Let’s talk about technology! Now…Some of you may have just cringed a little but, if you’re anything like me, technology can be exciting so stay with me! 😊One of the things I love to do when it comes to digital tools and technological advancements is figure out how to balance them with living a creative and hands-on life. As amazing as technology can be, I still want to work with my hands, do things manually and problem-solve for myself. This is part of why quilting is so perfect for my lifestyle; no matter how advanced we become, a machine just simply can’t make a pieced quilt, from the start to finish, without a creative maker behind it. That being said, there are some incredible tools at our fingertips that can enhance our quilting experience…enter EQ8!
What is EQ8 exactly? You may have seen some of your favorite
quilt designers mention it or post pictures of digitally rendered quilt
sketches/ideas. A lot of those digital pics come from EQ8. “EQ” stands for “electric
quilt” and is a downloadable software that you can get for your PC or MAC computer.
It is full of tons of fun tools that any quilter can play with! Here are some
reasons why I enjoy it:
·
Coloring. I can import swatches of my favorite
fabrics and make digital mock-ups of a quilt in EQ8! How fun is that? It really
helps to see how different fabrics will play in a design before cutting out any
pieces.
· Digital graph paper. I can “sketch” out ideas
for piecing and/or applique.
·
Once I draft a design, I can preview what the
quilt will look like in its completion without any outlines or graphs. It’s
basically a total quilt mockup that looks exactly like a finished quilt.
·
There are lots of classes and tutorials
available on the EQ website that I can take.
·
I can eliminate a lot of paper clutter from my
life by saving my projects in EQ8. Can I get an amen for decluttering?! Yes!
Happy digital quilting!
~Gracey
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