4 Creative Ways to Use Charm Squares in a Quilt (EQ8 Tutorial)

Over the years, I’ve collected more charm packs than I care to admit—and even went through a phase of cutting my own 5" squares from leftover fabric. There’s just something irresistible about those little bundles that showcase an entire fabric collection in perfectly coordinated pieces.
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In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to draft a charm-friendly quilt design using Electric Quilt 8. It’s the perfect opportunity to dive into your stash—or give yourself a great excuse to pick up a new charm pack or two.

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What is a Charm Pack?

A charm pack is a bundle of pre-cut 5" x 5" fabric squares, typically including around 42 pieces from a single designer collection. Because the fabrics are already coordinated, charm packs make it easy to jump right into sewing without spending time on fabric prep.
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They’re perfect for scrappy quilts, small projects, or any design where you want a variety of fabrics with a cohesive look.

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Fabric Selection

For the video tutorial, I used Wildflower Cottage by Renee Nanneman for Andover. Fabric downloads for this collection are available at Do You EQ.

Do You EQ Wildflower Cottage Collection

If your style leans more modern, you might enjoy Cheeto’s World by Kimberly Einmo for Benartex—a bold, vibrant collection that brings a completely different feel to the same design.

Do You EQ Cheeto's World Collection

Wildflower Cottage Fabrics

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Cutting Up Your Charm Squares

Each charm square starts at 5" x 5". From there, you have a couple of options:

• Cut in half:
  Two pieces at 2-1/2" x 5"
  (unfinished size: 2" x 4-1/2")
• Cut into quarters:
  Four pieces at 2-1/2" x 2-1/2"
  (unfinished size: 2" x 2")

​For this design, I challenged myself to use both sizes in the same block.

Cutting Charms in Half

Cutting Charms into Quarters

Tip:  You could also cut these patches from Jelly Roll strips.

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Designing Your Charm Friendly Block in EQ8

Follow these steps to draft the block:

1. On the Block Worktable, select New Block > Pieced > EasyDraw.
2. Set the following: 
   • Block size to 4" x 9"
     
   • Snaps: 8 x 18 (every 1/2")
     
   • Enable Snap to Grid only.
3. Use the Grid Tool to create a 2 x 2 grid.
4. Add diagonal lines in each corner.
5. Color the block—try a consistent background fabric in the corners for a clean look.

Drafting the EasyDraw Block

Charm Friendly Block

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Four Quilt Layout Ideas

One block -- four very different looks!

Layout 1: Vertical Strip  

• Create a Vertical Strip Quilt with 7 strips.
• Alternate between:
  • Pieced blocks
  • Half-drop blocks (for movement and interest)
• Add three borders:
  • 1" inner
  • 4" middle
  • 1/2" mitered outer

Vertical Strip Layout

Charm Quilt Layout 1

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Layout 2 Vertical Strip (Modified)

Rotate the blocks in each strip to create a fresh design.
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Tip:
This version works best if you cut using templates from EQ, and you’ll need mirrored pieces—so consider cutting charms in pairs with right sides together.

Charm Cut #1

Charm Cut #2

Background Charm Cut

Rotated Block 4" x 9" (finished size)

Charm Quilt Layout 2

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Layout 3 Horizontal

• Set up a Horizontal Quilt
• 9 blocks across, 1 block down
• Block size: 4" x 9"
• Add borders:
  • 1" inner
  • 3" middle
  • 1/2" mitered outer

Charm Quilt Layout 3

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Layout 4 Horizontal (Modified)

Rotate every other block to add movement and visual interest.

Charm Quilt Layout 4

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Video Tutorial

Be sure to watch the full video tutorial for step-by-step guidance on drafting the block and creating all four layouts.

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Try It with Different Fabric Collections

I had so much fun testing this design with different fabric lines. Here are a few variations using Layout 1:

• Coral Reef by Deborah Edwards & Melanie Smara for Northcott
• Cheeto’s World by Kimberly Einmo for Benartex
• Winnie the Pooh by Echo Park for Riley Blake

​Each one creates a completely different look with the exact same block!

Coral Reef Fabric in Charm Quilt

Cheetos World Fabric in Charm Quilt

Winnie the Pooh Fabric in Charm Quilt

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Piecing Your Basic Charm Block

Step 1

Sew together four 2-1/2" x 5" rectangles.
Your unit should measure 4-1/2" x 9-1/2".

Step 1

Step 2​
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Add 2-1/2" background squares to two opposite corners.
Sew diagonally and press toward the corners.

Step 2a

Step 2b

Step 3​
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Repeat for the remaining two corners.

Step 3a

Step 3b

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Your Turn to Play

Now it’s your turn—which charm pack will you use?
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I’d love to see what you create! Share your quilt in the Learning EQ Facebook group. I’ve created a dedicated post just for your projects.

Learning EQ Facebook Group Post for Charm Squares Quilt

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Happy quilting.

​Kari

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