I’ve been playing with Electric Quilt 6 design software all day today. I’ve working on quick and easy quilts to make for kids.  These would also make great quilts for charity.

I have several more designs I'm working on so I won't post these EQ projects on my web site just yet, but they'll all be up there soon. (On the EQ Library page.)

Here is a sneak preview of the ones I've finished:

The Electric Quilt project file for my newest quilt design, Skinny Frames, is available for download on my web site.  Click here to go to the web page.

The Fall issue of Quilts & More magazine features the cutest project called Perk Me Up designed by Veronica Koh Eischeid. There are instructions and a template for making cup wraps which fasten around your cup with a loop and button.

In the EQ blog's August 10 post they've posted information and a free EQ7 project file that you can download to design your own personalized version of these cup wraps.

What great gifts these would make. It would be so cute to make seasonal cup wraps, and ones to match different holidays like Valentines Day, or Halloween!

 

 

I think watering cans are so cute so I drew one in Electric Quilt 6 and designed a wall-hanging for it. The flower appliques were already in EQ, but I traced the watering can into EQ from a photo of one.

The EQ6 project file and applique templates for this wall-hanging can be downloaded from my web site: www.chickenladyquilts.com/dlwateringcan.asp.

(The 12" applique templates are already included in the EQ6 project file, but the templates can also be downloaded separately in PDF format if you don't use Electric Quilt.)

Enjoy!

I spent my sewing time yesterday mostly sorting and cutting strips for my Pastel Braid quilt. Today I really wanted to get some more actual sewing done.

It took a little rearranging of my sewing area, but I finally got things situated so that I could proceed smoothly. It seems to work best for me by choosing a strip from the colored-sorted sets on my left, then sewing it in place, and finally ironing the seam at the ironing table on my right.

I just finished the second column, and I hope to get another column done before bedtime.

This is just going to be a baby quilt for testing purposes. I eventually will make a twin size one for me to use in my reading chair. (I keep the thermostat high to save $$ so it’s cooollldd in here.) 

I cut lots of 2.5”x7.5" strips yesterday, but now I'm wondering if 2.5”x10" might be better since the columns will be wider. That will probably work best for the twin-size I intend to make. Tomorrow I’ll make a test block of 10" and see how it looks.

I decided to use many of the scraps left over from the strip slicing for the quilt border. I'll frame squares or rectangles with 1/2" white sashing. I think it'll be spectacular!

I posted my Electric Quilt 6 project file for this quilt and a link to instructions for assembling the Braid block on my web site: www.chickenladyquilts.com/dlpastelbraids.asp

Almost 10 years ago I saw in a magazine a “braid” quilt made out of pastel strips. I’ve been collecting pastel 2.5” strips ever since. Today I finally began the quilt…

You can see the instructions for making this type of quilt at www.quilterscache.com. It is a fast and easy quilt to make. I'm just zipping along. The most time consuming part is cutting my 2.5" strips down to 7.5" in length.

Here’s the one I drafted in EQ6.

You can download my EQ6 project file for Pastel Braids HERE.

(Many thanks to Patti Anderson at www.patchpieces.com for her tutorial on drafting this in Electric Quilt 5. It was a big help.)

In response to many requests, I’ve made my first ever instructions for making one of my quilts.

The EQ6 project file for the Popping Pooches quilt has been available for download on the Electric Quilt Library page of www.chickenladyquilts.com, but now I've added a link to the instructions for this quilt in PDF format.

Hope they are helpful!

I’ve added a couple of new projects to the EQ6 Project Library on www.chickenladyquilts.com.

Popping Pooches is the pattern I plan to use for a dog quilt I’m making for my middle child. I’ve been collecting dog fabrics for years for this, but I’ll probably end up using only 1 or 2 in the quilt. I love the way the rail fence blocks make the dog fabrics really pop out.

Falling Stars is the pattern I designed for the 12” sawtooth star blocks I’ve made from autumn fabrics. I want this to be king size to fit my bed. I’ve got about 25 blocks done.

Good morning! I'm slicing and dicing fabric today. I'm taking my big tub full of unloved fabric (1/2 yard or less pieces) from my stash clean-out and slicing them into 2.5" and 1.5" strips, plus 6" squares, Then the rest of each piece I slice off the largest size strip I can get from it. I'm surrounded by baggies with sizes marked on them, but am finding that it is too slow to have to stop and put the pieces in the appropriate baggies. I need to get some lunch bags set up that I can just toss the pieces in as I cut them.

I will be using the 1.5" strips and 6" squares to make diagonal bar blocks for a scrappy quilt. For the block you cut the 6" square diagonally, then sew a contrasting 1.5" strip between the 2 resulting triangles. I got the idea from the Trading Patches quilt in McCalls Quilting August 2007. For the last 2 years this tub of fabric has sat waiting to be sliced. Well, this week-end I hope to make a good dent in it. :)



Download my Electric Quilt 6 project for this design: