QUILT PLANNING NOTES · UPDATED OCTOBER 26, 2026
PreQuilt or a desktop quilt designer?
If you like planning quilts on screen but want another way to save and work, start with where your projects will live. A browser subscription and an offline desktop studio solve different problems.
Written by the makers of Cloth & Colour, a desktop quilt designer in development. Our preview is not yet available for public purchase or download. This is a product comparison, not an independent ranking. Other product names belong to their owners; no affiliation is implied.
What PreQuilt offers today
PreQuilt’s documentation describes an online, browser-based quilt designer for computers, tablets and phones, with Chrome and a mouse recommended for editing. Its plans page includes a Block Maker, custom fabrics and a Fabric Calculator. Basic and Market plans have different saving and fabric allowances; Market also offers public and private colouring pages.
Which approach fits your sewing room?
| Your priority | PreQuilt | Cloth & Colour preview |
|---|---|---|
| Where you work | Online browser editor. | Mac and Windows desktop development; core design works locally. |
| Keeping projects | Subscription saving, with plan-specific limits. | Local projects and independent project/library backups. |
| Custom design | Block Maker and custom fabric tools. | Grid blocks, custom pieces, per-piece colour, rotation and mirroring. |
| Printed output | Fabric Calculator; investigate the output your project needs. | Making books, selected templates and tiled printing in the preview. |
| Availability | Available to explore now. | Development preview; no public installer or checkout yet. |
Choose for the work you actually do
A browser workflow can be convenient if you change computers often or want to colour a designer’s existing pattern. Check that the exact pattern and editing tools you need are available. A tablet that opens a website may still feel different from a computer with a mouse.
A local desktop workflow may suit you if you sew away from reliable internet, want separate files you control, or prefer a one-time software purchase. In Cloth & Colour, fabric photos stay in your local project and can be cropped and scaled. That does not make a screen an exact colour match, or turn a photo into a sewable pattern automatically.
Run this small trial
- Use a four-by-four quilt layout and one block you know how to sew.
- Import a photograph of your own print. Crop it and set a sensible repeat scale.
- Change one triangle without recolouring the rest of the block.
- Save, close and reopen. Check what remains editable and where the file lives.
- Inspect a printed plan: finished size, cutting size, seam allowance and labels should be unambiguous.
When PreQuilt is the better choice
If you need a usable browser product today, or its particular colouring-page workflow, try PreQuilt first. Cloth & Colour is still completing release checks. Its planned pricing is US$79 at launch and US$99 regular, with optional paid major upgrades; joining our launch list is free and is not a preorder.
We do not promise that PreQuilt projects import as editable Cloth & Colour quilts. Keep your original projects and exports when testing any alternative.
PreQuilt descriptions checked against its linked plans and help pages on October 26, 2026. Plans can change; consult the maker before purchasing.
Try the ideas before choosing the software
Follow our guides to designing a quilt block, photographing fabric for a quilt mockup and printing a measured quilt plan. You can also watch the actual Cloth & Colour preview.