Complex blocks made easy with EQ7
I recently saw a quilt on Pinterest made with a block I’d not seen before. I was intrigued by this block, as it looked rather difficult to piece. So I opened up EQ7, and did a search for this block. It took a little digging, as it’s called the “Star of Bethlehem” block in EQ7.
Yep, definitely not a fun one to piece. Lots of set in seams there! I don’t enjoy that type of piecing at all, and would have normally dismissed this block as too much hassle. But I was pretty sure I could redraw it in EQ7 to be all standard patches with no “Y” seams.
Now it’s not identical, on the original block the dark gray points are all the same size. When I redrew the block, I used a 16 x 16 grid, and my dark gray points are smaller in the corners, but otherwise the block is nearly identical, with nothing more than flying geese, half square triangles, and squares.
This is one of the many reasons I love EQ7! Just because a block might look more difficult than I want to tackle doesn’t mean it has to be. Now I know this block will be as easy as any other to piece. Yes, there are now more seams in the piecing, but I could live with that, once it’s quilted you don’t notice them anyway.
It looks like my Bernina 630 isn’t fixed after all. The tension problems are exactly the same as when I took it in, so I’m headed back down tomorrow, and I will sit down with the dealer and demonstrate the problem. I think the upper tension unit needs to be replaced. Of course if the world ends before I wake up all bets are off! 
Bummer on the 630. It almost sounded like they made the “repair” too simple. Maybe we could meet “halfway” for a Christmas coffee….and a dessert of course. LOL.
Halfway? Did you buy a jet girlfriend?
Hey, a girl can dream. LOL
The “swooning” quilt is truly beautiful. I do not enjoy blocks with set in seams, either. So, I just love the drawing you came up.
Nope, set in seams are not fun. I’m all for easy piecing!
Sorry the machine is not fixed – that is not good when you have to drive about an hour or so to bring it back!
Everyone needs the challenge of Y seams once in awhile LOL – you did a good change on that block though
I did Y seams once. That was enough for me! I don’t see any point in making life more complicated than it already is… I am lazy that way!
Totally agree!!