A Note from Us

Everyone at EQ says:
Thank you for your support & friendship during these times which are challenging for us all. We look forward to more learning, fun and quilting with you in 2010.

Interview

EQ THE MOUSE INTERVIEWS HIMSELF
EQ Newsletter editor, EQ the Mouse, reports on how he and other EQers surprised Company President, Dean Neumann, on Dean's recent birthday. Read the interview.

Lessons & Classes

STARTING NEXT MONTH: BENNI HARPER MYSTERY LESSONS RETURN
For 2010 fun, we will re-run updated versions of our popular monthly Benni Harper mystery lessons based on quilts from Earlene Fowler's popular books. These short & easy lessons are perfect for EQ6 beginners who want to learn more. Start off January 2010 with Lesson One: Fool's Puzzle.

SIGN UP NOW FOR ONLINE QUILT UNIVERSITY CLASSES
Quilt University has sign-ups now (enrollment opens November 27) for January online EQ classes taught by Fran Gonzalez and Patti Anderson. Fran's classes must be taken in order. Her "beginner" class is "EQ6 Sampler" which starts January 8, 2010. Patti's teaching EQ6 Appliqué Design, starting January 22, 2010. These classes fill fast, so sign up now.

KALEIDOSCOPE COLLECTORS
All 12 fun free lessons involving EQ and the Kaleidoscope Collection CD are now up. This is a TERRIFIC way to learn more in EQ5 or EQ6! Try Months 1 - 12.

PREVIOUS MYSTERY QUILT STORIES AND LESSONS
Learn EQ5 or EQ6 by working through our two different Mystery Quilt series: If you are just joining us, start here with Skylights Episode 1 and Skylights Lesson 1.

Then work through the EQuinox mystery, starting with EQuinox Episode 1 and EQuinox Lesson 1.

Show us your quilts! Have you made one of our Mystery quilts? We want to see your quilt or top. Email us a photo and we'll post it in our mystery gallery: Skylight mystery quilts, EQuinox mystery quilts.

ARE YOU TEACHING EQ?
If you are teaching EQ classes, don't forget to let our webmaster know the date, time and location of your classes so we can list them on our website.

EQ CLASSES
Want a hands-on EQ class? See who's teaching, what's being taught, and where. Find classes from Staffordshire, UK to BC, Canada, as well as Florida and California.

News

DEAR SANTA EQ WISH LIST
We know you've been good. So we've made it easy to tell Santa just what EQ goodies you want beneath your tree. Just fill out our "Dear Santa" (PDF) list. We do offer Gift Certificates. Just call 1-800-356-4219.

FREE SOFTWARE UPDATE FOR OWNERS OF AMY BUTLER SOFTWARES
Owners of Amy Butler Softwares can now download and install this free update. It adds Amy's new LOVE fabrics plus a quilt project, and makes it possible for you to mix and match Amy's fabrics in any project.

NEW SURVEY ASKS WHICH QUILTING SITES YOU VISIT FREQUENTLY
We're thinking of advertising online, and quite frankly, wonder where you go when you're surfing quilting sites. Would you please take our survey?

EQ6 IS COMPATIBLE WITH WINDOWS 7
Both EQ5 & EQ6 are fully compatible with Windows 7, as are most of our other software programs. Contact us if you have questions.

SCANNING FABRIC TUTORIAL FROM THREE DUCKS ON A ROOF
Anita Horovenko has made you a tutorial on scanning and cropping fabrics for EQ6, using Paint Shop Pro. Read Anita's introduction, then her tutorial.

ELECTRIC QUILT IS ON FACEBOOK
Electric Quilt has its own Facebook page now, as does EQ the Mouse. Become a Fan, and you'll get regular updates when we post something on our blog, or add a new video, or have other news.

EQ the Mouse adores his fans. If you're not yet one, he would love you to "fan him."

To become a fan:
1. Log into your facebook profile
2. Click this link, EQ the Mouse, to become a fan of EQ the Mouse.
3. Click this link, Electric Quilt , to become a fan of Electric Quilt.

FAB FAN FREEBIES
EQ the Mouse announces "Fab Fan Freebies." He explains: He loves his fabulous fans, and will have contests from time to time so he can give out a prize. To be eligible, become his Facebook fan.

