It’s time for Block 9 of the sew along!

Block #2901.5

*Remember, if you’re keeping all your sew along blocks in the same project, open the project now so you can add this new block.*

Open BlockBase and click the Search by Number tool.

Type in 2901.5 and click Search. The block appears on the Search Results tab.

Now I’d like to show you how the Export Metafile tool works. Exporting a metafile creates a line drawing of the selected block. Metafiles are resolution independent, so they can be resized without loss of quality. They are great for creating piecing diagrams because you can drag the individual patches apart when you import the metafile into another software application.

Click the Export Metafile tool (it’s to the left of the Print Block button).

In the dialog box that appears, type in the size and choose whether you’d like to create a file or simply copy the metafile to the Windows Clipboard. Metafile images have the file extension “.emf”.

You can now paste or insert the metafile into another application. For this example, I’m using Microsoft Word. Here I’ve pasted the block into a blank document.

*Your version of Word may be slightly different. Use these steps as a guideline, and consult the Microsoft Word Help if you need further instruction.

Now I can click on the block to select it, then right-click to bring up the context menu and choose Edit Picture.

You can now choose individual patches and move them around the page. Or select multiple patches at a time by holding down the SHIFT key while you click on the patches.

You can also add text to the page. This makes it quite easy to make step-by-step piecing instructions with images.

Now, back to BlockBase!

With Block #2901.5 still selected on the Search Results tab, click the Print Block tool and choose your pattern type.

Type in your  finished size (BlockBase adds the seam allowance for you). Preview your printout and then click Print.

If you’re saving all your sew along blocks in the same project, click the Add to Project tool and then the Save Project tool.

Come back on Friday, February 15 to show off those finished blocks!