I am a graph paper, coloured pencil and calculator (very mature) girl. I just cannot get my head around the computer programs. But there have been times that the graphed out pattern has taken a left turn between paper and sewing machine and the result bears very little resemblance to the original idea--which is okay too.

My current quilt wasn't really designed. It evolved. I am making my granddaughter who is 4, a quilt. I saw a pattern that I loved in a quilt shop, it was a three-dimensional butterfly, quite darling, but not very practical for a 4 year old. Also, I wasn't so fond of the shapes of those butterflies. But the butterfly idea stuck because she does this thing with her fingers that she calls her 'butterfly fingers' I tried to make butterflies with foundation piecing. I tried several of those and wasn't satisfied. Again, I didn't like the shape of them. So I went online and found a butterfly which did have a nice shape. I decided to applique this on my blocks with Heat n Bond and used a blanket stitch around the edges. It was very nice but much too plain. After thinking it over for a few days, I settled on strip piecing this shape with jewel toned fabrics, then it was time to decide on size of blocks, sashing or no, borders and size. Right from the beginning it was going to be a quilt-as-you-go-type of quilt. Right now I'm working out the FMQ design. Like a said, "It's evolving."

Inside my head. Usually it turns out alright.

I'm currently working on something where I was going with pinwheels but those didn't feel right so I wanted to lay the squares with the design fabric down and the plain fabric up. Still not floating my boat but I think I found a solution. One day I'd like to go the graph paper route but right now I can't. I have a toddler who wouldn't hesitate to sniff colored pencils out and redecorate. She gets stealthy so it's easier to not have them then try to hide them. I swear one say she will be CIA lol.

Till then I just wing it and go from there.

I have the eq 6, and found a tut on the Internet how to load your fabric. I scanned them then uploaded them. I really liked see my finished project.

Graph paper and colored pencils, and EQ5 help some, but, most of the time in my head onto the design wall.

When I 'design' a block, it usually turns out to be just a variation of something already out there. :p

The only soft ware program I like that is designed for quilts is EQ. I find thumbnails of the fabric online, save and import to EQ7. No scanning or picture taking needed. Connecting Threads have all their fabric lines ready to import to EQ6 or 7. On the EQ website there are fabric lines from all manufacturers to add to the EQ fabric library. The EQ website had many features many aren't using or don't know about.

Wow. What wonderful suggestions! Thank you for responding, everyone. I can't wait to start designing.

I have used a free site called quiltingstudio.com to help visualize my ideas, I have never followed a pattern completely, I mix and match what I want to use, but I have only made 3 quilts now. This site is pretty user friendly, it has a limited amount of basic block designs, but you can put sashing between the blocks, 2 borders, and keep changing the colors as much as you want, and also save your designs. You can make use two difference block and have them alternate which changes everything about the way it looks. It's great for me as a newbie quilter to get ideas for free. Let me know how you like it?


http://www.quiltingstudio.com/Quilti...ngStudio3.html

Here's a pic of one of the designs I did on quiltingstudio.com
 

I was trying to get an idea of which teal and brown colors to use and which block I like the best in those colors. There's lots of basic block designs to choose from.