Hi, Lisanne!
I'm QC from Florida. I have tons of books and patterns, but seem to draw my own out a lot! goofy, I know. I get so inspired, but then, start changing until next thing you know, it's pretty much all mine.
I use graph ppr and colored pencils, like LisaT. She makes great colorful quilts, as many here do.
In fact, never ever seen an ugly anything on this quiltboard at all!
It's a wonderful group, and sure to inspire you.
I don't know where to get 12" x 12" graph paper. Sometimes, I use
paper tape that I buy from the Clotilde catalog (clotilde.com, i think), and I tape pages together, if I want a larger graph area.
I use the paper tape, bc I can write or color on it.
I am with Lisa, in that, if you use solid sashing around your blocks, or a tonal, or something that reads as solid, it will keep your blocks just far enough apart, that your blocks will look great being different and on same quilt. Try it, you'll like it! :D