I’ve had my EQ7 for a few years but have only designed one easy quilt with it & have found it to be a frustrating program even though I’m pretty computer savvy. My biggest problem right now I have is the difficulty with printing 12” foundation pieced blocks. In EQ8 have they fixed it where you can rotate the pieces to better place them on the paper to print? I’m still on the fence about upgrading. Do you have any suggestions of the best videos that show you the differences between EQ7 & EQ8?

Hopefully others will jump in here with their opinions as well, but I will start. I was not a fan of the upgrade. I bought it when it was first released. When I started using it, I hated it. I have grown to like it now. Some things that I like is the rotation in foundation printing and when coloring blocks, if you go back and remove a seam the colors stay put and are not shuffled. There are several other features that make it easier to work with such as in the Print Foundation dialogue the grouped pieces are colored.

I find the new interface cluttered looking, however, and the pane that has the tools in them is large. You can choose in properties to have smaller tools or to dock the pane to either the right or the left but I have not found a setting in properties to make it smaller. I am now comfortable where everything is and for the most part am glad I went ahead and did the update as a lot of what I do is paper piecing.

Back to EQ8 Upgrade - It is all about the $$ in my mind. While the upgrade is nice, 7 is still a good program with a few workarounds. When I used EQ7 exclusively, I found (as you have noted) that the program printed the blocks the same orientation as they are shown in the quilt. What I did to get around that is to create a second quilt with identical sized blocks. If my real quilt was on point, I often found the foundation spread across four pages.So, I created another smaller quilt horizontally and placed my blocks in that quilt and printed from there. Then before I printed I could change the groupings so that they were smaller or move them around to minimize the amount of taping. Then, for the most part, the groups were straight on the page and not too large.

While I did not find a video,if you go to the page as if to purchase the update,
https://electricquilt.com/online-sho.../#tab-Features
then click on the features tab half way down that page, all the new features are listed there. Good luck with your decision.

hmm..QB and I seem to be having issues tonight--so here is the post that I thought got posted! Yes, EQ8 allows you to more and rotate the template pieces. I frankly find the EQ8 much easier to use after the initial learning curve. While I worked for the last 25 years with computers daily, including 2 different complex scheduling programs, I found EQ7 not easy to use. I like EQ8 better and have used it more. I did invest in the lesson books offered by EQ for both EQ7 &EQ8--they are very good and become great reference books.

I have a question. I’m building a quilt with 12” blocks, all different, but every one of them is going to be surrounded by a 1” border in a variety of colors. I would prefer to design my blocks on a 12” worktable & add the 1” border in later. It’s also going to have sashing so I can’t add the borders that way or is there a way to do more than one thing of sashing? I see under Serendipity there’s a “Frame block” & I chose the smallest option but I don’t see it being able to be adjusted to 1”. Also, does that cut down the interior of my block so it’s no longer 12” because it adds it with the frame to the final choice of block size? I hope what I’m saying is making sense. Should I just make my blocks 13” & add the border around it myself so the size comes out accurately? I’ve already made most the blocks, not from EQ7 but on my own & am going to try to go back & draw & add them into the program. They’re almost all paper pieced so that’s another problem. If the program skews the inches off if I add the frame then any foundation I print will be off for next time so it’s imperative the blocks stay at 12”.
I am going to try to upgrade to EQ8 after playing around with 7 for the last week & working through one of the books. 7 just has too many glitches where I’ve suddenly been missing lines or things won’t select without me having to refresh. Thanks for any help in advanced. I’m a real newbie at EQ but am pretty computer smart so hopefully I can figure it out with a little assistance here. Maybe someone knows of a tutorial or video even?

I would use the "merge" option rather than "frame the block". First create a separate block 14x14 with the one inch border only. Then merge the two together. You should get what you want that way.

Wow. So elegantly simple. Thank you!

Wow! Thanks for talking about Serendipity... I have never gone there and I can't tell you how many timnes that would have been useful!

It’s early for Christmas but I got my EQ8 gift from my mom since she had to use my name & info for an upgrade instead of straight out buying it on its own. She did it now because during cyber Monday they had a 20% off sale. I’m sew happy with it already. I do have to wait for Christmas for the book about designing quilts with it though. It’s not as different from EQ7 as I thought it would be so the transition has been pretty smooth.

I use EQ8 and think that it's really made the program much easier to use with many more options visible on the (for example) block worktable - It's really easy to draw your own new york beauty or other blocks that have triangles on an arc. I keep EQStitch and use it for embroidery designs. The Facebook group for Electric Quilt users has very knowledgeable and helpful people on it who always answer questions and their support team at EQ is wonderful. One thing I would recommend is that after you save a project, also go to File-Export Image and save an image of the quilt with almost the same name (ie. if the project is Christmas18, then one image could be Christmas18_runner, another could be Christmas18_treequilt1, etc...) The reason I know is that when I'm looking for an old quilt from EQ5, I have to almost open every project in order to search for the quilt!!

