ON POINT QUILTER
  • Blog
  • About
  • EQ8 Training
    • Tech Know Quilters Electric Quilt 8 Membership Training
    • EQ8 Made Easy
    • Electric Quilt 8 Sneak Peek
  • Store
  • Contact
Picture

 How to Create a Fat Quarter Cutting Chart in EQ (without Math)!

3/29/2014

 
Sometimes I want to know "How many blocks can I make from a fat quarter of fabric?"  There are a lot of ways to figure this out with math -- but let me provide an easy way to do with Electric Quilt that requires no (or at least minimal) math -- I promise!!

Let's assume I want to do a quilt with a traditional Bear's Paw block.

Step 1 - Find the Bear's Paw block in your Block library.  Or you can draft one with a 7 x 7 grid using Easy Draw.
Picture
Step #2 - Print out a rotary cutting block for your block at the size you wish the block to be in your quilt.  Let's assume this one will be 10-1/2" x 10-1/2".
Picture
Step #3 - Create a new Patchdraw Block in EQ.  The setup should be as follows:
  • Block width: 20 (width of a fat quarter)
  • Block Height: 18 (length of a fat quarter)
  • Grid: Rectangle
  • Snap:  40 horizontal and 36 vertical (every half inch)
  • Graph paper cells:  20 horizontal and 18 vertical
Picture
Picture
Step #4 - Refer to your cutting chart and draft one of each of the dark patches.  For those patches with fractions, round up to the next 1/2" mark.  (Or if you wish to have oversized pieces for your half square triangles, now is the time to make those adjustments.) 

So I will draft the following patches using the Polydraw tool:
  • 3-1/2" x 3-1/2"
  • 2" x 2"
  • 2-1/2" x 2-1/2" (for the
    2-3/8" triangles)


I find it easiest to draft in the upper left corner as I can see my ruler lines to easily know how far I need to go to create the patch.  Remember that in Polydraw you must draw the whole patch. 

After selecting the Polydraw tool left click on the 0,0 point on the page.  Go to the  3-1/2,0 mark and left click again.  Then to the 3-1/2, 3-1/2 and left click.  And finally back to 0,0.  Now left click twice to close the block.

Once you have completed the first patch, move it out of the way and create the next two patches.
Picture
Picture
Picture
Step #5 - Now make enough copies of the patches for one block by using the clone button (see my red circle around the cone button.  I made 4 3-1/2" squares, 8 2-1/2" squares (there are 2 patches for each square per the cutting chart, so I only needed 8 squares for the 16 triangle patches), and 1 2" square.   
Picture
Step # 6 - Place the patches in rows to get the best use of the fabric.  Also try to consider how best to do the layout for rotary cutting efficiencies (i.e. all the 3-1/2" patches in one row).  As you can see I can squeeze all the pieces in a 6" x 20" piece of fabric.
Picture
Step # 7  Left click with your mouse and drag a box around all of your patches.  Then copy, paste (you now have a complete set for a second block).  Fit those pieces below your first section.  Do a third paste and fit those below your second section.  You can see that everything fits into the 18 x 20 inch block. 

So you can make three Bear's Paw block with one fat quarter.
Picture
Step #8  Color your block.  Make each size a different color.  Add to sketchbook.  At this point I would also print out and make add reference marks with sizes for each of the color coded squares.  You now have a very efficient cutting chart for the dark fat quarters.
Picture
Step #9 - I would also suggest going to the project sketchbook and including notes on the size of the block in case you need to refer back to your work.  
Picture
Now let's do the same for the background pieces.  I won't go through all the steps, but will show you the final layout.  First one block, then three blocks.  

I needed to move a few of the 2" patches (see those circled in blue) to make best use of my fat quarter.

Also note that you can rotate the pieces as well to optimize your layout.  In this case it was most efficient to do the 2" x 5" pieces with the long side horizontally.
Picture
Picture
I learned that I could cut backgrounds for three blocks out of one fat quarter.

I hope you find this useful.  Please let me know if you have any questions.

Happy Quilting.

Kari

Sign up for my newsletter to stay current on what's happening in my studio and learn more quilting tips.  As a thank you, I'll send you a FREE pattern for this small maple leaf quilt.
Picture

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Free guide available for newsletter subscribers
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

    Kari Schell

    Electric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer.

    Categories

    All
    Art And Stitch
    Cricut Maker
    Dear Jane
    Electric Quilt 7
    Electric Quilt 8
    Goose Goose Duck Challenge
    Inkscape
    Patterns
    Silhouette Cameo
    Stampin Up
    Tips And Techniques
    Tools And Rulers

    Archives

    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013
    August 2013

    RSS Feed

Contact:
On Point Quilter
e-mail:  [email protected]
phone:  763-566-6536

GET MY NEWSLETTER FOR REGULAR EQ AWESOMENESS!

* indicates required
  • Blog
  • About
  • EQ8 Training
    • Tech Know Quilters Electric Quilt 8 Membership Training
    • EQ8 Made Easy
    • Electric Quilt 8 Sneak Peek
  • Store
  • Contact