Tools to Run Your Quilting Business
Running a quilting business involves managing orders, tracking materials and labor, communicating with customers, and handling finances. The right software helps you stay organized, reduce errors, and scale without doubling your workload. Most quilters start with a few basic tools and add specialized software as their business grows.
Your technology stack should support custom order management, inventory tracking, and clear communication with clients—since quilting projects often involve design revisions, material selections, and long timelines.
Invoicing and Payments
Square Invoices lets you create branded invoices, send payment reminders automatically, and accept payments online. For quilt orders that span weeks or months, you can set deposit requirements and schedule final payment reminders, reducing back-and-forth emails. The tool integrates with Square’s payment processing, so you see the full transaction flow in one place.
Wave is free accounting software that handles invoicing, expense tracking, and basic financial reporting. You can customize invoices with your quilting business logo, set payment terms, and track which customers owe you money. Wave doesn’t charge transaction fees on invoices, though you’ll pay standard rates if you accept online payments through their processor.
FreshBooks combines invoicing with time tracking and project management. If you bill by the hour or need to track how long custom quilts take, FreshBooks shows you exactly where your time goes. It’s especially useful for quilters who offer rush services at premium rates—you can see whether those jobs are actually more profitable.
Order and Project Management
Asana helps you organize each quilt project from design approval through delivery. You can create a template for every order—design confirmation, fabric sourcing, piecing, quilting, binding, quality check, and shipping. Team members or contractors see what’s due next, reducing delays and miscommunication on multi-step projects.
Monday.com works similarly but with a more visual board layout. You can drag custom quilt orders from “awaiting design feedback” to “in production” to “ready to ship.” Color-coding by order type or deadline helps you prioritize rush jobs. Many quilters find the visual approach easier than text-based task lists.
Notion is a flexible database tool that quilters use to track orders, maintain design inspiration boards, and document standard processes. You can create a master template for each project and link related records—design sketches, material costs, customer contact info, and delivery date all in one view. The learning curve is steeper than Asana, but you pay less and get unlimited customization.
Customer Relationship Management
HubSpot CRM is free for up to one million contacts and helps you track every interaction with customers. You can log design consultation notes, record which color preferences they’ve mentioned, and set reminders to follow up on quotes. For quilters managing repeat customers or referral networks, this prevents you from forgetting important details between projects.
Pipedrive focuses on sales pipeline management. If you handle many custom quilt inquiries but only convert a percentage into orders, Pipedrive shows you exactly where leads are stuck—maybe customers ask about pricing but don’t respond, or they love your work but never confirm delivery timelines. The tool costs $14–$99 per month depending on features you need.
Scheduling and Appointment Booking
Calendly lets customers book design consultation slots on your calendar without email back-and-forth. You set your available times, and Calendly sends automatic reminders to both you and the customer. For quilters offering in-person consultations to show fabric samples or discuss custom designs, this saves hours of scheduling emails each week.
Acuity Scheduling integrates with your website and collects deposit payments at booking time. When a customer reserves a consultation slot, you can require a 25% design deposit upfront. This reduces no-shows and ensures serious inquiries convert to actual projects.
Communication
Slack keeps team communication organized if you work with other quilters, contractors, or a small office team. You can create channels for customer projects, supplier issues, or production updates so nothing gets lost in email threads. Free version allows 90 days of message history, which is usually enough for active projects.
Gmail and Google Workspace provide professional email and file sharing. A business email address (yourname@yourquilting business.com) builds trust with customers compared to a Gmail.com address. Google Drive integration lets you store design files, customer inspiration boards, and order receipts in shared folders.
Design and Portfolio
Canva is simple design software where you can create social media posts, custom invitations, or simple design mockups without hiring a graphic designer. Many quilters use it to show customers how a finished quilt might look in different color combinations.
Squarespace or Wix both offer portfolio templates where you can showcase finished quilts with customer photos and testimonials. Built-in contact forms and online shops make it easy for potential customers to reach you or browse your work. Expect to pay $12–$25 per month for a basic plan.
Inventory and Materials Tracking
Shopify includes inventory management if you also sell pre-made quilts or fabric bundles online. You can track fabric stock, set low-inventory alerts, and see which designs sell fastest. The transaction fees are 2.9% + 30¢ per order, so only use this if you’re actually selling inventory online.
Free vs Paid Tools
Start with free versions of Wave (invoicing), Notion or Asana (project management), HubSpot CRM, and Calendly (scheduling). These five tools cover invoicing, order tracking, customer notes, and appointment booking—the essentials for a solo quilter or small team.
Upgrade to paid plans once you hit specific pain points: if you’re spending more than 3 hours a week on scheduling, pay for Acuity Scheduling to automate deposits. If you have multiple team members or contractors, upgrade to Asana or Monday.com paid plans ($10–$15/month) so everyone sees the same project status. Don’t pay for tools you’re not actually using—many quilters sign up for CRM software and never log in again.
The Minimum Tech Stack to Launch
- Wave or Square Invoices — Send branded invoices and collect payments without chasing customers for checks
- Notion or Asana — Track where each custom order stands so nothing falls through the cracks
- Calendly — Let customers book design consultations without email scheduling
- Google Workspace (or Gmail with business domain) — Professional email and file storage for customer designs and contracts
- Canva or simple website (Wix/Squarespace) — Show your portfolio so potential customers see your best work