Paper piecing

Turn a photo into a paper piecing pattern

Start from a photo cuts a picture into straight-seamed patches you can paper piece, reduced to a handful of fabrics. Choose how many fabrics and patches, then open it numbered and in sections.

Where to find it

Designer → new quilt → Foundation paper piecing → Set up the panel → Start from a photo

Start from a photo
In paper piecing setup, Start from a photo cuts the poinsettia into straight seams; twelve fabrics and sixty patches, then Start from this opens it numbered and in sections on the paper piecing workspace

How to do it

  1. In new quilt setup, choose Foundation paper piecing and press Set up the panel.
  2. Press Start from a photo and choose a picture. The preview shows it cut into patches, and the panel takes the photo's shape.
  3. Set Fabrics (how many colors it's reduced to), Patches (roughly how many pieces) and Detail: Where it matters puts small patches on the detail, Even keeps them all a similar size.
  4. Type the Width and Height you want, then press Start from this. It opens with every patch numbered and in sections, and the photo underneath.

Good to know

  • Fewer patches make it simpler to sew; more keep a face or a pet's eyes recognizable.
  • Every seam can be moved or erased once it opens, and each patch's color changed with Fill.
Who can use it
Free, no account needed
Where it works
Web studio

This guide answers

  • How do I turn a photo into a foundation paper piecing pattern?
  • Can I make a paper pieced portrait of my dog?
  • How do I make an FPP pattern from a picture?
  • Can Quiltler turn my photo into a pattern I can paper piece?
  • How do I make a pet portrait quilt?