Electric Quilt

paid

Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) is professional quilt design software with 6,000+ blocks and fabrics. Design, colorize, and print custom quilt patterns on Windows and macOS.

Design

No-Code

Graphic Design Tools

About

Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) is the flagship product from The Electric Quilt Company, a dedicated quilt design software platform trusted by quilters worldwide. The software enables users to design original quilts and blocks, experiment with thousands of fabric colorways, and produce print-ready patterns — all without needing any technical design background. At the core of EQ8 is a library of over 6,000 copyright-free quilt blocks and 6,000+ manufacturer fabrics from top brands like Andover, Tilda, and Robert Kaufman. Users can also import their own fabric scans or draw entirely new blocks. Once a design is finalized, EQ8 generates professional outputs including fabric yardage estimates, rotary-cutting charts, foundation patterns, and printable templates at any size. The companion application BlockBase+ adds 4,264 historical blocks sourced from Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns, making it ideal for traditional quilters and historians. BlockBase+ works standalone or linked directly to EQ8. The Electric Quilt ecosystem is rounded out by structured lesson books (beginner to advanced), AccuQuilt GO! block add-ons, downloadable Stash fabric packs, and an EQ Membership for exclusive perks like free Stash downloads and discounts. Classes are also available for guided learning. EQ8 is best suited for hobbyist and professional quilters who want precise design control, historical block access, and print-ready pattern output — all within a dedicated, purpose-built desktop environment.

Key Features

6,000+ Blocks & Fabrics Library: Access over 6,000 copyright-free quilt blocks and 6,000+ manufacturer fabrics from top brands, or import your own for fully custom designs.
Print-Ready Pattern Output: Generate professional fabric yardage estimates, rotary-cutting charts, foundation patterns, and printable templates at any size directly from your design.
Custom Block Drawing: Draw entirely original quilt blocks from scratch using EQ8's built-in drawing tools, giving you complete creative control over your patterns.
BlockBase+ Historical Blocks: Access 4,264 historical quilt blocks from Barbara Brackman's encyclopedia, with rotary-cutting charts and templates — usable standalone or linked to EQ8.
EQ Membership & Add-Ons: Extend EQ8 with downloadable Stash fabric packs, AccuQuilt GO! block collections, lesson books, and an annual membership for exclusive discounts and free downloads.

Use Cases

Designing original quilt patterns from scratch using a library of 6,000+ blocks and fabrics before cutting a single piece of cloth.
Experimenting with different color and fabric combinations digitally to visualize the finished quilt and avoid costly material mistakes.
Printing precise rotary-cutting charts, foundation patterns, and templates at any size for accurate quilt construction.
Exploring and recreating historical quilt patterns using BlockBase+'s encyclopedia of 4,264 traditional blocks.
Learning quilt design step-by-step using EQ's structured lesson books and video tutorials, from beginner basics to advanced techniques.

Pros

Comprehensive Design Library: With 6,000+ blocks and fabrics included out of the box, users can start designing immediately without needing external resources.
Professional Pattern Printing: Outputs precise yardage estimates, templates, and rotary-cutting charts — saving time and reducing costly fabric calculation errors.
Cross-Platform Desktop Support: Available on both Windows and macOS, making it accessible to a wide range of quilters regardless of their computer preference.
Rich Educational Ecosystem: Step-by-step lesson books, video tutorials, and guided classes help users at every skill level get the most out of the software.

Cons

Desktop-Only Application: EQ8 is a traditional desktop app with no browser-based or mobile version, limiting flexibility for on-the-go use.
Add-On Costs Add Up: Core software is paid, and many useful extras — Stash fabric packs, block add-ons, books — require additional purchases or a membership subscription.
Quilting-Specific Niche: The software is purpose-built for quilters only and has no applicability outside of quilt pattern design.

Frequently Asked Questions

EQ8 is a desktop quilt design application for Windows and macOS. It includes 6,000+ copyright-free blocks and manufacturer fabrics, tools to draw custom blocks, and features to print yardage estimates, templates, and cutting charts.

Electric Quilt 8 and BlockBase+ are available for both Windows and macOS as desktop applications.

Yes. In addition to the 6,000+ included manufacturer fabrics, you can import scans or photos of your own fabrics into EQ8 to use in your quilt designs.

The EQ Membership is an annual subscription that provides exclusive perks for EQ8 users, including free Stash fabric pack downloads, everyday discounts on products and classes, extra savings during sales, and a free gift.

BlockBase+ is a companion application featuring 4,264 historical quilt blocks from Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. It can be used standalone to print templates and cutting charts, or linked to EQ8 for full design integration.