Quilting Assistant Logo
 Product Review : Electric Quilt Margaret Miller's Angle Play Software

This Electric Quilt Add-On package is loaded with design possibilities gleaned from Margaret Miller's Angle Play book. The basic premise of the software is to replace square-based triangles with rectangle-based triangles within quilt designs. This change effects the angle of the diagonal seam, creating an entirely different effect. Even in basic patterns, such as Ohio Star, this technique results in a striking and unusual variation on an old standard. Angle Play allows quilters to create unique, visually complex designs that are, in fact, simple to construct.

Ms. Miller is the renowned author of six books, a lecturer on color and design in quilting and the inventor of AnglePlay(TM) templates used in rotary cutting to create triangles from rectangles.

System Requirements

In order to support Angle Play, your system must meet the requirements of this package as well as Electric Quilt 4 :

    A copy of Electric Quilt 5 must be installed
    CD-ROM drive
    Windows 98 / 2000 / NT 4.0 / ME / XP
    32 MB RAM is suggested
    16-bit/high color monitor capable of 800x600 resolution
    Internet Explorer 5.0 or higher
    50 MB hard disk space

Features

Angle Play software takes the best features of its companion book and provides quilters with additional bonuses. Included in the package are :

    84 blocks from AnglePlay(TM) Blocks Book
    225 bonus blocks
    18 new custom AnglePlay(TM) quilt layouts
    a new library of over 600 fabrics

Pros :

There are a number of benefits associated with this software package. Angle Play is more than a collection of set patterns. It provides the flexibility to create original designs and unique layouts. In addition, the bonus fabric palette expands the number of possibilities open to quilters.

Angle Play can be used for either template or foundation piecing methods. To further simplify the process, both pattern and color printing are supported. These conveniences can be particularly helpful when dealing with larger projects.

Cons :

The greatest fall back of Angle Play is that it only works on particular systems if particular software is present. While its features may be present exciting design possibilities, quilters may face unexpected expenses in order to make this package run.

Angle Play is not a standalone product. A copy of Electric Quilt 5 must exist on your system to make use of it. While this is not an issue for current EQ users, quilters that happen to use another package for design, or have no quilt design software yet must purchase EQ in addition to Angle Play. This expense for something you may or may not need can be inconvenient or exceed the budgets of some.

Because this package is an EQ add-on, it's function is directly tied to Electric Quilt 5. Block patterns, for example, cannot be printed from the Angle Play CD directly. In order to print, the user must access them from within EQ5. In a nutshell, EQ5 must be running in order to make use of the full range of Angle Play features.

There are additional system restrictions to consider in regards to Angle Play. Like Electric Quilt 5, this software is not supported on the Macintosh platform. Some PC emulation software, such as Virtual PC, is required. To further the complications, this emulation software runs on newer systems such as iMac. Older Macs will be unable to run the emulator, Electric Quilt or Angle Play.

Windows 95 users also face a small complication running Angle Play. This operating system version lacks files needed to properly run Electric Quilt's help files and videos. With the latest version of Windows Media Player, however, it may be possible to play the help videos outside of EQ5.

Related : Electric Quilt - Other Software Reviews

 Free Patterns
  Quilt Patterns
  Block Patterns
  Border Pattern

 Calculators
  Fabric Usage
  Metric Tool

 Product Review
  Frames
  Books
  Lighting
  Sewing
  Software

 Quilting Info
  Techniques
  Equipment
  Quilt Types
  Home Page

Copyright© 2005 Clockwatchers, Inc. - Quilting Assistant dot com