03 Use Blocks in Quilt

// Orphan Block Quilts //

Now we can create a new quilt to use these orphan blocks! Or if you already have a quilt project started that you would like to add these blocks to, feel free to skip to Step 03-02.

01 Create the Quilt Grid

Alert: Remember to subtract the seam allowances from the measurements. PreQuilt works with finished measurements.

Remember when you measured your orphan blocks? Well, now that you have those dimensions, we can create the quilt grid. Remember to use the finished block dimensions.

1. From the QUILT Dashboard, click on 'Create Quilt' to start a new quilt.

   
2. Change the block width and height for the grid you'd like to use and then click on the 'Use This Grid' button.

   
3. On the Left Side Control Panel, click on the 'GRID' tab.

   
4. The tab will expand. Change the number of columns and rows as desired and click on the 'Update' button.

   
5. Your quilt will be resized.

02 Create Digital Orphan Blocks in PreQuilt

To be able to treat each of your orphan blocks as blocks in PreQuilt, we need to create them. But instead of reverse engineering them, we can create simple square blocks and use the orphan block image to fill the square.

1. On the Left Side Control Panel, click on the 'BLOCKS' tab.

   
2. The tab will expand. Click on the 'Make Custom Block' button.

   
3. The Block Editor window will open. Rename the 'Block Name' to keep orphan blocks organized.

   
4. Click on the square shape. It will appear in your Block Editor Canvas.

   
5. Click on the 'Scale to Fit' button in the central Toolbar. The square will expand to fill the entire Block Editor Canvas.

   

   

   Square shape scaled to fit and selected.
6. With the shape selected (indicated by the outline, as seen in image above), click on the 'Prints' tab on the Left Side Control Panel.

   
7. Click on the 'Select' button for the orphan block you'd like to use. In this example, I'm using B01.

   
8. The image of your orphan block will be repeated to fill the block space. To resize it to fit the block properly, change the numbers for the 'Scale' of the image.

   • Tip: To resize quickly, press the shift key while using the arrow buttons on the keyboard. The number will increase or decrease by increments of 10.

   

   Tiled orphan block image.

   

   Scaled orphan block image to fill entire block size.
9. Once scaled as desired, click on the 'Disk' button in to top right corner of the window. Then click on 'Save to Quilt'.

   
10. Repeat Steps 02.1-8 for all orphan blocks. In this example, I have 16 unique digital orphan blocks.

    

    4 of 16 digital orphan blocks

03 Add Digital Orphan Blocks to Quilt

Now that we have all the orphan blocks recreated as digital blocks, we can now add them to your quilt to visualize.

1. Click on the cell block in the quilt that you'd like to place the orphan block into. You will notice it outlined in a bright blue line when selected.

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2. Click on the 'Add To Quilt' button next to the block you'd like to add to the quilt.

   
3. It is now added to the quilt.

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4. Repeat Steps 03.1-3 for all orphan blocks.

   • Recommendation: Check out Step 04 to learn how to use PreQuilt's randomization features to play with your block layout!

   • Tip: Before moving on to the next block, remember to deselect the cell block once you've added the block.

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