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Free Quilt Design Tool

The NiftyFifty Quilt Designer is a free browser-based quilt design tool: arrange 1,400+ real handmade blocks on grids up to 20×20, add sashing and borders, and print the full pattern with a cutting chart — no signup, nothing to install.

Updated August 2026 · Works on Windows, Mac, iPad, and Chromebook

What is the Quilt Designer?

The NiftyFifty Quilt Designer is a free online quilt layout planner (updated for 2026) that lets you design a complete quilt from real blocks — more than 1,200 handmade blocks collected through NiftyFifty's block swaps since 1997, plus any block you draft yourself. You arrange blocks on grids up to 20×20 at any block size from 3 to 18 inches, add sashing, cornerstones, and multiple borders, preview on-point diagonal settings with the setting-triangle math done for you, and watch the finished dimensions update live. When the layout is right, the tool prints a complete pattern: fabric requirements, a cutting chart, and assembly steps. It runs free in your browser with nothing to install.

Common quilt layouts at a glance

With 12″ finished blocks, before borders — the Designer recalculates live for any block size from 3″ to 18″:

QuiltGridFinished size
Baby3 × 4 blocks36″ × 48″
Throw / Lap4 × 5 blocks48″ × 60″
Twin5 × 7 blocks60″ × 84″
Queen7 × 8 blocks84″ × 96″
King8 × 8 blocks96″ × 96″

A few of the real blocks in the palette:

How it works

  1. 1Choose your grid and block size. Pick any layout up to 20×20 and set the finished block size (3–18 inches) — the quilt dimensions update live, so you can plan to an exact bed size.
  2. 2Fill it with real blocks. Search the community archive of 1,400+ handmade blocks, place your own saved designs, or use Random Fill to audition arrangements instantly.
  3. 3Add sashing and borders. Sashing, cornerstones, and multiple borders — recolor everything with one palette tap, or try an on-point diagonal setting.
  4. 4Check the materials. The Materials calculator totals yardage for blocks, sashing, borders, backing, and binding.
  5. 5Print the pattern. Print Pattern writes the full pattern: fabric requirements, cutting chart, and assembly steps for your exact layout.

How it compares

An honest snapshot against the tools quilters ask about most (full breakdown on the quilt design software comparison page):

ToolPriceRuns onPrintable pattern output
NiftyFifty Quilt DesignerFree, saving includedAny browser — Mac, iPad, ChromebookFull pattern: yardage, cutting chart, assembly
Electric Quilt 8$239.95 one-timeWindows/Mac desktop onlyYes — the deepest drafting tool, steep learning curve
PreQuiltFree tier (no saving) · $50/yrAny browserPlanner and colorways — no generated pattern
PatternJamFreeAny browserPreset patterns to recolor — no custom blocks

What it is — and isn't

This tool plans a whole quilt from blocks: layout, sashing, borders, on-point settings, yardage, and a printable pattern. It is not a from-scratch block drafting canvas — that's the Pattern Designer, which draws pieced blocks, appliqué shapes, and foundation-paper-piecing patterns you can then drop into a layout here. And per our no-AI-imagery policy, every block photo in the palette is a real quilt block a real person made.

Frequently asked questions

Does the quilt designer work on a Mac, iPad, or Chromebook?

Yes. The NiftyFifty Quilt Designer runs in the browser, so it works the same on Windows, macOS, iPad, Chromebook, and Android — nothing to install and no separate Mac version to buy. That's a real difference from desktop quilt software, which is Windows-first and often limited or paid-extra on Mac.

Do I need an account to design a quilt?

No. You can design, adjust, and print without signing up — your work autosaves in your browser as you go. A free account is only needed when you want to save quilts to the cloud, share a link, or keep designs across devices.

Is there a free tool to design a whole quilt online?

Yes. The NiftyFifty Quilt Designer is a free browser-based quilt layout planner. You arrange real quilt blocks into a grid (any size up to 20×20), set your finished block size, add sashing, cornerstones, and multiple borders, preview on-point (diagonal) settings, and see the finished quilt dimensions update live.

Can I print a pattern for the quilt I design?

Yes. The Print Pattern button produces a complete printable pattern: fabric requirements, a cutting chart, and step-by-step assembly instructions matched to your exact layout, sashing, and borders.

How many blocks do I need for a quilt?

It depends on block size and quilt size. As a guide with 12-inch blocks: a baby quilt is about 3×4 blocks (12 total), a throw 4×5 (20), a twin 5×7 (35), and a queen 7×8 (56) before borders. The Quilt Designer shows finished dimensions live as you change the grid, so you can hit your target size exactly.

What is an on-point quilt layout?

An on-point layout turns the blocks 45 degrees so they sit as diamonds, with setting triangles filling the edges. It makes a quilt roughly 1.4 times larger than the same blocks set straight. The Quilt Designer previews on-point settings and calculates the setting-triangle cutting sizes for you.

Can I use my own quilt blocks in the design?

Yes. The block palette opens with the most-loved blocks and its search reaches the full archive of 1,400+ real handmade blocks from NiftyFifty's swaps — plus any blocks you design yourself in the Pattern Designer — design a block once and drop it into a full quilt layout.

Does the tool calculate fabric requirements?

Yes. The Materials calculator totals the fabric to buy for blocks, sashing, borders, backing, and binding, based on your exact layout and quilt dimensions.

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