Guess who's using their EQ?

Guess who's using their EQ?

Kathy from Cotton Cellar Blog....that's who.  Kathy is a friend and guild member in PA.  Recently she has been having fun with her Electric Quilt 7 and I was able to  interview her for this post.  I have always admired people who dive in and have fun....Kathy is one of those people.  Here is my interview with Kathy (her words are typed in blue).

"Coasting"

My EQ drawings were a starting point for both quilts, but I made changes as I went, once I started the actual quilt. "Coasting" started out with equally spaced blocks on the drawing, and while I liked that, I decided to gradually increase the spacing once I started making it. Hence the name, Coasting - just like taking your feet off the pedals on a bike and coasting. I still like the original layout and have enough blocks left to make a second quilt, and that one will have the equally spaced blocks like the drawing. That one will be called "Cruising" - as in a constant speed. 

"Coasting and Cruising"

Can you tell me how long you have been using your EQ software....some of your thoughts about the software...and your process of learning to use it.

 I've been using EQ7 since mid-2010 when I purchased it from IHAN, and had a little bit of exposure to EQ6 prior to that at Needles Quilt Shop.  I admit that I'm very much a "newbie" at this, and am totally self-taught.  I learn best when I have a "need-to-know" so when I run into something I don't know how to do, that's when I dive in and dig around through the lessons until I figure it out.  I still have LOTS of learning to do!

I've just recently learned how to create my own fabric libraries in EQ and that is so valuable to me in my design process.  All I have to do is look up my fabric on the internet, and many times I find the .jpg swatches are already on the manufacturer's website ready to download.  If not, once I find the swatch I just right-click and save the image to my computer.  From there it's easy to import the swatches into EQ and use them in my designs.  It makes such a difference when I can view my exact fabrics on the screen as I create a design.

Was the fabric your inspiration to start the designs or did you make your designs first and then look for fabrics that would complement them?

Definitely the fabric was my inspiration!  Just like the commercial says - "the look, the feel, of cotton".  It draws me in and I usually buy it simply because I love it.  Occasionally I have a design in mind first, but most of the time I fall in love with a group of fabrics and have a general "feeling" that comes to mind when I work with them. Then the design is secondary.

For some totally unintentional reason, these latest two quilts have been designed around an emotion that came to mind when I start working with the fabrics.
For the "Coasting" quilt, I definitely wanted to work with the "light-to-dark" sequence of fabrics.  When I started playing around with the spacing between the blocks I had the feeling of just slowing down and coasting - like the feeling I remember as a child when I would take my feet of the pedals of my bike and coast...

"Grounded"

The drawing for "Grounded" started out in a horizontal format, suitable for hanging behind a sofa. But once I made the blocks, I realized that I liked it better in a vertical format, so I changed it again. The drawings are just starting points, so it didn't make sense to spend the time in front of the computer to change the drawing - it just got me going on the quilt.

When I started designing the blocks for "Grounded", I liked the idea of having a vertical band of a constant fabric running through each block, then connecting them with the quilting stitches.  It brought to mind the idea of electricity following the path of least resistance to the ground - hence the name "Grounded".  We all like to follow the path of least resistance in our lives, and working on this quilt made me feel grounded too.

How long have you been quilting?  Anything you would like folks to know about you in particular....just let me know so I can include that in my post.

I have been sewing as long as I can remember, but I didn't start any attempts at quilting until the mid 1980's.  I was working as a Drafter in the Engineering Department of our local Glass Factory here in Wellsboro at the time, so work and family took priority and didn't leave much time for sewing.  I left my job in 2004 so I could enjoy some pre-retirement years and focus on the things in life that bring me the most pleasure - family (which now includes two new grandchildren), sewing, camping & fishing with my wonderful husband.
My mother taught me to sew when I was a little girl, and my first sewing machine was passed down to me from my great-grandmother, so sewing is definitely in my genes!

Are you planning on selling these patterns? 

I have just recently opened an on-line Etsy shop (http://www.etsy.com/shop/CottonCellar) where I hope to sell my quilts, as well as the purses and accessories that I make.  I've been thinking about selling patterns for my quilts as well.  I guess that depends on the feedback that I get.  If there's enough interest, I might go ahead and publish the patterns too.  I have been designing patterns for Needles Quilt Shop for several years now, so I could easily transition into designing my own line of patterns as well.  We'll see...
 


Thank you for the interview Kathy. 

You can visit Kathy's blog here or by clicking on any place in this post that says Cotton Cellar. Click here to visit Kathy's ETSY shop.


Sew you see....it just takes starting! Are you using your Electric Quilt software?  I know I've used mine and found it to be very user friendly.  I don't personally know of any other software company that totally and completely supports their software like the Electric Quilt Company does.  They have a forum, videos, lessons....you name it....they are committed to help you learn to use your software.  Go over to the EQ website and check out all they offer.  Some companies take your money and say, “Thank you very much,” and that’s where the relationship ends.   The Electric Quilt Company follows the sale with, “How can we help you be successful in learning our software?”  That’s my kind of company!