The newest software release from Electric Quilt is here!  Block Base+ is the newest software that is a companion to the Block Base book.  Some of you may have the original Block Base CD that was released several years ago, but the new updated Block Base+ is fantastic.  It is so versatile with all the things you can do with it.

The greatest new feature for the Block Base + program is that you can select a block and set the size you want and then export it as a .svg file.  This is very exciting because of all the cutting machines on the market today.  You can send your .svg file to your cutting machine and cut all the pieces needed for your block construction.  This saves a lot of time.  We can not save an image as a .svg file in EQ8, so having the ability to do so in Block Base + is a real advantage.

Do you also own a machine embroidery software program?  Most of the full package digitizing software has the ability to import a .svg image file and use it as the foundation for your embroidery designs.  I am a professional digitizer and I always do my own manual digitizing for embroidery, but when testing the new Block Base+ program, I played with the feature of the .svg files in embroidery.  I was really impressed.

I found the .svg file to be very accurate for digitizing embroidery.  The embroidery software will open the .svg file and convert it to stitches automatically.  You can then edit the file completely to be the stitches, colors, attributes, and size you want for your own design.  Creating traditional quilt blocks as embroidery files is a totally different look.  Imagine piecing a quilt with a traditional block pattern then making a complementary pillow with the same blocks only done as machine embroidery!

I have the PE-Design 11 embroidery software program.  One of the features of my program is that I can design and send cutting instructions from my embroidery software directly to my Brother Scan and Cut machine to produce the fabric pieces I need.  Of course, I can also cut paper and create beautiful greeting cards using my embroidery software program to send to my cutter.  The .svg files produced in the Block Base+ program work perfectly for this process.

Using .svg files can be so versatile when used in conjunction with different software programs.  You will love this feature of being able to use our quilt block designs as .svg files.  Give this a try and see how many different ways you can use the Block Base+ program!