing process.  You can locate the layer tabs at the bottom-left on your quilt worktable.

Layer 1 is for photos and blocks, Layer 2 is for applique, motifs, blocks, photos and text, and Layer 3 is for photos, embellishments, and stencils.

When a layer is selected you will notice that the tab will turn white, the rest will remain grey.

EQ7 enables you to isolate the layers you are working on by turning on the “Light Bulb” icons. To turn on the “Light Bulbs” you will have to open your Quilt Worktable Option.

Click on QUILT, then from the drop-down select Quilt Worktable Options at the bottom of the drop-down.

After you have selected the Quilt Worktable Option, will see the Quilt Worktable Option open in the middle of your screen. 

From under the Tool Options, select View Settings, which opens to View settings. 

Under the Layer Icons, you will see checkbox.  Click the Checkbox to select the option "Provide icons to show and hide quilt layers" this will turn on the “Light Bulb” to show and hide the layers.  Then Select “OK”.

You will now notice on the Layers tabs that small “Light Bulb” icons have been placed on them.

To toggle hide or turn on the visibility of the layers, just click on the “light bulb” on the layer tabs you want to make invisible.

Click on Layer 2 and 3 light bulbs and you will see only the contents on Layer 1 only.

Layer 1 Only

Turn off layer 1 and turn on Layer 2 once again you will see Layer 2 contents.  You will notice that layer 1 is now transparent.

Layer 2

Turn on all layers and you will see your design all together.

Layer 3

Quilt design process can be made easier with working with each layer independently, and being able to toggle them off makes it even easier to work with and isolate layers. I really suggest if you have not turned on this handy Icon; to do so.  Give it a try!

Make sure your check out other Bloggers Celebrating EQ7 Anniversary with themed EQ7 Blog posts.  Also visit Electric Quilt to enter their monthly giveaway from Island Batiks HERE.

QuiltShop Gal

FunThreads Designs 

From My Caroline Home

Seams to be Sew

Pamela Quilts

Have fun Designing!

Tina

EQ7 – Create Fast Easy Designs

When designing with EQ7, there is a fast and fun way to achieve various combination of blocks by flipping and rotating all of them at once.  The Symmetry Tool allows you to do this; it automates flipping and rotating all the blocks simultaneously.

The tool can be found on the right side tool bar under the rotate and flip tool.  

Note: this tool is only available on Layer 1 and also all blocks must be asymmetrical blocks. 

Step 1: From the Quilt Worktable, set your blocks in the quilt.

 

Step 2: Click on the Symmetry Tool.  Hold the CTRL key and click on the quilt. The tool is capable of producing 16 variations of the quilt designs, the 17^th click will return to the original setting.

Examples of some of the random combinations.

 Step 3: Click on Add to Sketchbook when you find a layout you like.

 Best Effect 

  Horizontal layouts with no sashing

Click to affect all blocks in the quilt (use the ALT + Click for alternating blocks)

Make sure your check out other Bloggers Celebrating EQ7 Anniversary with themed EQ7 Blog posts.  Also visit Electric Quilt to enter their monthly giveaway HERE.

QuiltShop Gal

FunThreads Designs 

From My Caroline Home

Seams to be Sew

Pamela Quilts

Tina

Printing Experiment

Today I teleworked from home and took two hours of leave, due to we were meeting the tax accountant today at 4:30 pm.  So, I decided to experiment while I was waiting for my husband to get home. 

A while back The Electronic Quilt Company had their Inkjet Fabric on sale.  So today, I thought I would experiment with the photo fabric. The photo fabric is 100% cotton at a 200 thread count.

After reading all the instructions, I looked on my computer for a photo to experiment with and chose a nice picture of my sister, mom and myself.  Then edited the photo in Photoshop by resizing it and a little touch up.  I cut a 8 1/2 X 11 pieces of photo fabric, and put it in the rear tray of my printer.  In Photoshop, I set it up to print as a glossy matte finish and pressed the Print button.    

Well, the first print didn't come out as I hoped.  I ran out of color ink, that's not good, but it was a good start.  

 I let it dry for at least 15 minutes.  After the 15 minutes, I removed the plastic backing on the back of the fabric. 

In the Kitchen, I added some distilled water in a pan, and layed the fabric in the water for 10 minutes.  After the 10 minutes I carefully remove the fabric, and lay it flat to dry.  (Remember not to wring out or twist the fabric.)  Once the fabric drys you can cut it and sew on it.

So after I finished the first one, I went to Officedepot for more color ink and started a new picture. 

 
This one I used the T-shirt transfer setting and it printed backwards.  Which kind of worked out and looked good. 

The last one was done in a high glossy setting, and a different picture. None of the pictures I printed out bleed at all. Now I want to make a small lap quilt out of pictures of the kids over the years for me.

Tina