After investigating the ideas from you always helpful fellow quilters, I am returning the unopened EQ7 and have purchased (at half price) the downloadable Quilt-Pro 6. This is supposed to be easier to use, and at about $50 is much closer to our budget.

Thank you so much for your help!

I recently used it to design borders for a couple panel quilts, test out color options, play with my own block designs, and print paper piecing patterns for blocks with funny angles that I don't want to piece traditionally. I also debated the cost, since it is quite expensive, but find that I am using it for about 75% of the quilts I make.
Here is one that I designed in EQ7, using Carol Doak's blocks to find a layout that I liked.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]449416[/ATTACH]

[QUOTE=kaelynangelfoot;6432579]I recently used it to design borders for a couple panel quilts, test out color options, play with my own block designs, and print paper piecing patterns for blocks with funny angles that I don't want to piece traditionally. I also debated the cost, since it is quite expensive, but find that I am using it for about 75% of the quilts I make.
Here is one that I designed in EQ7, using Carol Doak's blocks to find a layout that I liked.
[ATTACH=CONFIG]449416[/ATTACH][/QUO

That is a beautiful quilt design. Love every aspect of it.TE]

I have EQ7 and love it. I used to belong to a EQ club and that was great because we had members who were really good and we did a challenge each month. That way, you had to check the manual to know what you were doing. I basically go to EQ when I want to do a new quilt and need to know how many block of this type; that type, etc. It is great because you can change blocks, colors really easy and find out what looks the best. Also use it a lot when I need to add borders, i.e. size, how many. etc. I really do not think it is complicated and believe me I am not a computer expert. There are times when I still have to check to manual and I have had it for five years,

That is absolutely amazing, and something I would never, ever attempt. I am what they call a "utility quilter" with no creative juices that I have discovered. Thank you for sharing!

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I use EQ7 a lot and love it! I did find it a bit of challenge at first but that quickly passed. I make a lot of quilts with panels and my own 3D designs and find it is SUPER helpful with that! I used it for my Crazy Diamond quilt here - http://www.quiltingboard.com/members...bums18726.html and this one I made for my SIL with a panel.

Rhonda here on QB created several tutorials on how to use EQ7. Check them out.

http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...n-t166726.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...k-t168115.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...s-t169245.html
http://www.quiltingboard.com/tutoria...c-t170104.html

There are a lot more ... just search through tutorials now that you know what to look for.

I use EQ7 quite a bit for different things.
Just yesterday I saw the quilt that someone made 1 year late for a wedding (the same one QuiltnNan posted a link to) and I drew that out in EQ and saved it for a future date.
I have been making the Omigosh quilt but wanted a different block than the Shoo-Fly block - I wanted a different secondary pattern. So I drew up a bunch of different blocks and inserted them with the double-nine-patch blocks to audition secondary patterns that I liked.
I wanted to audition various pieced borders for a quilt that was made out of a center printed panel. So I took a picture of the panel then made that the "quilt block" in EQ and designed a border around it.
I quite often will sketch out a quilt quickly and just swap colors around to audition colors. I've even photographed some of my fabrics and uploaded them to EQ so I could audition with *my* fabric.

I will say that it is not intuitive at first ... it did take me a while to figure out what was what in the system, but I did get and I love using it now.

You seem to feel that if you only use it once in a while you will regret the purchase. I would say return it because you won't enjoy using it feeling that way. I would go to Ebay and buy EQ5 for about $20. EQ5 is the same program just not as many extra features.

i've had my EQ since EQ5 and have never found a need to upgrade to EQ7.

I was disappointed to read that you'd decided to return it. I have both EQ6 and EQ7 and love it! I did not find it difficult to use AT ALL. The program itself contains tutorials, plus there are free tutorials here on the QB and online classes you can take. I didn't do any of those, just played with the program and taught myself. It was fun! There is an index, plus EQ has online forums with support and help sections.