Welcome to Block 3 of our Jump Start Sew Along. In this lesson we’re going to take a look at the Block Worktable and save a new variation of a block.

Let’s get started!
(Want an easy-to-print version of this lesson? Click here to download the Block 3 Lesson PDF file.)

  1. Open EQ7.
  2. Click the Open an existing project tab in the Project Helper window and open your sew along project file, which we named “Jump Start Sew Along” in the first lesson. Click on the project file name to select it, then click OK. The Sketchbook will appear.
  3. Click the Quilts section on the left. Notice that it says “Quilt 1 of 2 quilts” under the quilt. That’s because we’ve saved two versions of the Jump Start quilt so far- one for each of the two lessons we’ve completed.
  4. Use the scrollbar to move to the second quilt (the one with two blocks). With the second quilt selected, click the Edit button. The quilt is now on the Quilt Worktable.The Quilt Worktable is just one of three worktables available in EQ7. Now we’re going to create a new variation of a block in the Sketchbook by editing it on the Block Worktable.
  5. Click the View Sketchbook button  and click the Blocks section on the left.
  6. Click on the Twin Star block to select it. Click the Edit button. The block is now on the Block Worktable.

This block edits to the EasyDraw Block Worktable. This means that it’s a pieced block drawn using straight and/or curved lines. We’ll be adding and deleting lines from this block to create something new!

  1. Click the Line tool  on the left toolbar. When drawing in EasyDraw, click at the starting point of the line and hold down the mouse button as you drag your mouse to the end point of the line and then release the mouse button. We’re going to create half-square triangles in all four corners of the block.
  2. Starting with your cursor at the 2” mark on the left edge of the block, click, hold, and drag your cursor to the 2” mark at the top edge of the block. Release the mouse and the line will snap into place.
  3. In the same manner, draw diagonal lines in the other three corners of the block.
  4. Now we’re going to delete some lines. Click the Pick tool  on the left toolbar.
  5. Click on the horizontal line at the top of the center square of the block. You will know it’s selected because it will have black squares around it, and a crosshair at the center.
  6. Press the Delete key on your keyboard and the line will disappear.
  7. Repeat with the other three lines that make up the center square (click on the line to select it, then press the Delete key).
  8. Click the Color tab at the bottom of the screen.
  9. Use the Paintbrush tool  to color the block.
  10. Click Add to Sketchbook . This new block is now in the Sketchbook and we can add it to our quilt design.
  11. Click the Work on Quilt button  on the Project Toolbar to switch back to the Quilt Worktable.
  12. Click the Set Block tool . The Blocks palette will appear and you’ll now see 5 blocks- the four we originally copied from the Block Library, and the new variation we created on the Block Worktable.
  13. Click on the new block in the palette, to select it. Then click in the top-right block space on the quilt to set the block.
  14. If you’d like to change the fabrics now that the block is in the quilt, use the Paintbrush  or Spraycan  tools to make any coloring changes.
  15. When you’re happy with your fabric choices, click Add to Sketchbook to save the in-progress quilt.
  16. On the right toolbar, click the Select tool .
  17. Click on the Twin Star Variation block in the quilt to select it (it will have a green outline).

In this lesson I’m going to show you how to print the Foundation Pattern. If you’d prefer to piece the block a different way (using Templates or the Rotary Cutting Chart), feel free to use those print styles instead.

  1. Click the Print button  on the top menu bar, and choose Foundation Pattern from the drop-down menu.
  2. The Print dialog box appears, with the Sections tab selected. The blue lines around the patches indicate the sections.
    The sectioning for this block looks good. However, if you’d like to change the way the block is sectioned, click the Start Over button. Click the patches you’d like grouped together and click Group. Continue in this manner until you’re done.
  3. Click the Numbering tab. This also looks good for our block, but if you’d like to change it click the Change Numbers button and click on the patches in the order you’d like them numbered.
  4. Click the Options tab. The block size that we set on the Layout tab in the first lesson (9 inches) will automatically be selected. If you’d like to make the block a different size, click the circle next to Custom block size and type the new size in the Width and Height boxes above.
    IMPORTANT: Remember that in EQ7 you are working in finished sizes (the final size of your block after all the seams have been sewn). EQ7 adds the seam allowance for you when you print the patterns.
  5. Put checkmarks next to whichever options you’d like in the Options section on the right. Leave “Print as many as fit” unchecked if you’d like to be able to move foundation sections on the Print Preview (see step 29). Click the Preview button.
  6. On the Print Preview, you may find that some of the foundation sections are spread across two pages. We can fix that—click the Move button. Then click on a section and drag it to a new location.
  7. Click the Print button at the top of the screen to print the foundation pattern, or click Close if you do not want to print at this time (then click Close again to return to the Quilt Worktable).
  8. Click the Save button  and then close EQ7.

That’s Lesson Three! We’ll meet back here on Friday, June 13th to share our blocks.

Want to see this lesson in action? Watch the video below!