patchpieces: EQ Patch

EQ -- Quilt Teacher's Guide Many of us who use Electric Quilt software are also quiltmaking teachers. Here's some ideas for using EQ as a teacher's aid that I've gleaned from the info-EQ mail list. Click on the link beneath the picture and you'll find instructions on how to make piecing diagrams using PatchDraw!

Using PatchDraw to make Piecing Diagrams

Have something you'd like to add about using EQ for teaching? Email me: omd01639@mail.wvnet.edu

The following are ideas gleaned from the info-EQ mail list:

1. I currently teach classes at the SHAPE Arts and Crafts center here in Mons, Belgium. I design my quilts on the computer using EQ4, print the templates, and all other necessary items for my students. I use a pocket folder to put
their class info in. I also use EQ4 to calculate the yardage in both yards, and centimeters, which is really helpful for my international students.[Peggy]

2. I've been using EQ 2, 3, and 4. (Oh, those EQ2 days were primitive and fumbling. Not Mouse, me) I'm teaching a trapunto class Monday. Used a flower motif from EQ4. Made the stems fatter. Will teach a hand piecing class ( astonishment among all my friends!) this fall. Will use EQ for the patterns. Now, with Claudia Wade's directions for using EQ and Word,
I'll do the handouts. Used EQ4 to design the City of Ridgeland Centennial Quilt, and got the border blocks from EQ4 and BlockBase. What's my favorite part of EQ? The part I'm using at the moment. [Nancy Welsh]

3. I teach classes, and I'm also in the process of designing my own line of patterns. I used EQ4 for both. I do most of my drawings for the quilting, instructions, etc and put them in Word or Publisher Documents. [Kris]

4. I have been in Washington State, at my sister Mary's house, for the past 4 days to teach how to make a quilt "all by hand" like it would have been made in 1847, (had to dress for that time too!!), to 137 5-10yr old girl scouts, (7 were boys), and I used EQ4 to make name tags for my 2 sisters and my self and to give, (the last day of the camp), to the 17 aid's
they had to help all over the camp to thank them for all their help at our station. We printed out on fabric a different one for each girl and put her camp name on it. We also used pictures of quilts on the hand outs that we gave each child so that they could make another one of the quilts that they made at our station when they got home... They were a real hit with the kids!
[Debbie, In Oregon]

5. I do use EQ for teaching. The facility that I teach in is a park district museum. They do not want a lot of sewing machines there, worried about cords and liability etc.. so I have been mostly teaching hand piecing and hand applique classes.

I used EQ for six and nine inch blocks. In the sampler class I usually teach my students how to draft their blocks to any size, but with EQ I usually do not have to have them draft all of the block. They print out very square.

I usually do my handouts in Lotus WordPro, but my company is moving to MS Word. Will probably use Word that for my next class which starts in Sept. It is again a hand piecing but it could easily be changed to paper piecing with applique. I designed a small wallhanging in the Country setting. I used 4 different tree blocks from Sew precise and then modified a house
block not sure if it from sew precise or EQ4. The trees run down the right side one on top of the other and are supposed to represent the different seasons. I. E. An apple tree in bloom, a summer a tree in the full green of summer, a fall tree in different oranges and reds and an evergreen with snow on the tips of its branches. The house can easily be customized to look to
look similar to their own home. There is a blank rectangle above the house for applique. I will provide patterns of a sun and a moon or a sun and a bird or butterfly for the applique. It has one simple border but I do show them how to miter the corners. I am calling it "A house for all seasons". I hope the class fills. If anyone is interested I will share a prj or graphic of the wall hanging.

I think my favorite part of using eq for teaching is being able to give the students a color sample of the project. Without having to require them to purchase a book. Again since most of my students are beginners they do not want to make a large investment until they know if they like it. But after I send them to the quilt shops they are usually hooked. [Debbie W in
Illinois]

6. Yes! I use EQ3 and now 4 to help with my teaching. I mainly use it to print out patterns and the directions. It was also a big hit when I taught paper piecing. I find that a line drawing of a quilt helps the students figure out their color schemes without looking at mine.

I am currently running a Block of the Month at a local quilt shop, and I am using EQ3 patterns (plus some I draw on Easy Draw) for the quilt blocks. The only problem with EQ3 and 4 is that there isn't enough time to make the quilts one designs! [Mary in Colo.]

7. I use EQ for class hand-outs and block of the month hand-outs for my guilds. I was really upset when EQ4 didn't have the page tool included. I had to go buy Microsoft Word because all I had was Works. Word is a great program though so am glad I was "forced" into buying it. Took me a while to figure out how to place template letters over the top of the
blocks though. For anyone else just trying to do this, after you have your text box with the letter in it, go to Format, Text Box, and then choose No Fill and No Line. Works great!

Another thing I do for piecing directions, is to make a block for each section of my total block, so I can move them away from each other or set them together as the piecing directions progress. I also found I could add a stitching line to a block in Word by using the tool that makes the line dashed. Example: When showing how to do connector squares in the corner of a block, I draw a block in EQ4 of a large square with a smaller one in one corner. I color the smaller square grey. I then export a snapshot of it into my Word document. There under Autoshapes, I choose the line tool and draw a diagonal line across the small square. Then you go to the dash style tool and hit one of the first two choices and you get a dashed sewing line. You can also choose to do the stitching line a different color than the rest of the block. Really makes things look professional.
[Kathy in ND]