EQ's BlockBase - Linked to EQ7/6/5

(First posted on the original Three Ducks website, this tour of EQ's BlockBase was written using EQ5 design software. However, the information will also apply to both EQ6 and EQ7.) 

The beauty of the BlockBase programme is that it can be used on its own or it can be linked to the EQ5 software programme. When linked to EQ5, BlockBase is accessed through the Block Libraries and the screenshot below shows you where BlockBase appears within those libraries.

Once linked, you can now use BlockBase as any other library within EQ5 and I will now show you how I found a perfect block for my imaginary doll quilt. I needed a block to fit with a four patch already in my sketchbook and so that is the category I went to in BlockBase. From the subcategories, I decided 'Block is a Star' might offer up something interesting and the block I chose is highlighted in green. According to Barbara Bachman's research, this block appeared under the name 'Optical Illusion' in the Farm Journal, a publication established in 1877.

From the library, I copied the block to the EQ5 sketchbook and then placed the block on the block worktable and it was automatically placed on EasyDraw. I decided to conduct minor surgery on the block and am in the processing of selecting and deleting a portion of the diagonal line from the corner blocks.

Once my block alterations were completed, I 'painted' my block using the 'Classic Appliqué Folk Art Palette' which was downloaded to the EQ5 palette library by the Folk Art Appliqué CD. These particular materials were designed by Marcus Brothers, Nancy Kirk, Anita Shackelford, Barbara Bachman & Terry Clothier Thompson, and Laura Wagner.

The finished block will be small so I have decided I would like to foundation paper piece it. Therefore, I chose that option when I clicked on the Printer icon on the worktable above. The window to the left is the print window. You will notice there are three tabs above the line pattern. On the Numbering tab I can choose to change the piecing numbers assigned by EQ5. On the Sections tab, I can change the number of larger piecing sections given to the block which in this case was four. On the Options tab, I can set my desired block size, pattern line thickness and a few other options. Once my choices are complete, I will click the Preview button.

Here is a preview of the Foundation Piecing templates given by EQ5 for my block. You will notice that there are four major piecing sections and if you could zoom in you would notice that each piece has a number. This corresponds to what was presented to me in the printing window above. If satisfied, I can now print my template and proceed to making my BlockBase block.

A second method of using BlockBase in EQ5 involves importing your BlockBase projects. When I was exploring the BlockBase categories and subcategories I saw a number of blocks I liked and so decided to save a copy of each in a 'Project' that I could return to later.

Above are those blocks in my Project. You will notice I have clicked on the last block which is why it is highlighted in white. The published names of the block appear in the left column and look at the last name: "Wild Ducks!"

I will now close the BlockBase programme and open up EQ5. The programme's opening dialog box is below. To bring my BlockBase project into EQ5, I am going to click on the folder button in the bottom left corner.

I will now follow a number of quick steps that will take me from EQ5 to BlockBase's project files on my hard drive. The steps for importing files into EQ5 are explained in the EQ5 Design Cookbook on page 5 (linking libraries is explained on page 120). As well, answers to questions on BlockBase and EQ5 can be found on the Electric Quilt Company website. You just need to go through the procedure once and all will make sense.

 

Here is my BlockBase project placed in my EQ5 sketchbook. I can place any of those blocks on the EasyDraw Worktable and alter them in any fashion I wish. Or, I can use them directly in a quilt design. I have decided I am quite happy with the blocks as there are and will go directly to designing my quilt.


For my quilt, I took advantage of EQ5's Layout Library. I went to 'Basics by Size' then to 'Double' and chose the 11" Blocks - 20 Total layout and copied it to my sketchbook and below is my finished quilt design.

Over the last few weeks as I have been putting these Classic Appliqué and BlockBase web pages together, I have noticed these colours coming up again and again. I think I had better make a quilt with them and get it over and done with!

I decided to make 'Wild Ducks' my main block in my quilt but none of the other blocks in the BlockBase project worked well with this block and I turned to the EQ5 block library for a block that would fit with the outer border of 'Wild Ducks.'

I went to 'Classic Pieced' and then to 'Nine Patch' and chose 'Star Variation.' I rotated both blocks using the 'Rotation' tool until they were on point and then painted the quilt.

I hope these two brief tours of BlockBase give you a good sense of how the programme works on its own and through the EQ5 software. It is a great resource and can be used in other applications as well when you export its files as bitmaps or metafiles. Hmm, is there another tour in the offing?