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Quilt Group Grid
3.2.2 Quilt Group Grid
Having a grid helps with the positioning of the quilting patterns. Having a crosshair
to show where the sewing head is currently placed helps to synchronize the those
images with the actual quilt. 
 View Grid
 - Choosing to show a grid will change the look of the preview area. It will
look like graph paper with very fine lines and it is helpful when planning pattern
positioning. Some of the Draw features using  Gridpoint Snaps
 will automatically
display the grid.  
* Click View 
* Choose View Grid
A background grid now appears. Once the View Grid has been selected, it remains
visible until it is deselected.
 Grid Size 
- Grid size is the distance between the grid lines.  If precise pattern
placement is important, the grid size might be set very small (quarter inch or less)
but if the pattern is very large scale, the grid size might be better at one inch or
more. Grid size  can be changed anytime during the project. 
Choose the distance between the grid lines that helps you plan the designs
effectively.
     
* Click View 
* Choose Grid Size
* Type in the size, in inches.
The background grid now changes size. 
 Zoom allows you to see both micro and macro views of patterns. You can zoom in
close, and see the tiny details of a pattern, and you can zoom out and see the big
picture. When choosing the scale of E2E designs, it is important to see what the
pattern would look like in full size. Click on the word Zoom on the status bar at the
bottom of the screen and the magnification changes to 100%, which is how your
designs will stitch out, full size. 
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 Because there are so many computer monitor / TV variations that can be used as a
screen, CS can calibrate the grid size for you using the  Zoom Reset 
icon also on the
status bar. This can be done easily using a 1 square paper template or ruler. First,
be sure the Grid is visible. Next, hold the template or ruler on the screen, and zoom
in and out until the screen grid is exactly the same as the 1 template. Then click on
this icon, and that perspective will be saved as your 100%. Now, when clicking on
the word Zoom the screen perspective will be true size.
   Crosshair  refers to two lines that intersect and appear on the CAD preview area.
The intersection of these lines indicates where the sewing head is currently
positioned.  Like on a graph, the needle position has X and Y co-ordinates. To make
it easy to find this position on the screen  these appear as horizontal (X) and vertical
(Y) translucent blue lines. The intersection of the two lines is the crosshair which is
the needle position.
The crosshair is very useful, especially when checking the alignment of the patterns
on the screen, with the patterns stitched on the quilt. It will be mentioned frequently. 
Once the Crosshair has been selected, it remains visible until it is deselected.
3.2.3 Renaming a Quilt Group
Quilt groups can be renamed easily too. Just right click on an empty space in the
Preview area for that group, and one of the choices is Rename Quilt Group. Click
anywhere on those words, and a dialog box appears where you can type the new
name. The names need to be unique and it is useful if they are descriptive. Click OK
when done and the name will change. 
						

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Removing a Quilt Group
3.2.4 Removing a Quilt Group
Removing the quilt group does not delete any of the patterns selected for the
project. Just click on the quilt group tab, so that tab (or group) becomes the active
one, and click on the (RemoveQuiltGroup) icon located at the top of the Project
Information window. CS will always ask if you are sure you want to remove a group.  
Tip:  It is always better to remove a group and start over rather than just deleting
the patterns and boundaries inside the group.  
						

