EQ recently launched a software add-on that lets those of you who have an AccuQuilt cutter to add blocks to EQ that will match the AccuQuilt cutter shapes. But, if you don’t have an AccuQuilt cutter, you can still use the blocks. The blocks are square by default, but you can change the shapes of the blocks by using a different quilt layout setting. You will still get the cutting directions in the EQ8 program, but you can not use the AccuQuilt cutter if you change the shape of the square block. Let’s play with this concept to see what you can create using the AccuQuilt blocks add-on.
Open your EQ8 program and create a new project named ‘Playing with AccuQuilt Blocks’. You will see the name of the project at the top of the screen.
If you have downloaded the new AccuQuilt Blocks from the EQ website, you will see the blocks listed in the library.
Click on LIBRARIES>Block Library at the top of the screen. Scroll through the block library and select the AccuQuilt libraries. Select the Go Cube library 01 Mix and Match blocks and then choose a couple blocks by clicking on them. They will have a blue line around the block when you select it. Click on ‘Add to Sketchbook’ in the Block Libraries screen to add them to your project. Close the Library box when done.
Click on the quilt worktable icon on the upper right side of the screen. From the tabs at the top, click on the ‘new quilt’ tab. On the ribbon below the tabs, click on the ‘open library’ icon. This will open all the types of layouts built into EQ8. Click on the ‘layouts by style’ option and select the ‘special effects’ layout. Select the ‘special effects-9′ from the images and add it to the project sketchbook. Close the layout library box when done.
Open your project sketchbook and under the ‘quilts’ heading, select the special effect layout and then click on the word ‘edit’ at the bottom of the box to place it on the worktable.
The default for this layout is for a ‘square quilt’. It has some square blocks and some diamond shape blocks built into it. If you change the size of the layout to be a bigger quilt, like a lap or bed quilt, the shapes will be changed even more.
Click on the layout tab at top of the screen and change the quilt size to be 48 inches by 68 inches.
Click on the Design Tab at the top of the screen. The layout will now have the new overall dimension of the quilt defined with the layout skewed to fit into the new size.
Click on the block tools icon on the ribbon at the top of the screen. Under the blocks heading, click on the set block icon and the click on the block you want to chose. Click on the layout to place them into quilt pattern.
This can look pretty wild. Click on the fabric tools icon on the ribbon at the top of the screen and then click on the blocks in the layout to color in the segments. If you use the spray can tool, when you click on the layout with the fabric of your choice, all similar colored elements will recolor with one click.
Add each layout to the sketchbook as you go. 
You may want to go back to the original layout and use the colored blocks to change the look if it is too busy for your eye.
Open the view sketchbook icon and then choose the original layout option. Add the blocks to the layout to see if it looks better
The possibilities are endless in EQ8.
Click on the Print and Export tab at the top of the screen. Click on a block in the layout to select it. It will have a green color around the block once it is selected. Click on the rotary cutting icon to see how to cut the pieces.
Print the pattern cutting directions using the size from the quilt and click on preview.
By using the standard square blocks in the program and setting them into unique layout options, you can create a one of a kind quilt that is specific to you.
