How to Use Your Computer in Quilting

Quilting is often enjoyed as a creative pastime by many people who like to work with their hands. Handmade quilts can be given as gifts, sold or used by the creator. With the help of a computer, quilting designs can easily be created, printed, and used for quilting patterns.

Items Needed:

• Computer


• Printer


• Scanner


• Image programs


• Internet access


• Paper

Microsoft Paint

1. Locate MS Paint in the "Accessories" options.


2. Create designs by using the shapes provided in the "Tools" option, such as the rectangle, polygon, square or circle. If you seriously want to get creative, the free-hand selection of tools can be used, such as the pen and pencil, to draw out your own design.


3. Send the design to your printer.


4. Save your design to a file or disk to be used in the future.

Web Browser

1. Search online for quilting designs through your favorite web browser.


2. Browse through the images provided. Find a quilting design you link and follow the prompts to the website it is located at.


3. Download the design to the computer where it can be saved to a file or sent to the printer for printing.


4. Print the designs to be used as patterns.

Using a Scanner

1. Scan quilting designs from books or magazines into the computer.


2. Open the image in an imaging program such as Windows Photo Gallery.


3. Customize the image to fit your needs by using prompts such as enlarge, crop or color adjusting, so you can see what the design will look like.


4. Send the image to the printer.


5. Trim away the excess paper to make the quilting pattern.