Another approach you might try is to put together your fabrics in the order you want. Then cut the strips the size you think you want. Start sticking them to your design wall---------or floor if you don't have a design wall. You may find your head pattern translates perfectly

GrannieAnnie, above, kinda has my brain's capabilities figured out. I have seen numerous quilts posted here on this board, went to the sites indicated, studied the tutes, printed off what I could get to print, then went to my sewing room (30 feet behind my house in a separate building); hunted out fabrics and set to and made a square and put it on my design board. Right now I am all excited about one that I saw on the board right after the first of this year; and am all ready to go out and cut it out and make it; but it is about 10 degrees here in TN and that is too cold for any human to be outside.....

I updated to EQ 7 and hope to learn the program to make it worth the cost. If you plan to make lot's of quilts of your own design I think this would be well worth it! you can take pictures of your fabric and insert it into the quilt with EQ7. I have yet to do it but will give it try.

You're about 10 degrees warmer than we are. But the wind is the real problem. Dropping wind chills into the -20s and -30. still no reason to go out

Right now I'm doing good just to follow the instructions on a crib quilt, let alone try to design one. :D

Grannieannie, thank you soo muchfor all the help. Will start at week end.

I usually start with just paper and pencil. Then once I get the idea solid, then I transfer it to the graph paper to get the measurements down pat. Just remember on the graph paper you are dealing with finished sizes and you have to add in your seam allowances when writing up or doing the cutting.

I started out using simple patterns for quilts, and now I either play with graph paper until I doodle something I like, or I will start with a fabric and idea I like, and let the quilt build itself in my head as I come up with new ideas. My current project is a free pattern from Robin Pandolph for the center, and as I come up with ideas I will create it sort of like my own 'round robin'. I want to join a round robin, but I want to see what I come up with first.