Let’s have a party with this colorful Fiesta Quilt made with just one simple block from the block library of EQ Mini Software.  You can easily design a simple quilt with big impact using your new design skills.  This quilt is fat quarter friendly and I designed it with that in mind to use a fun stack of Joel Dewberry fat quarters that I had picked up at Quiltcon earlier this year.  I kept the blocks large to highlight the prints and was able to get two blocks from each fat quarter.  It uses a horizontal quilt layout, large scale blocks and fun colors in this delightful Fiesta quilt.

Fiesta Quilt

Skillset: Beginner

Size: 48″ x 72″

Skill Builders:

  • Working with horizontal  layout
  • Working with Size and Scale

On to the design!

  1. Open EQ Mini.
  2. If it asks you to take a quick tour, click Close.
  3. Read the tip of the day and click Close.
  4. Let’s name the Project.  The project name will appear at the very top of the EQ Mini Window.  Right now the project says Untitled.  On the top toolbar click the Save button.    The Save As box will display.
  5.  Save your project file in the default folder which is projects.   Hint: You can then find it under Documents > My EQ Mini > Projects later.  Now in the file name box type Fiesta Quilt.
  6. Click Save.  The box will close.  Notice the project name Untitled has been replaced with Fiesta Quilt.

  7. Select the Quilt Style
  8.   On the Blue Start New Quilt Tab, select the Horizontal Layout..

  9.  Select the  9″ blocks, 16 total, 4 x 4 layout.  It should be in the top left corner.  If you move the mouse and hover over the layouts, it will tell you the name of them.
  10.  Select the Orange Adjust Layout tab.  The layout palette will display.
  11. Under number of blocks, enter 4 horizontal and 6 vertical.
  12. Under finished size of blocks, select the box to keep width and height equal.  Make the block size 12 inches.

  13.  Select the Green Edit Borders Tab.
  14. Select Border 1 of 1.  Leave Border Style as Long Horizontal.
  15. Check the lock size adjustment box for ALL.
  16. Change size t0 .25″ to mimic a binding.
  17.  Select the Orange Design Quilt tab.
  18. Under Sketchbook blocks, click to open the library to select more blocks.
  19. Under the block libraries, open 02 Contemporary Pieced. Then select Good Alternate Blocks.
  20. Select the Economy Block and click add to sketchbook.
  21. Click and drag the Economy block to all of the quilt blocks.  Hint: If you hold the control key down and then drag, it will automatically drop the block into all of the blocks in the quilt.
  22. Close Sketchbook blocks.
  23. Click the Paintbrush tool    on the right hand toolbar.
  24. Using  the fabrics and colors, color your quilt design.  Select the fabric or color and then click on the area you want to color on the quilt.  I just entered the solid colors closest to the colors in the stack of fat quarters that I planned to use in my quilt.
  25. Once you have the coloring how you like it, save the quilt design to your sketchbook. 

YAY!  You have designed a colorful Fiesta quilt.  Try finding other quilt blocks that are simple but will show off the prints in a group of fat quarters.  They don’t have to be difficult to show off your favorite fabrics for a fun Fiesta quilt designed with EQ Mini.

Design Variation

If you don’t have fat quarters, why not try out a two color quilt with this same pattern?

Now that you have your design, here are  Tips and Help Articles to help you get ready to sew up your design.

How to print the fabric yardage estimates required to piece the top

How to print the cutting instructions

Ready to Quilt?

Now that you have designed this in EQ Mini, why not stitch up your own Fiesta quilt?  You can find a detailed tutorial for this quilt on my Lori Miller Designs blog.

Questions or Feedback?

Please share your ideas, questions and feedback in the comments. Thanks!

Lori J. Miller lives in Troy, Michigan, where she designs, stitches and sews quilts and quilty things. She loves experimenting with fun colors and designs to make playful and clever products for the modern stitcher.  Sewing since age 11, Lori has deep roots in sewing and quilting traditions that add a unique dimension to her designs.  She loves designing using Electric Quilt 7, Electric Quilt Mini and EQ Stitch.  You can follow her quilting adventures on her blog at lorimillerdesigns.com or on instagram @lorimillerdesigns