Today there are 63 different quilt design software. We spent 86 hours comparing the top 50 to find the seven best you can use to arrange your block designs and create amazing quilts.
What is the Best Quilt Design Software?
- Electric Quilt 8 — best of the best
- BlockBase+ — best quilt blocks library
- Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro — best for businesses
- Quiltspace — best for Android
- Stash Star Fabric — best for iPhone
- Quiltography — best for iPad
- QuiltingCalc — best measurement tool
Our Verdict — Best Of The Best
Price: $239.95
Electric Quilt 8 is a feature-packed software for creative quilt designers. We think it’s the best because of its precise yardage estimates, compatibility with various file formats, and incredible layout editor.
The Best Part:
Intuitive layout editor. Electric Quilt 8’s user-friendly editor features large elements, customizable workspaces, and guided designing features to streamline your design process and make it more fun.
The Worst Part:
Pricey one-time payment. Electric Quilt 8's one-time payment of $239.95 can be a significant investment for some designers.
Get it if you want a powerful and customizable quilt design software that can easily handle even the most complex projects.
I recommend you watch their free demo video, then get the software for $239.95.
(free demo)
Best For
Electric Quilt 8 is best for passionate quilt designers who want a comprehensive tool for designing, customizing, and visualizing their quilts.
Top Features
- Independent fabric preview. Optimize your design process with the distinct Fabric Preview window, which lets you view each selected fabric swatch individually and at your preferred size.
- Intuitive applique patch creation. Design stars, posies, and quilting stencils effortlessly with user-friendly controls that eliminate the need for drawing.
- Fabric import capabilities. Incorporate your own fabric into Electric Quilt 8 by scanning or taking a pic, then fine-tuning the image for an accurate on-screen display.
- Fabric yardage estimates. Calculate fabric yardage requirements for your quilt design based on various yardage widths and fat quarters, with fabric SKU numbers displayed directly on the yardage printout.
- Layer display control. Toggle quilt layers on or off while designing to position motifs and stencils with precision.
Pricing
Electric Quilt 8 offers a single pricing plan:
Electric Quilt 8: $239.95 one-time payment, for quilters and quilt designers of all skill levels who want access to a comprehensive software for designing and creating impressive quilts.
Try Electric Quilt 8 today with a free demo.
2. BlockBase+
Our Verdict — Best Quilt Blocks Library
Price: $119.95
BlockBase+ is an easy-to-use quilt design software with an extensive digital quilt block library. We think it’s the best quilt blocks library because of its vast collection of patterns, user-friendly interface, and regular updates.
The Best Part:
Extensive block categorization. BlockBase+ offers a seamless browsing experience through 4,264+ well-organized blocks, sorted into distinct categories such as One Patch, Non-Square, Fans, Wheels, Stars, and more.
The Worst Part:
No free trial. BlockBase+ doesn't offer a free trial, so you gotta trust it’s gonna be right for you.
Get it if you want a massive library of quilt blocks at your fingertips without the unnecessary bells and whistles of more complicated design software.
I recommend you watch the free demo, then buy BlockBase+ for $119.95.
(free demo)
Best For
BlockBase+ is best for quilt enthusiasts who want a software with a vast and regularly updated library of block patterns.
Top Features
- Block viewing modes. Explore blocks by color, grayscale values, or line drawings to discover the ideal design for your quilt with multiple viewing options.
- Custom block printing. Craft personalized printouts for block images, templates, rotary cutting charts, or foundation patterns using BlockBase+'s versatile print settings.
- Digital fabric cutter compatibility. Export blocks as SVG files with specified sizes and seam allowances, fully compatible with digital fabric-cutting machines.
- Dynamic print preview. Change and rotate pattern pieces in the print preview, insert additional pages as needed, and even save your customized preview as a PDF for future use.
- Regular software updates. Stay up-to-date with the latest quilt block designs and innovative features through regular software updates.
Pricing
BlockBase+ offers a single pricing plan:
BlockBase+: $119.95 one-time payment, for quilt enthusiasts who want a comprehensive and user-friendly software with an extensive quilt block library.
Try BlockBase+ today with a free demo.
Our Verdict — Best For Businesses
Price: $399.95
Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro is a professional quilting design software that caters to growing quilting businesses. We think it’s the best for businesses because of its advanced design features, seamless machine integration, and top-notch customer support.
The Best Part:
Complete quilt layout design. Creative Design Pro makes it easy to design complete quilt layouts with custom patterns, pantographs, and borders.
The Worst Part:
Pricey one-time payment. Creative Design Pro’s advanced features come at a higher price than more basic quilt design software.
Get it if you want to streamline your design process with a professional-grade software tailored for quilting businesses.
I recommend you buy Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro for a one-time payment of $399.95.
(30-day money-back guarantee)
Best For
Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro is best for quilting businesses that want advanced design features and tools to stand out in the industry.
Top Features
- Customizable interface. Tailor the perfect workspace with options for large or small tools, visible or hidden tips, and customizable palette positioning.
- Effortless aspect ratio management. Adjust block sizes on all quilt layers while keeping their proportions without breaking a sweat.
- Extensive libraries. Choose from a vast selection of copyright-free blocks, patterns, and fabrics to create distinctive designs.
- Precise template pattern tools. Design flawless appliqué patterns with Design Pro's mirror feature and advanced rotation controls.
- Color-coded foundation patterns. Streamline your sewing process with vivid foundation patterns that can be printed in color, grayscale, or line drawings.
Pricing
Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro offers a single pricing plan:
Quilter's Creative Design Pro: $399.95 one-time payment, for quilting businesses that want robust software with advanced design features and seamless machine integration to create unique and professional-quality quilts.
Try Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro today with a 30-day money-back guarantee.
