EQ6 - Setting Up My Fabric Library

At the time I was preparing my EQ6 tutorials on scanning fabrics, I turned to the User Manual to learn about setting up fabric libraries in 'My Library.' The instructions for adding and saving items are on page 144; for renaming libraries and styles see page 145; and, for deleting items and libraries see page 146.

The instructions are excellent and I had no problem as I added test libraries. However, there is a 'Notes' box on page 145 and the second note said that Libraries and Styles names would alphabetize themselves after you saved; well, the libraries did but no matter what I tried the styles names did not. So, I finally posted a question in the Info-EQ  forum and learned I was not making any mistakes. Apparently, the User Manual had to be at the printers three months before the software release date and between the time the manual was written and the software tweaking finished the alphabetizing of the styles was lost. However, for my needs, I think this has worked for the best.

Now, I wanted to organize the libraries before I started to upload fabric swatches; so, I had to have a clear idea of my needs and uses for the libraries. I want to be able to showcase fabric lines as they arrive and I also want to do my own designing with those fabrics. The above image shows the route I have takes which basically mirrors the way I have organized my fabrics in the Three Ducks Shopping Cart (and is very similar to the way EQ has organized its fabric libraries). I have created three libraries: 'Jo Morton by Colour', 'Jo Morton by Print', and 'Jo Morton by Fabric Lines'.

The toughest decision has been how to set up the styles under 'Jo Morton by Fabric Lines' and this has to do to the fact that you can only add or remove styles from the bottom of the list. If I started with the first lines of fabric to arrive then as the line was depleted I wouldn't be able to remove the style although I could rename it and insert another fabric line; but, I could end up with a real mix-up if some lines sold out faster than others. So, in the end, I have decided to begin with the latest line to arrive and work back and I will create a new library - JM Fabric Lines 2 - and reverse the process as lines arrive in the future. As I said, there is no perfect solution to this for me. However, explaining this to you may help you when you go to set up and organize your own libraries.

As you can see above, I have uploaded the Cocoa Express line of fabrics. As I work with these fabrics, it is important that I know the fabric line and individual fabric number for each swatch; I would like this information to display as a tooltip when I hover the cursor over the fabric (as it does with the fabrics in the EQ fabric libraries). To accomplish this, I must click on the fabric swatch and then click on 'Notecard' on the menu bar below it.

Here is the Notecard for one swatch and it opened with two pieces of information: a) the Reference - which is the name I gave my .jpeg image when I saved it and b) the Library where I have initially saved the image. Even though this is the information I want for the swatch, I don't want to keep opening Notecards to get it; but, if I type the information I want in the 'Name' line (red arrow) and close the Notecard then I will get that pop-up tooltip.

Now, as you can see in the above image, when I place my cursor over the fabric swatch I am now told the name of the fabric line and the ordering number of the fabric. Perfect! Isn't the EQ6 software wonderful! I will have to do this for each fabric swatch but in the long run it will be worth the few minutes it takes.

I also want to place my Coca Express fabric swatches in the 'JM by Colour' library so that they are available when I am doing my own designs and am looking for fabrics within colourways. I can do this right from Cocoa Express library without repeating the Import process.

I am going to click on the first swatch, hold down the 'Shift' key on the keyboard and click on the last swatch which will select all the swatches. I then click on 'Copy' (#1) and open up the 'JM by Colour' library and click on 'Browns' (#2) and then click on 'Paste' (#3).

The entire Cocoa Express line is now duplicated in the 'Browns' library. To make this permanent, I then click on 'Save Library'. If you forget to save your library, don't worry because EQ will prompt you with lots of bells and whistles as soon as you go to move away from the library to do something else...LOL!! So, if you want to avoid those bells and whistles hit 'Save Library' after you do the pasting.

I am not finished with those Cocoa Express swatches. I have also created a library called 'JM by Print' and in this library I have styles renamed: Backgrounds, Plaids, Paisleys, Stripes, Small Prints, Large Prints. This will help me locate a fabric when I have a specific effect in mind or purpose such as a background.

Coca Express has four striped fabrics that I would like to copy to the 'JM by Print' library. I went back to the Cocoa Express Fabric line library to do this but I could have stayed with the 'Browns' library as well. I click on the first striped fabric to select it and then hold down the 'Control' (Ctrl) key on the keyboard and select the three remaining striped swatches. Again, I will click 'Copy', click on the 'JM by Print' library, click on 'Stripes' and then click on 'Paste'.

To avoid the bells and whistles, I click on 'Save Library' and the four striped Cocoa Express swatches are now permanently placed under 'Stripes' in the 'JM by Prints' library.

That's about it for adding fabric swatches to 'My Library'. There is no limit to how many Libraries you can create or to how may Styles you can add to each individual library. However, at the bottom of page 144 you are told "not to add more than 254 items to any style".

Now, I am going to go for a walk since the sun is shining and when I get back I will scan some more fabrics for my new fabric libraries. I want to have all my lines completed before I start my EQ6 course at Quilt University on April 16th. And, guess what! I have enrolled in a second course - "EQ6 Building Blocks" with Fran Gonzalez which will get underway on May 7th. This is going to be so much fun!