Details

Video Overview

 

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Over 4,300 patterns to print in ANY size

BlockBase has virtually every pieced block published from 1836-1970 – over 4300 patterns, ready to print as patterns. The Electric Quilt Company has added hundreds of blocks to BlockBase to make sure it contains all pieced blocks from historic collections. Based on Barbara Brackman’s Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns.

BlockBase includes a fully-illustrated, 80 page user manual.

It’s easy! Find a block – click on it – choose Print – type the pattern size you want.

Print:

• any size
• as templates
• as numbered foundation blocks
• as rotary cutting instructions
• as whole block designs in color, grayscale or outlines

 

Export as bitmaps or enhanced metafiles — great for Web graphics or other projects. BlockBase even identifies which blocks are perfect for cutting with Marti Michell’s Perfect Patchwork Templates!

Special search categories include blocks perfect for:

• Reproduction Quilts
• Miniature Quilts
• Color Studies
• Optical Quilts
• Holidays

Search for:

• State blocks
• Anniversary or wedding blocks
• Occupations — find symbolic blocks perfect for your favorite lawyer, doctor, teacher or 30 other occupations
• All star, leaf, tree, flower, airplane, animal, butterfly blocks – or dozens of other searchable categories

 

It’s the ultimate quilting block resource!

Preview Designs

Sample designs in BlockBase

Click the sample below to open a PDF of some of the designs included on the CD.

Features

BlockBase Features

1. Over 4000 pieced block patterns
2. Amazing historical as well as pattern resource for quilters and quilt historians
3. Blocks categorized in 22 categories just as in the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns by Barbara Brackman
• (examples: Equal Nine Patch, Unequal 9 Patch Small Center, Unequal 9 Patch Large Center, Five- & Six-Pointed Stars, Eight-Pointed Stars, Stars, etc. each with subcategories)
• (Strip Quilts, One-Patch and Multi-Patch are only in the Encyclopedia)
4. Design Notes for blocks include Brackman I.D. number, Block names, and dates
5. Published Names include names, magazines or other sources, dates and some contact information for copyright notices
6. Create and save projects of blocks to find them again quickly
7. Export and save blocks as bitmaps of a size you specify
• export blocks as metafiles and make your own piecing diagrams
• separate metafile pieces in other programs to create piecing diagrams
8. Copy blocks as bitmaps to the Windows clipboard to paste into other Windows imaging programs
9. Export and save blocks as metafiles of a size you specify (great for teachers who want to make their own handouts!)
10. Copy blocks as metafiles to the Windows clipboard to paste into other Windows programs that accept vector images
11. Print blocks at any size as uncolored, white, grayscale, or colored blocks
12. Print blocks at any size as foundation/ paper piecing patterns, options include white or grayscale pattern sections, mirroring/flipping the printout depending on your technique, seperating pattern sections, printing as many small blocks on a page as will fit, printing with or without numbering, specifying with or without seam allowance and size of seam allowance, and changing the thickness of the lines
13. Print blocks at any size as templates, options include with or without seam allowance, size of seam allowance, and changing the thickness of the lines
14. Print blocks at any size as rotary cutting charts, options include choosing uncolored, grayscale, or colored version of block, specifying with or without seam allowance, and size of seam allowanceright-click on any block and view a quick quilt
15. Print block commercial template information for Marti Mitchell's Perfect Patchwork Templates, including possible block sizes, template sets required, and template pieces used
16. Printing blocks in any size makes it a powerhouse for miniature quilt makers
17. Quick Quilt option shows you how a one-block quilt would look with the block you choose
18. Search for blocks by Block Name (example: The Priscilla, Feathered Star, Broken Wheel, Kitty Corner, etc.)
19. Search for blocks by Brackman I.D. number (example: 1727a, 1270, I016, etc.)
20. Search for blocks with a certain word in their name (example: search for "beaut" returns 41 blocks including Water Beauty, Ladies Beautiful Star, Ohio Beauty, Black Beauty, Savannah Beautiful Star, and many more Beauties for different states or cities
21. Search for blocks by keyword search



Blocks perfect for reproduction quilts...	1785, 1795, 1805, 1815, ..., 1935, 1945
Blocks perfect for...	Color studies Miniature quilts Optical illusions Secondary designs
History	Colonial Times Historic characters Historic events ... Wild West
Holidays and Occasions	Birthdays, Christmas, Columbus Day, Easter, Father's Day, ... Valentine's Day
Home and Family	Baby, Children, Community, Father, ..., Pets, Women's names
Nature	Animals, Beach, Birds, ..., Water, Weather, Winter
Occupations	Accountant, Actor/Actress, Antique store owner, Architecht, ..., Teacher, TV or Radio employee, Waiter/Waitress, Weaver, Writer, Zoo Keeper
Recreation and Sports	Card playing, dancing, games, sewing, toys
Travel	Airplanes, Boats, Cities, Nationalities, States, Trains

22. Search for blocks by Source search (example: Nancy Cabot, Detroit Free Press, Good Housekeeping, etc.
23. Search for blocks then use the "Find in BlockBase" button to locate where this block is categorized. The result is finding other blocks with similar structure, piecing methods, appearance, and variations of the original block.
24. Linkable to EQ8 and EQ7. Blocks will appear in the Block Library.

Using with EQ

Using with EQ

All BlockBase blocks can be used in EQ. This lets you use EQ's design tools on the blocks, coloring the BlockBase blocks and setting them into quilt layouts.

Getting BlockBase blocks into EQ8 is easy. The two programs will link together, letting you open the BlockBase library from inside EQ. You can also gather up a group of blocks in BlockBase, save them together, then open that project up in EQ.



Many EQ users find BlockBase their favorite companion software because of the way it expands the block library by 4000 blocks.

System Requirements

System requirements for BlockBase

• Windows XP®, Windows Vista®, Windows 7®, Windows 8®, or Windows 10®
• 20 MB free hard disk space
• CD-ROM drive (No CD-ROM drive? Click here)

 

Compatible with EQ7 and EQ8 [but not required]
Will also run on a Macintosh® running Windows® plus emulation software (such as Parallels®)

Can I use BlockBase on my Mac?

To copy the BlockBase blocks, in order to access them from EQ8 for Mac, you must first have BlockBase installed on a Windows computer. (BlockBase is a Windows program. There is not a way to access the blocks directly from the CD.) Read more.

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