Happy New Year!

Interview

NEWSLETTER EDITOR EQ the MOUSE CONFUSES MONTHS
Editor's note: My apologies to all newsletter readers. There is no interview this month, due to my confusing December and January. Our announced interview with Gail Kessler, Marketing Director of Andover Fabrics, will run in the February issue which comes out at the end of January. Perhaps too much celebratory holiday champagne? Is this 2008?

Lessons & Classes

#1 BENNI HARPER MYSTERY LESSON: FOOL'S PUZZLE
We're re-running 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. Fool's Puzzle gives you practice setting quilting stitches on your quilt.

SIGN UP NOW FOR ONLINE QUILT UNIVERSITY CLASSES
Quilt University has sign-ups now 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.

News

USA BOOK NEWS SELECTS DIGITAL ESSENTIALS AS "BEST BOOKS 2009" FINALIST
Judges for the USA Book News Best Books 2009 competition selected Gloria Hansen's book Digital Essentials as a finalist in the Technology and Computers category. Jeff Keen, President and CEO of USABookNews.com, said "this year’s contest yielded an unprecedented number of entries, which were then narrowed down to over 500 winners and finalists by their expert panel of industry judges." The Electric Quilt Company was one of the independent publishers honored with the award which also went to larger publishing houses including Simon & Schuster, Penguin, W.W. Norton, Revell, McGraw-Hill, John Wiley & Sons, Thomas Nelson and the American Cancer Society.

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.

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.

ELECTRIC QUILT IS ON FACEBOOK
Electric Quilt has its own Facebook page now, as does EQ the Mouse. Become a Fan of both, 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.

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.

Inspiration

TUTORIAL ON CREATING WEB IMAGES
Attention bloggers and websters: Anita Sechelt, of Three Ducks on a Roof, has created a tutorial on creating web images just for you. Thanks, Anita!

WINTER ROUND ROBINS ON YOUTUBE
Have a cuppa while enjoying this beautiful "Winter" theme Round Robin quilt slide show. The quilts were designed by the German Yahoo Group “EQ_Hilfe.” Participant Cheryl Petreman reports: This particular RR was a mammoth undertaking on the part of leader Christiane Wipplinger. She has infinite patience and managed to guide us through the following (new) activities:
- scanning in our own fabric
- creating a custom set layout
- placing motifs
- importing an image and tracing it
Well done Christiane and group!

EQer JUDY LAQUIDARA'S NEWEST BOOK PUBLISHED BY AQS
Judy's Weekend Quilts is hot-off-the-press with 16 quick & easy projects. We love the inclusion of recipes for quick meals, to make your family think you've slaved at the stove when you've actually sewn all day. Congrats on your newest AQS book, Judy!

PLAY WITH THIS SIMPLE DESIGN BY CHERRI HOUSE
This design from Cherri House would be fun to try in EQ6. Design the block in EasyDraw by drawing a variety of diagonals across the block. Recolor in your favorite shades. Then set them into a quilt and use EQ6's Symmetry tool to twist and turn blocks. If you missed our June 2009 interview with Cherri, read it here.

DIANE NAGEL CREATES AN EASY ARGLYE LOOK
If you missed this on our blog, take a minute to see how Diane Nagle created a great argyle look out of 3 easy ingredients: 1) an uneven 9-patch block; 2) a skinny sash; 3) EQ's Variable Point layout style.

Congratulations on this design feature in the Fall/Winter issue of Quilt Sampler magazine, Diane.

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

JO MOURY WINS QUILTMAKER/EQ DESIGN CONTEST

Congratulations to Jo Moury, of Haymarket, Virginia, for her selection by Quiltmaker magazine as the winning designer in the Quiltmaker/EQ design contest. The contest ran last month on Quiltmaker's website. Barb Vlack won the EQ Staff Choice during a blind judging. See the winning designs here. And a big thanks to ALL who entered!

NEW CONTEST: FIND THE BLOCK
Have you seen me? I'm a block hidden somewhere in BlockBase. Find me, find my name, and you may win a Quiltmaker Quilting Designs CD of your choice.

To enter, please send an email:
To: penny@electricquilt.com
Subject line: Find the Block
Body:
Your Full Name
Your Email
What is the BlockBase name (or ID number) for this block.

Please enter only once.
Deadline: January 19, 2010

WINNER OF "MATCH THE EQ BABIES" CONTEST
This contest was the hardest we've ever run. Only one winner matched the babies perfectly. Our winner was: Robin Barker. Congratulations, Robin. You win a copy of Amy Butler Softwares. Click here to see the EQ babies "then" pictures matched with their "now" images.

Fabric

DOWNLOAD MORE FREE FABRIC
This month's download is "Totally
Teal". 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

FREE EQ6 ICE CRYSTALS PROJECT FROM BARB VLACK
Ever wonder how to design an irregular quilt like Barb has done here? Here's your chance to see for yourself. Download this EQ6 project, get this quilt on your worktable, click Layer 2 and use the Adjust tool to start dragging blocks away from the center. You'll see how Barb built her beautiful design on top of a standard layout. Edit the quilt again from the Sketchbook and try out your own blocks to see what masterpiece you can create.

PATTERNS FROM SINDY RODENMAYER
Sindy's is a favorite pattern site for many of you. This page has some great patterns (clothes hanging on a line, teapots) to spotlight your favorite fabric prints.

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, finished her 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    Full Design

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.

NEW BLOG BADGES

Attention bloggers. We have blog badges for you to use on your blogs. We also take suggestions for new ones.

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, Andover Fabrics. Really.

* Benni Harper Mystery Lesson 2: Irish Chain

* New Contest