BlockBase+

Over 4,000 blocks to print in ANY size!
Barbara Brackman's classic quilter's resource, the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns book, is brought to life on your computer with this re-release of the Electric Quilt Company's top-selling BlockBase+ software. Take a nice scroll through all the categories while viewing the blocks in gorgeous colorings, in grayscale values, or as line drawings.
This stand-alone software (for Windows or Mac computers) lets you easily print rotary-cutting instructions, templates, foundation patterns, export image files, or export SVG files at any size for all 4,000+ pieced blocks from Brackman's Encyclopedia.
The most intuitive and inspiring block-printing software available!View blocks in color, grayscale, and as line drawingsPerform advanced searches to find the perfect blockExport blocks as JPG, PNG, and SVG filesPrint blocks as templates, foundation patterns, or rotary cutting charts at any size, with or without seam allowanceLearn the published names and original sources of each blockPreview blocks in pre-determined quilt layoutsLink blocks to EQ8 software!Plus more!
View Blocks
Scroll through 4,264 blocks organized in categories of One Patch, Non-Square, Fans, Wheels, Stars, and many more! Zoom in on a block to see it in full detail! Learn the original published names for each block and from what source each was first published. Some blocks have multiple names and sources!
View the blocks in color, grayscale values, or as line drawings!
Find Blocks
BlockBase+ comes with advanced search features! If you have the Encyclopedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns from Barbara Brackman, you can use the search feature to find a block based on the Brackman ID listed in the book. Or you can search by keyword, source, or category (skill level, piecing style, etc.) to scour the database for blocks based on specific criteria.
Below are the search results for beginner blocks that are new to BlockBase+ and contain only triangles.
Print Blocks
BlockBase+ is a block-printing powerhouse! Choose to print a picture of the block, templates, rotary cutting chart, or foundation pattern. Each printing style comes with customizable settings so your printout fits your needs. Enter the desired finished size and seam allowance, then print!
Preview of Block and Foundation printouts:
Preview of Template and Rotary Cutting printouts:
Use the interactive print preview to move and rotate pattern pieces on the pages. Add new pages if necessary! Include a 1-inch scale square to ensure your printouts are true to size! Not ready to print and sew? Save your customized preview as a PDF file to come back to later!
See how the Print Preview works by watching the video:
EXPORT FILES
Every block can be exported as a low- or high-resolution PNG or JPG file to use in documents, on the web, or just to show your friends the next block you plan to sew!
If you have a digital fabric cutter, BlockBase+ can export SVG files for use in digital fabric-cutting machines. Choose the size and save the file for your cutter!
Preview of SVG template export for block 2948 with 1/4″ seam allowance:
Preview Layouts
Choose a block to view in 7 pre-designed quilt layouts. The selected block will display in a simple click-through dialog so you can preview that block in different settings. You'll be amazed by the secondary designs created when some of these blocks are repeated in a layout! (These quilt layouts are for preview purposes only. There is no quilt pattern or project file for EQ software.)
See a preview of the Quilt Layout:
Link to EQ8!
For additional fun, link BlockBase+ to your EQ8 quilt design software. All the blocks in BlockBase+ will link to your EQ8 block library. Use these blocks to designs quilts or edit the blocks to create new variations! If you already own EQ8, you will need to make sure you're on the most current version of EQ8 to link to BlockBase+. Check your version here >
(EQ8 software not required. Linking BlockBase+ to EQ8 only gives EQ8 access to the blocks. No other features from BlockBase+ will be added to EQ8.)
BlockBase+ Gallery
If you sew anything using BlockBase+, submit a photo to our gallery so others can see!
Why is it BlockBase Plus?
Whether you owned the previous versions or if you're completely new to BlockBase, you'll appreciate the new features added to this version! These features and enhancements are very much worthy of a plus. Check out our Comparison Chart to see the differences between the two versions.
See the System Requirements for complete information regarding operating system requirements and license information.
Copyright information for BlockBase+ is here.