From an idea
to your first cut.

Make your first edit.

In My studio, open Golden hour for an editable starting point. Choose a fabric in the Design palette, then click one piece to paint it. For a keyboard alternative, select a block, choose its shape in Selected piece and use Paint selected piece. Try Undo and Redo, then turn or mirror the selected block with its orientation controls. You can also begin a blank quilt or choose an editable multi-block feature design.

Use your own colours and fabric.

Open My fabrics → Import a fabric photo, or choose Add your own fabric photo in Design. Use a JPG, PNG or WebP under 5 MB, with flat fabric filling the frame in even light. Crop away the table, ruler and selvedge, then enter the real width of the fabric inside that crop. Check the repeat preview and choose Add fabric to quilt. Choose the fabric swatch in Design and paint a piece. Editing an existing fabric changes all pieces using it; add a new fabric for an independent colour.

Review before cutting.

Open Make this quilt. Check dimensions, units, seam allowance, fabric width and the backing/binding choices. Resolve plan warnings and sew a test block before cutting all your fabric.

Print at the right size.

In Make this quilt, choose Complete making book and select Letter or A4, then Print / Save PDF. To keep a PDF on a Mac, choose PDF → Save as PDF in the system print dialog. Only pages explicitly marked as actual-size templates are cutting templates; placement maps and quilt previews are not. Print templates at 100% / Actual size, disable Fit to page, and measure the 50 mm calibration line.

Keep your work.

Choose Save project for a portable .quiltstudio file and remember where you saved it. Save As makes an independent quilt. To check your saved copy, quit normally, reopen the app and use Open project to select that file; its fabric photos travel with it. In My studio, Save checkpoint keeps a device-only version; Back up library downloads the saved collection. Keep portable backups and your license separately from this device.

Choose the right kind of backup.

One quilt: Save project creates or updates its .quiltstudio file, including its custom blocks and fabric photos. Save As creates an independent quilt. Keep a copy somewhere separate from this device.

Your saved collection: My studio → Back up library downloads a .quiltlibrary file containing saved quilts, saved blocks and saved fabric stash records, including stock information. Finish or save an open block drawing first. This portable backup does not include checkpoint history, unfinished drawings, your license, Community sign-in or the private purchase-access file; keep your license and purchase files separately.

Restore a portable backup: My studio → Restore backup lets you select a .quiltlibrary file. Existing items are preserved; conflicting items become separate restored copies. Review restored fabric stock before using it. Cancel restore stops that import without changing the existing collection.

Recover your collection on another computer.

1. Bring the right files. Keep your original .quiltlicense file and your .quiltlibrary backup. A purchase receipt or Community sign-in cannot replace them. If you saved only a .quiltstudio file, use Open project to recover that one quilt instead.
2. Install and activate. Use the download for your computer and activate with your original license file. Use a compatible version that can read the backup. A library backup does not activate the app.
3. Import the collection. Open My studio → Restore backup, select the .quiltlibrary file itself and click Open. Wait for the completion message. Keep the original backup.
4. Open and check a recovered quilt. Choose it in My studio. Importing a backup does not replace the quilt already on your canvas. Check its colours, block orientations and fabric photos, then use Save project to keep a portable file on this computer.
5. Check your stash. Review restored stock and any separate restored copies before recording cuts. Keep the original backup and license somewhere separate from the computer.

If the message says Restored 0 library items, identical items may already be present. Check My studio before importing again. Restoring the same unchanged backup does not deliberately make a second copy of every quilt.

Earlier device library: A way back to your library is a different desktop recovery tool. Restoring one of those copies replaces the device library and local settings after making a protected copy of the current state. It does not replace project files saved elsewhere.

Autosave and recovery copies on the same computer do not protect against losing that computer. Keep independent backups.