Our Top Three Picks
Here’s a quick summary of our top three picks:
- Electric Quilt 8 — best of the best
- BlockBase+ — best quilt blocks library
- Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro — best for businesses
Here’s a quick comparison of our top seven picks:
Tool | Entry Offer | Pricing |
|---|---|---|
Electric Quilt 8 | Free demo | $239.95 |
BlockBase+ | Free demo | $119.95 |
Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro | 30-day money-back guarantee | $399.95 |
Quiltspace | None | Free forever |
Stash Star Fabric | Free plan | $3.99 |
Quiltography | 14-day money-back guarantee | $14.99 |
QuiltingCalc | None | Free forever |
Here are the top 50 quilt design software we considered in this review:
- Electric Quilt 8
- BlockBase+
- Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro
- Quiltspace
- Stash Star Fabric
- Quiltography
- QuiltingCalc
- Preview Quilt Design
- MyWebQuilter
- Prequilt App
- Quilt-Pro
- GO! Quilt by Accuquilt
- Quilt Label Collective
- Quilt Assistant
- My Web Quilter
- Quilt Design Wizard
- Quilt Fusion
- Microsoft Quilting Buddy
- My Quilting Buddy
- Brother SAPVQ
- Janome Artistic Digitizer Software
- PatternJam
- Inkscape
- GIMP
- Design N Quilt
- Decor Interactive
- Flamboyance
- QuiltWorks
- Quilt Now Designer
- Quilt Doodle
- PatternedAI
- RunwayML
- Dribbble
- DeepArt.io
- Ostagram
- Artbreeder
- PaintsChainer
- NeuralStyler
- Prisma
- Dreamscope
- StyleMyPic
- Pastiche
- NightCafe Creator
- Fast Style Transfer
- Let's Enhance
- StyleThief
- Vango
- Visionist
- Instapattern
- Quilt Path
Is there a quilt design app?
Yes, there are several quilt design apps available for both desktop computers and mobile devices.
Some popular desktop applications include Electric Quilt 8, Quilter's Creative Design Pro, and BlockBase+, which provide comprehensive features for designing quilts, calculating fabric requirements, and creating templates.
For mobile devices, there are options like Quiltspace for Android, Stash Star Fabric for iPhone, and Quiltography for iPad. These apps allow users to design their own quilts using a range of features, such as fabric selection, block arrangement, and pattern editing. Whether you prefer working on a computer or a mobile device, there are plenty of choices for designing your own custom quilts.
How do I design my own quilt?
To design your own quilt, you can use quilt design software programs, such as Electric Quilt 8 or Quilter's Creative Design Pro. These programs provide helpful features like online tutorials, quilt block templates, and fabric calculators to assist you in creating your own unique quilt design. Additionally, some apps like Prequilt App and Quiltspace offer mobile-friendly options for designing quilts on the go.
How do you make a digital quilt pattern?
Creating a digital quilt pattern starts with choosing the right software or app for your needs. Once you've chosen a program, you can begin by selecting or importing fabric options, designing quilt blocks, and arranging them into an entire quilt layout. The software will help you calculate fabric requirements and other necessary details, like seam allowances and quilt dimensions. After finalizing your design, export the pattern as an image or PDF file, which can be printed or shared digitally.
Can I sell patterns made in EQ8?
Yes, you can sell patterns created within the Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) software, but you must adhere to their copyright policy. According to the Electric Quilt Company, any patterns made using the software can be sold as long as you credit EQ8 as the source of the pattern or include a reference to the Electric Quilt Company on your labeling or marketing materials.
How do you transfer a picture onto fabric for quilting?
To transfer a picture onto fabric for quilting, you can use various methods such as printing images on fabric sheets, using an iron-on transfer paper, or tracing the design using specialized pens or pencils. Some quilt design software programs, like Electric Quilt 8, also allow you to import pictures into the software and create custom patterns based on those images, which can be printed directly onto fabric.
How do quilting templates work?
Quilting templates are essential tools for accurately cutting fabric pieces, marking stitching lines, and ensuring consistency in your quilt design. They can be made from sturdy materials like plastic, acrylic, or paper and come in various shapes and sizes to correspond with the quilt block design being created.
To use a quilting template for cutting fabric pieces:
- Place the template onto your chosen fabric, ensuring that the grain of the fabric aligns properly with the template's guidelines.
- Secure the template using pins or specialized fabric weights to prevent it from shifting during tracing.
- Trace around the template shape using a suitable fabric pen, pencil, or chalk, making sure to mark any additional alignment points or notches indicated on the template.
- Carefully cut along the traced lines using fabric scissors or a rotary cutter.
To use a quilting template for marking stitching lines:
- Align the template with the corresponding fabric piece or quilt block.
- Use a fabric pen, pencil, or chalk to trace the stitching lines indicated on the template.
- These marked lines will serve as a guide for sewing the quilt blocks together or for quilting on the finished piece, ensuring accurate and consistent results.
In addition to traditional physical templates, some quilt design software programs offer digital templates that can be printed and used as guides for cutting and sewing. By using quilting templates in your projects, you can achieve precise and professional-looking results, regardless of your skill level.
Remember to periodically clean your templates, as fabric chalk or pen residue may accumulate over time, making them harder to see through and use accurately. Also, store your templates flat or hanging to prevent them from warping or bending, ensuring their continued accuracy in future projects.
The Bottom Line
To recap, here are the best quilt design software to try this year:
- Electric Quilt 8 — best of the best
- BlockBase+ — best quilt blocks library
- Grace Quilter's Creative Design Pro — best for businesses
- Quiltspace — best for Android
- Stash Star Fabric — best for iPhone
- Quiltography — best for iPad
- QuiltingCalc — best measurement tool
