BLOCKBASE for Windows
Review and How-to Information
by 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:
System Requirements:
-
Windows 95* / 98 / 2000 / ME / XP / Vista
-
Runs on non-networked Windows NT
-
11 MB free hard disk space
-
16 MB RAM suggested
-
Monitor capable of 800x600 resolution or higher
-
CD-ROM drive
*Windows 95 requires Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
(download the most current version of Internet Explorer for free from
www.microsoft.com)
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