Leveraging CorelDRAW for Innovative Quilt Designing: A Case Study on Starforest Quilts

Barbara Webster, a talented quilter and founder of Starforest Quilts, was faced with the challenge of creating intricate, kaleidoscopic patterns of photographic images for her quilts. Traditional methods of quilt designing were not sufficient to achieve the level of complexity and precision she desired. Moreover, she wanted to incorporate high-resolution photographic images in vivid color on 100% cotton fabric, which was virtually impossible without the use of advanced technology. The challenge was to find a solution that could help her create these intricate designs and print them on fabric in a high-quality manner.

Barbara Webster is a professional quilter living on a 30-acre mountain farm in the Blue Ridge Mountains in western North Carolina. She started her quilting journey after moving to the mountains from Charlotte, NC in 1994. Her first quilt won Best First Quilt in the Asheville Quilt Show, launching her career as a quilt designer. She is the founder and principal owner of Starforest Quilts, a quilt designing company. Barbara fits the profile of a typical quilter, being a well-educated woman in her fifties with more than 12 years of quilting experience and a higher-than-average household income.

The solution came in the form of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite, a powerful and easy-to-use software that allowed Barbara to design her quilts on the computer. She would start by taking photos of nature scenes with her 5 mega-pixel digital camera Nikon Coolpix 5700. After importing the image files into CorelDRAW, she would place the images in different patterns to create an interesting composition. Once the design was finalized, she would export the files as 300 dpi TIFFs and burn them on a CD. This CD was then sent to a friend who owned a large format Mimaki ink-jet printer, designed to handle thicker fabrics in wide formats. This combination of software and hardware technology made it possible for Barbara to create and print her intricate quilt designs.

• The use of CorelDRAW Graphics Suite has revolutionized Barbara's quilt designing process, enabling her to create intricate designs that were previously impossible. The software's ease of use and powerful features have allowed her to express her creativity in new and innovative ways. Moreover, the ability to print these designs on fabric using a large format Mimaki ink-jet printer has significantly enhanced the quality of her quilts. This has not only improved her productivity but also the quality of her work, leading to recognition and awards such as the top honor of Quilt 2004 at the Festival of Quilts in Birmingham, England.

• Ability to create intricate, kaleidoscopic patterns of photographic images that would be virtually impossible to accomplish without the software.
• Capability to print high-resolution photographic images in vivid color on 100% cotton fabric.
• Flexibility to print images up to 55” wide and 3 yards long.