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Do you struggle with drafting foundation blocks in EQ8? If you’ve ever wondered how to break a complex image into foundation-friendly sections—or how to draw lines in the correct order so EQ sections it properly—this tutorial will walk you through the process step by step.
In today’s post, I’m sharing how tracing an image can help you clearly “see” the sections before you ever stitch a seam. Inspiration: The Beauty of Ice Dance
While I don’t watch much television, I become completely captivated by the Winter Olympics every four years. My favorite event? Ice dance in figure skating.
I’m fascinated by the intricacy of the step sequences and the precision required for partners to stay perfectly in sync. The elegance and athleticism of these teams is truly spellbinding. Ice skating is also my personal exercise of choice. I love visiting rinks in the Twin Cities to take ice dance lessons and practice patterned dances. No jumps, spins, twizzles, lifts, or dramatic holds for me—but skating has given me a deep appreciation for the incredible skill Olympic athletes bring to the ice. That love of skating inspired today’s foundation-friendly designs. Blocks for Tracing
I created two skating-inspired images specifically designed to be foundation friendly:
Download and save the images to your computer. Then import them into Electric Quilt 8 and trace them on the Block Worktable. Tracing is one of the most effective ways to understand how a pictorial design can be divided into logical foundation sections.
Tips for Drafting Foundation Blocks
Here are my top drafting tips from the video tutorial:
1. Adjust Your Snap Settings After importing your image, change your snap settings to Snap to Lines and Arcs only. This gives you maximum flexibility when placing lines. 2. Use Undo Immediately If a line connects incorrectly, select Undo right away and redraw it. Extra nodes can create unintended bends in your lines—and those bends affect how EQ automatically sections the foundation. 3. Save Frequently Save your block after completing each section. If a later section causes issues, you can return to a clean version instead of starting from scratch. 4. Preview Foundations as You Go After completing each section:
5. Use Snap to Node Strategically When starting or ending a line at an existing node:
Ice Dance Foundation Video Tutorial
Watch the full video to see the complete drafting process of the Ice Dance block—from sectioning to tracing to previewing your foundation results.
Featuring a Single Block in a Quilt
Pictorial foundation blocks often shine brightest when they are the star of the quilt.
Consider:
Ice Dance Quilt by Kari Schell
Ready to Improve Your Foundation Drafting Skills?
If working through today’s Ice Dance block sparked new ideas — or highlighted areas where you’d like more confidence — I’d love to invite you to go deeper.
In my Foundation Friendly Designs with EQ8 class, we focus on understanding the process behind foundation drafting so you can confidently create your own designs — not just follow steps. Right now, the class is on sale for $49 through February 28, 2026. What Is Foundation Piecing? Foundation piecing (sometimes called paper piecing) is a technique where fabric is sewn directly onto a printed foundation, stitching precisely on the drawn lines. It’s ideal for designs that require accuracy or include unusual shapes. Why Foundation Drafting Matters in EQ8 Foundation piecing truly shines when designing:
And in this class, we cover all of these — step by step. You’ll learn how to:
Class begins Wednesday, March 4th. If foundation drafting has ever felt intimidating — or if you're ready to confidently design your own pictorial blocks inside EQ8 — this class will give you the structure, clarity, and guided practice to make it click. 
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Kari SchellElectric Quilt Expert and Educator and Pattern Designer. Categories
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