Upsy Daisy Quilt: A New EQ8 Tutorial Inspired by an AI Quilt Design

June 8 is National Upsy Daisy Day, a lighthearted holiday that encourages us to greet the day with enthusiasm, gratitude, and optimism. Founded in 2003 by Stephanie West Allen, the celebration is all about bouncing out of bed with a smile and embracing life's adventures.

To celebrate this cheerful occasion, I designed a new EQ8 project featuring oversized daisies and colorful pieced bars. The quilt combines simple piecing with applique and is a great opportunity to practice both drafting and quilt design skills in Electric Quilt 8.

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Finding Inspiration for the Upsy Daisy Quilt

The inspiration for this quilt came from an AI-generated image that appeared in my Facebook feed. Lately I've been exploring how artificial intelligence can be used as a source of creative inspiration for quilt design.

One interesting aspect of AI-generated images is that they generally are not eligible for copyright protection because they are not created solely by human authorship. That makes them excellent practice material for learning drafting techniques in EQ8.

However, there is an important distinction. While the AI image itself may not be copyrighted, the quilt pattern you create from that image can be. Likewise, tutorials, videos, and instructions showing how to draft a design based on an AI image can also be protected by copyright.

​In other words, several quilters could begin with the same AI-generated image and each create a unique, copyrightable pattern. What cannot be copied is another designer's finished pattern or instructions.

AI Generated Image with Daisies found on Facebook

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Drafting the Pieced Block in EQ8

Begin by creating the pieced block in EasyDraw.

• Set the block size to 6" x 30".
• Set the snaps to 6 x 15.
• Under Snapping Options, select Snap to Grid only.
• Draw a horizontal line at 20".
• Use the Grid tool to place:
  • A 1 x 10 grid in the upper section.
  • A 1 x 5 grid in the lower section.
• Add random vertical lines within the bars at either 2" or 4" intervals. Leave some bars unpieced for variety.

The goal is to create a casual, modern arrangement rather than a perfectly balanced design.

​Color the block and add it to your Sketchbook.

Draw tab in EasyDraw with Pieced Block

6" x 30" Pieced Block

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Creating the Daisy Motif

Next, create the flower as an Applique Motif.

• Set the block size to 8" x 12".
• Choose Snap to Node and Auto-Join Segments When Drawing.

Using the Petal shape:

1. Drag a petal onto the worktable.
2. Use the Edit tool to adjust the petal curves.
3. Select the petal and open Wreathmaker.
4. Set the number of clusters to 12.
5. Adjust the spacing and size until the petals overlap slightly.

Wreathmaker Daisy

To create the stem and leaves:

1. Select the Bezier Curve tool.
2. Draw the stem and one leaf.
3. Refine the shapes using the Edit tool.
4. Clone and flip the leaf to create the second leaf.
5. Resize, rotate, and position the leaves as desired.

​Convert the stem to a patch using Brush Stroke. Adjust the Minimum Width and Boldness settings until the stem has the appearance you want.
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Color the motif and save it to your Sketchbook.

Wreathmaker Daisy with Added Leaves

Using the Brush Stroke to Create the Stem

Upsy Daisy Day Applique Motif

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Assembling the Quilt Layout

With both blocks complete, it's time to create the quilt.

1. Start a new quilt using a Custom Set layout.
2. On the Layout tab, set the center size to 14" x 30".
3. On the Borders tab, choose Mitered Borders and set the border size to 0.5".
4. On Layer 1:
   • Place the pieced block on the left side.
   • Add a plain block on the right and resize it to fill the remaining space.
5. Switch to Layer 2 and add three copies of the daisy motif.
6. Turn on Preserve Aspect Ratio and reduce the width to 7".
7. Use the Adjust tool to rotate and overlap the flowers for a more natural arrangement.

Save the completed quilt.

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Watch the Video Tutorial

I've created a step-by-step video showing the entire drafting process in EQ8. Follow along as we build the pieced block, create the daisy motif, and assemble the finished quilt layout.

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Construction Tips

Pieced Block

Print the rotary cutting chart for the pieced block and cut the pieces according to the chart.

Sew the individual bars first, then join the bars together to complete the block. The unfinished block should measure 6-1/2" x 30-1/2".

Rotary Cutting Chart

Daisy Applique

Print the block pattern and templates from EQ8.

If you plan to use fusible applique, print the templates without seam allowances. Cut the pieces and use the printed block image as a placement guide.

Secure the applique using your preferred stitch. My personal favorite is a blind hem stitch with both the width and length set to 1.0.

Print Block Output - Showing Fabrics

Print Template Output

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Make It Your Own

One of the joys of quilt design is personalizing a project to fit your style. Here are a few ideas to get you started:

Swap Out the Pieced Block

Replace the 6" x 30" pieced block with five 6" square blocks. Use a favorite block repeated five times, or create a sampler with five different blocks.

Experiment with New Flowers

The daisy is just the beginning. Explore Posy Maker and other applique tools to create entirely different floral motifs. Be warned—Posy Maker can become wonderfully addictive!

Share Your Upsy Daisy Quilt

I'd love to see your version of the Upsy Daisy Quilt. Whether you follow the tutorial exactly or put your own creative spin on it, be sure to share your project in the Learning EQ Facebook Group.
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I've created a special post where you can upload your designs and inspire other EQ users.

Upsy Daisy Day Post on Learning EQ Facebook Group

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