Our quilts are often about color.  Sometimes it is the design itself that is the focus, but the eye sees color before it sees patterns.  I love designs that have a bit of a dimensional look and are quickly created with color.

Launch your EQ8 project to start.  

On the opening screen, click on the little piece of paper with the green starburst on it on the upper left side of the screen.  This is the new project icon.

In the project sketchbook, name your project ‘Quick Coloring for Maximum Effect’.

Click on the quilt worktable icon on the upper right side of the screen.

Choose NEW QUILT>One Patch from the ribbon at the top of the screen.

The default for the program is to open to the Hexagon one patch layout.

Click on the Layout tab at the top of the screen.  In the drop-down menu, select the rectangle option.

On the rectangle layout, the default size is 2 inches.  This works perfectly if you want to use a jellyroll for your design.  The 2.5-inch jelly roll strips would save a lot of cutting time.  Keep the layout properties just as they are for now.

Click on the Design Tab at the top of the screen and select the Fabric tools from the ribbon.  Click on the spray can icon and then select a light color for the background.  Move the cursor over to the worktable and while holding down the control key (CTRL) on the keyboard, click once to fill alternating block spaces.  You will need to click on more than one row to color all the alternating blocks.  Choose a second light color and repeat the process to finish coloring all the alternating blocks with light colors.

Click on the paintbrush tool icon to select it.  Click on colors of your choice for your border strips.  Click onto each of the borders to apply the colors. Choose a different color for each of the border strips.

Still using the paintbrush tool, select the rectangle brush icon from the brush types selections.

Click on a bold color fabric for your rectangle.   Move the cursor over to the worktable and click/hold/drag/release a rectangle that covers 6 squares across and 6 squares down.

Repeat this process using different colors of fabric and have the rectangles overlap so there is a corner background block showing in the overlap designs.

To create an over/under feel for the square links, click back on the one dot paintbrush tool and then click on the color of the squares in one intersection point to create a ‘linked look’ for the squares.

To get a better view of the linked squares on the quilt layout without the drawing lines, click on the ‘show/hide patch lines’ icon on the far left side of the screen.  This is a toggle switch that can be turned on or off at any time.

Add your design to the sketchbook. 

By choosing a different type of paintbrush tool property, you can quickly create a quilt with dimension and precision coloring patches.  Try this design with various sizes of rectangles floating across the top of the quilt layout for another variation.