LaurMac - you can do that - look at post #76 above. As long as your panel is smaller than 48" square you can can treat it as one block. As to the advice given to your friend, that seems kind of wasteful. Sometimes I add a small frame to the panel to make it the size I can deal with.

editing EQ7 appliques
 

Does EQ help with fabric required .i am interested in this does it tell you how Much fabric you need as I find i can't work it out

I found out recently that the center panel can be bigger than 48 inches. I have changed my settings to 100.

In EQ7, go to the quilt worktable. Click on "Quilt" (middle of the top row of words), then click on the last option "Quilt Worktable Options", "Layout Options", "All Styles". Change the first item from 48 to up to 100. Knowing this has made my life a lot simpler.

sewingeveryday" the short answer is yes. You build the quilt with the blocks sized correctly, then add your sashing and borders if you choose. Once you have the quilt set up the way you want, you can print estimated yardage.

eparys thank you

I had forgotten this. Thanks for the reminder. I was actually trying to make a bigger center just last week.

I have found that EQ often overestimates the yardage. I think one of the reasons is HSTs. the estimator counts a full square when making one HST, and I make my HSTs two out of one square. There may be other reasons for the estimations, but I have never found it to underestimate.

I've had EQ for years and use it regularly...thanks for this tip. One can also change number of maximum blocks in horizontal and vertical settings...wow my life will be simpler as well.

Yes, like QuiltNan mentions, it overestimates. But it's still handy to use and gives one a general idea of maximum amount of fabric rather than minimum amount.

Does anyone here use EQ stitch with EQ 7 (or 8, if it works with that)? I have so much trouble with it and any time I ask for help I feel like I'm the only one. Mainly I have trouble with stitchery parts disappearing, won't change the stitch style/color, things like that. Sometimes with font letters or numbers stitching out weird.

I have been wanting to purchase this program for awhile now and this week I finally did. I just downloaded EQ8 tonight and did the first lesson. Read this complete thread....very helpful. Probably make more sense once I dive in and recognize some of the terms and functions you'all are talking about. Lol... I'll be watching tutorials over the next few days and I'm just going to play. So excited.

The best way to learn it is to use it! I love mine and use it all the time. In addition to doing the lessons, EQ has a great Blog -

https://doyoueq.com/blog/

In the blog they have links to "Lessons with Lori", "lessons with Yvonne", "Design and Discover" and "Block Spotlight". All worth while looking at!

Thank you for the direction, eparys! Watched a few videos last night. So much to learn.

Well I can guarantee that you will be spending "quilting" time at the computer now! A productive way to stay out of packed boxes, Teen! Enjoy your journey with EQ..I have soooo many quilts in the program. I love it for when I put blocks together and need to figure out borders...especially with on point blocks. It does all the calculations for you and I can easily figure out how much fabric I minimally need to cut those borders and if I have enough in the chunk of fabric laying the pile of possibilities! I really need to get comfortable with custom designed layouts, but that's a discussion for another day. Enjoy...enjoy...enjoy!

Well..I dove right into the deep end with this program and about 85% done on a custom design. I have been making a series of Paper pieced blocks of all different sizes for some time now. When I see a vintage pattern, I just buy it or print if freebie and use my vintage fabrics....I've amassed a bunch of blocks but had no clue what to do with them.....so, I'm designing a quilt for them. Had some glitches but, for the most part, I watched tutorials and played. I imported my fabrics and uploaded my blocks. Overall, I think I did fairly well. I've got some additional blocks to make for fillers but I now know the sizes I need to make and the colors to use. I'm pretty excited.

I have one question tho...The original layout was 48x48 (default)..Since I had no clue how big to make this, I started setting blocks and adjusting them. When I realized I needed to make it bigger, I went to the layout tab and resized quilt size, check marked the box that locks in the block sizes...however, when I returned to the quilt design tab, all my blocks resized to odd measurements. What did I do wrong?

Edit to add: not sure if this info is needed but I set my grid size for,2 inches. This did not change when I reconfigured the quilt size.

Not sure I understand all that you said. I start with making a block. I set the block size and then tab over to snaps and make those 4x the block size... this usually covers all diagonal lines. then save the block drawing, go to Color and save that. Next I go to the quilt layout. If you are using the default layout, I than go to the layout tab and choose my rows and columns of blocks, checking the size in the bottom, getting it close to what I want. I nudge to my desired size with sashing a borders. I hope this helps with what you asked.

OMG I bit the bullet and just got EQ8 a couple of weeks ago - and stumbled through a couple of ideas. I wanted to insert another row on the left (like in Excel) and couldn't figure out how. So, now I haven't been back into the program. So glad to see this thread and I'm anxious to go through the whole thing tonight when I have time.

