If you have ever thought about getting the quilt design software from Electric Quilt, this post is for you. The EQ8 Starter Box is a new offer from Electric Quilt that gathers everything you need to design your own quilts and projects, with extra goodies in one box, all at a discounted price! The great folks at EQ sent me a Starter Box so I could show it to you, and we’ll have a giveaway for one, too!
Opening the box, the excitement begins.
First, a quick overview of what you’ll find to install the software, learn a bit of how to use the worktables and begin designing right away. You learn about the included one-year EQ8 membership in the Starter Box which includes FREE Stash downloads, everyday discounts on products and classes, extra savings during sales, and a free gift! EQ Members receive all upcoming Stash downloads for FREE during their membership term, which means hundreds of fabrics to add to your fabric library.
Setting the Welcome folder aside and lifting the tissue, we next see the software package and a mouse pad! What fun!
An overview of the power of this program is inside. You can do so much with EQ8! You can design blocks and quilts, import fabric images, calculate yardage, export images and print patterns. For me, this is invaluable as I write patterns for not only my Scrap Dancing series, but also those sent to magazines for publication.
Just look at the features of the software! Plus online video lessons help you learn to use the program quickly.
Several flyers are included giving you more information and product codes to redeem with your EQ account.
And then, a book worth its weight in gold! The EQ8 Lessons for Beginners book has easy to follow, step by step lessons to help you get the most from the software.
Beginning with worktable basics for the block worktable and the quilt worktable, follow along with each step to be designing in no time.
Chapter 2 expands on the basics with more features.
Chapter 3 gives you more flexibility with block designs adding curves and applique.
Chapter 4 is a wealth of tips and tricks to have you utilizing even more of this powerful program.
The EQ8 Starter Box is truly “EQ for You!” The contents were curated with new Electric Quilt software users and designers in mind. The box includes:
Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) Software – The company’s complete quilt‑design software, providing robust features for creating blocks, quilt layouts, fabric colorways, and custom designs.
EQ8 Lessons for Beginners Book – A best‑selling, fully illustrated, spiral-bound lesson book that offers clear, step‑by‑step guidance to help users learn the software at their own pace.
Simple Starts Add‑On for EQ – A download for EQ8 software that includes beginner‑friendly projects for design inspiration.
1-Year EQ Membership Voucher – Access to free fabric downloads for EQ8, exclusive member discounts, free yearly gift, and other members-only perks.
Instructional Videos and Printed Guides – Easy-to-follow visual and written instructions to help users get started designing right away.
EQ Mouse Pad & Sticker – Trendy and fun extras that will brighten your sewing room or computer workspace.
With guided instruction, in both video and printed formats, those who are new to designing quilts on the computer can dive in with confidence and start putting their ideas on the screen.
Celebrate Mother’s Day this year by treating yourself to this complete package for turning your ideas into reality—a $336.80 value for just $276.95! Click on EQ8 Starter Box to order for yourself or someone special!
Now, for the exciting giveaway! Electric Quilt will send an EQ8 Starter Box to one lucky winner including everything you see on this post! To enter the giveaway, simply leave a comment on this post and tell us what you would like to design if you are the winner. Maybe you fancy a traditional block quilt, an applique design, a paper pieced block, or a modern setting with an asymmetrical layout and lots of negative space. All of these and more are possible in EQ8. You have until Sunday, May 3 at noon to enter. A winner will be randomly drawn later that afternoon and notified via email. The winner will have 24 hours to respond to the email, or another winner will be chosen. Good luck!!
From My Carolina Home 
what a wonderful giveaway! I work with QOV and make kits for our chapter members. I would love this to help design patterns for patriotic quilts!
I do some designing and I rely on graph paper and pencil. It would be fun to try EQ8. I am anticipating the arrival of my first grandchild and will be working on a special quilt.
I have a large applique eagle pattern that I’d love for a center medallion to celebrate the USA’s 250th birthday. I’m thinking some EPP blocks to help with the surround but would love to play with EQ8 to see what I could come up with. I love what you do with your patterns and would like to give it a go myself. Thanks for the opportunity to win the EQ8 Starter Box!
What a fantastic deal! If someone’s not a designer now, that will surely help them become one.
I’d design a basket block quilt.
I would love to learn EQ. I find that now retired, I have extra time in the evenings that this may be fun to learn. BTW, I have followed you for years and LOVE your posts for my morning starter. It’s inspiring to see how you work so much neat stuff into one day. My favorites are your unique apron and large bags made from my dog food and bird seed bags. Thank you so much.
I would design a FPP longhorn cow.
Thanks for the chance to win!
That is a fantastic deal! I would love to design some quilts to use up my stash! I would also like to challenge my mind to learn something new and be creative at the same time!
awesome giveaway! Someone will be extremely blessed.
I would create a quilt with ‘envelope’ blocks as they were gifted to me and I keep side eyeing them.
I would design a quilt for my king sized bed
We are having our first grand baby, a girl! I am going to make a quilt and would love to use EQ8 to design and make it special.
I would use it to design quilts to make using my hand embroidered blocks. This version looks more user friendly.
Great overview and I have heard great things about EQ8. My sister is starting to quilt now too and we would love to give this a try! Thank you .
If I were to use it, I’d like to try paper piecing of my own designs.
I love scrap quilts so being able to play with coloring options before cutting fabric would be fun.
I would design blocks for paper piecing, trying various color combinations.
i would like to design FPP quilt blocks!
What a generous offer from EQ8. Congratulations to anyone who wins. I am working on a quilt for my grandson for graduation; and spent my afternoon yesterday refreshing my EQ8 skills. I love the ability to “change colors” in my blocks and see how it changes the whole look of the quilt.
I currently create blocks in my Silhouette Studio software. Not ideal for determining finished/unfinished sizing, but it works. Would love to see what EQ8 can do.
I know that I would design traditional quilts. I’m excited to try different layouts and color combinations.
I make lots of community quilts. I would use EQ8 to design fast cutting, fast piecing quilts.
I have lots of BOM blocks made, so I need to design layouts for them.
I would like to design an appliqué quilt with flowers.
With this I could finally translate some ideas into abstract flower blocks to showcase hand-dyed fabrics.
it would be fun to design traditional combinations and appliqué blocks thanks
It looks and sounds fabulous. I’d design a pair of baby quilts for twins that were recently born in the family.
I have thought about EQ for years. I would make a traditional quilt. They are my favorites!
I have a sizable stash and would love to design unique ways to showcase these beautiful fabrics that I’ve collected!
I’ve waffled on buying EQ8 for so long! I’d use it for designing quilts for QOV. It would be very useful to see how different blocks can work (or not work) together, change & move colors, re-size blocks or add/subtract borders to get the desired size, etc.