EQ Lessons: Colorwash Quilts

by Andrea Poulimenos

Colorwash Quilts are easy to sew and easy to make in EQ.

1. Open EQ5 and start a new project. Name it whatever you wish. (I named mine "Colorwash".)
2. Click LIBRARIES > Block Library > EQ Libraries > 1 Classic Pieced > Checked Borders.
3. Find and click on the "Nine Patch" block to select it (first block in there).
4. Click Copy.
5. Find and click on the "Sixteen Patch" block to select it (new first block in there).
6. Click Copy.
7. Click Close to put the library away.
8. Click WORKTABLE > Work on Quilt.
9. Click QUILT > New Quilt > Horizontal.
10. In the bottom-left corner of your screen, click the Layout tab.
11. Make your quilt 1x1 with 12" blocks and no sashing. (1, TAB, 1, TAB, 12, TAB, TAB, 12, TAB, TAB, 0, TAB, TAB, 0.)
12. Click the Layer 1 tab.
13. Click the Set tool on the right-hand toolbar.
14. Click the "Nine Patch" block in the palette.
15. Click in the single block space in the quilt.
16. Click the Paintbrush tool .
17. You are going to need 5 colors or fabrics ranging from dark to light. Click the darkest color.
18. Click in the top-left corner of the "Nine Patch" block.
19. Click the next-darkest color in the palette.
20. Click in the two adjacent squares of the block.
21. Click the middle color in the palette.
22. Click in the three squares along the diagonal of the block.
23. Click the second-lightest color in the palette.
24. Click in the two adjacent squares in the block.
25. Click the lightest color in the palette.
26. Click the bottom-right corner fo the block.
27. Click any color in all four sides of the border.
28. On the left toolbar, click the Save in Sketchbook button.
29. Click the Layout tab and change the number of blocks from 1x1 to 8x8.
30. Click the Layer 1 tab and your quilt will automatically be filled with blocks.

30. Next, click the Symmetry tool on the right-hand toolbar.
31. Hold down your keyboard CTRL key as you click in the center of your quilt.
32. Click Save in Sketchbook for any variations you like.
33. Do steps 9-32 for the "Sixteen Patch" block. Feel free to use any fabrics from the Fabric or Palette Libraries.

34. Try other blocks that can be colored in a graduated manner.
35. Tip: Try using multi-colored fabrics as a bridge to a new group of colors. For instance, maybe you start with dark red values, then move to a light pink with yellow polkadots, into light yellow values.

  

36. For more inspiration, visit the "Black appliqué" ClubEQ challenge. Most of these quilts were done over colorwash backgrounds.