No Sew Fabric Card using EQ8 and BlockBase+

As I see new card making ideas on various blogs and on You Tube, I love being able to use concepts from these sources of inspiration and create my own design using Electric Quilt. 

Creating a card layout in Electric Quilt 8 is an easy way to provide yourself information for cutting various elements of the cards. 

And you can also include photos of the inspirational cards in EQ as well.  Which can be helpful in remembering the source if I want to refer back to either the block or the video.

As I was looking at a card this week,  I noticed that they included a square with a basic quilt block design. 

For the quilt block they cut out the squares and rectangles using Designer Series Paper (DSP).

Inspirational Card from Tams These Are My Stamps

Super simple.

But what if we could do even more complex quilt blocks?

And what if we used fabric instead of DSP for the quilt block?

​I decided to explore these ideas in this blog post.

What is BlockBase+

For my greeting card, rather than designing my own quilt block, I decided to use a block from BlockBase Plus.

Block Base Plus is a program created by the Electric Quilt Company and is based Barbara Brackman's  Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns. 

This book is the perfect resource for identifying 4000+ historic blocks plus the names and publishing information. 

 Barbara’s decades of research is available to you in this organized and user-friendly software for Windows and Mac computers. Packed with complete publication information for each block, robust search features, exporting and printing capabilities — it’s the perfect quilting tool for all skill levels! The same patterns that sold for 15¢ in 1928 are now yours for less than 3¢ each! 

Learn More About BlockBase+

Creating a Card Layout in EQ8

Learn how to create  the basic card layout as a combo block -- EasyDraw Plus Applique.

I love using Applique for my layout design, as I can always refer back to the design in EQ to know the exact size for all the elements in the card design.

When creating my cardmaking templates in EQ8, I also will include my cutting instructions on a printed copy of my design.

Card Front Template 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" Designed in EQ8

Cutting Chart for Card

Locating a Leaf Block in Block Base Plus and Recoloring in EQ8

Since I am currently working on Autumn/Thanksgiving cards for friends and families, I decided to incorporate a leaf block in my card.

A quick search in BlockBase+ yielded a number of possibilities. 

While I didn't love the coloring of the Maple Leaf from Aunt Martha Studios, I liked the block itself and thought that it might be fun using Grunge fabric. 

And of course I have some grunge scraps sitting on my cutting table -- just waiting to be used.

Block 1740 found in BlockBase+ Search for "leaf"

Here is the block recolored in Grunge Fabric in Electric Quilt 8.

By combining BlockBase+ and Electric Quilt 8, you can take advantage of the already drafted blocks in BlockBase+ plus the fabric and coloring tools of EQ8.

Maple Leaf Recolored with Grunge Fabrics in EQ8

Creating a Quilt Incorporating Both the Block and the Design Template

Finish off the design, by creating a quilt that incorporates both the card template and the recolored block from BlockBase+.

Final Card Making Template in EQ8

Use the SVG Export Feature in BlockBase+ and an Electronic Cutting System to Cut out the Patches for the Maple Leaf block

Electric Quilt 8 does not have an SVG export feature -- but BlockBase+ does.

In the video, you will see how to export your SVG from Block Base+.

Then upload to Cricut Design Space -- the electronic cutting system I currently use.

In Cricut Design Space you can recolor your patches from the SVG export.  While you cannot exactly match your fabrics, you can use a similar color to allow for the automatic assignment of your patches to the correct cutting mats.

​Once you select Make, you can see the cutting mats for each color.

You can reorganize the cutting mats to consolidate the patches for cutting.

For example, I moved the gold patches to fit in a 2" x 2" square.

Cut a 2" x 2" piece of gold Grunge fabric.

Iron a 2" x 2" piece of Steam a Seam 2 to the back of the Grunge fabric.

Remove the second Steam a Seam 2 backing piece and place on the Cutting Mat.

Select the fabric type (fusible cotton).

Insert the appropriate cutting blade.

​Cut the patches.

Cut a 3" x 3" square of cardstock.

Place all of the fused Grunge patches on the cardstock.  

Do not iron until all the patches are perfectly placed. 

​The fusible will temporarily hold the patches in place until you have them exactly where you want them and completely covering the square of cardstock.

Iron to permanently attach the patches to the square.

Create the remainder of the card using the template as a guide. 

Use Stampin Dimensionals on the back of the 3" pieced block -- to emphasize the pieced block as the star element of the card.

​Consider adding additional elements from your cardmaking supplies.

Also create the inside of the card using white cardstock (measuring 4" x 5-1/4".

Front of No Sew Fabric Card

Inside of No Sew Fabric Card

My card uses a number of new Stampin Up Products including:

Changing Leaves Bundle from Stampln Up

Autumn Expressing Stamp Set from Stampin Up

If you would like to purchase any Stampin Up products (including those above), feel free to use my Host Code TKS42RY6 during September 2024 and receive a surprise gift from me.  I will receive a commission on products purchase with this host code.

Check out the video to see the No Sew Fabric Card process in more detail.

This would be so fun to personalize with a different block. 

I would love to see your card design -- and your finished card. 

​Fabric cards are so much faster to put together than an actual quilt.  :)

Share pictures of your design (and completed cards) in the Learning EQ Facebook group.

No Sew Fabric Card Post on Learning EQ Facebook Group

Happy quilting.

​Kari

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