SEE TWO NEW VIDEOS ADDED TO ELECTRIC QUILT'S YOUTUBE CHANNEL
See Andrea work with Abstract design and Mixed Media on 2 new short EQ segments from Pokey Bolton's Quilting Arts TV.
www.youtube.com/ElectricQuilt

Show us your work

100 QUILTS NOW IN EQ QUILT GALLERY
We've hit the 100 mark with our page of new quilts in the "EQ Quilt Gallery."

If YOU would like to exhibit, send us a photo of your quilt, along with your EQ project containing the EQ design for this same quilt. Tell us a bit about you, your quilt, your designing, whatever. List your website or blog if you have them. Help us show off your designing whether you're a quilting professional or this is your first quilt. Send them to penny@electricquilt.com. We love seeing what you're making and knowing more about you.

GLASS DEAR JANE? SEE OUR BLOG
Did you see this fabulous glass Dear Jane by Scott Baddley? And don't forget our tips on making Holiday cards & Gift tags. Send us info about what EQ stuff you're up to. We love to brag about you! Send an email to penny@electricquilt.com and tell us your EQ news.

Inspiration

FABRIC POSTCARDS BY ANNE MAUNDRELL
See how Anne uses a crazy pieced background for her beautiful fall fabric postcards.

DAILY EQ-DESIGNS BY JUDY BUTCHER
We like visiting Judy Butcher's blog often just to see what new EQ quilt she's designed for the day.

DAILY EQ-DESIGNS BY GLYNIS THOMPSON
Want more inspiration? Glynis has a blog too where she posts daily EQ designs. Check out some of Glynis's latest work.

Clubs

WANT TO START YOUR OWN EQ CLUB?
Download our "Planning an EQ Club" PDF file. See what you need to get started, how to organize and get topic ideas. The Mystery Quilt would make a great club project.

ClubEQ REMINDER
ClubEQ is a free monthly challenge organized by EQ-author, Barb Vlack. To participate, send in a project with 1-2 quilts to penny@electricquilt.com that follow the challenge theme and ClubEQ rules. Imagine getting 50 to 100 quilts for just submitting one.

Support

ASK EQ THE MOUSE!
Long-time mascot, EQ the Mouse, invites you to submit EQ questions for his column "Ask EQ." Email questions to Tech Support. Put "Ask EQ" in the subject line. He'll answer your question, and perhaps you'll make his monthly Q & A column. Read it here.

Read this month's Ask EQ questions & answers.

EQ the Mouse also invites you to Fan him on Facebook.

MAIL-LIST FOR MAC EQ-ERS
Are you running your EQ on a Mac? Then you may want to subscribe to the free EQonMacs Yahoo group, run by Sheila Williams. For more information, contact Sheila at Sheila@SheilaWilliams.com.

EQ FORUMS
The EQ Forums are waiting for your questions! Visit the EQ Forums and register, then you can ask questions and get answers from EQ staff, authors and other EQ users right on the EQ website.

TECH SUPPORT
A reminder that you can see answers to our most Frequently Asked Questions right on the EQ website. See EQ6 questions here. See EQ5 questions here.

EQ6 UPDATE
If you own EQ6, download and install the free EQ6 Update which makes EQ6 run faster and smarter. You'll know you're updated if in EQ6 you click
HELP > About EQ6 and see "Build 2."

Contests

ENTER NOW! - QUILTMAKER / EQ VIRTUAL QUILT CONTEST DEADLINE DECEMBER 1
Last day to enter to win a chance to appear in Quiltmaker magazine. This virtual contest sponsored by Quiltmaker magazine and The Electric Quilt Company needs no sewing. Just design a quilt in EQ6 using designs from any of our Quilting Designs: The Quiltmaker Collection CDs.

Click here for details. Entry deadline: December 1, 2009. Enter now!

REPORT ON ROSE OF SHARON EQ6 BLOCK CHALLENGE
We had 234 projects and over 800 blocks submitted. All blocks have gone off for Round 1 judging. Fifty blocks will be selected to be judged by Ricky Tims & Alex Anderson in Round 2. They will choose the final 12 blocks and a grand prize winner among the 12. We can't wait to see the results! WE WERE SO PROUD of your designs! Thanks for making this such a success.

NEW CONTEST – MATCH THE EQ BABIES
EQ the Mouse is confused. The EQ Babies are growing up, and he can't tell who's who. Can you? Help him match the EQ Babies to their baby pictures. Spoiler alert: this is a HARD contest! Hint: baby pictures from past newsletters may help.

When guessing, match baby numbers 1 through 7 to their older selves A through G.

To enter, please send an email:
To: penny@electricquilt.com
Subject line: Match the Babies
Body:
Your Full Name
Your Email
Your guesses

Please enter only once.
Deadline: December 18, 2009

We will choose one winner from all correct answers. In case of no correct answers we'll choose from those closest. The winner will win Amy Butler Softwares.

