It's time to make something out of these nice features. We will try to layout a page that will be graphically based on a checkerboard pattern, and we will add gradients here and there. We won't care too much about texts and images; we will just focus on what is most important for us right now. So let's first have a look at the result and then go on to the steps involved.
On an A5 page, begin by creating a 1 inch square: activate the Insert Shape tool and click to display a window in which you can specify the width and the height.
Go to Item | Multiple Duplicate. Specify that you need only one copy, and set Shift Created Item By at 1 both horizontally and vertically. Validate and you'll have a new square at the bottom-right corner of the first.
Select them both and group them with Ctrl + G.
Right-click on the group and choose Send to Patterns. You'll be prompted to give a name to your pattern: just type a name (for example, checkerboard...