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BLOCKBASE
for Windows
Review and How-to Informationby
Sharla Hicks © 2001 Screen Shot
from Blockbase 
Click on picture for larger view
Electric Quilt Company collaboration
with Barbara Brackman brings her book, Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns,
to Blockbase. The Blockbase CD has virtually all the pieced quilt patterns
published between 1836 and 1970 with historical data that includes names and origin
sources, over 4000 blocks. Blockbase has easy-to-use search options and
it will print a block to any size, with templates, and when applicable, it will
print rotary cutting instructions or paper piecing numbering and sections. The
operational buzzword for BLOCKBASE is EASE OF USE.Electric Quilt Company
has been making quilting software now for several years and they are very attentive
to the consumer's wishes. This shows in Blockbase because it is so easy to use.
You do not need to be computer guru or have lots of experience to run Blockbase.
The interface will guide you right through the program operations. BLOCKBASE
for Windows will let you search in multiple ways!There are 5 different
search icons. 
Each icon has a mouse over tip that helps you identify the search options. Hint:
To  see
the tip, hover the mouse over the icon without clicking and a tip will appear
identifying the icon operation. Or you can use the Search Menu. (See  )
- Search by the Historical Name found in the Brackman book
- Search
by the Number identification found in the Brackman book
- Search
by a Wildcard Word, this is any word that is in the title of a block. For
example, a search for the word star will select every block in the database that
has the star in its title.
 Search
by Keyword: This very powerful search has been added by Electric Quilt. It
has Search Categories and then Keyword topics for each category. If you are doing
a research project on reproduction quilts, you choose that category, if you are
looking for holiday blocks, select that category. Then each category has a series
of related keywords that bring up all blocks that can be associated with the keyword.
Choose from hundreds of words -- perfect for making state quilts, quilts for your
favorite teacher, minister, hunter, pilot, gardener, etc. Searching for teacher,
for example, brings up all blocks that would make a great symbolic theme quilt
for a teacher, such as "Schoolhouse," "Schoolgirl's Puzzle,"
and "Kindergarten Block."
 Search
by Source: This identifies all blocks found by source and will be helpful
to those who wish to create historically based quilts. HINT:
Save your searches or selected blocks in prj. files for future reference.
To save, use the Sketchbook icons. 
If these icons look familiar to the Electric
Quilt users it is because they are similar to the Sketchbook buttons found
in Electric Quilt and have the same functions.
The Sketchbook allows you to save multiple blocks to a file that can be saved
for future reference OR the prj. file can also be opened in Electric
Quilt 4. Use the mouse over tip to identify each icon's function. How
to use BLOCKBASE: Hint:
Use the icons to quickly find out the power behind Blockbase. The icons are
self identifying with mouse over tips that tell you the purpose of the icon.
- Use the Pattern Categories (see example on the right) to browse through
the 4000 blocks.
- Use the Search Icons to quickly find
the block style of choice.
- Use the Tabs at the bottom of the screen (below the
block window) to identify which part of the program you are working in.
- Identify your Pattern Category by looking above the
Block View Window:
-
Identify the selected block by clicking
on the icons 
to bring up the Published Name and the Historical Data.
Published Names | 
Historical Data |
-
 Preview
a single block quilt using the very handy feature found under the Block Menu.
(See ) Use the Quick Quilt
feature to preview a single block quilt. (See 
) 
Export
Blocks Export Blocks as bitmaps or .emf files.
-
Bitmaps are a generic picture file that can be used by
almost any program that will allows you to bring in a picture. -
.Emf files are formatted in a vector/object format. This format
sends block outline (no color) patches as arcs, squares, triangles, and rectangles
to other programs like Word and graphic programs like Adobe Illustrator and Corel
Draw. -
Many of the programs will allow you to
ungroup the patches/objects and manipulate them by moving, adding color, changing
the shape, etc. In Word, this allows you to create handout. There are instructions
for this in the Electric Quilt manual. Two
Methods to Export Blocks to Electric Quilt:
There are no Drawing Tools in Blockbase but by Importing a Blockbase block
into Electric Quilt a block can be modified using the EQ draw and paint tools
by changing lines, color, adding fabric and adding it to a quilt layout.
-
Blocks saved to a project file can be opened in Electric
Quilt. -
Upon installing Blockbase, a Blockbase
folder is added to the Electric Quilt Block Library and all Blockbase files can
be opened using EQ's block library options. Help Options for
learning BLOCKBASE:The Blockbase manual is 106 pages
of well written lessons and information on how to search, find out what's new
in Version 2 for Windows, and operations. 
Online help is extensive, well written, and easy to follow. Search the online
help by Content (see example to the left) and by index.
Find the online help by going to the top menu bar and selecting Help.
Printing options found in BLOCKBASE 
Each print options comes with the following choices:a.
Preview before printing b. Select size to print c.
Select Seam Allowance size d. Pattern Name or Number e.
Number of copies to print
Print block to size
using:
a. Line only
b. Color Block
c. Grayscale Block
d. Your
Choice: Identify the block by name or by number as shown in the Brackman book
Print Foundation Piecing Block options that
you can select to print your block:
a. Print numbers
b. Print as
many as Fit
c. Print units/sections that can be pieced
d. Mirror
e.
Print in Grayscale or Color
Print Rotary
Cutting Charts:
a. Includes size and number of patches to cut.
b.
Round cutting chart to the nearest 1/8 or 1/16.
Computer System Requirements: | 
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