dmackey

Here is how you get more blocks into a Quilt Wizard design.

I use a grid of small squares for the whole quilt. So, if I have a block that is 5 patches across and down and I need 6 of them in a row, the grid across would have 30 squares across, and down would be 7 blocks so it would be 35 squares, and make them in the proper size.

In each square, I put the patch needed to make the block. So if I were to make a Sister's choice quilt block, then in the first square I would put my background color, in the second square, I would put an HST (from the block selection) and turn it the right way, then the next square would have a solid block of the fabric color, then the next an HST, turned as needed, then another background block, etc. So, the first row of patches needed to create the SC block, is actually made from the quilt block selection, just in miniature. SAVE AS YOU GO! If you want to make changes, but keep the original design, then change the name of the file before you save it after making the changes.

Basically, I do the design by patches to create the block I want if it is not a choice in QW. When changing block sizes, such as a large star and then two smaller stars, you do the same thing, just use more squares for the bigger star. If the designed quilt is much bigger than you can get into the squared grid, then make 4 different grids, each one consisting of one fouth of the quilt, upper and lower left, and upper and lower right.

Another thing you can do is to choose the right blocks needed, but color them to correctly match the quilt you want to design. Let's say it is a rail fence with 4 rails, but what you need is a block with TWO rectangles. Then you would use the 4 rail block and color the two rails on the left, one color, and the two rails on the right, the other color and it looks like a two patch block.

My QW is on a PC that runs Win2000. It is offline now but I still use it for quilting and saving files for quilting patterns and information.

Diane