My most impressive quilts were done with a pattern--i.e. my avitar for example. I do use EQ6 to map out how to put together blocks I have made and just yesterday, worked out the "Exploding Star" pattern on EQ6 so I will be sure to get the blocks assembled correctly (when I have made the almost 800 HST blocks that the pattern requires for the size I want.)I have a lot of patterns I have not used as they were intended--like someone else said, when I get started I often go off on my own. The patterns I DO use are the ones for applique blocks.