What's New? EQ7

Are you a fan of Electric Quilt? Many of you may own it and have't really played with it. However, it's advantages can really save you a lot of time and money. With a little practice, you will be making quilts in no time at all!

Now Electric Quilt has recently annouced that it will realease EQ7 in June 2010. Wow! It looks like it has some amazing advantages. Some include being able to use a digital camera to turn everyday photos into quilt ­­art images. Or crop and edit scanned fabrics right in EQ7 in minutes. And that's just the start!

• 5000 copyright-free blocks
• 5000 new scanned fabrics, plus grayscale textures
• 120 new pre-designed quilt layouts 
• Snap blocks to a Quilt grid
• Instant border blocks with greatly expanded Auto Borders  
• Print multiple photos on fabric  
• Create original fabric designs from photos, then print on fabric  
• Mirror and use myriad symmetries on photos  
• Use dozens of artistic effects, making everyday photos look like watercolors or Impressionist paintings
• 79 new features in all

Plus, it works on netbooks as well as laptops and desktop computers.

 

So stay tuned for more information! Looks like it is going to be fun!

 

OLYMPIC WINNERS

CONGRATULATIONS! After a week of voting, the winners are:
GOLD - Quilt #4 by Nancy
SILVER - Quilt #2 by Julia
BRONZE - Quilt #3 by Jessica

Thanks to everyone would participated and voted. Thanks to all those who submitted prizes. These winners are receiving some awesome gifts and it would not have been possible without everyone's participation! This was a lot of fun!
Please stay connected as I am preparing the next challenge. In the meantime, take a quilt that is just missing a border and put it on. It feels great when you can finally finish that one last detail. And feel free to email me your Show-n-Tell. I just love seeing the projects that people are working on and I am happy to post them to share with others.

Let the Voting Begin

Here are the quilts that were completed for the Olympic Challenge. WOW! I wish I could show you all the amazing quilting that went into these. Please comment and let us know which one is your favorite. Gold, Silver and Bronze prizes will be awarded to the three quilters receiving the highest number of votes. Voting will end on Wednesday, March 17th. Thanks for voting and enjoy our little quilt show!

Quilt 1 by Anna

Quilt 2 by Julia

Quilt 3 by Jessica

Quilt 4 by Nancy

Quilt 5 by Angela

A Tribute to Those who Gave a Huge Effort

This challenge was difficult, especially since it was based on such a short time period. Here are a few pictures of some of the unfinished quilts. I look forward to later posting pictures when they are finished.

Submitted by Kathy S.

Submitted by Toni

Submitted by Karen G.

Submitted by Holly

Time is up

I hope everyone got their quilts finished last night. I am also guilty of finishing under the gun and could not make this post last night. However, I AM DONE!!! YEAH!!!! Several of you are done! YEAH!!! So please email your pictures to me in the next day so I can make one posting with everyone's quilt in it. Then invite all your friends to come out and vote for their favorite quilt.
If you did not finish, we would still love to see your progress. So please send in pictures! Have a great day and congratulations to everyone for a tremendous effort!

Olympic Challenge Update!

Wow! This challenge has not been for the faint of heart. I have heard from many of our participants and the quilt tops are done! However, the quilting is not. Therefore, the group has decided to give one another a 1 week grace period for quilting and finishing up.
Nevertheless, we do have one person who is completely finished and certainly deserves honorable mention. Congratulations to Nancy for her amazing job. You can see her quilt on her blog. http://sassafrashillquilts.blogspot.com/2010/02/finished.html
Please check back next Monday when we will have our Olympic Quilts posted for judging.

UPDATE: Jessica's Crazy 8's Quilt

So, the top is finally pieced, and I have made a little more progress since this photo. It is squared up, and I have the inner boarder sewn on. I keep telling Anna, I might be an Olympic Quilt failure. I have to find some creativity Thursday night to add the second boarder and sandwich the quilt. I have a quilt design picked out, and we will see how that works out. The only catch is that Anna and I are going to the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Fest on Saturday, we are leaving around 4:30, because we are taking a class with Connie Hindermarsh on how to make a mohair bunny rabbit. Anna will probably be sewing her binding on... It just means Sunday might be exciting at the McDermott household... :)

Quilting Update for All!

Wow! I can't believe how quickly the Olympics are passing by and how little progress I have made. So I have decided to help myself feel a little better and take a poll. Please post a comment and let us know how you are doing! I promise that the next challenge will have a much longer time table!

