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Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Tracing the Butterfly

As the final block in Leila's Skill Builder Sampler, she asked me if I had an EQ7 drawing of Alice Brook's Butterfly block.

Q is for Quilter had posted the pattern. I also went to Jinny Beyer's patchwork album and found one by Laura Wheeler that looked the same. Unfortuantely they were subtly and specifically different enough, so after using the same method as I did on the feathered star, with the grid overlay, etc. I decided that tracing the original image would be better.

Using the 'tracing image' feature of EQ7 here is a tutorial on how to do that.

Take the posted pattern image and crop to just the block in whatever image editing system you may have. You can also do this directly in EQ7.

Worktable...Block.

Block...New Block....Easy Draw.

Click on the Tracing Image tab at the bottom.

Block....Import Image (or the first icon on the left vertical menu), select the image you want to trace.



Now click on the EasyDraw tab at the bottom, and you can draw right on top of the image.  Notice the 'snapping options' in the Drawing Setup. While drawing the lines, use the 'snap to grid points'. While drawing the arcs, I'd encourage you to use the 3rd option which is to 'Snap to Lines and Arcs of Drawing'. Draw the straight lines first and then the arcs.



When drawing the arc, it might not sit exactly how you want it. Click on the 2nd icon on the left vertical menu which is the 'shape' function. Select the arc you want to 'shape' and you'll see some extra lines that you can drag on to shape the arc. Move it until the arc lines up with the tracing image.

Be sure to 'Save to Sketchbook' when you like what you've drawn!

This particular tracing altered the top of the center F1 pieces and the antenna lines and resulting J4/I4 pieces so that the J4 combo is a perfect square --upon the request of Leila.

The templates are included in Leila's tutorial.

3 comments:

  1. I look forward to the day when I can start playing more with my EQ program. Thanks for sharing details of how to work with it!

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  2. My great-grandmother made a quilt using this pattern - it is excellent for scrap quilts!

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  3. I never traced before but gave it a try. A couple hours later I have a good one!

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