Insights on EQ6/EQ7 Clubs and new EQ users

EQ Clubs are great fun and an excellent way to learn more about EQ6/EQ7. They also present a great opportunity for quilt stores to get more customers to come to their store, and grow customer loyalty.

The Electric Quilt Company also has a great free document to help plan an EQ Club.  And they provide a free list of classes and clubs on their website, where any quilt shop can submit updates, making this a great source for EQ users  to find out about EQ classes, workshops and clubs.  You just simply need to email EQ with info on any class, workshop, club, seminar or EQ demo to have it listed on their site.

I feel very fortunate living in Southern California, where EQ is a popular quilting tool {but then I know EQ is popular world-wide}.  I get more excited to see visit quilt shops that offer EQ classes and/or clubs.  And, it even gets better with Quilter's Paradise, in Escondido, CA, providing a  free EQ Club that meets monthly.  Catherine Wilson  is the teacher at this club and she is a fantastic EQ6/EQ7 teacher!

This club meets the 4th Sunday of every month (October 24th is the next club meeting), from 10am-11:30am.  Catherine provides great handouts and walks the club members thru an exercise each month, as well as opens up discussion for sharing, and Q&A.  The club offers something for EQ users of all levels! 

Everyone brings their laptop, with EQ6 or EQ7 already installed.  And I want to heighten awareness that  is important to launch EQ7 at home, before any class or club meeting, as you may not have a WIFI access in a class or club meeting. To clarify, EQ7 needs to periodically validate your license thru an internet access.  You don't want to get to an EQ class and find out that you haven't recently validated your EQ7 license and are unable to run EQ7 in the class (or club). 

While attending an EQ Club meeting at Quilter's Paradise, I had the pleasure of meeting Kathy Marker.  I was very impressed as Kathy is a new EQ7 user, who previously designed quilts using coloring pens and paper.  When she shared her "first" EQ7 design and project, at an EQ club meeting, I new this was an inspirational  story that needed to be shared with others. 

Kathy shared with me that she decided to learn EQ7 as she found it was difficult to draw on paper and color her various design ideas.  She decided to tackle her first EQ7 project to help create something for a "half yard challenge".  She scanned in her fabrics and while she played with existing blocks, she decided she'd create her own block designs. 

After playing with a few block designs, she created design layouts for a table runner. 

And Kathy also created a design for a small quilt.

And she shared insights how she liked the print outs that she was able to easily create with EQ7.

And, to my delight, Kathy shared a project she is working on based on her first EQ7 design. 

I love Kathy's design and the fabrics she selected.  I know my little digital camera doesn't do justice to Kathy's project, but it really is spectacular.  And I'm so impressed that Kathy created this beautiful design as a very new EQ7 user (new EQ user).  This is inspirational and I'm very appreciative that Kathy allowed me to share insights on her first design, as well as Quilter's Paradise hosts free EQ Club meetings. 

I do so hope this inspires others to create using EQ, as well as for more quilt stores to offer EQ classes and/or EQ club meetings.  If you are in the area and can make it to Catherine's classes at Quilter's Paradise, I hope you'll come.  If you do not live nearby and your quilt shop doesn't offer EQ classes or clubs, you may want to share this with them to encourage them to consider starting an EQ club.

EQ also has a virtual club hosted by the talented Barb Vlack that provides another great way to learn and have fun.  And it is free too!

Lastly, I hope all EQ7 users will consider entering a quilt and/or EQ7  design in the upcoming Christmas quilt show.  To clarify, EQ7 designs that meet the theme of this show are acceptable.  For more info on this show check out:  http://sewcalgal.blogspot.com/p/christmas-quilt-show.html

http://www.quiltersparadiseesc.com/

http://www.electricquilt.com/