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A popular traditional quilt pattern best made with two contrasting colors. It is easily cut, but confusing to set together. The overall pattern is not apparent from a single block but must be viewed as a whole. Also known as Drunkard’s PathFalling Timbers, and Country Husband.

Fool's Puzzle quilt by Tina Davis
Quilt design by Tina Davis

Start the Fool’s Puzzle project

  1. Open EQ7 or EQ6.
  2. Start a new project and name it Benni-Harper 1.

Get blocks from the Library

  1. Click LIBRARIES > Block Library.
  2. Go to 1 Classic Pieced > Drunkard’s Path. Find Falling Timbers (the sixth block) and click Add to Sketchbook.
  3. Go to 7 Stencils > Curves. Find Interlocking Lines (the third block) and click Add to Sketchbook.
  4. Close the Library.

Create the quilt layout

  1. Click WORKTABLE > Work on Quilt.
  2. Click QUILT > New Quilt > Horizontal.
  3. Click the Layout tab at the bottom-left corner of your screen.
  4. Set the number of blocks horizontal and vertical to be 5.
  5. Set the finished size of block to be 12 x 12.
  6. Set the finished size of sashing to be 0 x 0.
  7. Click the Borders tab.
  8. Make your first border this way:
    Style: Mitered 
    Size: 1.50
  9. Click the Add button to make another border.
  10. Make your second border this way:
    Style: Mitered 
    Size: 3.00
  11. Click the Add button to make another border.
  12. Make your third border this way:
    Style: Mitered 
    Size: 0.50

Set blocks into the quilt and color it

  1. Click the Layer 1 tab.
  2. Click the Set Block tool . The Sketchbook Blocks palette appears.
  3. Click the Falling Timbers block, to select it.
  4. Hold down your keyboard ALT key as you click on the top-left block space in the quilt. Every other block space fills with the block.
  5. Click the Paintbrush  tool. The palette will appear.
  6. Click on a color or fabric in the palette.
  7. Hold down your keyboard ALT key as you click on any empty block space. All empty spaces fill with color.
  8. Click on the Swap All Colors  tool. This tool lets you change any one color to any other color — all over your quilt.
  9. Color the entire quilt. You can use the Paintbrush  or the Spraycan  tools if you prefer, for the blocks, and for the border.
  10. Click the Add to Sketchbook  button.

Set and resize quilting stencils on the quilt

    1. Click the Layer 3 tab.
    2. Click the Set Block  tool > Stencils tab inside the Blocks palette.
    3. Click the Interlocking Lines stencil in the palette.Note: We’re using a stencil block here. But any block from the library, or that you draw, can be used as a stencil. Just set the block into Layer 3. The block’s colors disappear. You’ll see dotted lines instead.
    4. Hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard.
    5. Point to one of the plain blocks in your quilt, and drag your mouse on the quilt to form a box. The Interlocking Lines block will pop into the box when you release the mouse. Don’t worry about size or exact placement yet.
    6. Following the step above, set eleven more Interlocking Lines blocks — one in each of the plain blocks in your quilt. Again, don’t worry about size or placement. Just get eleven more stencils set. Release the SHIFT key.
    7. Click the Adjust  tool.
    8. Click any one of the Interlocking Lines stencils. This will be your anchor block. The Graph Pad should fill with numbers at the top of your screen.Note: If you do not have the Graph Pad showing above the quilt, choose VIEW > Graph Pad.

    9. Click the arrows beside the size numbers on the Graph Pad to resize the selected Interlocking Lines block to 12.00″ X 12.00″.

  1. While the anchor block is still selected, hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard as you click on the other eleven Interlocking Lines stencils, to select them, also. (You may want to count, to be sure you get all of them.
  2. Click on the Same Size  tool. All twelve Interlocking Lines stencils will now be the same size.
  3. Click the mouse away from the quilt, to deselect the blocks.Note: You can check the stencil sizing now by clicking on any stencil. The size numbers should all be 12.00 x 12.00. If they are not, click on the size arrows until each size says 12.00.

Move quilting stencils on the quilt

  1. Top row: Click on the left-most stencil in the top row.
  2. Look at the Graph Pad numbers at the left of the Graph Pad. These numbers show stencil location. Click the arrows to make the numbers say: 12.00 on top; 0.000 on bottom. You will notice the stencils move as you click the location arrows.

  3. Top row – right: Click the last stencil in the top row > use the location arrows to make it: 36.00 on top; 0.00 on bottom.
  4. Second row – left: Click the left-most stencil in the second row > use the location arrows to make it: 0.00 on top; 12.00 on bottom.
  5. Second row – center: Click the center stencil in the second row > use the location arrows to make it: 24.00 on top; 12.00 on bottom.
  6. Second row – right: Click the right stencil in the second row > use the location arrows to make it: 48.00 on top; 12.00 on bottom.
  7. Third row – left: Click the left-most stencil in the third row > use the location arrows to make it: 12.00 on top; 24.00 on bottom.
  8. Third row – right: Click the right-most stencil in the third row > use the location arrows to make it: 36.00 on top; 24.00 on bottom.
  9. Fourth row – left: Click the left stencil in the fourth row > use the location arrows to make it: 0.00 on top; 36.00 on bottom.
  10. Fourth row – center: Click the center stencil in the fourth row > use the location arrows to make it: 24.00 on top; 36.00 on bottom.
  11. Fourth row – right: Click the right stencil in the fourth row > use the location arrows to make it: 48.00 on top; 36.00 on bottom.
  12. Bottom row – left: Click the left-most stencil in the bottom row > use the location arrows to make it: 12.00 on top; 48.00 on bottom.
  13. Bottom row – right: Click the last stencil in the bottom row > use the location arrows to make it: 36.00 on top; 48.00 on bottom.

Change the thread color (optional)

  1. Click the Set Thread  tool. The color palette appears.Note: You may have to click theCustomize Toolbars  tool > Add/Remove Buttons > click to check the Set Thead  tool if it’s not already checked.
  2. Click on any thread color > click the line of any stencil. The thread color changes from black, to your selected color. Change any or all of the stencils, to make the quilt look as you’d like. You can click and hold on the Set Thread  tool to color the whole stencil or Swap Thread  tool to color all stencils at once.
  3. Click the Add to Sketchbook  button.
  4. Click the View Sketchbook  button > Quilts button > Notecard button.
  5. In the top Name field, type: “My Fool’s Puzzle quilt”.
  6. Your Fool’s Puzzle project is now complete, and saved on the hard drive.
  7. Close the Sketchbook.

Print the blocks and stencils (optional)

  1. To print a stencil, be on Layer 3. Click the Select  tool. Click on a stencil on the quilt. Click FILE > Print > Block > choose “Use size from quilt” and Quilting Stencil option > click the Print button.
  2. To print templates for the block, be on Layer 1. Click the Select  tool. Click on a block on the quilt. Click FILE > Print > Templates > choose “Use size from quilt” > click the Print button.

Here are some examples of quilts:

Fool's Puzzle - Tina Davis