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Benni Harper Mystery Lesson 1: Fool's Puzzle

quilt design by Tina Davis

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 Path, Falling Timbers, and Country Husband.

Start the Fool's Puzzle project

1. Open EQ5.
2. Click the Create a New Project tab (it appears immediately when you open EQ5).
   OR
   On the FILE menu, choose New.
3. Type: Benni-Fool.
4. Click OK.

Get blocks from the Library

5. On the LIBRARIES menu, click Block Library.
6. Click on the EQ Libraries list, then on 1 Classic Pieced.
7. Click the Drunkard's Path page, to open it.
8. Click on Falling Timbers (the third block).
9. Click the Copy button, to put the Falling Timbers in the Sketchbook.
10. Scroll down and click on 7 Quilting Stencils style in the EQ Libraries list, to open it.
11. Click the Curves page, to open it.
12. Click on Interlocking Lines (the third block).
13. Click the Copy button, to put the Interlocking Lines stencil in the Sketchbook.
14. Click the Close button, to put the library away.

Create the quilt layout

15. On the WORKTABLE menu, click Work on Quilt.
16. On the QUILT menu, point to New Quilt, click Horizontal. A horizontal layout appears.
17. Click the Layout tab.
18. In Number of Blocks, click the down arrows beside Horizontal and Vertical so each box says: 5
19. In Size of blocks, click, hold, and drag the Width and Height slider bars to make the block 12.00 x 12.00 (30.48 cm).
20. In Sashing, click, hold, and drag the Width and Height slider bars to make the sashing 0.00.
21. Click the Borders tab.
22. Make the existing mitered border, size: 1.50 (3.81 cm).
23. Click the Add button, to add a border.
24. Make the new mitered border, size: 3.00 (7.62 cm).
25. Click the Add button, to add a third border.
26. Make the outer mitered border, size: .50 (1.27)

Set blocks into the quilt and color it

27. Click the Layer 1 tab.
28. Click on the Set tool . Click the Falling Timbers block, to select it.
29. 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.
30. Click on the Plain Block tool . The color palette appears. The plain block sets a "plain block" of color into a block.
31. Click on a color or fabric in the palette.
32. Hold down your keyboard ALT key as you click on any empty block space. All empty spaces fill with color.
33. Click on the Swap tool . The swap tool lets you change any one color to any other color -- all over your quilt.
34. Click on any patch on your quilt. Then click a color or fabric in the palette. The colors will change.
35. Continue "Swapping" color until you have your quilt inside the way you'd like it.
36. Click the Paintbrush tool .
37. Color your borders any way you'd like.
38. Click the Save in Sketchbook button .

Set and resize quilting stencils on the quilt

39. Click the Layer 3 tab.
40. Click the Set tool . Then click the third tab inside the Blocks palette which appeared to see the stencils in this project.
41. 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.
42. Hold down the SHIFT key on your keyboard.
43. Point to one of the plain blocks in your quilt, and drag 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.
44. 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.
45. Click the Adjust tool .
46. Click any one of the Interlocking Lines stencils. This will be your anchor block. The Graph Pad should fill with numbers at the bottom of your screen. Note: If you do not have the Graph Pad showing above the task bar, choose VIEW on the main menu bar and click to check Graph Pad on the menu.
47. Click the arrows beside the size numbers (center) on the Graph Pad to resize the selected Interlocking Lines block 12.00" X 12.00" (30.48 cm).
48. 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 eleven.
49. Click on the Same Size tool . All twelve Interlocking Lines stencils will now be the same size.
50. 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

51. Top row: Click on the left-most stencil in the top row.
52. Look at the Graph Pad numbers at the left of the Graph Pad. These numbers show stencil location.
53. Click the arrows to make the numbers say: 12.00 on top; 00.00 on bottom. You will notice the stencils move as you click the location arrows.
54. Top row - right: Click the next stencil in the top row.
55. Click the location arrows to make the numbers say: 36.00 on top; 00.00 on bottom.
56. Second row - left: Click the left-most stencil in the second row.
57. Click the location arrows: 00.00 on top; 12.00 on bottom.
58. Second row - center: Click the center stencil in the second row.
59. Click the location arrows: 24.00 on top; 12.00 on bottom.
60. Second row - right: Click the right stencil in the second row.
61. Click the location arrows: 48.00 on top; 12.00 on bottom.
62. Third row - left: Click the left-most stencil in the third row.
63. Click the location arrows: 12.00 on top; 24.00 on bottom.
64. Third row - right: Click the right-most stencil in the third row.
65. Click the location arrows: 36.00 on top; 24.00 on bottom.
66. Fourth row - left: Click the left stencil in the fourth row.
67. Click the location arrows: 0.00 on top; 36.00 on bottom.
68. Fourth row - center: Click the center stencil in the fourth row.
69. Click the location arrows: 24.00 on top; 36.00 on bottom.
70. Fourth row - right: Click the right stencil in the fourth row.
71. Click the location arrows: 48.00 on top; 36.00 on bottom.
72. Bottom row - left: Click the left-most stencil in the bottom row.
73. Click the location arrows: 12.00 on top; 48.00 on bottom.
74. Bottom row - right: Click the last stencil in the bottom row.
75. Click the location arrows: 36.00 on top; 48.00 on bottom.

Change the thread color (optional)

76. Click the Thread Color tool . The color palette appears.
77. Click on any solid color.
78. Click on 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.
79. Click the Save in Sketchbook button .
80. Click the View Sketchbook button and click the Quilts tab.
81. Click the Notecard button.
82. In the top Name field, type: "My Fool's Puzzle quilt".
83. Click the "X" in the bottom-right to close the Sketchbook.
84. Click the Save button to save your notecard information.
85. Your Fool's Puzzle project is now complete, and saved on the hard drive.

Print the blocks and stencils (optional)

86. To print a stencil, be on Layer 3. Click the Select tool . Click on a stencil on the quilt. Click FILE - Print - Block. Put a check in the Size from quilt box. Click the Quilting Stencil option. Click Print.
87. 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. Put a check in the Size from quilt box. Click Print.

Here's how Tina Davis' quilt looks.

Note: She colored her third border, making it appear to be a binding the same color as the second border. She did not change her stencil color.

to be continued with another Benni Harper mystery quilt