quiltedsunshine

I design a lot of quilts using Microsoft Publisher. It has a lot of basic shapes that you can use. It also has drawing tools so you can draw free-hand. And you can put text anywhere on the page. Then when you're ready to publish your pattern, you can easily turn it into a pdf.

quiltingshorttimer

I rarely stick to the actual pattern, changing up borders, size, etc. I will also design quilts in EQ8 which makes it easy for me to play with color and size or if I can't quite get it figured out there I pull out the graph paper. I've recently started doing more modern Quilts and most of those are either major modifications of a pattern (in which case i sketch it out) or completely mine usually with the help of EQ8. I'm working on a modern medallion quilt now that I'm loving--all solids, asymmetrical, some very precise piecing, some improv blocks. I'm loving it (but realize modern is not everyone's cup of tea). I have found helpful quilt books that are not just patterns, but teach design--color (Jinny Beyer and Joen Wolfram are my favs); actual design layout (several do a great job of this); ways to change things in any quilt (Border Bling is great for this). I will add that I wrote a very simple baby quilt pattern for a friend's shop and will never write a pattern again! That took longer than making and quilting the sample!

oksewglad

When I first started quilting there weren't many books out there and most quilts were made with simple horizontal or on point settings with a pieced block alternating with a plain block or pieced blocks with sashing. Graph paper was the go to method and block sizes could be varied although many were 12" blocks. As time passed with more time to quilt, I looked at lots of photos of quilts and started to experiment with different designs. The library had Mary Hopkins It's Okay If You Sit On My Quilt book. A real game changer. I still hadn't made many quilts other than simple denim ones, but it was good background study.

Like LAF2019 says deconstructing an existing design helps understand the process.Ten years ago I bought EQ7 and have put together more quilts in there than I will ever make. EQ does not write the pattern but gives dimensions for the block pieces. I enjoy the speed in which I can make color or size options. And if I don't like it I can delete it. I do very little applique nor feel comfortable drawing it.

As quiltingshorttimer mentions studying design and color is useful and writing patterns is time consuming! I often copy a quilt I have made in EQ and paste into a Word doc; write information pertinent to the quilt ie overall size, border widths, block size, and piece sizes needed for each block. Sometimes I save the doc as a PDF.

Onebyone

I convert a lot of quilt block patterns to paper piece patterns using EQ.

Iceblossom

Because of when I started, I pretty much always draft out my own quilt patterns or at least double check all the directions.

I don't do garment or costume construction any more but I did draft a few patterns, "just right" skirts were easy. To me, getting a shoulder right is sooo much harder than just about any quilt pattern!

tropit

Wow! It looks like this topic drew a lot of the Super and Power Posters. Lots of great information. Thanks! I'm interested in EQ8. Of those of you that have a version of the EQ program, do any of you have the add on programs to go along with it? Are they worth buying?

~ C

Iceblossom

I haven't upgraded yet, it's past time for me to do so, I need a new license to load on my current computer so I'm still on EQ6 but I've had it since 2 or 4?? I love it and have spent a lot of time designing and changing basic stuff even though I haven't needed it for the more complex.

If you haven't already you should browse through the thread stickied on top
EQ7/EQ8 Tips, Q&A here!

Electric Quilt (and similar programs) allows you to do quick and easy "let's see what happens" when you switch out colors or values. The yardage estimates have gotten better -- originally they were way off in the too-much direction, if you had a square set on point, it would calculate it as a diamond with the extra triangles still on, instead of as a square.

One of the best things it does is it allows you to size a block in any size you want. That can be hard to cut, so you can print it as a paper pieced pattern if you wish.

My friend in Arizona does a lot of photo quilt processes, she loves the latest release for that.

Typically I print out my quilt layout and either stick it on the bulletin board in my sewing room or these last couple of years I put everything in a 1" 3 ring binder that already contains graph paper, depending on how much I'm doing a notebook might be 1-3 years. I write what notes I need to for myself (sometimes it is quite a bit, as much as for a magazine pattern!) to do what I'm doing. Keeping it in the notebook gives me sort of a time line when I do it. You can buy pouches or just punch holes in baggies to keep templates or fabric scraps or whatever as well. Those make the notebook difficult to work with, so that's sort of my close-out step before starting a new one. It's about time for me to take two smaller notebooks and combine them into a larger one along with their fabric samples.

Rhonda K

I watched a demo on the program at one of the local quilt shows. It was quite impressive. I haven't purchased it yet... but you have re-sparked my interest. I think any helpers, that make quilting easier for us, are quite "worth it".

oksewglad

tropit...no I have no extra add ons. I know there is much in my program that I don't use; the E7 program is enough for me at this point. I have learned how to import images and that is helpful if you want to import fabrics not in the EQ library.

WMUTeach

I am not a pattern designer. But I will take a pattern and adjust it for size or replace a square with HST or QST or what ever. My number one tip is be free to make adjustments but don't forget to add the 1/4" seam allowance when cutting. Then write down your adjustments so you can remember them tomorrow when you return to the block. Have fun!