I wanted Electric Quilt for years before I finally bought it. Our computers were always Apple products, and an Apple version has never been written. Finally, after our kids graduated from college, we switched to a PC and I got my wish. That was EQ4 in the mid- to late-1990's. Since then I've bought each upgrade. However, I never managed to stop sewing long enough to learn how to use it.
When I started keeping this blog and making yearly quilting goals I decided to make mastering this software one of my goals for the year. By then EQ6 was the latest version. I followed through and started working with the program. It was an invaluable resource when I started Civil War Diary and Civil War Love Letters, as it allowed me to print foundation papers for the blocks in the books. However, I didn't use it to design quilts I actually made.
And then I started to knit. And hand spin. And quilting faded into the background of my life for almost three years. I stopped using the software and forgot most of what I'd learned.
Now that I'm back to quilting, I decided to upgrade to the newest version. It arrived in the mail about 10 days ago. I sat down at the computer, loaded the software and started playing. I discovered many lessons to help one learn, and many demonstration videos were included. I immersed myself in learning. And I'm still learning. I've been having a great time, with only one problem. Doing this gave me nothing to blog about. Which is why I've been MIA.
And now you know the rest of the story.
I would love your comments telling me how you like to use this software. Do you just play for inspiration, or do you design quilts that are eventually made? If you design a quilt, do you plan it down to the last detail by "coloring" it with the fabrics you will use? Do you scan your own fabrics to use in the software? What else do you do with it? Curious minds want to know.
