Note: Did you hear about the latest EQ8 Update? Be sure to update your EQ8 if you plan to purchase BlockBase+ that way you can use the BlockBase+ blocks in EQ8! Read instructions carefully. (Mac users – this update also fixes macOS Big Sur issues!)

Click here to see all the BB+ Top Ten posts.

#8 - Search for Blocks

Even though the 4,000+ blocks in BlockBase+ are sorted into lots of helpful categories and sub-categories, we thought you might want a few different ways to search for blocks… that way you can quickly find what you’re looking for! Below are the ways you can search in Blockbase+.

Search by Brackman ID

Every block in BlockBase+ has a Brackman ID number as its name. The Brackman ID comes from the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns book by Barbara Brackman. If you know the Brackman ID of the block you are looking for, enter the number in the search field and click the Search button. Did you know Barbara’s numbering scheme is based on the arrangement of the patches that make up the pieced block?

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Search by Published Name

Type a name or keyword. For example, if you’re looking for a churn dash block, type churn in the field and click the Search button. The search results will show all the blocks with the word churn as part of the name.

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Search by Category

Click to put check marks next to categories you like. Choose from skill levels, construction methods, time periods, block design, and lots of themes! The more categories you select, the narrower your search!

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Search by Source

A block’s source is where it was first published. All the sources are listed for you so scroll through and simply click on one to see the search results for that source.

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Comparing BlockBase+ to the original BlockBase

BlockBase+ is a re-release of BlockBase software. The original version was on a disk and only worked on Windows computers. The CD version is still a great program, but we’ve made lots of improvements and added 161 new blocks to this new one, plus it’s compatible with Macs! The new user interface maximizes the block view so you can see more blocks on your screen at a time, and now you can view all the blocks as line drawings if you want! We have also made it easier to view source information for each block without having to dig for it. Stay tuned to our BB+ Top Ten posts to hear more about what you can do with BlockBase+ software!

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What our beta testers are saying

“If I can’t find the block I’m looking for in the book, the software search is fast, easy and comprehensive. You can look up the block by the number you see in the book or search the software by name to find the the block, you can then refer to it in the book.” – Jo B.

“I can search in a number of ways to find blocks. One of my favourites is to search by key words in titles. I was able to find interesting blocks to go with various themes in a family quilt project.” – Louisa R.

“I always loved the original Block Base and used it all the time with EQ but this never version is so much better! There are more blocks, more ways to search and find different blocks for all kinds of inspiration!” – Kimberly E.