Bento Box project by Karen G.

Hi everyone! Finally I will post my challenge project! I am making the Bento Box pattern that I found at Symposium last May. When I told my husband about the challenge and that we had to start a new project and not finish something we had already started, he said that would not be much of a challenge for me, since I am always starting new projects and never finishing anything!! We'll see how this goes! I have really enjoyed seeing all the blog postings from everyone and think this is a great and fun idea. Thanks Anna!

It Takes Village Progress by Kathy

I have found that these African prints are thinner fabric than the 100% cotton with which I'm accustomed to sewing. My challenge is going to be quilting it myself.

Love, Hugs and Kisses Quilt Progress by Anna

I would love to say that this quilt has gone amazingly well! However, this project has been a huge challenge for me since my stash of Valentine fabrics had so many prints. So I raided Jessica's stash and that made all my prints look like solids! But I stuck to trying to use my stash and only purchased one fabric for the lettering. Also, the appliqué has been a slow process as I have only completed 5 of the 16 letters and still have all the hearts to place as well. I realize making any quilt in this time frame is challenging but sometimes I think I over estimate myself.
Let us know how things are going for you!

Basic Layout

My design wall is full with another project, so I laid out as much of my Olympic Challenge quilt as I could on my cutting table.  I got half of the quilt laid out and have started sewing it together.  Then I will lay out the 2nd half and hope for the best.   It's scrappy so I think it will be OK.  It has been really nice actually getting to do some peicing this weekend.  

Sorry my pictures are so dark, I normally take pictures of quilts without flash because I am trying to get pictures of my actually quilting and I forgot to turn my flash back on.  Oops!

First block complete!

All of my cutting and initial sewing is completed.  I put the first block together this morning!  Very fun and easy!  I highly recommend this pattern!!!!  I've actually watched some of the real Olympics too!  Happy stitching!  Nancy

Concentric Quilt Progress

Well I have FINALLY finished cutting all the pieces to the quilt.  Now the fun finally begins I get to sew and see it start coming together. YEAH!!!!  Toni C.

 

Blue Lagoon Olympic Challenge Quilt by Angela C.

Hi all!

I'm a little late, but I have finally decided on which quilt I will be doing.  I will be doing Blue Lagoon from Jelly Roll Quilts by Pam & Nicky Lintott.  I am using batiks.  I went by Wish Upon a Quilt today and picked up an Island Batik jelly roll which consist of all light neutrals and for my back ground I am using a darker brown batik.  

The real challenge for me will be finishing up the current quilt that is on my frame so that I can quilt this one.

Let the cutting begin!!!!!

Let the Games Begin!

Thank you so much to all of you who have posted projects and have taken on the 2010 Quilter's Olympic Challenge. I am so pleased to see all the postings and very excited to see how the challenge will work out. For those of you who have not posted your projects, it is not too late. Join us as soon as you can and if you need any help, please contact me. For those who have registered, I wish you the best of luck! I know it will be challenging to get your projects completed but the results are sure to be amazing! And for all of those who are watching from the side lines, be sure to check back regularly and to vote for your favorite quilts starting March 1, 2010. Let the games begin!

Hollie's Fire Escape

I am looking forward to this Olympic Challenge.  I have chosen Fire Escape by Terry Atkinson.  I chose 5 batiks for the front.  The back will have colorful fish.  The finished size is Lap, 60” x 72”. 

Julia's Convergence Quilt

So ... after a great deal of thought, I have decided to work on a smaller project - a Ricky Tims Convergence quilt. Piecing will not be an issue; however, given my quilting skills, it will take most of the time to quilt the piece. I'll be extremely lucky if my quilt looks this good.

It Takes a Village by Kathy S.

I'm going to try "It Takes a Village" 44"x36" by Kitambaa Designs, Comox, BC, Canada copyright 2006. (www.pippamoore.ca)  I'm going to trim it to 36" x 36" though so it can be donated to the Hospice Home here in B-ton. I have been collecting African prints so I'm going to use them for this.

Nancy's Day and Night Quilt

I may be crazy for doing this but I do like a challenge!!!! The finished quilt will be 40X52....manageable, I think! I'm using 2 batiks and a Michael Miller Krystal for the 'pop!'

