EQ the Mouse says
"Be mine, Valentine"

Interview

INTERVIEW WITH GAIL KESSLER OF ANDOVER FABRICS
Penny talks to Gail Kessler, Marketing Director of Andover Fabrics, who seems to do it all: owning a store, designing quilts and fabric, teaching. And she even boxes! Read the interview.

PENNY'S 16-YEAR OLD PREDICTION ON QUILTING'S FUTURE - HOW DID SHE DO FOR 2010?
Penny wrote a 3-part series for Quilters Newsletter Magazine in 1994 on quilting's past, present and future. In her "future article" she starts 'Imagine the future. Pretend it is the year 2010.' Well, it's 2010 now. Let's see how she did. Read the article.

Lessons & Classes

#2 BENNI HARPER MYSTERY LESSON: IRISH CHAIN
In this second lesson you draw an Irish Chain block from scratch and use it to design a quilt. These short & easy lessons are perfect for EQ6 beginners who want to learn more.

SECOND EQ6 ONLINE FRAN GONZALEZ CLASS STARTS FEBRUARY 19
Quilt University has sign-ups now for the February - March online EQ class taught by Fran Gonzalez. Fran's classes must be taken in sequence. This "EQ6 Building Blocks" class is the second in Fran's 4-part class series. These classes fill fast, so sign up now.

FEBRUARY & MARCH HANDS-ON EQ CLASSES
There MAY be a class near you. Check out these newly-listed EQ classes.

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

NEW VIDEO ON YouTube
In this video Andrea Bishop gives some quick, simple ideas for Journal Quilting using EQ's Printable Inkjet Fabric. Thanks to host Patricia Bolton and Quilting Arts for making these shows possible. Watch the video.

EQ6 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

MORE NEW QUILTS IN THE EQ QUILT GALLERY
Check out the beautiful new quilts just added to the "EQ Quilt Gallery."

If YOU would like to exhibit, send us a photo of your quilt, plus 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.

Display this blog badge to send others to see your quilt in our gallery.

Inspiration

MODERN QUILT GUILD ANYONE?
We remember quilting in the early 1970s before there were any quilt guilds. Well in 2010 there's a NEW Modern Quilt Guild movement started. Might be right for you.

MORE NEW TUTORIALS ON CREATING WEB IMAGES
Anita Sechelt, of Three Ducks on a Roof, now has four tutorials on creating web images just for you. Thanks for all the hard work putting this together, Anita!

FILE IN STYLE WITH TERRIE SANDELIN
Organize yourself: make yourself a cute patchwork file folder cover designed by EQer Terrie Sandelin.

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

NEW CONTEST: "FOR EQ1 OWNERS"
We adore our original EQ1 users. Here's a contest JUST FOR YOU. What is the first word of step #3 on page 126 of the EQ1 User Manual. Note: This user manual was the "grey binder" book for the first version of EQ, titled: "The Electric Quilt User's Manual."

To enter, please send an email:
To: penny@electricquilt.com
Subject line: EQ1 Owners contest
Body:
Your Full Name
Your Email
Your answer

Please enter only once.
Deadline: February 12, 2010

One winner, chosen from all correct answers, will win an EQ Companion Book of their choice.

WINNER OF "FIND THE BLOCK CONTEST
We thought this would be hard! But we had 144 CORRECT ANSWERS! Many of you noted it was fun to look through BlockBase again, and MANY found the block:

Shooting Star #3290

The winner, chosen at random from all correct entries by EQ the Mouse: Jean A. Weddle

Congratulations, Jean. You win a Quilting Designs CD of your choice.

"EQ6 ROSE OF SHARON BLOCK CHALLENGE CONTEST" UPDATE
Alex Anderson and Ricky Tims have selected 12 winners. The names of these winners will be announced during a ceremony in May at International Quilt Market in Minneapolis. Karey Bresenhan will draw the name of the winner of the grand prize during that ceremony. We will announce all the winners and results then. We are SO PROUD of ALL of you who submitted designs! 

Fabric

DOWNLOAD MORE FREE FABRIC
This month's download is "Sheer Illusion". 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 PROJECT AND QUILT LABEL

Download the EQ6 quilt project “Happy Valentine’s Day” and you’ll be ready to sew for someone special! The EQ6 project includes fabrics from various fabric manufacturers and a Valentine quilt label in the Photos section of your sketchbook. Apply your own personal text to the image and then print on to EQ Printables Fabric Sheets for an instant quilt label!

NEW CROP CIRCLE BOM FROM DENISE RUSSART

Love this quilt! If you do too, get the free January pattern NOW because come Feb 2 you'll be too late. New block the first Saturday of each month following.

NEW ROW BY ROW QUILT FROM SINDY RODENMAYER

Sindy has started a free Christmas Row by Row quilt with new free patterns available each month until August. Check it out NOW because come Feb. 1 the January row designs will no longer be available.

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

FREE CIVIL WAR BOM FROM GUDRUN
Gudrun, from Belgium, has an easy-to-sew 2010 BOM Civil War BOM. See the design here. And get started here.

FREE QUILTED DESKTOPS & CALENDARS
Diane Anderson starts a whole year of beautiful desktop calendars 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.

MORE NEW BLOG BADGES & CHANCES FOR BLOG GIVE-AWAY PRIZE

We've made several NEW blog badges for you. (We also take suggestions for new ones.) Display one on your blog, let us know (write Sarah Shriver at EQ) and we may choose your blog to receive a free prize to give away to a lucky reader of your blog.

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 Joanna Figueroa, fabric designer & owner of Fig Tree & Co.

* Benni Harper Mystery Lesson 3: Kansas Troubles

* New Contest