When I was testing both programs, Quilt Pro and EQ5, and each one was the "latest" version, about 5 or 6 years ago (gosh time flies), I decided on EQ5 and the reason was it had more features that I liked, was just a much more robust program, and had a fairly easy to use interface. It was more reliable also. Somewhere, I wrote up a bit of a review of them, but that's so long ago, can't find it now, unless it's in my journals, and it probably is there, but I have 13 (had 14, but one was destroyed). Anyway, good luck, and I've found lots of tutorials in the EQ5 and online, taken a couple of Quilt University classes online to help understand it. I just bought EQ6 upgrade, and hope to jump back into it again. Quilt On, and Press On too!

I have EQ6 and love it also. I'm relatively new to quilting and it has really helped me visualize what the finished quilt would look like. I also purchased Block Base and love having all those blocks integrated into the program. That has really given me so many more options - I think I would have "discovered" many of these blocks through other sources, but this really sped up my learning.

I use Corel Draw for most of my designing. I can do basic traditonal blocks and wild and free art quilts using the same program. I also paint my own fabric in Corel Photo Paint and print it on my home computer. Two of my own printed fabric quilts are in Ricky's Convergence book. (page 50,52)
I have been doing my Rhapsody designs with this program and recently, as I was playing, I used the media line effect on the drawing. WooHoo! It was so cool! So I took the drawing into the paint program, painted and printed. When I finish this post, I will post a pic of the out come. Let me know what you think. Ann that's four Betty Ann

kimber wrote: Make a nice cup of tea and watch the videos...they are real helpful! You will not regret buying EQ6...you will never have to buy an other pattern or magazine

EQ6 has been received and is installed! I also picked up the last few years of STASH. I had an install issue with STASH, but finally got it to go. I haven't watched the videos yet, but I pulled up a couple patterns and played around with swapping fabric around Pretty cool!

I just ordered EQ6!! I had been using the paper/pencil design method and decided I'd enter the tech world of design. It should be here by the end of the week.

DH also added a wireless card and USB card to our desktop to make it easier for me to work on. I want to use our desktop as my design station rather than my laptop.

I'm so glad there are so many good reviews on EQ6 - and that 6 is easier than 5. I've worked with photo design software (PhotoShop, PaintShop, etc) so hopefully I'll be able to pick up EQ6 easily.

Any one that is looking for classes on how to use EQ check out Quilt University. http://www.quiltuniversity.com
They have online classes for EQ, and all kinds of other quilt related topics. I took the classes for EQ 5 a couple of years ago, and it helped me a lot in learning the program.

The EQ 6 classes fill up fast, they have two that are starting soon that are closed, because they are full. But I beleive they may offer the classes again soon because of all the interest in them. They usually only offer the classes twice a year, so if you miss it one time, you have to wait until it is offered again. But Quilt University is a great place to take classes if there aren't any classes offered in your area, or like me, can't take them during the day when I have to be at work.

Diane in Colorado Springs

Thanks, Juanita. I had fun looking at the projects. Good inspiration!

The current Club EQ challange is up at the Electric Quilt site. The challange was for architecture. Some of the entries had stained glass windows. You can take a look by following this link

http://www.electricquilt.com/Albums/07/0712/lg/0712q056.jpg

At the top of the page you can also click on the "Club EQ Albums" to check out the past years of monthly addmissions. EQ6 is a great design tool. Some of the quilts in my profile have been designed in EQ. If you like to design, draw, or see what your quilts will look like with your own fabric, this is the program to get.

Juanita in rainy Northern Illinois

Has anyone used EQ6 for stained glass designs? I would like to try recreating a window from our church and wondered how well the drawing program of EQ6 is. I've only done really simple stuff so far. The window is largely geometric shapes and flowers, rather than pictorial.

My husband gave me EQ6 for my birthday last year and I absolutly love it. I'm still learning all of the different things that it can do. I find if very easy to use and fun to play around with. It really beats trying to draw all of my ideas out onto graph paper with colored pencils.

Kwownow wrote:
I know this is kind of late into the discussion, but EQ of any version is a quilt DESIGN program, not a quilt MAKING program. It helps you DESIGN a quilt, not make it.
I have a hard time visualizing what different fabrics would look like in different areas of a quilt, and EQ is an invaluable tool to help me see what different fabrics or colors would look like in different patches of my blocks.
If you are unsure of how to put your different blocks together you would be better off getting a good quilting book that has directions on how to do that than trying to figure it out on your own, especially if you are brand new to quilting.

Diane

I have Kaleidoscope Kreator. It is quite easy to use and the possibilities are endless. I also purchased the extra set of templates so even more designs are possible. I use Corel Draw for designing. Up to version 8, they had an effect called terrazzo that did tiles of different shapes. It was somewhat like this program. I say "Go for it". Get the software and have fun. Betty Ann

Has anyone used Kaleidoscope Kreator software? You are supposed to be able to create kaleidoscope fabric with your own images. The creative possibilities (fabric and paper) are interesting. If you have used this or similar software, please respond.

Thanks!