What to expect and how to make it work.
Ready to build a quilt around that stunning fabric panel you’ve been saving? When you only get one shot at cutting into it, planning matters and we’re here to help!
Fabric panels are different from traditional fabric designs. Instead of a solid color or repeating design, a panel is essentially a printed image on fabric almost like a photograph on cloth.
And yes, you can plan a panel quilt in Quiltster! But there’s one important thing to understand first:
Quiltster was originally designed for standard fabrics, not pictures.
So panels don’t always behave perfectly when you load them. That doesn’t mean you can’t use them, it just means you need to help Quiltster a little.
This guide will show you exactly how.
Step 1: Choose a Panel-Friendly Pattern
We are starting to add panel-friendly patterns into the Quilt Planner, along with templates specifically for different sized panels.
One example is the pattern, Alpine Tracks. This is a foundation paper pieced design that frames a center panel and lets you audition border fabrics before you cut anything.
These patterns load as Mixer patterns in Quiltster. The panel block inside the pattern is the mixer portion which includes block designs for a variety of sashing options (decorative strips around the panel).
You’ll see options for:
- No sashing
- ½” sashing
- 1″ sashing
Step 2: Pick the Correct Template Size & Orientation
Fabric panels are not standardized. This is honestly the #1 reason people struggle with them.
- First, find the size of the fabric panel you want to use.
- Next, choose the corresponding template.
We have built templates showcasing three popular panel sizes:
Quilt Size | Panel Size it Fits (WOF) |
48″ × 68″ | 24″ × 44″ |
54″ × 68″ | 30″ × 44″ |
60″ × 68″ | 36″ × 44″ |
When you open a panel-friendly pattern in Quiltster, you’ll see six template options representing each size offered in both:
- Horizontal (landscape)
- Vertical (portrait)
***Always choose the orientation that matches your panel image.
Pro Tip: Sashing Lets Smaller Panels Fit
The sashing options actually change the usable panel space. Because the sashing sits inside the panel opening, it slightly reduces the size of the area your panel fills.
Example:
The 54″ × 68″ quilt normally fits a 30″ panel.
If you choose the 1″ sashing option, you can successfully use a 28″ panel because the sashing fills the extra space.
So if your panel is almost the right size, you may be able to make it fit simply by selecting a wider sashing option.
Step 3: Preparing Your Panel Image
This is the step that determines whether your panel looks great or distorted.
Quiltster requires square images when uploading fabric. Panels, however, are rectangles. So if you upload a rectangular image directly, Quiltster will automatically force it into a square resulting in a stretched out, distorted image.
That’s why panels look “squished” or warped when loaded in their original state as rectangles.
To prevent this, you must edit the image before uploading.
Create a Custom Canvas
You will need to place your rectangle panel onto a perfect square canvas before uploading it into Quiltster.
We recommend starting with a canvas size of 44 inches. (44″ x 44″). You may also try creating a canvas square sized that is equal the longest dimension of your panel if the 44″ square doesn’t display correctly in your project.
Open a photo editing program such as Photoshop or Canva. We use Canva in our tutorials as it is easy to navigate and it has a free version that you can use to edit your own panels before loading into Quiltster.
- Create a custom canvas.
For example: If your panel size is 30″ × 42″
Your square canvas should still be: 44″ × 44″
- Upload the panel image into your photo editing program.
- Add the panel to your canvas.
- Center the panel on your canvas. Make sure it goes from end to end on the longest side.
- Export your new panel image on a square canvas to your computer. It’s now ready to import into Quiltster.
Tips:
- It is best to use the images provided by the fabric company.
- You may see the canvas around your image and that’s okay. The white space exists only on the extra canvas space and will not appear in your finished quilt. Because the panel block is rectangular, Quiltster only displays the portion of your square image that fits the block.
Step 4: Loading the Panel into Quiltster
Load your new custom panel image into Quiltster as normal. Learn how to load fabric into Quiltster here.
Important: Enter the Swatch Size as the size of your canvas, not the size of the original panel.
In our example, we put our panel onto a square canvas of 44” x 44”. This would make our Swatch Size: 44
Once uploaded:
- Add your panel to the correct space within your panel-friendly pattern.
- Test out different block options for sashing if you like.
- Audition border fabrics to finish your project!
Pro tip: If your panel appears to repeat inside your project, recreate your canvas at slightly larger size. Remember to update your Swatch Size when reloading your new image.
Why Panels Need Extra Work
Traditional fabric designs repeat designs throughout the fabric. Panels are a single large image.
Quiltster maps your uploaded image into a space originally designed for repeating fabric prints. That’s why we require square uploads and template sizing.
We do plan to build smarter panel handling in the future but for now, these steps give very reliable results.
Final Tips for Success
- Always choose the template size first
- Match landscape vs portrait orientation
- Use sashing to help slightly smaller panels fit
- Upload a square image only
- Expect minor cropping, it’s normal
If you follow those rules, you’ll be able to confidently plan your panel quilt and choose fabrics before you ever cut into your panel.
And that’s the real goal. Protecting a fabric you only get one chance to cut.
Happy Quiltstering!
Ready to try Quiltster for yourself?
Start designing your own quilt projects, experiment with fabrics (and panels!), and calculate yardage with ease.
✨ Subscribe to Quiltster and start planning today.