New EQStitch Ordered!

I am very excited!

I finally bit the bullet and ordered EQStitch the add on software program for Electric Quilt that is an embroidery digitizing program.  Want to see it?  Go here: http://electricquilt.com/online-shop/eqstitch/#tab-Details

Why did I order this software and not others?

Well - I have been doing machine embroidery for years but no digitizing.  I wanted a basic program without having to drop really big money since I don't know how much I will use it.

I also didn't want to have to pay extra for every different part like the monogramming.  In some systems you pay hundreds of dollars for each individual program which ends up costing big bucks - yes I know that they will be bigger and more powerful systems but like I said I don't know how much I will use it.

I already own EQ7 - which is mandatory for EQStitch.

I can digitize the Accuquilt Go! shapes - they are all in it!  Part 1 and Part 2.

Last reason - right now it is 40% - until tomorrow - so I decided to jump on that price before it was $100 more!

I have been reading some posts on blogs and so far so good!  Have any of you purchased EQStitch yet? 

A New Leaders and Enders Project - Hexi Style

Hi all!

This month at my Accuquilt Go! Club I featured the equilateral triangle dies and the hexagon die since I think most people are unaware how they work.  Well while I was prepping I realized that my little 2" square leaders and enders (L&E) perfectly fit over the small hexagon!  So I got the idea to do a different L&E project. 

Not sure what L&E are?  You can check out my video here.

Don't get me wrong - you know I love my 2" squares but I have been doing 2" square L&E for over 10 years now and I felt like a bit of a change ;-)

 

I decided to use these two dies 55011 and 55079.  The hexagon die and the corresponding equilateral triangle die.  Here is a video on the the two dies together put out by Accuquilt.  These two dies are designed to work together so that you can easily construct a hexagon quilt without having to hand sew the hexis together or do any Y-seams.  

Something else that I learned after playing a bit more is that 6 of the equilateral triangles together form a hexi of the corresponding size!  How cool is that!?  You could have a pieced hexi next to a solid hexi - super cool.

I also decided to go a bit more planned than scrappy with this one and I chose red and white prints and white for the triangles.

 

How yummy is this!?  I will add the small tiny little white triangles to two sides of the hexi L&E style and slowly work up a quilt with tiny little cutie hexis in red and whites!  I think this is going to look so cute when it is finished.   I am not sure what size I will end up with or anything like that as I have not thought that far ahead yet.  I am excited to start a new L&E project after 10 years of 2" squares.  I will eventually go back to my 2" squares of course but for now - this is a fun new twist!

So what do you think?  Anyone in to start this new L&E project with me??

Back From Cuba!

I'm back!

Did you miss me?  We took a family trip over March Break to Cuba and it was just wonderful!

 

How could it not be?  Look at the view from our resort room on the first day!  Ahh sun and fun.  Just what we needed to escape the winter cold for a bit.  We stayed in Varadero Cuba - at a different resort than I stayed in last year.

I thought that I might share a few pictures from our trip.

We went on a few excursions to see more of Cuba.  We went snorkeling twice including once in the Caribbean Sea in that blue blue water.  The fish were absolutely amazing and would just follow you around.  We also did the swim with the dolphins excursion that I did last year.  Wonderful once again.

  

We went on a few boat rides as well on the different excursions - this one was a nice gentle ride up a river and back again while listening to live Cuban music - it was so nice and relaxing!

Great trip and great people!

On one of the excursions we went to a farm that had an example of a Cuban farm house on it and look what I found in the bedroom!

 

 What a neat quilt!  It looks like a half tumbler or wedge pattern with sashing.  It looks like the quilter ran out of some of the fabric used and subbed some in to finish it off.

Here's a close-up.  It is completely sewn and quilted by machine.

 

 Maybe by this machine?!  Although this machine is missing it's belt right now LOL!

 

And maybe pressed with one of these irons?  Although probably neither one of my thoughts is correct - it's fun to think that maybe it is.

I saw one other quilt in Cuba hanging from the balcony of an apartment building to dry.  I tried to snap a shot of it but the bus that we were on moved by it too quickly for me to get my camera out and grab a shot of it :-(  It was a string quilt much like the ones that Bonnie Hunter loves and I was thrilled to see it!  I tried to grab a picture honest!

 

It's behind the palm trees on the right - sigh.  Oh well!

All in all it was a great trip and I would go back to Cuba again.  The people are so wonderful and it is so safe and relaxing.  Next time I think I might try Holguin instead of Varadero.