If you choose one of the standard layouts like horizontal or on point just changing the number of row or columns will not affect the block size. My guess is that you are in Custom which is a bit trickier. If all your blocks are the same size you may want to use a standard layout. I played around with Custom this morning and could not recreate what you described, so I myself do not have a clue -lol. I would start a new quilt and try it again. My guess is that one of those many little options in the Adjust tab under Block Tools got inadvertently changed.

In Custom I start off with mine set at 1/2.

Thank you both, QuiltnNan & eparys..

I will try to recreate and see where I went wrong.. Because my block sizes are all different and will be a scattered design, I started in the "custom design" layout. I must have clicked something, as you've said, eparys. I've finished the design but I'm sure I'll be designing custom again. I can see how setting grid size to 1/2" would be more helpful. That was so fun.

cindyb....have fun...it is so addicting and this thread so helpful.

I know you'all warned me but...seriously...EQ8 is so addicting. I finished the quilt that I did the custom design on and it's at the LA now. I had to figure out how to design it in sections so I could assembled the thing easily. Really helped me visualize the segments more easily. Lol.. I am so excited about my quilt. I mean, I Didn't design the blocks themselves ...Other designer's block patterns...but bringing all those different sized blocks, adding filler designs, etc. was all done by me. I learned a few things I would do differently now that I know the program a bit more. Short cuts I didn't realize etc. I have watched so many tutorials. Anywhoo...thought I'd share and will share picture of quilt with board when binded... I played more today designing a pattern for some ombré fabrics. So fun...

congrats on a successful design and finish. Sometimes it's better to just jump right in!

Essenhause in Middlebury, IN has moved their quilt store from a tiny cramped space in the Corn Crib to the three stories of the old furniture building. I have not seen it yet, but the word is that there is a floor for classes. It brings up all sorts of wonderful thoughts. MIddlebury is near Shipshewana where there are about X number of quilting shops including Yoders and Lollys. I want to be the first one in the door on Monday to take a peek and I'll let you all know. What I'm looking for is a hands on Eq 8 workshop. I left part of my cranial function somewhere along the way and will need someone looking over my shoulder. Marcia

I work in EQ7. When I change the blocks per row or height, it always adds the extra blocks to the right and the bottom, never the left or the top. To get around this, I insert a block border and if I want the row on the left, I would change from "All" being checked to L+R . Then you change the R measurement to 0 and the left one to the block width you need. You have to tell it how many blocks will be in the border. Not sure how to get to this in EQ8.

ok, all you wonderful EQ8 users--I need some help. I designed a quilt for our guild opportunity quilt inEQ8 using 6" blocks (had to draw the block, etc) primarily so we'd have a way to figure yardage. So tonight at the meeting she asked if I could instead design it using 4" blocks. Is there an easy way to convert the design from 6" blocks to 4" without going through all the design steps? I had a 15hr day and am brain dead right now! Thanks!

Signed up for the EQ8 workshop at the Grand Rapids show in August. Really looking forward to that.

you should just be able to go to layout and change them from 6 to 4". It may be a problem depending on the block design in that it may give you very odd dimensions to cut the block pieces. And if you want to keep the quilt the same size, you will have to add columns and rows to get it up to size.

Hi I'm new to site and am a beginner quilter. I've done 4 memorial quilts for myself and 3 siblings from our mothers clothes and 3 rag quilts for my spouse and their siblings from their fathers clothes using YouTube and other tutorials. I now need help fast. I need to make a crib quilt for my niece's baby in a very short time. She has a very neutral home design color and that includes the baby's nursery. I'd describe her style as modern boho/Santa Fe - tans/ivory/grey. I found a photo of a rug and would like to do a rag quilt in this diagonal form and with these style blocks if possible but have no idea where or how to start. Help if you can please. I need it. Lol I'll be using grey, tan, white, and brown from my mother's clothes. my niece was very close to her so this will be an incredibly special surprise thank you in advance for any help you can offer

HI, Deb...and welcome to the board!! It's a beautiful rug and looks fairly simple to do. Looks like 20" blocks so that would make easy piecing. The layout is called on-point. So, what are you asking help to do? Do you have EQ8? If so, there may be a block in the program that you could open in the block design and can modify. if not, grab some graph paper and draw out block design. One block is using HST (half square triangle) to create design so that is easy enough to do....and the other looks like it can be pieced using log cabin block design...you just need to do a different color placement to get the effect you want and maybe make 4 10" blocks. Or..Just break the blocks down into rows. Others may have more suggestions. Good luck....

Hi Teen thank you for your advice. No I don't have a eq8 I don't know what that even means lol. I just have a regular sewing machine. This quilt will only be a crib size quilt. I guess what I need help with is how to do a rag quilt on the diagonal and how someone would do the 3 connected square/chain block. Like I said I'm new to quilting. I appreciate your help so much. I'm going to google on-point now to see if I understand it. I was able to find that the other was log cabin last night after I posted here. Going to also look for tutorials on that. Again thank you so much.