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3.3 Quilt Patterns
Hundreds of digitized quilt patterns came with your Statler, and thousands more are
available for you to purchase. The designers who sell their patterns decide how to
protect their designs via copyright statements and some use encryption. So, dont be
surprised if you are asked to provide your controller number when you purchase
digitized patterns. (To find it, click on  Help
, then click on About. The controller
serial number is displayed.) Encrypted patterns will only run on one machine, so
they cant be shared, transferred, duplicated or sold. 
When you purchase patterns, look at the  file extension. If they end with .pat  instead
of .qli, then they are encrypted. All patterns derived from an encrypted pattern will
also be encrypted, and have a file extension of . csqx
 instead of .csq. All project files
that use any encrypted patterns will also be encrypted (with a file extension of  .projx
instead of .proj) and will only run on your machine. When an encrypted pattern has
been chosen for a project, it appears in the pattern list, but it has a blue background
behind the pattern image. Once a project is encrypted, it remains that way, even if
the encrypted pattern is removed from the project. 
Most digital patterns are continuous line designs. By definition, a continuous-line
design has only one start and one stop.   
* Block designs are usually a single pattern and frequently have the start and stop at
the same point.
* Edge-to-Edge or Border patterns are designed for having multiple repeats of the
same pattern, with the end of one pattern connected to the start of the next, along
the same (straight) line. They also have only one start and one stop but not at the
same point.
* Point To Point patterns must  be continuous because the end of one pattern is
connected to the beginning of the next. 
Composite patterns are comprised of individual patterns and they may have more
than one start and stop.  Pattern designers are creating projects that use a
composite pattern (with multiple individual patterns) which is stitched first, and the
final product is made into a wholecloth quilt, wallhanging, tote bag, placemat or
other home decor item.  
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 Derivative patterns consist of portions of another pattern. The CS design capabilities
make it easy to modify patterns, and export the derivative to be used in other
projects.
3.3.1 About Quilt PatternsPatterns can be combined, and they can be split into pieces. Here are the terms and
definitions that will help explain how this works:
Segments  - All patterns are made up of segments which are straight lines or
curves. Continuous patterns are made up of connected segments. If the segments
get separated, the gap is called a  Jump Stitch . When a pattern is divided into
segments, the individual segments are technically complete patterns with Start
points, End points, segments and nodes.   
  Nodes  are specific points in a pattern.  The beginning and ending of each
segment is a node. Two contiguous segments share a node (the ending node of the
first segment is the beginning node of the next segment). When a pattern is divided,
it is at a node.
 
Node Mode
 (F7) displays the pieces of each pattern, showing all nodes.
· Endpoint Nodes
 are pink squares and are used when dividing or combining
pattern segments. 
· Arc nodes
 are blue squares and they are used to reshape the pattern segments.
· Designer Nodes
 are special cases. These can change the pattern speed, change
the SPI (stitches per inch), cause a pause, issue a note. Their presence is
sometimes obvious because they are red dots (instead of pink or blue squares).
Most quilters will not need to create Designer Nodes, but they should be aware of
them, so they are described in detail, in a later section.  
3.3.2 Single Block Patterns
Single Block Patterns come  in different sizes and shapes. Usually, they have the
same start and end point. Here are some common block styles:
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(1) Allissa block 1  – is very detailed with a square-ish shape. Is very dense (good
for larger blocks), has symmetry (suggest Freeze Aspect = ON).
(2) Allissa block 2  - is a simpler design with a square shape. Is not dense (could fit
many sizes) has symmetry (suggest Freeze Aspect = ON).
(3) Allissa block 3  – is circular, with more density on outer edges, (good for larger
blocks), has motion (Direction of hearts conveys motion), suggest freeze
aspect = ON.
(4) Allissa block 4  – is detailed with a rectangular shape, somewhat open (could fit
many sizes) has secondary design  – Multiple repeats might be interesting.
(5) Allissa tri  – is a triangle, with more density on outer edges, has a center focus  –
the density on the outer edges actually frames the heart.
3.3.3 Continuous Patterns
Continuous Patterns  also come in different sizes and shapes. By definition, the
startpoint and the endpoint are not the same point, but are on the same horizontal
line. Here are some common continuous styles:
(1) A Notion To Sew  – is a pantograph pattern that can be repeated across and
down the entire quilt, Edge To Edge (E2E). Pantographs can also be used on
the inside of the quilt, from border to border - sometimes called B2B. The outer
edges of this pattern are relatively linear, making it a good candidate for B2B (or
even a very wide border). 
(2) Spool of Thread (with two spools) is a border pattern. It is continuous and is 
						

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Continuous Patternsdesigned to be repeated as many times as needed, to span the border.   
(3) Spool of thread (with one spool) is a corner pattern. It is continuous, and is designed to connect the stitch lines of the border patterns.
(4) Spool of Thread (with three spools) is a specialty border pattern. This one has been designed to work with the corner, making the transition into the corner
appear more symmetrical.
3.3.4 Point To Point Patterns
Point To Point is a unique process that allows quilting patterns to be placed
precisely. The process will prompt for a series of points and then stitch one repeat
between each consecutive pair of points. This process delivers a very custom
result. The P2P patterns are continuous and have a few restrictions:
* They must have the start point on the left and the end point on the right.
* The start and end must be on the same horizontal line when it is designed (not
when it is used). If any of these restrictions are not met, CS will display an error
message. 
They can be stitched with the  Freeze Aspect
 setting ON or OFF, for very different
results. 
In the example above, Clicks were made at varying intervals, 6, 3, 6, 3, 6. The
top row shows the resulting pattern when the Freeze Aspect is OFF. The bottom row
shows the results when the Freeze Aspect is ON. These hearts were stitched along
one straight line but they didnt have to be.  
 It is possible to concatonate P2P patterns for a unique combination. Select the first
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P2P pattern in the pattern list, and hold the Ctrl key down while selecting 1 or more
additional P2P patterns. Now as the P2P points are clicked, the patterns will be
placed, based on their selection sequence. 
 