EQ THE MOUSE ANNOUNCES HIS FAVORITE "CLUBEQ" QUILT"
The October clubEQ Challenge was to design a quilt for EQ the Mouse. These open challenges are not usually judged. But EQ the Mouse insisted. Find out which quilt was his favorite, and what other quilts really twitched his whiskers.

Fabric

DOWNLOAD MORE FREE FABRIC
This month's download is "Black & White Graphics" which came in 2nd place last month. Choose either to download a Library file or a Project file. Be sure to follow the easy steps provided. Then vote for next month's fabric. We take suggestions for future voting options; email penny@electricquilt.com to let her know.

CONNECTING THREADS FABS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD
Connecting Threads has made some of their own fabric collections available especially for EQ6 users as Library files. Find the collections here.

1) Download the file to your Desktop. Extract the zipped file (right-click, then click "Extract All").
2) Place the .FAB file in your My Documents\My EQ6\USER\ folder on your hard drive.
3) Open EQ6 and your fabric library. The collection will appear in your "MY LIBRARY" folder.

MODA FABS AVAILABLE TO DOWNLOAD
Moda has new fabrics available to download as jpeg files, ready to be opened in EQ6.

1) Visit Moda's site, click any brown dot in front of a fabric name, download to your computer (remember where it goes).
2) Go to LIBRARIES > Fabric Library > Import > From Image Files and import the fabric.
3) Add the fabric to your Sketchbook and use it, or save the fabric in My Library (see pages 143 and 144 in the EQ6 User Manual) to use in future projects.

If you need complete steps, EQ the Mouse addresses them in one of his Ask EQ columns.

Freebies

BARB VLACK'S MARSHMALLOW RECIPE: AN EQ HOLIDAY TRADITION
Barb's delicious homemade marshmallow recipe (PDF) is one we share every December. It is delicious, impressive, and fun to make (especially with kids). We've actually toasted these marshmallows over candles in restaurants with Barb and even had waiters joining in on the fun. 'Tis the season to be silly: make some marshmallows!

FREE ANGEL PROJECT FROM DEBBIE WEBER

We liked Debbie Weber's Angel project so much we asked if she would share it with you. Download an EQ6 project or EQ5 project as a holiday gift from Debbie.

FREE EQ6 HOLIDAY WALLHANGING PROJECT

Download this quick EQ6 project called "Trees & Trimmings". This wallhanging is perfect for embellishing.

HOLIDAY PATTERNS FROM SINDY RODENMAYER
Sindy's beautifully designed assortment of Christmas patterns from placemats to quilts will get you thinking of the Holidays.

Also see Sindy's new pieced Chocolate Stars BOM which just started in August. Find the new blocks for her appliqué Baltimore Bliss BOM here.

NEW PATTERN SERIES FROM REGINA GREWE
Regina’s easy-to-sew Magic Mushrooms continue to grow. Download them as EQ6 projects.

FREE MYSTERY BOM FROM GUDRUN
Gudrun, from Belgium, has started a Mystery Block of the Month for 2009 that she would like to share.
Block #1    Block #5    Block #9
Block #2    Block #6    Block #10
Block #3    Block #7    Finished Quilt
Block #4    Block #8

FREE QUILTED DESKTOPS & CALENDARS
Carolyn Laukkonen offers you a series of quilted desktops to choose from. Choose a favorite, or switch them monthly. Download onto your computer desktop. Find complete instructions on her site.

Or check out the beautiful calendars Diane Anderson designs just for you.

FREE VIEWERS
Want to see a self-running show of your own EQ projects? Download a free project viewer:

Download "EQ6 Show" if you have EQ6. It will show any EQ3, EQ4, EQ5 and EQ6 projects you've made.
Download "EQ5 Show" if you only have EQ5. It will show any EQ3, EQ4 & EQ5 projects you have made.

FREE EQ6 WEB BUTTONS
Show your EQ spirit by adding an EQ6 button to your website!

DO YOU HAVE FREE EQ PROJECTS OR PATTERNS TO SHARE ON YOUR WEBSITE?
Let us know and we'll list you on the Project Sharing page. Just email our webmaster with the necessary links and information and ask for your site to be considered for inclusion on that page.

Next Month...

COMING NEXT MONTH
* Interview with Gail Kessler, Marketing Director for Andover Fabrics

* Benni Harper Mystery Lesson 1: Fool's Puzzle

* Winner of "Match the EQ Babies" contest

* Free project from Barb Vlack

* "Ask EQ" answers for those who got new computers as gifts