Art quilt software

I always start with a photo. I take lots of photos that I save in computer files by type landscapes, seascapes, animals, people, etc. For this project, I have chosen to use a photo of a single pear. I love their color and shape and think they are delicious with almond butter, but that is another story for another time!

The first thing I do is simplify the photo using a computer program—either Photoshop or Photoshop Elements using the cutout filter or a free downloadable program called Gimp using the color to posterize function.

Both programs will allow you to reduce the number of visible colors in the photo to show clear color distinctions which are easy to follow as your pattern—and allow you to control the level of detail in your art quilt. In this case, I used Gimp at posterize level 5 to create this simple pattern if you are intimidated by the computer part, I have a pattern service on my website www.

I print this pattern in the size of my finished artwork—in this case, sized to fit on a single piece of paper. One thing to keep in mind is that these programs can sometimes change the color a bit, so I still refer to the original photo for my color choices. What I use the pattern for is value. Think black and white photo, and you will have a good understanding of values.

Many art quilters will print their photo in black and white in order to see value changes, but that can be problematic when two different colors are the same value—they look alike in the black and white photo and can often blend together. So instead, I have developed a gray scale value card that helps me determine what the value is in the photo and then I find a fabric in the same value. Keep in mind that the gray scale value card laminated cards are available from my website is just a selection of gray values, there is nothing magical about any of the numbers I use.

Holding the gray scale value card next to that area of the photo, I can see the gray value that is closest is somewhere between a 6 and a 7 this is an art, not a science. I write that number onto that area on the pattern and go to my fabrics to look for a fabric the color I want that is also a 6 or 7 value. I have identified the darker red area as an 8, the next red area somewhere between a 6 and 7, the first green area as a 5 and the lighter area as a 3. Those two little color changes around the lightest area—one looks green and the other sort of pink—can either be included or just blended into the 5 piece.

I think they are interesting so I will use them. They look to be around a 4 or 5 as well but in different colors. Have fun with color and pattern—the more unexpected the pattern, the more interesting your finished artwork will be. The layering of pattern and color makes the finished product so much more exciting than translating it directly.

Now that I have chosen my fabrics, I can begin constructing my pear. This will allow me to use it as a foundation and layer the rest of the fabrics on top of it, insuring that nothing slips around while I sew. It also means the finished pear will be self-contained, which makes it easy to audition on different backgrounds. I start with freezer paper. I love freezer paper—it has a glossy side and a dull side. Using a lightbox or window, I place the freezer paper on top of the pattern dull side up and trace around the main shape with a mechanical pencil.

When I place this freezer paper drawing on top of the right side of my fabric and press for a few seconds with a warm iron, the glossy side will stick to the fabric. Now I can easily cut around the drawn shape and fabric together, and when I pull the fabric away from the paper—I have my foundation. I repeat the process now for the 8 piece, using the same piece of freezer paper.

Once I have cut away the 8 piece, the remaining freezer paper pattern helps me line up the placement on my foundation. My Web Quilter is a website that features useful quilting calculators. You can use this free option to help you figure out how much fabric you need, how to measure the binding for the edge of your quilt, or how to size the backing.

Now, this is not a flashy, modernized website. It looks a bit like it escaped from the s, to be honest! That said, the calculators still work, and if you just need help with quilting math, you may want to try this free online calculator! Finally, you may also want to consider using a basic computer design option like the drawing tools in Word or Adobe illustrator.

But they allow you to piece together shapes and then fill in the shapes with color to get a basic sense of what you want a quilt block to look like. Keep in mind, though, that these free options have significant limitations.

You can find paid quilting software designed specifically for a MAC, as you will see later! So, how does Quilt Fusion work? This downloadable software allows you to create your applique designs. It has pretty decent design features, especially for free software! The downside to this option is that it does not offer many quilt block or layout tools. It focuses strictly on applique.

This makes it seem a bit like the free software works as the bait on a hook! This new design tool gives you a decent selection of block patterns. It also lets you piece together shapes and patterns to draft your own designs! The most popular quilt software on the market now is Electric Quit version 8, also known as EQ8. If you spend a lot of time quilting, you may want to invest in a paid design software that gives you a huge range of functions and design tools.

Electric Quilt dominates the market as the most advanced and most popular software for dedicated quilters. Its latest version, EQ8, came out in It offers yardage estimators, a vast library of finished quilt block templates to select from, and many quilt layout aids. It also comes with every kind of quilt block design feature you could ever want. You can draw from scratch, use templates to draft the basic shapes in your block, or import photos to translate into a quilt block template!

The downside to this handy scaled-down version is that it only works on Windows computers. With this program, you have the assurance of a quality product because Brother has a great reputation in the sewing world! That said, this product only offers block templates, and unfortunately, it only works on Windows desktop computers. It also gives you a full range of design tools and even allows you to upload pictures of your fabric to see what a finished quilt will look like!

It also offers helpful sizing tools to let you make everything from baby to king-size quilts! The paid version of PreQuilt works on a subscription basis. You can select to pay at varying levels depending on how much access you want to the web-based design features. Because this is all web-based, you can access the block library, save your designs, and even sell quilts all through the website!

This product will work with both Windows and Mac computers. Quilt Design Wizard deserves a quick mention though it is now a discontinued product. Electric Quilt launched this product way back before the EQ8 Mini hit the market. So now you can easily design an art quilt that is the perfect size to fit your wall!

You can see a preview of the pattern before you print it out! The patterns now have large numbers!!! The palette has large color swatches! Print it out to match your fabrics! You can also import your own fabrics into the preview and see your quilt before you cut even one fabric!!

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