 
In this example, two P2P patterns were concatonated,  Freeze Aspect = ON, and the
click spacing varied. These are great options for skinny sashings. 
Design It Yourself:   Point-to-Point (P2P) lines and patterns  can be positioned
using the P2P icon & sewing head or using the Draw command and the mouse.
Both techniques will be described in full detail.  
						

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3.4 Quilt Pattern Setup and Edit
What You See Is What You Quilt  !  
There is an acronym for this:  WYSIWYQ  (Pronounced “Whissey Wick”).   Being
able to see what is about to be quilted is extremely valuable because it eliminates
many surprises.  
There are two modes involved when choosing, positioning and previewing quilting
patterns: 
1. Setup Mode enables the quilter to change the settings that define how the
patterns should stitch for this project.
2. Edit Mode enables the quilter to see an image of what is going to be stitched, and
fine tune the details if needed. 
It is important that the Setup changes be done first, and the Edit changes done last.
Flipping between the two modes can undo Edit mode changes.  
Color coding is used to distinguish between the two modes. 
Setup steps are
highlighted in 
cyan throughout the user manual and the Quick Reference Cards. 
Edit
steps are highlighted in 
magenta.  The choice of highlight colors is not accidental.
The colors cyan and magenta were chosen because they relate back to color coding
of the  ‘details ’ in the Property Window. 
Cyan is used for 
Designed Pattern Details  settings which is done in 
Setup Mode. 
Magenta is used for 
Selected Pattern details  which is done in 
Edit Mode.
To facilitate pattern setup and edit, it is strongly suggested that you use the grid on
the  CAD screen,
 and use the Crosshair to show the current position of the sewing
head. These were mentioned earlier, but it is worth more detail now.
 
The Setup and Edit steps are described in detail here, in the same sequence that
would be typical for starting a new project. To demonstrate how these modes work
together we will show the steps for doing a single block and repeated blocks. The
purpose of this is to familiarize you with some of the basic functions and explain the
process and how to navigate through it. This is just a simple example. 
Design It Yourself:   Throughout the manual there will be DIY tips that look like
this. These  are intended for experienced CS quilters who want to use keyboard
shortcuts and commands to control pattern design. You can ignore the DIY tips
without losing any functionality. 
All of the quilting features will be described in full detail and in context in the next
sections   – The Quilting Process. Each feature will include the feature name, any
assumptions and the steps to follow. If the step numbers are highlighted with cyan,
the step is part of the Setup mode. Steps highlighted in magenta are part of the Edit
mode. 
The following two examples will provide an overview of the two most common
quilting processes; Single Blocks and Repeat Patterns.   
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3.4.1 Selecting Patterns
“ Select
” means to choose. If using the mouse, this is a single click. If using a touch
screen, it is tapping the screen. “ Select
” and Click
 and “ Highlight
” are used
interchangeably because selecting an object generally highlights it. 
There are several methods to selecting multiple patterns. 
*  All Patterns
 - can be selected by clicking on the Select All Patterns icon.  
This will select everything on the preview area for the current quilt group. By default,
the stitching order is determined by the order the patterns were moved onto the
preview area.  
*  Pick and Choose
 - select multiple patterns individually. To do this, hold the
Control key down while clicking on as many patterns as needed.  The sequence of
choosing the patterns can be important . If the group of patterns will be combined,
rubber stamped or exported, the order of selection is the order of stitching, so dont
click them randomly if they need to be stitch in a specific sequence. 
*  Marque (click and drag) - 
 choose a group of patterns by dragging a selection box
around them. This selection box is created by starting at a point on the Preview area
that is away from all patterns. Click on this first point, hold down the left mouse
button, and drag the mouse away , creating the selection box. The distance and
direction determine which patterns are included in the selection.  - Drag Left to Right to select patterns that are completely inside the selection box.
- Drag Right to Left to select all patterns that touch any part of the selection box. 
Selecting Specific Patterns . There will be times when patterns overlap each