Project Quilting 5 Challenge Done! Seed Packet Quilt

For this last round of Project Quilting, the challenge was to use page 28 in any publication as our inspiration.  I choose a seed catalog that we have been eagerly browsing through, in anticipation of Spring planting season!  It turned out a little bit corny, but that's OK ;-).

As I mentioned in my last post, I used this challenge to try to learn how to make a paper pieced pattern on my EQ7 program!  I'm so happy about this!  I also thought it'd be fun to "personalize it some, putting our name at the bottom.  My husband is from Illinois originally, which is pretty much a king corn state.  We almost always have corn in our garden, and according to him, it should always be "knee high by the 4th of July", so I had to add that as well.

It's 18 by 12 inches, and has hand embroidered letters, paper and regular piecing, and finally some free motion quilting.  My husband remarked when it was almost done that the corn needed some tassels, so I added a few of those too for fun! I purposely did the embroidery and quilting over it to give me a mini trial on how quilting my "Organic Chemistry" quilt would work.  As you can see, sewing through the embroidery really doesn't distort it much at all.

I also tried out my idea for using a lamp and my glass table as a "light box", and it worked beautifully!! SWEET!  ... corn that is LOL

I DID it!! My first EQ Paper Pieced Pattern!!

I'm just too excited!!  I FINALLY figured out how to create a paper-pieced pattern in my EQ7 program!!  I've been struggling with this program for about a year, as I got it last Christmas, or birthday (which is in January).  I'm not too computer savvy, but have been making myself use it each time I try to design anything quilt-related.  Slowly but surely, I'm learning this program.  I've been wanting to figure out how to make a paper-pieced pattern for several months, and have even used quite a few of the foundation block patterns in the EQ library.  It finally all clicked (sort of) and while my pattern is a bit clumsy, I did it!

It's part of this week's round of Project Quilting.  With my current round of quilt alongs, swaps, and finish alongs, I almost decided NOT to participate in this round.  I generally don't do these unless it truly inspires me, or I want to try or learn a new technique.  It's a perfect way to do this.  So, I decided to try to make a paper pieced ear of corn block.  And it worked!!!  I used this tutorial on Joanna of Shape Moth's site to step me through it.  THANK YOU Joanna!!

I plan to create a "seed packet" mini quilt with it, based on my "page 28" inspiration in my seed catalog :-).  Our printer is out of service, but luckily I got this printed in the nick of time.