Designing paper piecing patterns in EQ7 - tutorial

I promised to write a tute on EQ7 and got few requests about designing PP patterns. As it was also a problem for me (you couldn't really find any video or tute on how to make PP blocks in EQ) I will share what I know (it's not much, as I just started to use the program, but may be helpful for some of you).

It will be a long post, there are lots of photos, but I thought that using photos will make it easier for you. If you will have any questions about the tute - ask. I will later update the post with the answers.

Post jest o projektowaniu wzorow PP w programie Electric Quilt. Nie ma tu zasad, jak projektowac wzory PP, tylko samo wykorzystanie programu - sama mialam z tym problemy, bo to jest jedna z tych fiunkcji, o ktorej chyba nikt nie pomyslal, zeby zrobic szczegolowy tutek czy video. Dowiadywalam sie przez biuro obslugi co i jak. Polska wersje napisze, jesli komus bedzie potrzebna (nie chcialam mieszac z tlumaczeniem przy tak dlugasnym poscie). Jesli chcecie - piszcie :)   

Important note - this tute is for those who now how to design paper piecing (foundation piecing) patterns, know the rules of PP but had dificulties on designing them in EQ7. I also show in details how to design PP pattern basing on the picture (if you don't want to use picture/photo as a template, just work in EasyDraw mode all the time). Honestly, EQ7 makes it much easier to design such pattern. It's just done before you can spell 'paper piecing' :D:D

First you need to open a new project. Work on a New Block -> Easy Draw Block:

Switch the tabs on the botton from EasyDraw to (1) Tracing Image (if you want to use an image as a template, as I always do), then import a photo which you want to use (2):

Browse the pictures you have on PC (I used a pre-drawn PP pattern which I designed ages ago, but it was much easier to make a tute basing on it; the pattern itself is poorly drawn, not really good for PP, but enough for showing all the steps):

If you want, you can trim the picture:

Now your image is in the background:

Switch the tabs from 'Tracing Image' to 'EasyDraw'. Set the finished block size (width and height) you want to create:

I was setting mine to 6x8in:

Now click the 'Snap to the lines and arcs of drawing' tool (3). For me it's the best choice to draw PP patterns based on photos. Nr (1) is 'Snap to the grid points on worktable' [those dots which fill the block]. It's good for designing simple geometric PP blocks, as each end of the line which you draw will connect with the closest dot on the grid. Nr (2) is 'Snap to the nodes of drawing'. Those nodes which you created drawing a picture. You can use more that one tool at a time - I use mostly nr 3 and from time to time turn on nr 2:

Now drawing starts. Click on the icon with pencil (it depends which lines you want to draw - straight one or curves/arcs):

Draw lines of your PP block [for this you need to know the basics of designing PP blocks]:

 When you are finished:

You can colour your image. Change the tab below from 'EasyDraw' to 'Color' and choose colors or fabrics to fill your block:

Now pattern can be printed. Printer icon -> Foundation pattern:

You will see a new window. There are 3 tabs on the top: Numbering, Sections and Options.

First choose sections on your block. Tab -> Sections -> Start Over [if you want EQ to divide your project into sections, leave the box unticked; I like to choose sections on my own]. 'Start Over' to start choosing parts of the first section:

When you marked the parts (by clicking on them) which you want to be in one section, click 'Group':

And start clicking on the parts which should belong to next section [don't press 'Start Over' now, as it will erase all what you marked up to now] -> Group, and so on until you chose all sections. You can see, that the group which you marked previously is now outlined with thicker blue line:

 

After finishing with sections, it's time for numbering the parts. Change the tab from 'Sections' to 'Numbering':

Click 'Add Numbers' button, and start clicking the parts in the sections. The first piece you will click (in each section) will have number 1, next - 2, and so on. They will also have letter according to the section which they belong to:

After finishing with this step, it's time to set options for the printout. Change the tab from 'Numbering' to 'Options' and set the size of the block which you want to print and click 'Preview' to see how the printout will look (you have to arrange the parts on the printout now]:

What you will see on the preview will be a group of parts one on the others. You have to arrange them evenly on the pages. Click 'Move' button (sorry for the bad printscreen):

Now, when you click on the part, it will change the colour to red and you can move it between the pages of the printout:

After you finished, just hit 'Print' button and you have a ready template for your PP block:

Originally, you can't save foundation piecing templates as pdf or actually any other kind of file. You can just print them and that's it. What you can make is to install some free pdf printer on your PC [there are many available in the net; I use pdf creator]. If you have a virtual pdf printer, after finishing drawing and coloring the block change printer setup. File -> Print setup -> choose the pdf printer instead of your home printer. This way, instead of printed pages at the end, you will have a pdf file with your sections.

What you can also do is to export an image [the coloured block] as jpeg. File -> Export Image -> save image where you want and how you want it:

It result in having a crisp image like this:

You can also export Metafile of block, but I will not write about it here, as you have very nice tutes on it HERE and HERE.

Ufff, that was a long post. Hope you are still awake ;) and it helped you a bit. 

Any questions? Help? Just ask!