Dragon Friends Quilt: Plan, Subcut & Design with EQ8

Have you ever fallen in love with a fabric panel—only to realize you’d rather cut it apart and use those smaller sections in a quilt? Then the questions start rolling in:

How large should each cut be?

And what will the finished quilt actually look like?

Ideally, we’d answer those questions before making that first cut into our fabric. The good news? With a little help from Electric Quilt 8, you can do exactly that.

​In this tutorial, I’ll walk you through the process step-by-step—so you can confidently plan your panel quilt before picking up your rotary cutter.

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Inspired by a Beautiful Design

The quilt featured in this tutorial was designed by Mary Groesbeck, a talented designer and owner of Womancave Design. Her creative use of a panel makes this project both playful and practical.​

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Choosing Your Panel & Fabrics

Mary selected the Dragon Friends panel from In the Beginning Fabrics—and it’s still available if you’d like to create your own version.

When working with panels, it’s helpful to begin by auditioning fabrics directly in Electric Quilt:

• Start with a background fabric that complements the panel.
• Try searching for “Watercolor” fabrics within EQ to find soft, coordinating prints that enhance the design without overpowering it.

​This digital auditioning step can save time—and prevent second-guessing later.

Dragon Friends Panel from In the Beginning Fabrics (click on picture for link)

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Subdividing the Panel

One of the most important steps is determining how to cut your panel.

In the video, I demonstrate how to:

• Accurately size the panel in EQ
• Create a quilt layout that matches those dimensions
• Plan your cuts before touching the fabric

For this quilt, I chose blocks that finish at 10" x 10", which means:

• Cut size: 10-1/2" x 10-1/2"
• Finished size: 10" x 10"

​Placing these blocks on Layer 3 in EQ gives you a clear visual plan and even provides a helpful cutting guide for your panel.

Panel Cutting Layout Designed in Electric Quilt 8

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Drafting the Blocks

This quilt uses two simple 12" x 12" blocks:

Block 1: Framed Panel Block

• Use EasyDraw
• Add a 1" frame around the edges

Block 2: Appliqué Accent Block

• Use EasyDraw Plus Appliqué
• On the appliqué tab, draw two overlapping circles with the Ellipse tool
• On the EasyDraw tab, add an on-point square

​These blocks add variety while keeping the focus on the panel imagery.

Dragon Friends Frame Block

Dragon Friends On Point Square with Applique Block

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Building the Quilt Layout

Set up your quilt using the Horizontal Strip layout:

• Strip 1:
  Width: 12" | Height: 48"
  Style: Pieced Blocks | Blocks: 4
• Strip 2:
  Width: 12"
  Style: Half Drop Blocks | Blocks: 4
• Strips 3 & 4:
  Clone Strip 1

Borders:

• Border 1: 4" Long Horizontal
• Border 2: 1/2" Mitered

​Once your layout is ready, head to the Design tab to place your blocks.

Dragon Friends Quilt Layout

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Bringing It All Together

• Use 8 framed panel blocks and 7 appliqué blocks
• Rotate some of the appliqué blocks for visual movement
• Use the Fussy Cut feature to highlight different dragons within each framed block

​This is where the design really comes to life—each block can showcase a unique part of the panel.

Using Block Tools and Fabric Tools on the Design Tab

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Adding Text for a Personal Touch

To make the quilt even more special:

• Switch to Layer 2
• Use the Text Tool to add wording to the half-drop blocks in Strip 2
• Choose any font installed on your computer (I used Comicy in the video)
• Use the Adjust tool to refine size and placement

​
This is a great opportunity to personalize the quilt with a name, phrase, or message.

Set Text on Layer 2

Adjust Text on Layer 2

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Watch the Full Video Tutorial

​Be sure to watch the full video for a complete walkthrough of each step—from panel setup to final design.

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The Finished Quilt

The final quilt is bright, fun, and full of personality—perfect for a baby quilt or a special gift for a child.

Dragon Friends Quilt Designed in EQ8

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Your Turn

What would you do with this panel?
​
I’d love to see your ideas and designs. Feel free to share your creations in the Learning EQ Facebook group and get inspired by others in the community.

Dragon Friends Panel Post in the Learning EQ Facebook Group

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​​​​Happy quilting.

​Kari

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