She asked for an Electric Quilt project file because she liked my quilt example with Yin Yang and Winding Ways combined. They are both 6 inch blocks and they look good together, don’t you think?

We listened. You can download the new file here.

The file also includes this design with Winding Ways blocks in two Inklingo sizes, 6 inch and 9 inch (without Yin Yang). This is one of the designs in the Inklingo Winding Ways Design Book (fabulous download, $10 or free, 75 pages).

CLUB EQ MAY CHALLENGE – EQ6 or EQ7 - MAY 31

I decided my EQ examples should be Red and White to remind you about Barb Vlack’s irresistible Club EQ Challenge for May. When we first mentioned it, it seemed like a long time away, but it is already May 26! Your EQ6 or EQ7 files must be submitted by May 31. It’s time to get busy! It’s a long weekend in the USA, so there’s no excuse.

TILDE’S 15 MINUTE CHALLENGE

The Club EQ Challenge is fantastic because everyone who enters wins but don’t forget to do Tilde’s 15 Minute Challenge too! If you complete the challenge and leave a comment here or on the Inklingo Sampler blog by Monday 30 May, you will be in the draw for one of two $25 Gift Certificates.

Of course, we think that everyone who completes Tilde’s 15 Minute Challenge wins because you get great tips for printing on fabric. Experienced Inklingoists and newbies are all welcome. The challenge takes you from opening Inklingo to printing shapes on fabric in just a few minutes—maybe only 15!

MONKEY’S ASSIGNMENT FOR YOU

1. Take 15 minutes to do Tilde’s Challenge by 30 May.
   (Right now is a good time.)
2. Download the free Yin Yang Winding Ways EQ7 file.
3. Submit a Red & White quilt in EQ6 or EQ7 format to Club EQ by 31 May (Tuesday).

You can use any shapes for your Red and White Club EQ quilt, but we hope you will use Inklingoable shapes, so we have given you a head start.

• Yin Yang with Winding Ways
• Dresden Plate
• School House
• Sunflower

There is even more inspiration on Anneke’s Stof Genoeg blog. She is a genius at designing Inklingoable quilts in Electric Quilt. Tilde has put a red and white Inklingo hexagon alphabet on the Inklingo Sampler blog too.

EQ NOTECARD

If you use Inklingo Shapes, it is very helpful to other Inklingoists if you include the name of the shape collection(s) you used on the the notecard (above).

Erin’s comment prompted all this. Thank you, Erin!

In Canada, we had our May long weekend last weekend. It marks the unofficial beginning of summer, but it was originally a holiday to celebrate the birthday of Queen Victoria in 1837 (and mine, more than 100 years later). Now it is America’s turn to have a Memorial Day holiday. Wherever you are, I hope you spend some time with fabric and EQ this weekend.

Will you leave a comment or suggestion for me? You never know what will happen if you do!

Linda & Monkey

New to Inklingo? Order and download free shapes and start sewing in the next few minutes. Quick Start (Always FREE.) There are triangles, diamonds, and squares  in the free collection—great for dozens of different blocks.

Need any HST?

Almost all of the Inklingo # 1 and # 2 CDs are gone now—just a handful left.

To replace the CDs, all of the shapes will be available in smaller downloadable collections. Monkey and I have several of the new collections in a half-finished state, or close-to-finished, but yesterday we were finally able to get one all-the-way-finished. Whew! The rest will come soon.

Quilters who already have the Shape Collection # 2 CD (2006) have all of the sizes of HST in this download (and more), but may still prefer to buy this collection, for several reasons:
•  faster operation because the PDF is saved on the hard drive, not working from the CD drive
•  easier sewing, because all of the HST have been re-drawn with even more precise corners (no dog ears)
•  easier pinning with more matching marks on larger triangles
•  easier to use fabric efficiently with handy suggested custom page sizes and yardage calculations for each HST
•  and more
There is a  file “Shapes in Tri HST OOB” at the bottom of the new page on the web site  with all the details.

The main reasons that quilters prefer the downloads are immediate delivery (no postage!), no need to use Windows on Mac, and each triangle is provided in two layouts for more flexibility.

