QuiltInk Blog Hop

I’m a firm believer in technology helping us make our lives easier and this belief applies to the quilting world as well. So I couldn’t be more excited when I heard that Catalina Barceló (the designer behind  Amarar Creacions) created a new online colouring app called Quiltink . There’s a giveaway involved, so read on!

One of the more challenging part of creating a quilt is the fabric selection, as it is often difficult to imagine how the colours will look together. Quiltink helps us address that challenge and the best part is, you can access the app free of charge, on your phone or your computer.

I am fortunate to be part of the launch crew. Each day over a period of two weeks, a different quilt designer will be releasing a blog showcasing their patterns coloured-in using QuiltInk. A collaborative blog-hop of sorts (full disclosure: I had no idea what a blog hop was & Catalina had to patiently explain in to me!).  Guess what – today is my turn!

Let’s see how it works

Let’s start with the business model, as this may be on your mind. Quiltink app is free for you to use. Designers pay a modest sum to have their patterns featured and are able to include several sizes. Makers colour as many patterns as they want, can save them as well as download them. They are also able to connect to the designer’s site to purchase the pattern, for which Quiltink receives no commissions.

Once you’ve registered (so that you can save your coloured patterns), you’ll be presented with a gallery of all the patterns to choose from. The search functionality allows you to select the type of pattern you’re looking for, your preferred sewing technique or a specific designer.

Once you’ve selected the pattern you’d like to colour, you are able to select your preferred size.

In this example, I selected the Gratitude quilt and will recolour the crib size.

This is now my starting point. First, I’ll remove the default colours by using the rubber icon (2nd from the left).

Now that I have a blank canvas, I’ll select the palette to choose the line of fabric I’d like to work with.

I selected the Confetti Cottons range from Riley Blake and am all set. Now comes the fun part…

We’re celebrating the Lunar New Year festival here in Hong Kong, so it feels appropriate to choose a red background. I could leave the design as is, as red and white is always a winning combination. I’ll continue with a few more colours.

Seconds later, I have a new quilt top. If I like it, I can save it, download it, and/or visit the designer’s website to purchase the pattern. It’s that simple!

Enjoy!