Block Motif
Contents
Overview
Placing block motifs on a quilt is one of the many ways to use IQ to do custom quilting. Using IQ eliminates the stencil hunt, marking the design, and removing markings from the quilting process. Additionally, there are literally thousands of block designs that have been digitized for computerized quilting - all just a click away!
Before stitching out a block design, it may be helpful to stabilize the block as a freehand quilter would, by stitching in the ditch around the block. IQ can SID for you.
Placing the Block Design
- Design/Sew Quilt > Start New > Block Pattern
- Now IQ gives you a few choices on how to define the block. If I'm on the machine, and the quilt is loaded, I use Mark on Quilt. If I'm playing in Demo Mode, I use Enter Rectangle Manually. Use whatever method is suited to your situation and define the block.
- Once you've defined the block, IQ takes you into the Pattern Selector. Choose your motif, and touch Continue.
- IQ will place the motif inside the block and allow you to make modifications. I usually like to center my motifs, so I'll usually start with that. Simply touch the center green square of the block design and drag it toward the center green square of the block - it will snap to the center of the block when you get close enough. Then I check the edges of the block and the relationship with the motif. If they're really close, I'll scale down the motif so that there's about 1/4" space between the motif and the seams. Of course placement is a personal choice, so it's up to you how close you get these motifs to the edges of the blocks.
- Touch Finished when you're done and you're ready to stitch out the design.