Quiltingboard Forums - Rhonda's Electric Quilt Class - Week 5

More Blocks and Tools

Ok now that you know how to scan your fabrics into your EQ let's consider some more ways to use them.

When you save your blocks in the sketchbook you may see a blank block with lines but no color. This is because you have saved the basic block. If you find the little arrows below your blocks in the sk you can click on the right arrow and it will change the blank block to the next color combo. In your sketchbook the EQ will save up to 10 differant blocks in the same spot. You just have to use the arrows to see them.

When you are changing colors in a quilt block or a quilt and you save it to your sketchbook - it will save the color combos you used in your blocks as well as in the quilt.

The block in the last row in the middle started out blank. Then I used the rt arrow and you can see the next two blocks in that stack.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/images/SK11.jpg http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/images/SK2.jpg http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/images/SK3.jpg

I have been asked how to create a quilt block that you can "plug in" to a quilt. I'll show you how I do it. If there is a better way to do it I am not aware of it. But I keep saying I am not an expert just sharing with you what I know how to do. I do know you can merge a quilt block into another quilt block in EQ7 but I am going to wait to explore some of the more advanced features in EQ7 for later. Right now I want to keep focused on the things all 3 versions have in common.

So now let's look at how to create a quilt block that can be placed into a quilt layout.

Click on Worktable
Click on Block
Click on New Block
Now find the grid tool in the left side tool bar
Click on Grid and you will then see the menu with Grid Setup
Click on Grid Set up

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/images/Grid.jpg http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/images/GridSetup.jpg

Now you should see the Grid Set up Window
Change the number to what you want it to be.
http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...etupWindow.jpg
Starting in the top left corner of the block click on the corner and hold it down and draw it down over the block to the bottom right hand corner. This will cover your block with the grid.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...idstarting.jpg

Once you have the grid ready now for the quilt block I want to create here:

Change the grid to a 2 x 2 grid.

Now click on the top left corner of the first block. Cover it with the grid.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...ng4x4Blank.jpg

Continue placing the 2 x 2 grid in the appropriate squares.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...x4with4x4s.jpg

Now place the lines for the HSTs. (Half square triangles)

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...thHSTlines.jpg

I use the skethbook to keep track of what I am creating or in this case recreating.

I look at the quilt block in the sketchbook and then I close the sketchbook and work on the block again. I keep checking back with the original quilt block so I have all the lines and colors in the right places.

When you are happy with the look of your Block then make sure to save it in the sketchbook.
Since you created this quilt block within a Block you now will find this quilt block in the Block section of your sketchbook not the quilt section.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...Quiltblock.jpg

Here is the first quilt block I used

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...ltBlock222.jpg

Here is the quilt layout where I placed the same quilt block over and over again.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...4blocksOne.jpg

And here I turned the blocks to get a differant look

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...ocks222TWO.jpg

Here I clicked on layout and added the sashing back in so you could see the individual quilt blocks. I used 2.00 for the size of the sashing and I turned it all white so it would disappear leaving the space.

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...shing22222.jpg

Here is a second color combo of the same quilt block

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/images/QuiltBlock.jpg

And here is a layout where I put this quilt block into the quilt layout

http://www.patchworkbyrhonda.com/ima...blockGreen.jpg

I hope this wasn't confusing to anyone. It really is easy to do.

It is all about doing small bites at a time.

Choose a quilt block and then
use your block to put lines in your block to recreate the quilt block you liked.
Then once it is a Block you can place it in your quilt layout as many times as you like.
Or you can mix and mingle several differant quilt blocks.

Make sure you remember to save your blocks as you go so you can go back and refer to them.

I hope this has opened up some possibilities for you all to be creative and explore more of your EQ program!

Here is the PDF file for you to download