The Best Quilt Color Palette Apps for Modern Makers
Reading time: 5 minutes and 41 seconds
(And How to Use Them With the Stash You Already Have)
Let’s be honest: a lot of quilting isn’t sewing. It’s standing in front of your fabric stash, completely paralyzed by color.
You know you have beautiful fabric. You bought it for a reason. But when it’s time to start a new project, you’re overwhelmed. You can’t figure out how to pull those disparate prints and solids into a palette that actually works.
So, you default to a pre-cut. You buy another kit. You let the anxiety win, and that beautiful, expensive stash just sits there, judging you.
What if you had a digital assistant to break you out of that rut? And what if the secret wasn’t buying more fabric, but finding a better way to see the fabric you already own?
Here are the tools I use to build unique color palettes, plus a simple method to finally tackle your stash so you can use them.
Who it’s for: The quilter who just needs a spark (and maybe a little fun).
What it is: Coolors is a free, fast, and addictive color palette generator. It’s my go-to when I’m starting from zero.
How to Use It for Quilting: This tool is pure, low-stakes inspiration.
- Hit the spacebar: It generates a new, five-color palette every time you press it. It’s a slot machine for color.
- Lock it in: Find a color you love? Click the lock icon. Now when you hit the spacebar, it will find four new colors that work with the one you locked. This is perfect for “shopping your stash”—lock in that perfect mustard yellow you’ve been dying to use and see what the generator pairs it with.
- Pull from a photo: Upload a photo of a sunset, a painting, or a vintage rug you love, and Coolors will pull a palette directly from the image.
This isn’t about finding an exact match for your fabric. It’s about building a mood board and finding a direction.
- Who it’s for: The digitally-savvy quilter who’s already comfortable designing in software (like EQ8) and is ready for a powerful new toy.
- What it is: Okay, full transparency: this one has a steeper learning curve and a subscription fee. It’s definitely more complicated than hitting “shuffle” on a free app.
But you don’t need a graphic design degree to use its single best feature for quilters: “Generative Recolor.” It’s an incredibly powerful tool for auditioning new colorways for a block you’ve already designed.
- How to Use It for Quilting: This isn’t for taking photos of your physical stash. This is the next step after you’ve designed something digitally.
- Export Your Block: Start in your favorite quilt design software, like Electric Quilt 8 (EQ8) or PreQuilt. Once you have a block you like, export it as a digital image (like a .JPG or .PNG).
- Import to Illustrator: Open that image file in Adobe Illustrator.
- Recolor with AI: Select your image and open the “Generative Recolor” panel. This is where the magic happens. You can type in simple text prompts to see your exact block in a totally new light.
Try prompts like:
- “Moody academia”
- “1970s kitchen”
- “Wes Anderson film”
- “Earthy and desaturated”
In seconds, the AI re-colors your block while keeping the values and relationships the same. It’s the single best way to stretch way outside your color comfort zone and see possibilities you never would have landed on by yourself. It’s a bit of work, but the results are fantastic.
The Bridge from Digital to Fabric: Your Stash
Okay, so you’ve got a gorgeous palette. You’re inspired. You’re ready.
You walk back to your sewing room… and you’re staring at the same chaotic mess of bins, baskets, and “organized” piles. You can’t find the colors you just got inspired by.
Here’s the problem: You’re organizing your stash like a “storer,” not an artist.
An artist doesn’t hide their paints in drawers by how much of each paint is left. They inventory them. Arrange them. They need to see what they have. Your fabric is your paint. You need to be able to see it.
That’s why I created a simple, 2-page guide: “The Artist’s Stash: How to Organize Your Fabric for Instant Inspiration.” It’s a quick-start guide to stop stuffing fabric into oblivion and start sorting it by color—reds with reds, blues with blues—so you can “shop your stash” like a pro.
[>> Download the free ‘Artist’s Stash’ Guide Here]
The Analog Tools That Tie It All Together
This is why I keep my 3-in-1 Color Tool practically chained to my wrist.
It’s not just for choosing palettes; it’s for sorting them. This simple analog tool helps you instantly isolate colors, identify the “mother color” of any print, and see its true value. It makes organizing by color dead simple.
But here’s the real secret: all these tools—the apps, the guides, the color wheel—are just crutches. They’re fantastic for getting you started, but they don’t build confidence.
If you’re tired of needing an app to tell you what works, my Anxiety-Free Color Theory class is the answer. It’s the class I built to teach you why certain colors work together. We break down the mystery so you can build palettes intuitively, with or without a screen.
Stop Staring, Start Sewing
Color anxiety is real, but it’s 100% solvable. You don’t need more fabric; you just need a new perspective.
The goal isn’t to rely on apps forever. The goal is to use them as training wheels to help you understand your own instincts.
Start by organizing what you have. Grab the free “Artist’s Stash” guide, and see how a simple shift in perspective (and a few sorted piles) can completely reignite your creativity.
AI is Here. But What Does it Mean for Creativity?
If you’ve ever wondered “Is AI going to replace real art?” you’re not alone. Many creatives feel curious but cautious.
The truth? AI is a tool, not a threat. But only if you understand how it works, its potential for good and harm, and how to use it ethically and with intention.
You don’t have to dive in blindly.
You can learn the landscape, explore the possibilities, and stay firmly in control of your creative voice — while adding more speed, variety, and inspiration to your process.
Hey there, I’m Theresa, The AI Quilter. I’m here to help you connect technology and creativity in ways that feel human, creative, and completely your own.
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