I've been asked to do a tut. on how to make lacy edges like the ones you see on "virtual quilt squares" (see the header image above.) Soooo - here goes!!

As always, you need PSP - the earliest tuts. on this site use PSP 6; I'm now using 8 but I'll keep it simple so you can use whatever version you have!

NOTE : if you are using PSP9 you can download modified instructions to use alongside these by right-clicking here

Click on File - New - image dimensions 130 x 130 (because that's the size most quilt squares are) and background transparent.

Go to the layers palette - if you can't see it, click View - palettes - layers - click the black triangle at the top RH of the palette so it points upwards and locks the palette open. Click on the 'two rectangles' icon at the top LH corner of the palette and open a new layer - call it anything you like, but NOT background : I called mine "white." Flood-fill it with any colour you like, preferably pale or even white.

Go back to the layer palette and open another new layer - name it edge, or lace, or whatever...
At this point you will probably find it useful to zoom in on the image : click on View - palettes - tool options and then on the magnifying glass image with 5+ in it .... there, isn't that better?

Select the paint brush tool, size 1, hardness 100 and colour a dark grey - #404040 is good. Put a single dot in the very centre of the top edge (if you don't usually have the ruler visible, select View - ruler - you can then find the exact centre!)

Put another two dots on either side of the first, making a short line 5 pixels long - DON'T try to draw it as a line, it'll all end in tears, believe me!

Place three diagonal dots going out and down from each end of the line, then two straight down at each end - see diagram 1 (all enlarged views.) Add more dots at one end only, in this order : two diagonal down, two straight across, one diagonal up - diagram 2. Still working in single dots, make a symmetrical pattern within the "loop" of the lace, as in diagram 3. At this point it might be a good idea to save your work - make sure you save it as a PSP image to preserve the layers! Click on Edit - copy then Edit - Paste - Paste as new selection and you find you have a 'floating' copy of your lace motif : position it carefully with the cross arrows Move tool then click to lock it in place (don't forget, you can always use the "back" option of things go wrong!) Repeat the Edit-Paste action to make a three-motif edge as in diagram 4. Edit-copy-Edit-paste -new selection again, this time you will have three 'scallops' in your pasted motif : position it carefully, and repeat until you have completed one edge. You will have to centre it when the edge is complete. You may notice that I have added extra "dots" to the pattern - feel free to embellish it as you like, but make sure it remains symmetrical at this stage. Repeat the edit-copy-edit-paste-new with the top edging but this time paste as 'New Layer.'

Diagram 1 Diagram 2 Diagram 3 Diagram 4

The edging will appear across the centre of the square : select Image - flip and it will do just that - you will have a vertically mirror image of the edging, all ready for you to position along the bottom edge of the square (diagram 6.)

Diagram 5

Diagram 6

Diagram 7

Diagram 8 : actual size

Edit-paste-new layer again, but this time rotate the edging through 90° by selecting Image - Rotate - Free Rotate - 90° - Left and you MUST check the box that says 'rotate single layer around canvas center.' Reposition the edging down the left hand side with the cross arrows move tool as before, then Edit - Copy - Edit - Paste - New Layer, then Edit - Mirror and reposition down the right-hand edge of the square. You may have to fiddle with the detail in the corners until it looks right, adding and deleting pixels as necessary. The inner square is then drawn with the Preset Shape Tool (circle and square superimposed) set to rectangle, line width 1, line style Dotted and the fill colour on the Materials palette set to transparent.

Now it's time to start merging layers - your Layer palette should look something like the one in Diagram 9 (you may have more or less layers, depending on how you've handled the duplicating of the edges.) Click on the 'eye' symbol next to the bottom two layers ('transp' and 'white' on mine) - see the diagram 10 - and you should see the dark grey lines of the lace edging against a grey checkerboard background. Make sure the closed layers aren't selected (indicated by them being shown in blue with white letters) - if one of them is, click on the layer name of one of the other layers (edging, etc.) Click Layers - Merge - Merge visible and your layers will reduce to three - your transparent background, white or coloured fill, and the merged edging (now named Merged.) Un-click the transparent background by clicking on the red cross - see diagram 11.