Be sure to check out Nancy's Blog called Sassafras Hill at:
http://sassafrashillquilts.blogspot.com/

Jessica's Project: Crazy 8s Quilt - Designed by Piece N Quilt

I have finally determined my quilt for the 2010 Olympic Challenge. I am using Crazy 8 Charm Packs, Sandy Gervais for Moda fabrics. This is a Christmas Quilt for my mom’s Birthday, March 10, 2010. She reminded me at Christmas that I have not made her a patchwork quilt. I have made a rag quilt and a couple of wall hangings. Anna’s challenge is giving me an excuse to finish a Birthday Present in two weeks… I am using the basic instructions for this quilt, which was designed By: Natalia Bonner of Piece N Quilt http://www.piecenquilt.com/. It is a free pattern. I plan to make it larger than 43 1/2"x53 1/2" and add at least 2 boarders… More to come

Jessica McDermott

Hearts Aflutter - Maria's Long Overdue Valentine's Project for Olypmpic Challenge

I purchased this kit a couple of years ago and have intended to complete it for each Valentine's Day. This challenge is just what I need to get me jump started and motivate me to stick with it to completion.

Concentric Quilt Progress by Toni C

Okay I have finally chosen my pattern for the Quilter's Winter Olympics.  I was trying really had to think of something that was related to the Olympics some how.  I have ordered the pattern from Carolina Patchworks, and it should be here by Wednesday.  I am doing the Concentric pattern and I am going to use the Olympic colors (red, blue, black, green and yellow).  I know I should have used something already in my collection, but hey I always like a reason to get new patterns and more fabric.  I am so excited about this challenge and the amazing quilts that are going to come from it.  Let the games being.

Anna's Olympic Quilt Selection

While I have lots of projects in my stash, I finally selected one for the 2010 Winter Olympic Challenge. It is a pattern from The Moda Bake Shop called Hugs and Kisses by Natalia Bonner. It is a perfect stash buster for me since I love to buy Valentine's Day fabric and never seem to find a way to use it. My biggest challenge will be all the applique lettering. Nevertheless, I am really looking forward to making this quilt!

Let us know what project you have selected by posting it on this blog. For instructions on how to do that, please email me at ayarur@yahoo.com. If you are still struggling with selecting a project and looking for ideas, check out: http://www.modabakeshop.com/.

2010 Quilter's Winter Olympics

Welcome to the 2010 Quilter's Winter Olympics! These Olympics are dedicated to our stashes and projects sitting in our sewing rooms that are just waiting to be started. The purpose is to pick a NEW project that will be challenging for you AND that can be started and completed during the Winter Olympics. Here is how it will work:

The Dates: February 12-28, 2010
Before the Olympics Begin:
Select a quilting project of any size that is challenging for you. NO UFOs! Some may challenge themselves to do a wall hanging and other a huge quilt. Prior to opening ceremonies, you may only select your pattern, pick your fabrics and prewash your fabrics if that is what you prefer. ALSO, please post a comment with what your project will be and pictures are welcome! (Posting to the blog is very easy. However, you must send me an email so that I can provide you with instructions and a unique email.)
When do you start?
You may start your project at the beginning of the opening ceremonies in your time zone. For most of us, that means you can begin cutting during the opening ceremonies. (So make sure your rotary cutter is loaded with a fresh blade and ready to go!)
When do I have to be done?
You must be COMPLETELY finished by the end of the closing ceremonies on February 28, 2010. If you time it right, you could be sewing on the binding and label while watching TV.

Prizes:
Prizes are available to those who choose to contribute. I am requesting that everyone mail me 1 fat quarter or an item from the sewing room you feel would make a great prize! Participants will need to post a picture of their final project by March 1, 2010 to be eligible for a prize. Then everyone will be asked to vote on the projects. The three projects that receive the highest number of votes will receive a GOLD, SILVER and BRONZE prize. Winners will be posted no later than Sunday, March 14, 2010 and prizes will be mailed no later than Monday, March 15, 2010.
If you do not want to contribute to the prizes, please feel free to still participate just for fun!

Questions:
If you have questions, please email ayarur@yahoo.com. Since this is the first time we do this, clarifications and modifications will be made as needed.

Feel free to let us all know how your project is going during the games and to post pictures of your progress. (Please email me for directions on how to post to the blog. It is very simple to do but you must get a unique email from me to do it). Good Luck and let the preparations begin!