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kay6271

EQ Product Question.... NOT an ad

kay6271
12 years ago

Does anyone on here use EQ (Electric Quilt)?

I so much enjoy the design phase of quilting that it seems I don't get much sewing done. I've actually started playing with my Farmville trees trying to make quilt patterns, I'm so addicted to the color & shape rearranging.

So I'm hinting to hubby that I might like some quilt software for my birthday this fall. But I don't know if EQ is all it's advertised to be and whether or not there are other, maybe better, alternatives. How workable is the basic program? Am I looking at lots of expensive add-on modules to be able to actually use it well?

Advice, everyone?

Kay

Comments (6)

  • toolgranny
    12 years ago

    I have EQ6 & now EQ7. I don't use it often enough to get really good at it but was a CAD designer for years so it should be easy for me if I just devote some time to it. It's very complex and takes awhile to get up to speed.

    You might also consider a simpler type of software that gives you layout and color options for blocks to play with designs. It's called Quilt Design Wizard and costs about $25 at JoAnn's, less with coupon. It does the basics of layout but doesn't let you draw applique patterns and complex things that EQ does. I used it first before EQ6.

    EQ used to only let you have only 5 uses of the license for if you changed computers and you had to register online to verify ownership to load it. The new EQ7 doesn't seem to have that restriction. I haven't used my 5 of either version so I don't care but neither work with my Linux operating system so I can't use it on my laptop which restricts me a bit. I go to the PC to play with color layout options mostly now. But I took a class online on designing applique on EQ and it seems to be quite powerful if you know what you are doing. The buttons aren't intuitive and you have to study a bit and use the help videos to get the hang of it.

  • geezerfolks_SharonG_FL
    12 years ago

    I had EQ5 and didn't really use it. I gave it to SaliJo as her expertise is designing, but I don't think she has used it much either. Too much technology (that isn't useful to me) takes away the fun of quilting for me.

    SharonG/FL-IN

  • ritaweeda
    12 years ago

    I have EQ6, and I find it extremely useful to lay out all aspects of the quilt designs and to choose fabric colors initially. You can edit out what doesn't work or abandon the whole thing if it doesn't appeal to you. It can get pretty technical but if you watch the tutorials and use the help buttons it starts to make sense. I still have a way to go before mastering it but it's been worth the money for me. It has a vast library to choose blocks, colors and types of fabrics, applique and quilt stencils, even thread colors. It offers different layouts and border styles. It also has a block drawing feature which I haven't used yet. I wouldn't advise it for someone who just doesn't adapt well to new software of any kind or are complete newbies to computers, but if there is the desire to learn it they could overcome it. I'm glad I got it.

  • nanajayne
    12 years ago

    I have an older version,EQ4, which I don't used very much. Probably the later ones are more useful. I am like Sharon, I enjoy the process more then playing with design.

    Hay! How about becoming my friend in Farmville?lol
    Jayne

  • mary_c_gw
    12 years ago

    LOL, I had the very first iteration of Electric Quilt - what a nightmare! The designer (software engineer) and wife (quilter) designed it. Oh, I was so very excited! I knew computers, and was just one quilt into my quilting life! I was so disappointed, LOL.

    They deliberately disabled all mouse functions in that iteration - because, of course, quilters wouldn't know how to use a mouse. SNORT! I was doing materials analysis on computer chips when I first started quilting in the early 80's, so I was considerably insulted by that particular attitude. And I told them so when I returned the program.

    It has vastly improved over the years, of course, but I find it overloaded with features I would never use. I later had EQ 4 or 5, I forget which. And when that computer died, I just didn't miss it enough to reload or upgrade.

    Things I liked - the massive block library, the ability (once they enabled mouse function) to color in blocks and set them into a quilt, and the ability to draw my own blocks. Template printing was marginally useful. Yardage charts were occasionally helpful.

    Things I never used - the fabric library! I used just the colors to color my blocks and quilts. Sure, there are lots of fabrics in the library, but so what? Can I find them in the stores? Maybe, maybe not. Either way, I just use color values to design, not images of the actual fabric. I never used the drawing tools for applique either - because I don't applique unless forced at gun-point.

    So, is it a valuable program? Maybe. But when I lost the last computer I had with it, I never tried to upgrade or reload it.

  • msmeow
    12 years ago

    I had EQ5 and upgraded to 6, but I don't use it often enough to justify (in my mind) upgrading to 7. I don't design quilts as in drawing something from start to finish, but I do use the block library and LOVE the fabric library (sorry Mary!).

    For me it's extremely useful for recoloring and for resizing blocks. It has very good applique drawing tools and quite a few tutorial videos built in.

    There are add-ons you can get (like Stash and Block Base) but the basic EQ program has everything you need to design quilts. They also have forums on their website and you can get technical program help or design help pretty quickly.

    There is another program called Quilt Pro which a lot of teachers use. I have heard it's easier to create lessons with text, drawings and pictures. I don't have any experience using Quilt Pro; my recollection is that it costs about the same as EQ.

    Donna

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