Two HST in a square OR in a rectangle

Monkey says, while you are on the web site, don’t miss the special on Inklingo Lite # 6 and # 7, which ends on October 20th.

According to Wikipedia, a cheat sheet is a concise set of notes used for quick reference.  It is especially easy to use Inklingo with a pre-Inklingo pattern if all of the information is collected in one place for easy reference. Aha! We could use a cheat sheet, starting with the Inklingo Sampler blog.  Smart Monkey.

Tilde Binger has been posting a new block every Friday on the Inklingo Sampler blog, which shows how easy it is to use Inklingo for a wide variety of pre-Inklingo designs.

Monkey's Inklingo Cheat Sheet

We used two of Tilde’s sampler blocks in the example.  The Cheat Sheet works as a handy reference beside your cutting mat.  When you have made the blocks, you can save it in your Inklingo binder, or share it with Inklingo friends.

You can download the example (PDF) and blank Cheat Sheets from inklingo.com  Monkey’s recommends it, and has some tips for filling it out on the web site.

We hope you like it, but the Inklingo Cheat Sheet can be revised, so let us know if you have suggestions for us, okay?

Linda & Monkey

The cool thing is that with Inklingo there is no measuring to cut the triangles (just cut on the printed line), no weird tools, and no paper to pick off after stitching.  I think you will love machine piecing the Inklingo way!

Tilde tells me that this little Inklingo tip will be useful for the next few Inklingo Sampler blocks with triangles too.  This method is illustrated in the free PDF of  Triangle Tips on inklingo.com (16 pages) and in The Inklingo Handbook. 

We are having beautiful, sunny, crisp October weather in Burlington.  I can see a cascade of bright blue morning glories and pots of deep red mums  from where I sit at the computer.  The leaves are just beginning to change color.  I am looking forward to our first wood fire of the season and some time to stitch a few triangles this weekend.

Thank you for visiting the blog. Stay tuned this weekend for at least one new Inklingo collection too.  (Wish me luck!)

Linda & Monkey

Tilde in Copenhagen has created the Inklingo Sampler blog with instructions for making a sampler with various Inklingo shape collections. It is a brilliant idea, and Monkey and I are following along. The sampler blocks are a great way to get started with Inklingo, and fun for experienced Inklingoists too. Tilde is going to introduce us to many different blocks and we might even end up with a quilt! The blocks will be discussed in the Inklingo Yahoo group (very friendly), if you have questions. Everyone is welcome.

Tilde’s instructions are for a single block with scraps of two contrasting fabrics, but Monkey got carried away.  Once he had chosen four fabrics, it seemed necessary to make four blocks. Apparently this is logical if you are a monkey.  Don’t ask. 

  
Combo Layout (pages 32-33 of the free collection)

Combo layouts in Inklingo make the printing especially fast and easy, so maybe that influenced Monkey. There are other layouts in each collection to give you a choice if you need all diamonds, or all squares, etc. from each fabric, and  Tilde includes details on the Inklingo Sampler blog.

We printed four pages 6.75 x 9.75 inches from the free Inklingo Shape Collection, one from each fabric, but we could have printed 8 x 11.75 for larger blocks, using the 6 inch LeMoyne Star Shape Collection instead of the free shape collection.  Suggested custom page sizes are included in each Inklingo, and there is a PDF lesson to help you print your first Custom Size with any ordinary Inkjet printer. It’s easy after you’ve done it once. (Check out Support on inklingo.com)

Inklingo is a very fast way to prepare shapes for machine or hand piecing, and the layouts ensure that there is correct straight grain on every piece. Children and beginners can use scissors if they are not comfortable with a rotary cutter (yet). 

Monkey thinks his fabrics look great in the finished blocks, and you can judge the results on the Inklingo Sampler Blog—one by machine, the others by hand. Some of the small images on Tilde’s blog can be clicked for a detailed view, so have a good look.

Three entries in my first three days! I need a rest. We won’t be blogging every day, but when there is something new and fun like this, we’ll be here.

Linda & Monkey