As a shop owner, you know the value of a good sample. But making one takes time, energy, and—yep—cuts into your inventory. What if you could skip the scissors and still sell the vision?
Whether you’re promoting a new fabric line, prepping a kit, or building anticipation for a class, mockups help your customers see it before they sew it. And they help you sell it before you commit to making a full sample.
Here are 4 easy ways to do it:
🖥️ Digital Quilt Mockups
Use software like EQ8, Photoshop, or even Canva to create digital versions of a quilt using swatches from your shop. Most fabric manufacturers offer downloadable swatch images—just drop them into a layout and you're ready to go.
💡 Use mockups in emails, social media, or printouts next to fabric bolts to build preorders or promote kits.
Digital Mockups - a more in-depth look
Software used:
- Adobe Illustrator / Photoshop – for more custom, polished layouts.
- EQ8 (Electric Quilt 8) – popular quilting-specific software for designing quilt blocks and full quilts.
- Canva or Procreate – for quicker, more flexible mockups
- Affinity Designer – a budget-friendly alternative to Adobe.
Process:
- Import fabric swatches (usually from manufacturers’ digital swatch downloads).
- Place swatches into quilt block templates or the full quilt layout.
- Adjust colors, placement, and scale to preview various combinations.
- Export the mockup for marketing, patterns, or shop displays.
Pros:
- Fast and flexible.
- Easy to swap fabrics and recolor.
- Great for marketing or pitching to fabric companies.
🧵 Physical Mockups with Swatches
Don’t want to make a whole sample? Just pin a few swatches or cut pieces to your design wall in the quilt’s layout. Or stitch one block and place it next to the bolt—it’s just enough to give customers the idea.
We've used this method - especially when we recreate a fan-favorite pattern in a new colorway. We will only make a block or two, and that is enough for customers to see the full picture (or close to it).
🧵 Especially effective for large quilt samples where the full version would be time-consuming.
✏️ Hand-Drawn Layouts with Fabric Pulls
Grab a sketchbook or printable quilt diagram and pair it with a real-life fabric pull. The combination of a simple layout and tangible fabric can work magic in-store—especially for planning classes, BOMs (Block of the Month programs), or helping customers visualize their own versions.
🖍️ Great for shop owners who aren’t super tech-savvy, or for those moments when your customer wants to pick their own colors but needs help seeing it come together.
📒 Bonus: Laminate the sketch and hang it right next to the collection for a quick visual reference.
🧩3D Quilt Visualization Tools
A newer option in the quilt world, platforms like PreQuilt let you upload your shop’s fabric collections into existing quilt patterns—or your own—and preview them in a dynamic, interactive format. You can experiment with colorways, fabric combinations, and layouts without ever cutting fabric.
Wrap-up Paragraph:
You don’t have to wait for the sample to be done—or ever sew one at all—to start building excitement and generating sales. Mockups save time, preserve inventory, and help your customers visualize the possibilities.
So go ahead—turn that fabric wall into a sales tool without threading a needle.
Want to turn your mockup into a ready-to-sell kit? Browse our Custom Pre-Cut Quilt Kits designed to make quilt prep easy and eye-catching, or reach out for a Custom Laser-cut Kit!
4 Easy Quilt Mockup Methods for Shop Owners