Friday 8 February 2013

Getting to Grips with Nearly Insane Using Electric Quilt 5

Using Electric Quilt 5 for my Nearly Insane Quilt
Using Electric Quilt 5 for my Nearly Insane Quilt
In the dark evenings this week I have been quietly creating the blocks for the Nearly Insane quilt on the Electric Quilt 5 software.  In Liz Lois 'Nearly Insane' pattern book of the Salinda Rupp quilt they are drawn out to size for tracing, and I am hoping that all this effort on the Electric Quilt software up front will make it easier for me to keep track of what I am doing in the long run. It has been a good exercise in becoming familiar with different patterns on the 6" blocks, as well as my Electric Quilt software.  It has also helped for generally just getting my head around how I am going to approach the project. 
Some were a doddle to work out on the software, but others (Blocks 49, 75), were a test of my maths skills - and I haven't even sewn them yet!  I also think I have been lulled into a false sense of security by the fact that I have been working on them on the computer screen where they are twice the size of the actual block.  There are going to be some very tiny pieces in this quilt.
I will admit at this stage that I have adapted some of the blocks to fit in with my personal preference for order and symmetry.  There are plenty of pretty blocks, but the centre of Block 58 looked a bit of a dogs dinner, so I have re-orientated the little half square triangles.  You get the impression that the original quilt was a REAL scrap quilt, and some of the block patterns have been necessarily adapted by Salinda Rupp to accommodate her scrap stash.
I am now getting the strength up to scan my own red and white / cream fabrics I will be using.  I have never got as far as this with a quilt design on the Electric Quilt software, so wish me luck.

5 comments:

  1. Sometimes when I need to draft a small block with difficult dimensions, I'll draft it larger so the dimensions aren't so weird but then save it as the size I really intended. I hope that makes sense...

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  2. dear frances, I am also starting with the nearly insane quilt. I don't want to make it with scraps but I have no idea how much fabric you need for the blocks (without the sashings and borders). Does your EQ gives an estimation? Wish you luck with designing.

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  3. In answer to Yara's query. My version of Nearly Insane on EQ5 has the following estimations for fabric
    Blocks = 24 5/8 yards
    Cornerstones = 7/8 yard
    Sashing = 5.5 yards
    I have no idea how accurate these are, but I do know that a lot of the pieces are so small that the seam allowance is larger than the piece itself!

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    Replies
    1. Thanks, I thought so it was much more fabric than you would expect. Hopefully I can buy nice fabric on the 'craft fair' next weekend. I wish it was already next week, can't wait. Of course I will be following your progress. Let's go quilt!

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    2. EQ5 was not good for fabric estimates. While I have not yet made NI, I have made a dear Jane quilt. 15 yards of background was more than enough for DJ and would think that 15 yards is also enough for NI. How about some of you who have made this quilt?

      I am in the process of drafting these blocks in EQ also. Can hardly wait to start making this intreguing quilt!

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