Blockbase - quilt block software

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Blockbase Software by EQ

Be sure to visit our tutorial page for more help.

Blockbase II is the Windows Version of Barbara Brackman's Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. This collection of quilt blocks represents her 20-year research of quilt blocks and includes virtually every pieced block published from 1835-1970.

This program, available on a CD, includes over 4,000 quilt block patterns, searchable by name, style or the number she assigned to that blocks. If any history is known, you can learn the history of blocks such as when they were first printed, by whom and also what other names they are known as. You can print the block as shown, or in gray scale or as a line drawing, alter it or draw your own blocks. Blockbase will also create and let you print templates for the blocks and will give you rotary cutting instructions.

BlockBase sorts the blocks into categories. When you search for a block by name, you may see the same name listed several times because they're called that name by more than one source. There may not actually be as many blocks as you see listed.

When you open the BlockBase categories in the EQ Block Library categories, you will see that every category has a page where the name of the page is the same name as the book. There are no blocks on this page as it is does a place holder. You will also notice there are two BlockBase books named "Miscellaneous" and two named "Realistic." The first Miscellaneous book is the actual Miscellaneous category in BlockBase. The second Miscellaneous book includes the Whole Top Designs. The linking of BlockBase to EQ gives you 22 books. These books represent the categories in BlockBase, arranged alphabetically. The pages and blocks in these books are in the order they appear in BlockBase.

To find a particular block in BlockBase and work on it in EQ, it is easiest to locate it in BlockBase first, using the search tools. (If your search box has teeny letters, contact tech support for a fix.) Save it as a BlockBase project, then open that project in EQ. Use Save as to resave the project in EQ. Please note: you cannot design a quilt in BlockBase, nor can you estimate yardage for a quilt. Blockbase projects can be imported into EQ but the reverse is NOT true. EQ projects can't be opened in BlockBase. If you take a Blockbase project to EQ, you can add blocks to it by opening it in EQ then clicking on Libraries/Block Library. Double click on BlockBase, then open the individual library to select the block(s) to add. Choose " Save As", make sure you are in the EQ project directory, give your project a name, and you will now be able to access it as a separate project in the EQ project directory.

This also works for adding BlockBase blocks to an existing EQ project. You should be able to access Blockbase blocks from EQ. When installing Blockbase, the final question will be "do you want to reboot your computer." Answer NO. If you don't, your Blockbase will not properly connect into your EQ libraries. If you answered NO, but your BlockBase libraries still don't show up, double check to make sure you have EQ.1. If you have 4.0, a free upgrade is available at their website.

New Blockbase programs (as well as Stash) are shipping with a copy of EQ Doctor. This is a free utility which will restore defaults and link programs. Before EQ Doctor was available, linking EQ to other programs depended on installing newer programs before older programs. In other words, to link SP1&2 to EQ you had to first have SP1 & 2 installed, then install EQ. Installing them in the reverse order did not make the link. Now, with the Doctor, you can install programs in any order, then ask the Doctor to link them. The Doctor will also fix you up if you find you can't get into EQ. If you did not received EQ Doctor with BlockBase, you can download the utility for free.

Please note: EQ Doctor is not designed to help you with "illegal operation" errors. These are caused either an error in your drawing or a conflict between EQ and another program. If there is a conflict, try using CTRL-ALT-DELETE to find out what other programs are running every time this happens.

If you have BlockBase, you are eligible to download a free Screensaver. (If it goes too fast, click here for help in slowing it down.) If BlockBase was installed somewhere other than the default, you'll see the marquee message, "GO CONFIGURE" instead of quilt block images. To configure:
1 Click the Settings button. The configure dialog box will appear.
2 Click on the Browse button and locate the drive and folder where you installed your BlockBase program.
3 Be sure to select the LIB folder.
To control the speed of your blockbase quilt show, Click on Start - Settings - Control Panel - Display - Screen Saver - Settings button. The slider bar changes the BlockBase screen saver from "Faster" to "Slower."

Can I use the free BlockBase screen saver in XP?

The Blockbase screen saver runs under XP, however, you have to be very quick...The blocks spin in and disappear at a much faster rate than on Win98 or 95. There is no way of slowing down the speed of the blocks.