Designing Applique Quilts in EQ, Part 3: Three Steps to Resize Applique Blocks

When you want to resize an applique block in Electric Quilt, there is an easy way to do it…if you know the secret! 

Once you have an applique block drawn in EQ, or a series of blocks like in this sampler quilt, you may decide you need a different size background on your applique blocks. This presents a problem in EQ.  EQ will not only resize the background fabric but it will change the size of all the applique elements in proportion to the block.  

While this may be desired in some cases, there are times when you want the applique to stay the same size, and only the background to change. This will give more space around the applique elements which gives the eye a place to rest and to make the quilt less “busy”.  

 In Part One of this four-part post about Designing Applique Quilts in EQ, I added 3″ sashings to increase the space between the 14″ applique blocks.  

The problem with this method is that construction is much easier without the sashings. We want EQ to figure yardage for the backgrounds and corner triangles for this on-point quilt. By using the sashing method, EQ has the wrong information to calculate yardage accurately.  

The right way to add more space around the applique is to set the applique elements on a 17″ square. This presents a unique problem in EQ. EQ will not only resize the background but will resize all the applique elements to fill that square. We don’t want to fill the square, the goal is to add space around the applique. 

When we keep the applique elements the same size as on the 14″ block, all the design elements can be rotary cut with standard size tools. This would also apply to anyone cutting applique shapes with a die-cut machine such as the Go Cutter or Cricut Cutter. These speed-cut methods make fixed shapes. I’ll be cutting all the shapes for this quilt with the set of three Leaves Galore templates and the set of four Hearts & More templates. 

So let’s fix the problem that EQ creates by resizing the applique when resizing a block. 

I have found “a hack” for fixing the applique sizes in four easy steps:  

Step 1: Select the block you want to resize from the Sketchbook. While you are on the Applique tab, use the Edit tab on the main menu, then “Select All” on the drop-down menu. This will put dots around all the applique elements with a four-sided arrow in the middle. Write down the size of that selection on scrap paper.   

Step 2: On the EasyDraw Tab, type in the new block size (circled in red). All the Applique Design elements will also be automatically resized.  

Step 3: Open the Applique tab again and repeat, “Edit, then select all”. Notice that the size of the selected area has changed and is larger. Type in the X and Z measurements that you jotted down on the scrap paper, where the measurements are circled in red.  Notice that the applique elements are all resized back to the original size, but the applique is off-center.  

Step 4: Still on the Applique Tab, make sure everything is still selected, then center on the background square using the yellow square and arrows icon. 

Save your block in the sketchbook. Once you have resized your block(s) with this simple process, you can plug them into the quilt layout you had before. 

Next week, I will show you how I imported the Tula Pink True Colors line of fabric to color the blocks.  

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