02 Creating Quilt Blocks

// First PreQuilt Quilt //

Our Ribbon Star quilt progress:

• Select your quilt grid

• Import or design your quilt block

• Choose your quilt fabric colors

• Add blocks to quilt grid

• Finessing your quilt (optional)

• Add sashing (optional)

• Add borders (optional)

• Add binding

• Using printed fabric swatches (optional)

• Download quilt map, blocks & swatches

Block Library: PreQuilt has a selection of common quilt blocks. Feel free to grab one any of your quilt designs!

Now that the foundation of your quilt has been created (see 'Quilt Grid' tutorial), it's now time to start placing blocks into your quilt. First, we'll need to import or create our quilt block. Then, we'll need to add it to the quilt.

As a default, a Half-Square Triangle (HST) block is preloaded. For this tutorial, we will ignore it. You can also delete it, if you'd like.

A | Import Block from Library

If you're using a common, traditional quilt block, there's a good chance it's available in the built-in Block Library. To import a block from the library:

1. Click on the 'BLOCKS' tab on the Left-Side Control Panel. It'll automatically expand and will have 1 HST default block.

   
2. Click on the dropdown arrow on 'Show More Options' and click on 'Load Blocks'.

   
3. A pop-up will appear with 3 tabs: PreQuilt Blocks (Block Library), Your Block Stash, and Collaborators. To use any of the blocks in these tabs, follow the same instructions.

   • NOTE: Collaborator Block Libraries are additional one-time purchased Add-On products.

   
4. Find the block you'd like to import (example: Churn Dasher). Hover over it and an 'Add' button should appear inside the block. Click on the 'Add' button. It will appear on the right side, indicating that it's ready to be imported.

   
5. Click on the 'Import' button on the top right side to add the block to your current quilt project.

   
6. The Churn Dasher block is now in your 'BLOCKS' tab control panel. It's now ready to be added to the quilt. --> Proceed to 04 Using Blocks in Quilt.

   

B | Create a Block

If the block you want to use is not in the Block Library, you can create a block yourself to use! For this help guide, I'll go through the steps to create a Ribbon Star block.

• This block is pieced together on a 4 x 4 grid

• For this 12" block example, each pieced component is 3" finished

• The block is made up out of squares and half-square triangles

1. Click on the 'BLOCKS' tab on the Left-Side Control Panel. It'll automatically expand and will have 1 HST default block.

   
2. Click on the 'Make Custom Block' button.

   
3. The Block Editor panel will open, ready to create a new block.

   
4. On the left side control panel, change the Block Info:

   • Name your block

   • Change the block width and height (if necessary)

   • Change the Gridlines to 4 for both the horizontal and vertical units (This will divide our block into 16 equal sized units).

   • Make sure the gridlines are on (visible) by toggling it as seen below

   
5. To create this block in PreQuilt, we will use the shapes (in black below the Block Editor Canvas area). Click on the square shape underneath the blank block.

   • 
6. One square will appear in the block area. Click on the square and while still holding down on the mouse button, move the square into the top left corner.

   

   
7. Then click on the bottom right box on the outside of your square and drag it to make the square bigger. It should snap to fit the size of the grid unit perfectly.

   

   
8. Since we'll need 4 of these squares, click on the Clone button on the central Toolbar. This will duplicate our first square.

   

   
9. Move the newly created square into the top right corner of the block area.

10. Repeat Steps B.8-9 till all 4 corners are filled.

    
11. Repeat Steps B.5-9 using the half-square triangle (HST) shape to create the background pieces of the Ribbon Star block.

    
12. Now, we'll want to create the foreground HST shapes that create the Ribbon star block. Click on the HST shape on the bottom. It will be beige, like the background color. With the shape selected, click on the 'Link' button on Color Tag (B). Now the HST piece is black.

    • REMINDER: Don't forget to create both the background (step B.11) and star HST pieces to create a square unit. If you only do the foreground, the block will not be complete.

    

    
13. Move the black HST into place in order to create the Ribbon Star block. Clone the black HST and move it until you have the entire Ribbon Star block created.

    

    
14. Save the block to the quilt.