I use EQ8 for all the quilts I create. Besides my sewing machine it is my #1 tool I use for making quilts. I have been so fortunate and one of the big reasons is because of EQ8. I am an Island Batik and Suite B designer and I am so thankful to have EQ8 to use. I can import my Signature and Original Collection fabrics into EQ8 and design away. I see instantly how they will look without going to all the trouble of cutting fabric and then realizing it was not the right choice of fabric. It saves time, money, and is a tool that is a must have for anyone who desires to create, play, and design their own quilts. I LOVE MY EQ8!!!!

I upgraded to the EQ8 (I’m using Mac versions only) when it came out and I purchased the books that accompany it but didn’t really go thru them. I sold my house last month and am living with a friend ’till the new place is available next month so I have plenty of time and thought I’d spend part of it starting the EQ8 Lessons for Beginners and boy, oh, boy am I glad I did. I’m only in Lesson 3 and already I’ve learned a lot and better understand how the program works.

The lessons are very well written. Details are very well noted. The application behaves exactly how it says it will in the lesson and is easier to use. And the new version, EQ8, is so much easier to use than. 7. The prompts are easier too read. There’s a level of intuitiveness that 7 did not have. I love that fact that there’s a place to put blocks I create that will carry over from quilt to quilt, My Favorite Bocks.

All in all, you’ve hit a home run as far as I’m concerned. EQ8 is quickly becoming a joy to use. And thank you, thank you, thank you for making a Mac version this good.

Kudos to everyone and thank you again.

All design software makers should look at EQ8 as a model for how to create a great website and application. Your user interface is so easy, bright and fresh looking. You’ve divided various functions into tabs so there’s not a lot of screen clutter. I really appreciate all the work and attention to detail that’s in every version of EQ, and getting better with each update.

After raving about my friend’s EQ5, I received EQ8 last Christmas from my husband and have spent many happy hours designing new quilts to sew. It wasn’t until this month that I was actually ready to sew one and ran into trouble printing up foundation papers. Of course I assumed that it was something I was doing wrong but fortunately Mathew at your technical support put me at ease. He immediately identified the problem and walked me through all the necessary steps to solve it – without making me feel incompetent. He even helped me install an update, something I have never done before. Everything is working perfectly right now, my design is ready to sew – once I get two more companion prints for more contrast – and the American Granny in Germany is quite happy.

As a Mac user and a designer, I was THRILLED when EQ came out with a version for the MAC. I purchased it as soon as the EQ7 release was out and have been using it since. I have upgraded to EQ8 and I love the interface. Easy to design stunning quilts. Hands down the best quilt design program on the market!

I’ve used EQ software extensively since it’s earliest days for all my books, patterns, and workshop designs. EQ8 introduces a totally new look and format that’s extremely user friendly. I’ve already started my designing my new projects on it. Thank you EQ for the best update ever!

I love foundation paper piecing design! EQ7 made the process so much easier for me but EQ8 adds features that make the process even more enjoyable. Foundation pattern pieces can be color coded. The foundation sections can be rotated in print preview. Block colorings are undisturbed when a drawing needs to be edited. And when numbering and grouping foundation sections, the window will now accommodate a rectangular block. Lastly, when my quilt top design is mocked up, I can remove the foundation lines from the screen with a single click! I am thrilled with these improvements and look forward to discovering more!

I adore [EQ8] and I wish I’d purchased it years ago. Compared to other graphic design software, like my Bernina machine embroidery software ($2,500 MSRP), Adobe PhotoShop & DreamWeaver web design software (currently sold on a subscription basis for $600 PER YEAR), or the interior design software I use for my work ($497), EQ8 is an unbelievable value for the gold standard quilt design software on the market at under $200. No more guessing whether I should go with a darker or a lighter shade, or wondering if I have enough value contrast in my fabrics for the piecing pattern to stand out in the finished quilt. I find EQ8 very easy to use, and the new interface with v8 is actually a lot MORE intuitive for new users than EQ7 was. The icons and fonts are bigger and easier to find and the cool design tools that you might forget about are right there on your worktable now where you can see them. Obviously users who are upgrading from a previous version will need to take the time to get acquainted with the new interface, but I can get to what I want now with FEWER clicks, without having to hunt around in drop-down menus, and I find that I’m going to the manual LESS frequently now.

