Blockbase from Electric Quilt Co.

by Celia Eddy
published: 01/08/2001
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Barbara Brackman Encyclopaedia of Pieced Quilt Patterns On CD Rom

Some of you will know Barbara Brackman’s classic book on identifying and dating quilts, Clues in the Calico. Did you also know that she has produced the largest and most comprehensive catalogue of pieced block patterns ever? Her Encyclopaedia of Pieced Block Patterns containing over 4,000 patterns, is a labour of love which she has been engaged in since the 1960s – and which continues to this day. For anyone who has ever paused to wonder how many variations there could possibly be on the simple concept of the block, or who has become fascinated by the sheer number and inventiveness of the names of blocks, this book is a gold-mine. For serious researchers and quilt historians it’s an invaluable resource. Blocks are categorised by pattern and, where known, the date and place when they were first published. Where a block is known by a variety of names, which applies to very many of them, the alternatives are given.

Of course, it’s obvious that a system like that is just tailor-made for computerisation and The Electric Quilt Company, with Barbara Brackman’s collaboration, have now produced the definitive version on CD Rom. (There was an earlier, DOS version released in 1995, now sold out.)

You begin from the Blockbase itself, which is the foundation of the Programme. You’re given a list of headings from which to choose the type of block you’re interested in – or just browse through until you see something you’d like to look at. When you click on your choice, all the blocks of that type appear on the screen. Click on any one of them and you get name/s and date of that particular block. If you think you might like to use a particular block, you can quickly see how it would look when repeated in a quilt.

Say you want to research or find a particular block, you can search by the name of that block, by the Brackman ID number (as given in the book) or by source, if you know it. You can look for groups of blocks to fit particular Projects, for example Christmas blocks or collect blocks for a Project of your own, say Star Blocks. Once you’ve decided on a block, you can then print it out in colour, in outline or as a foundation pattern. Next, you can print out templates for that block, in whatever size you choose, and with whatever seam allowance you want.

Does all this sound too good to be true? Well, once you get started on this Programme, you’ll be hooked because it really is as easy as it sounds– promise! Just playing around with blocks is always fun for the addicted patchworker. Being able to find out the background and history of each one adds considerably to the fascination and, what’s more, if you feel guilty about spending so much time on it, you can remind yourself that, in fact, you’re engaged in essential research!

Celia Eddy © 2001

© Celia Eddy