Whenever JoAnn's has their quilting supplies half price I buy 2 or 3 of the large graph paper pads. They are about 15" square, so I like the bigger pages. If I see something I like, I will start to draw out a block or two. I also have a package of twist up colored pencils so that I can also get a feel for what the finished block should look like. There's nothing worse than sketching out a nice block and not knowing how it should be finished. Two fabrics, three fabrics? I leave all of the pages in the pad and refer to them when I need inspiration for a new project.

I can buy a lot of graph paper for the price of EQ. I know a lot of people have EQ and love it but for me I'd rather spend that money of fabric. I also am a slower quilter so would have to make a lot more quilts than I do to justify (to me) the expense of the software. Isolating the repeating pattern and dissecting it is mostly what it takes and that does get easier with practice. The challenge for me is in which way to press the seams and constructing the quilt that a pattern will give you.

Jennifer! Forgive my stupidity but how do you design on Excel? I would love to be able to do this. Thank you. Yolanda

I am digitally challenged so I do the old way. I look at a picture and try to find "the block" or blocks that make up the quilt. Then I take a piece of 1/2 inch graph paper and sketch out the block piece by piece. I like to use the strip piecing method (don't know if that's the name, but...) and so I figure out how I can cut my strips to make pieces for the blocks.

I can send you more information (and happily) if you please send me a private message. I am unable to upload pictures :-(