Stitched in Color

View Original

Welcome, PreQuilt!

Rachel Hauser

Have you heard of PreQuilt? It’s a mind-blowing app made just for quilters, which allows you to easily design and visualize quilts. I have been using it since its launch in 2018, and am proud to welcome PreQuilt today as a Stitched in Color advertiser! Stay tuned for a great giveaway and a discount code for new subscribers!!!

The concept of PreQuilt is simple, but powerful. You know how some quilts can change completely just by rotating blocks? Or how about the way that color placement (or value placement, especially) can change the look of a quilt dramatically? The PreQuilt app lets you play around with these effects digitally, so you can experiment with lots of ideas. Yay!!

PreQuilt was born one night when quilter Laura was struggling to visualize The Circus Tent Quilt with her limited Illustrator skills. Gar, a software developer, looked over her shoulder and said he could code something that would speed up the design process. And the rest is history - - -

I have used PreQuilt to make coloring pages for my quilts. For example, I created one for the After the Rain quilt, which you can still use for free here. Give it a try! Just click “edit” on a color swatch at left and choose a different color. Then watch the quilt transform before your eyes. It’s super fun!

Experiment with Colors + Prints

What’s so clever is that PreQuilt serves color swatches that represent actual solid fabric lines. This way you can plan your quilt and then buy those precise colors. Easy peasy. PreQuilt offers color swatches from Kona, Art Gallery, Moda, Tilda and lots more.

Plus, you can import printed fabrics! Imagine you are at the fabric store or browsing online. You fall in love with a stunning fabric, but aren’t sure how it will look in your project. Simply take a photo and import it into PreQuilt. You can audition it right then and there - testing it out before you buy.

Reimagine an Existing Pattern

What’s cool is that when you’re using the PreQuilt app, your changes stay linked to the pattern parameters. The solid color changes or printed fabric changes automatically follow certain pattern rules so that you’ll still be able to use the pattern easily. The fabric list, cutting diagrams and sewing directions all hold true. Isn’t that smart!

In this way PreQuilt is a great tool for those who enjoy sewing from patterns. When you want to make a quilt with different colors than the pattern designer, you can preview your ideas, while staying organized and true to the pattern itself. Find patterns already written up as PreQuilt Coloring Sheets right here.

Here is a snapshot of color sheets for Lo and Behold Stitchery:

DO YOU HAVE A QUILTY IDEA?

Let your ideas run free with PreQuilt:

  • Create surprising colour combinations with the colour randomizer!

  • Easily customize your quilt layout!

  • Design your own blocks using the block editor!

  • Or use any of the over 100 blocks already loaded in the app!

Try & Subscribe

You can try out PreQuilt for free using the demo version! This version is the real deal, but you can’t save your work. You can sit down with the demo and make a new quilt design or reimagine a pattern you want to sew. Then, export the photo and details all in one sitting. You don’t have a PreQuilt account, so you can’t save what you’ve developed to build onto another day. I think you’ll want to buy into the paid account, once you give it a try - - -

The PreQuilt Subscription comes in two flavors: basic and market. The market plan is geared to pattern designers who want to use PreQuilt to sell their work. Most quilters will be well-served by the basic account, which costs $7.50 per month or $50 per year.

Good news! New subscribers can save 20% off any annual plan with coupon code STITCHEDINCOLOR.

::Giveaway::

Let’s celebrate PreQuilt! The app has developed beautifully since its launch 6 years ago, and I am truly excited to have them as a sponsor of this space. You can make them welcome by following @PreQuilt on Instagram and adding your comment to this post. One lucky winner will score an Annual Basic Subscription to PreQuilt. To Enter:

Winner will be chosen on Tuesday, July 9th. This giveaway is open internationally. Good luck!

Congratulations to @koblankenship, winner of the Annual Basic Subscription to PreQuilt!