Method of making a quilt

Abstract

Systems and methods for superimposing an image of a quilt pattern over an image of a quilt to preview what a completed quilt will look like before the quilt pattern is sewn onto the quilt. One method may include selecting an image of a quilt, inputting a first and a second quilt dimension into a controller, selecting a quilt pattern including a thread color to be used over at least a portion of the quilt, selecting the thread color, superimposing the quilt pattern over the at least a portion of the quilt, selectively altering the quilt pattern, and outputting a completed image displaying a final quilt pattern superimposed over the quilt and parameters for a quilting machine to sew the final quilt pattern onto the quilt.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method of superimposing an image of a quilt pattern over an image of a quilt to preview what a completed quilt will look like before the quilt pattern is sewn onto the quilt, the method comprising:
 positioning, by a user, a quilt onto a frame;   positioning, by the user, a camera relative to the frame;   capturing, by the user, an image of the quilt;   inputting, by the user, the image into a controller;   inputting, by the user, a first and a second quilt dimension into the controller;   clipping, by the controller, the image to reflect the first and second quilt dimensions;   selecting, by the user, a quilt pattern to be used over at least a portion of the quilt, the quilt pattern including a thread color;   selecting, by the user, the thread color;   superimposing, by the controller, the quilt pattern over the at least a portion of the quilt;   selectively altering, by the user, the quilt pattern; and   outputting, by the controller, a completed image displaying a final quilt pattern superimposed over the quilt and parameters for a quilting machine to sew the final quilt pattern onto the quilt.   
     
     
         2 . The method accordingly to  claim 1 , wherein positioning, by a user, a quilt onto a frame, includes detachably connecting the quilt to the frame via one or more clips. 
     
     
         3 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein positioning, by a user, a quilt onto a frame includes positioning the quilt so that the quilt is captured in the image having minimal distortion. 
     
     
         4 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the first quilt dimension is a length of the quilt and the second quilt dimension is a width of the quilt. 
     
     
         5 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein after the user inputs the image into the controller, the image is displayed on a display connected to the controller. 
     
     
         6 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein selecting, by the user, a quilt pattern to be used over at least a portion of the quilt, includes acquiring the quilt pattern from a digital library having a plurality of quilt patterns. 
     
     
         7 . The method according to  claim 5 , wherein selecting, by the user, the thread color, includes acquiring the thread color from a digital library that includes commercially available thread colors. 
     
     
         8 . The method according to  claim 7 , wherein the user is able to alter the thread color depicted on the display to more closely match one of the commercially available thread colors. 
     
     
         9 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein superimposing, by the controller, the quilt pattern over at least a portion of the quilt, includes replicating the quilt pattern into a plurality of patterns covering an entire surface area of the quilt. 
     
     
         10 . The method according to  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of patterns are positioned in one or more rows and one or more columns. 
     
     
         11 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein a size of the quilt pattern can be increase by decreasing the one or more rows or the one or more columns. 
     
     
         12 . The method according to  claim 10 , wherein a size of the quilt pattern can be decreased by increasing the one or more rows or the one or more columns. 
     
     
         13 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein selectively altering, by the user, the quilt pattern, includes at least one among: scaling, moving, offsetting, replicating, rotating, and connecting one or more quilt patterns. 
     
     
         14 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the parameters are in a format that can be used by the quilting machine to sew the final quilt pattern onto the quilt so that a completed quilt that mirrors the completed image is produced. 
     
     
         15 . The method according to  claim 1 , wherein the quilt includes a first fabric layer, a second fabric layer, and a third fabric layer. 
     
     
         16 . A method of superimposing an image of a quilt pattern over an image of a quilt to preview what a completed quilt will look like before the quilt pattern is sewn onto the quilt, the method comprising:
 selecting, by a user, an image of a quilt;   inputting, by the user, a first and a second quilt dimension into a controller;   selecting, by the user, a quilt pattern to be used over at least a portion of the quilt, the quilt pattern including a thread color;   selecting, by the user, the thread color;   superimposing, by the controller, the quilt pattern over the at least a portion of the quilt;   selectively altering, by the user, the quilt pattern; and   outputting, by the controller, a completed image displaying a final quilt pattern superimposed over the quilt and parameters for a quilting machine to sew the final quilt pattern onto the quilt.   
     
     
         17 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein selecting, by the user, a quilt pattern to be used over at least a portion of the quilt, includes acquiring the quilt pattern from a digital library having a plurality of quilt patterns. 
     
     
         18 . The method according to  claim 16 , wherein selecting, by the user, the thread color, includes acquiring the thread color from a digital library that includes commercially available thread colors. 
     
     
         19 . A method of superimposing an image of a quilt pattern over an image of a quilt to preview what a completed quilt will look like before the quilt pattern is sewn onto the quilt, the method comprising:
 selecting, by a user, a quilt pattern to be used over at least a portion of a quilt, the quilt pattern including a thread color;   selecting, by the user, an image of a quilt;   superimposing, by a controller, the quilt pattern over the at least a portion of the quilt;   selectively altering, by the user, the quilt pattern;   selecting, by the user, the thread color; and   outputting, by the controller, a completed image displaying a final quilt pattern superimposed over the quilt.   
     
     
         20 . The method according to  claim 19 , further comprising the step of providing a completed quilt.