How can I see what a pattern will look like over an entire quilt without having to put the whole thing together first?
by 
Jillifish
ANSWERS: 5
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If you are not concerned with seeing the actual fabrics in the overall design, you can cut peices of paper to make your design. I have done this before with colored construction paper, just to make sure that the overall look would be what I was after. I have also drawn the design out on graph paper and colored it in, but it doesn't give the feel of a full size model. If you really want to see all of the fabrics included in the design, one option would be to finish a square and then make several color copies of it to tape together. I haven't tried it, but it seems like it should work well as long as you are using mostly the same blocks throughout the quilt.
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Since you have a computer, if you know how to use a photo editing program like Photoshop, you can easily put together a full image, and even move the fabrics around until you have the design you want. It takes a bit of time, but so does making a whole quilt! Try scanning in bits of the fabric and saving them as jpeg files. Then you can resize and shape them and construct the whole quilt as it will actually look, working in layers and moving the pieces around however you want. As I said, it takes some time and skill with the program, but it's really not that difficult. An easier way to do it would be to cut small pieces of construction paper in the right colors and put your design together that way ... if you are only concerned about the design itself and not about how the specific color patterns will work together.
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I usually just draw it out on graph paper first. Then I use that page as my pattern while I am working too.
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What I do is make a miniature quilt out of the fabric I will be using, only instead of sewing the pieces together, I arrange them and glue them on an adhesive backing. Then, when I donate the quilt to the charity I support, I have a "picture" of the quilt to keep. That way, I can display the mini quilts on my walls.
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If you quilt quite a bit, I would suggest buying the program Electric Quilt. I have it myself, and it's the greatest thing since sliced cheese. You can buy a copy on Ebay relatively cheaply. It allows you to design quilts and embroidery squares on your computer and also try out different colors and actual fabrics. You can buy a CD about 3-4 times a year with the latest "stash" of popular fabrics that are for sale, or you can scan your own fabric to truly see what your quilt will look like.
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