I do have some prior experience with other graphic design software programs (which is why I am so SHOCKED by how little EQ8 costs when it can do so much). There are step-by-step lessons included with EQ8 that you can access right from the drop-down menu. They walk you through what you need to know to get started right away. When I bought this program, I taught myself how to use it just from those lessons and from playing around in the software, trying out different tools to see what they do. The Electric Quilt web site offers books for advanced techniques, add on packages (additional block designs or virtual fabrics to design with) and just a WEALTH of educational resources. They are doing step-by-step tutorials on a regular basis now on their blog, too. I’ve only had to contact EQ Tech Support a couple of times when I wanted to design something really weird and outside the norm, but both times I got a response with a detailed solution within 24 hours. So I am a huge, HUGE fan of EQ8, giving me Niemann Marcus quality products and service at Walmart prices!

By the way, you do not even need to learn everything the software can do in order to get your money’s worth out of it. When you buy EQ8, it comes with 6,779 copyright-free blocks included in the Block Library, organized by type for browsing but you can also search by keyword. So if you type in “Ohio Star,” up pops every version of Ohio Star you can imagine. All you have to do is pick one, type in what size block you want, and then you can choose whether you want to print a rotary cutting chart, foundation paper piecing pattern, or old school templates. This software will pay for itself even if the only thing you ever use it for is printing out block patterns, because you will never have to buy a quilt pattern — or buy a book or a magazine to get the pattern — ever again.

I loved the EQ7 program and felt it was an invaluable tool for my detailed designs, however there were some little quirks I noticed and had a hard time with (like recoloring the whole block again after a very slight line change). Now with EQ8, the glitches I once knew are gone, and the interface is more user friendly than before. EQ8 is allowing me to discover options and tools I couldn’t find quickly within EQ7 which is beyond exciting. Designing my intricate Dog Series blocks and other various upcoming quilts in EQ8 just got a thousand times easier!
(EQ MAC user since 2015)

The tools palette is great, very easy to read and find what you need with the icon and a short description. The tips under the tools is very helpful, especially for new users with a description and how to use the tools on that palette.
Love the new look of the Sketchbook. So clean and easy to see the blocks and quilts. The ability to resize the Sketchbook windows is wonderful.
The new feature that calculates how many fat quarters required to make a quilt in the yardage calculation makes it so easy to use fat quarter collections or even small amounts of fabric in my stash.
Same wonderful program with a fresh new look and some added features. Easier to use and learn.

My favorite new feature happens to be the new ways fabric can be viewed. It is amazing how easy and fast it is to color a quilt design now that you can actually see a significant piece of the fabric.
The software is a magical pad of graph paper and colored pencils. What used to take hours of sketching and coloring (again and again) is now accomplished in a few clicks of a mouse, leaving more time to actually see your designs come to life. PS. EQ also does all the math for you… now what can be better than that???

Congratulations on your marvelous new EQ8! Just wanted to say “thank you” for making EQ8 so user friendly.
While I am still in the discovery mode, I have found so many improvements that make this design software even easier to use – having access to so many things at the click of a mouse without having to figure out an icon or drop down a menu. I especially appreciate all the changes to the printing module. As a paper piece quilter, I am thrilled with the changes – no more taping foundation paper together. It is worth the cost of the upgrade alone to be able to move sections around to fit on pages that won’t need to be taped together. I did also purchase the Lesson Book for Beginners, although I have been using EQ7 since 2014. It is very well written and most helpful for exploring all the changes. While I seldom write reviews, Electric Quilt has earned a five out five star rating with me!

I just downloaded EQ8 for Mac, upgrading from EQ7. I haven’t had a chance to actually do quilt designing, but had to say “Thank you very much” for this upgrade. You have clearly addressed the one issue that has been the most difficult for me: the interface. Even at first glance, EQ8 is clearly a huge “makeover”, taking advantage of many of the new user support features commonly offered by modern operating systems. I have always loved the functionality of EQ7, and now there is a spiffy interface to match! Thank you very much indeed!

I just want to say THANK YOU to the people at support. I am on a MAC, switching from EQ7 to EQ8 and your instructions have been wonderful. I had Add-on Libraries and was trying to figure out how to move them to EQ8 from EQ7. I went to the support page and went to Add-on Libraries and there were the instructions for the MAC. They were written step by step and I was able to follow them and move all of my fabric and products very easily. Using these instructions, I was able to make sure that both my MacBook Pro and my iMac had all of the components as neither one of them had all of the programs. I was able to use a stick (or whatever you call it) and move things around and now each machine is the same. How wonderful! I didn’t even get lost! Thank you for making EQ8 so easy for Mac users. You all and your program are stupendous!